DukofDeth

I agree abpout the app bullshit, but that's the way it was done. I tried the tennis, and decided that it was way too involved for a side activity. There's already a ton of stuff to learn and/or re-learn!

There is an armour pick up on Grove Street, just a bit further down the street from the house with the dog, where there is an SMG in the back. Get Chop happy [through the cursed iFruit app], take him for a walk, and get him to sniff out pick ups! He's got quite the range, too, so in no time I located a second letter fragment [atop the pile of crap in a dumpter bin in a big parking lot not far from Franklin's cafehouse], the armor I mentioned, the SMG I already knew of, and a molotov cocktail behind a shop, about mid-way between the Church [by Frank's place] and the end of Grove Street. There's also a letter fragment behind one of the houses at the end of Grove Street. But... annoying as it is, that iFruit App does help out. Chop won't sniff shit out if he isn't happy, and you can't make him happy outside of that iFruit app.

With regard to armor pick-ups, there is another at the police station in Vespucci. There's a courtyard above [or overlooking] a parking garage. I went there for the shotgun atop the staircase in back, and after, tried to get in. Like with the Downtown station, the armor is full - 100%. The helicopters at the hospital [near Franklin's house] do not spawn if you are appearing there suddenly [got wasted, or took a taxi and skipped]. They will spawn later if you move away, and then come back. I've yet to see if Micheal can squeeze them for more ammo than I could with Franklin . Taxi missions get a lot more lucrative if you take fares outside of Los Santos. I kept trying to get back, and kept getting [and taking] fare calls, and ended up with enough money to fully mod Franklin's pistol AND put nearly $1000 in repairs to the taxi [too much of a speed demon]. I got that done before doing "Father Son" [started a fresh game now that I am getting used to the car handling]. But, if you need cash, taking fares is less hectic than robbing the 24-7's, especially as the clerks remember you [walked into one I'd robbed earlier thinking I could buy a snack to replenish my health]. In that video [blackSox9 posted a link on the previous page] showing the Los Santos weapon locations, the guy who made the video remarked that you needed to be careful picking up weapons in the gang areas, which is true, as I've gotten plenty of threats as both Franklin and Micheal heading over for the SMG on Grove St, and that MG off in the San Adnreas area. But his warning about the Lost & Damned MC site was a bit... misleading. I did nothing to threaten them - just drove in and walked to the shotgun - but they opened up, and riddled my car with bullets. A bit too much effort for a mere shotgun, I'd say, but at least I now have an excuse to use them for target practice.

It would be nice, in my opinion, if the police in the game - as they have been made to be less satirical as in GTA:SA - were given some limitiations in order to at least look like they are trying to protect the public. I know it's just a game, but real police do not slam into a suspect's vehicle if there is a risk to civilians nearby. Slamming into a perp's car so he gets knocked off the road and onto a crowded sidewalk would, IRL, not only end a cop's career, but probably put him in prison for a long time. I know there are limits to programming games, and expecting the AI to be able to perform Pitt manouvers properly might be a bit much, but why can't the game be made to put more effort into containing a criminal? Get the player to use the alleyways more, avoiding roadblocks and the inevitable spike strips. Just a thought. Or, at least give an AI cop who mows down a pedestrian while pursuing an AI perp a wanted level of his own, and have his buddies come after him! On a lighter note, I like the headlamp feature, but most vehicles made in the past two decades are set up to have their headlamps run at all times - as soon as the engine starts [and is charging the battery, not draining it]. Older cars, of course, you'd have to remember to put the lights on.

At the hospital near Franklin's safehouse, you can get to the roof either by stairs, or by ladders. Up there are two helicopters which can be flown [unlike GTA:SA where some aircraft were locked until after you finished the flying school], and inside them are sniper rifles. Get in one, you get the rifle and ten rounds, and get in the other, and you get ten more rounds. I tried coming back after reloading the game this morning, but either the helos only give up so much, or only give up so much to each character, or twenty rounds is the maximum one can carry [might be a strength related limit - I've barely begun]. They also put in the Flying-Under-Bridge bit [there are fifty bridges to fly under], but not all bridges seem to qualify. I've found that most seem to need some water running under them, even if it's not much more than a ditch. I went under two bridges up in cow-country, and they were highway bridges for the most part, but there was a ditch running under them. SOme bridges also do not seem to qualify simply as they have too little room to fly under. Also, I noted that while items dropped by anyone killed [by your characters, or by the other story characters, or even the bots] do glow a bit [white], it's not as obvious as the glow from GTA IV. I've only come across one other pick-up aside from health pick-ups, and that was the SMG under the Del Perro pier [the one with the amusement rides??], but that did not glow - I heard myself picking up ammo, but did not see anything in the dark. I was unable to get into the police/sherriff stations [one where the tow truck missions start, and one in the area of Lester's garment factory] to look for anything inside, but I have yet to jump the fences [didn't want to risk a high wanted level while on foot]. I thought I should add that the helicopters really do handle far better in this game than in the previous one.