@crash_happy: where was that chopper located?

A few things from my experience:

*The Merryweather contact you get around 20+ is very useful. You can call in a helicopter taxi anywhere for 1k, then shoot the pilot and take it for yourself. You can also solo a lot of missions by calling in the support chopper to clear out enemies.

*Racing is far and away the most effective and fun way to level up and amass money. Getting into a good lobby with vocal players makes the levels fly by. You'll raise stats, unlock a ton of stuff and eventually dump out with a bunch of cash.

*Don't forget to use your Mechanic contact to drop off cars for you. Really useful.

*AI shooting is brutal. Headshots from hundreds of yards away, blindfiring with a pistol. You have to play really carefully in missions, and keep your health bar up by eating snacks.

*Make friends! If people in a lobby are on mic and seem alright, add them. The game has really spotty matchmaking, but a big friends list makes it a breeze. And doing the higher end missions with randoms is a bitch.

*Lester can remove wanted levels for you, even mid-mission for $500. Well worth it. I'm using this constantly.

*Use free aim - it's actually more efficient once you get a sense for where your reticle is from cover.

*Don't bother buying an apartment until 200k+. Just get a cheap garage if you must. The 80-100+k apartments look the same and don't have the planning room. So essentially, they're just a closet.

I haven't had to use much effort to win races. My record is around 18-8 but that's not right. It should be around 24-9. Also, I must be getting bigger lobbies or something because I typically get between 5400 and 7800 per race. After 2 or 3 races I'm always close to $15k or $20K.

I've seen some guys with records like 41-21 and 36-15. A good driver won't be starving for money.

@crash_happy said:

@humanity: Actually I don't think the cash penalty is the problem. If there was any sort of invulnerabilty, or system where you spawn away from other players for instance, then the issue wouldn't exist. Rockstar seem to have managed to overlook human nature and again, this wouldn't have occurred if they'd had any sort of beta.

On the bright side though they could still patch something in. Like being able to select a spawn position from missions.

By the way, is there any way to select what vehicle get's delivered when you request?

I think it would be cool to have an anti-grief option of calling the cops or a hit crew on players hassling you. If they keep up they get more stars and have to work harder to get away. If they get captured or killed by said group they lose money also. besides from that you have to hope the good sport bad sport kicks in.

Don't set a technical race in the rain, if you're driving a fully souped up Muscle car. The one circumstance that custom cars are inferior.

Oh, and for the love of everything that is holy, if you're used to free aim, don't go and play with assisted aim. It's horrid, locking on to downed enemies, and it makes one lazy, reduces the range of weapons, and is an overall suck fest.

Such a nuissance, that it changes my settings and doesn't revert them back to what I prefer when I'm done playing with aim assist players in the instance.

Does anyone know where to easily find police cars or police helicopters?

@49th: I believe some people marked heli spawns on this wiki map, not sure on the accuracy though. Just search for helicopters or police station -- http://gta-5-map.com/

Got some others that may or may not be already said...

Don't destroy people's person vehicles because if they are insured then you pay for the repair and, on top of that, are labeled a bad sport. Dumb, imo. I had a guy harassing me for no reason. Got his car and took it far off away from him and blew it up... that'll show him! No, it just penalized me.

Forget helicopters (kind of). Grab a helicopter and fly it to the military base. It's the only way I've seen how to get inside the base. Jump out and quickly grab the jet.... then have fun!

Also, i noticed a small plane at the airport when I was flying with a helicopter. I couldn't find any planes before so I assumed there weren't any (besides the jet). I'll have to see if I can get in it.

@lord_xp: It was on the Hospital, haven't ever noticed it before or after.

@handlas: Just shoot out all his tires next time. =D

@handlas: Single engine prop planes have been spawning for me for the last day or two.

If you Cargobob your car out of Police Impound, get inside it at least once after you escape the cops and set it down. I didn't do that (dropped it off at the airport and took a plane), it still counted as impounded and was "destroyed" a bit later.

Also, if you get someone else to grind races for unlocks? Use motorcycles. Me and a friend just ran like 80 races (Criminal Records, one lap, takes 30 seconds) and apparently motorcycles unlock every car upgrade. Hadn't done one race in a sports car and unlocked everything for it. I think my friend tried an SUV and muscle car and it worked too.

