July '09 - A fresh breeze news - GTA: United Mod for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

The summer just started - the days get hotter and hotter and before some of us also start their holidays we want to share our latest updates with you. This time we have only great news and good progress to talk about, nothing bad this time. The release of Version 1.2 is getting closer and closer since our last update, a lot of work has been done. We have got new team members aswell, and this showed us that our official request was not a mistake. Hopefully we are able to convince you to think the same way. So this will be our first point now.

Maybe it is not as large as before, but our new members brought a fresh breeze into our work. Especially in the field of scripting we have done much progress - thanks to ATP. But also we hope to be able to release some map related updates coming with an huge modelling project in the next news. If so bStyle will have done the job. Perhaps the last months were a bit confusing for you, so to make things clear, here is now the latest lineup of our team:

 - Aschratt
 - ColdDeath
 - MAL_ONE
 - ATP
 - bStyle
 - Robin
 - Chezy

Still we could use some support in modelling, so if you are interested please let us know the usual way via Private Message (for more information see our last news from may). Let's switch over to the more interesting part...

There have been done so much that we do not even know where to start... so let's start with our DevPage. On this way we want to thank all visitors for your interest in our project. We were able to record more than 1000 visits in the first week after it has been opened for everyone. Still we try to update it whereever we can and fill it with new information about the most important updates. Those updates also build the basement for our news in future.

For example one of the first bigger annoucements which gained interest was the Lowrider meeting in Liberty City just as the Beachparty in Vice City. So in general we have now mixed some fresh ideas with stuff you already may know from San Andreas. Basicly you will be able to beg on a lowrider competition at 3 different locations in Liberty City or to dance on a beachparty in Vice City. For the moment this does not sound very spectecular, but we have planned to integrate this into different aspects of the game (such as social contacts like girlfreinds - we'll see...). Also remember that those are just some things we do to keep you busy in both cities.

Another aspect we did in scripting is the replacement of the ferry and the implementation of an flight script, which gives you the possibility to fly from one city to the other. Thereby you are also able to transport a car. One advantage for us seems to be a better integration into the storyline following some day. Also we are going back to the roots and leaving the city as authentic as possible.

Where we are at another important point. We have started to remap details and give Liberty City an more authentic look. This project is divided into 3 great steps where the last one will be an optimization of our mapping backround which also includes Vice City. We hope that this will finaly kill most of the last major bugs we are able to fix with the possibilities we have at the moment. We have done alot of research towards that and also found some other reasons for bugs which we should be able to fix. In the end we'll see if it helps. To come back to the point where we are now, we have finished step 1 for portland. Almost anything what was left out untill yet has been includet now. Details about details and athmospheric stuff. All in all about 50 new objects (around 20 generic ones) and 500 placements have been set.

Finally we also have almost finished our overall graphics update. New loadscreens and menu backrounds just as the final version of our new font are includet. So for the future we are planning to add new graffities and some new textures where this is required. There is enought work to do in this field and we all think that the result will be great. So now that's the last point in changes, but it wasn't everything we have at all!

We have done alot of research, tries and testings. One major breakthrough we had in the field of radio stations. We developed a new system which should make it possible to listen to the good old fashioned radio stations from GTA III, Vice City or even both! At the moment we are trying around with converting them during an custom setup step since we are not able to share them in our download (because of size and legality reasons). If you own GTA III and/or Vice City, you will be able to convert it's music and add it to GTA United. We have preparet a test video for you: Click.

This was just one test we did. Also we have started implementing the trains in Liberty City and the zeppelin in Vice City and even further stuff, which will be presented in the next update. We have an open ear for your requests and so we started creating some missions like races. Those perhaps will not be the only missions includet in 1.2, but we haven't yet decidet this. Indeed we have talked about plans of adding some mission tests we already did as betacontent, which perhaps may be unlocked during playing. But this is not yet sure and we were just talking about this as a good way to react on your mission requests.

Before you reach the end in reading we have prepared some picture material for you, so here you go:

So what's left to say? Almost nothing... we wish you all the best and enjoy the summer! At least we also need some free time and so we cannot say when the next news will be released, so please be patient.

All the best,
- Your GTA United Development Team.