@crash_happy: The type of helicopter that spawns is based on your level when you approach. The one you had sounds like the Annihilator which starts to spawn everywhere at level 35+ along with the Titan cargo plane.

@muftyriots: Wow really?

I went from 1k to about 24k in less then an hour because of bounties. It was great.

@the_laughing_man: Yup its a good way to make money!...........Now i have a $5000 Bounty on my head.

So, I'm probably teetering on the edge of being thrown into the "bad players" pool. Which, I find it really dumb blowing up someone's car gets you a slap on the wrist but killing them which costs them MORE money is totally cool.

Anyways, I was going to claim a bounty and this dude was with his friend. They were rolling around and his buddy killed me as I was trying to take out the guy with the bounty on his head. So.... I respawned and saw they were killing time in Ammunation. I threw a sticky bomb near the doorway and waited. Dude walked out and BOOM destroyed him and both of their personal bikes. Which then resulted in a few exchanges eventually I fled to my apt and they surrounded it along with one other dude so I'm looking at my CCTV and they are posted up and I have no wait out except..... I pick up my phone and hit quick match for racing it was my out. It warped me to the airport for that race which, was lucky because that is what I wanted. With those guys still oblivious surrounding my apt waiting for me to emerge I took the Cargobob heli and picked up a news van. Then I flew over to where they were and dropped a motherfucking news van on them from the heavens. It was glorious of course they kept pursuing me after the fact I then threw a 10k bounty on one of them and hopped out of the server while I had the upper hand.

So American Cycle is like a minute long bicycle race for 4 people that pays the winner around 8 grand. I'd say it's a hell of a lot better than Violent Ducts or Boneyard survival.

People are the absolute worst in this game tho I swear. For instance... joining a game of 3 on 3. The mission where one team is in a limo and the other team tries to stop them. Well right when the game starts the 2 people on my team switch making it 5 on 1.

Of course my only option is to lose... because I tried and it was impossible to fight 5 on 1... or leave and be a "bad sport". Love no team balancing. How about label those 5 players bad sports instead game. The "bad sport" thing needs to be gotten rid of when you have a buggy game and people that can be actual bad sports but you are the one getting hurt by it.

Go find the train that circles the map. It makes two stops and 5 slow downs .You can easily hop on at the slow downs and its a perfect place to avoid bounty hunters.

I just discovered that double tapping down makes the mini map larger.

If you want a golf club, go to the Golf Course and walk around the back of the building. Dudes should be holding golf clubs - just walk into them and cause a commotion and someone should drop one. If that fails, just start throwing punches.

Stealth is super easy to level up - just walk around while sneaking. Takes a while but it works. I just snuck around the golf course, occasionally knocking someone out and giggling because I'm easily entertained.

And apparently you can kick cars with players in them to level up strength, so get a buddy to hold still for like 15 minutes or something (haven't tried it myself) and start kicking some doors. Street fighter that shit up.

Easiest way to get on a train is to drive a ways in-front and stand really close to the tracks (but not too close, obviously), and simply hit jump when a flat car goes by. You should go into the climbing animation and get on it. Done that quite a bit with friends.

Its so much fun to do. I had about 5 people chasing me. Its impossbile for them to get on with you on top and have a gun.

@the_laughing_man: True, but if they were smart couldn't they just throw sticky bombs on the tracks ahead of you?

Wont effect you if your ontop of a car. Or in the bucket cars.

@the_laughing_man: Man, could have used this earlier. I dunno if you read my earlier story heh, I had about 4 people pursuing me pretty relentlessly was pretty great.

New policy. Killing anyone who comes near me if they are not in my crew. Sick of assholes running up and killing me for no reason.

@mideonnviscera: whenever I call Martin he gives me the exact same Settlement mission that has you drive to a lawyer, shoot him, take his briefcase and avoid the cops then take that back to Martins place. Pays 9k and depending on how long it takes you to evade the 2 star cops the mission is like 5 min long. I'm level25 and each time I call him he gives me that mission even right after I just finished it. Only reason I didn't grind out money that way is because I just find it insanely boring.

@the_laughing_man: Yep. I did have a random messaging me and following me wanting to partner up but heck, no way I'm falling for that. Any white blip heads my way I try and be ready for violence.

Ya its sad its all ready devolved into random killing and stalking for no reason. And of course as soon as you fight back or have a better weapon or more skilled they turn and run like sissies.

I can't resist the urge to just play the game in a private invite only session, even if 99% of the time it's just me in the world by myself, simply due to all the horror stories around griefing.

If anyone is interested, you can load up an invite only session and still join/host missions with random and friends and accept/offer invites and such. The great benefit to this is that when the mission is over it'll always kick you back to free roam in your invite only private world even if you were playing a mission with a bunch of randoms/friends. It virtually has all the perks of playing with others while eliminating all the negative griefing.

So none of that "spawning back into the world from a mission and some douche kills you for the money you just earned"

Wow so, I've been closing in on 400k today and I've been acquiring some of my money through bounty hunts. I came flying down vinewood hills in my car and got some massive air right before I got to the target who also just happened to have a High-value car for Simeon. Another player apparently didn't like this and shot a RPG at the guy with the bounty. Here is where this is crazy. The RPG was timed JUST as I came flying down the hill so my car literally flew mere feet over this RPG which then struck its target and killed the poor bastard before I had the chance. Obviously I kept fucking going cause fuuuuck trying to mess with someone with a RPG. Man , that couldn't have been timed better if I tried and it was entirely random.

I honestly think everyone is missing out if they don't play with other people in the world. The random stuff that happens is too goddamn fun to not have happen. I think bounty hunting is also my new favorite thing tracking a guy across the map can often lead to some great chases.

That was my policy after my first few hours, even had some GB crew mess with me.

So spent all day trying to scrape together 400k for the apartment. Well, that is done and I'm pretty happy with it. Now I've got the best apartment I can focus on cars and guns oh, and clothes of course. Have to keep my lady looking classy.

@hbkdx12: At times it can be annoying as heck and I hope that Rock* do something about it. Still you are missing out. I'd suggest giving it a bash, you can always retreat back to solo whenever you fancy.

@demoskinos: Gratz!

I concur. Your going to get bored REALLY quick if your the only one in the open world. It can be downright annoying at times but in a weird way that makes the whole hustle of trying to get to the top all the more rewarding.

So not clue what everyone's names on here are but @coafi , @lego_my_eggo and a few other guys tore it up for a few hours. I nearly died laughing when I was going up stream in the Dinghy boat I commandeered from my Merryweather friend and I kept hitting the rapids and whoever it was on the front of the boat went fucking flying. The Fire Truck chase on the highway was also pretty god damn great.

If you're in the crew check out the GBPS3 photo stream some good pictures from everyone involved up on there. Along with this number of everyone mercilessly beating my corpse after I left. Lol.

and our random bathroom party........

@demoskinos: Haha, that's me taking the photo of our bathroom party! And yeah, as soon as the AI took over your body we jumped out of the chopper and chased you down, almost as if on instinct. Good times, says I!

@demoskinos said:

So spent all day trying to scrape together 400k for the apartment. Well, that is done and I'm pretty happy with it. Now I've got the best apartment I can focus on cars and guns oh, and clothes of course. Have to keep my lady looking classy.

When we played golf I remember thinking, "I have that exact same outfit." Then when we were finished we had pretty much the same paint job on our same cars. It was weird.

Such violence. Well I finally got a World Record . . . in a bicycle race. It unlocked the tattoo "Racing Blonde" for me, but there's no wife beaters in Online so I dunno what the point was.

@skyrider: Ah! I forgot your other guy got deleted didn't he?

@demoskinos: Indeed. At least they fixed it so I can keep this one!

Anyone else's character constantly wearing body armor even when the armor has been depleted? Not sure if its a bug or what but its kind of annoying, the game must be offended how skimpy I dress my lady character.

Go into the inventory and take it off

@zeforgotten: ah I knew it would be something stupidly easy, thanks duder!