Spatial Analysis

What legacy and computational effects make this virtual space feel real?

The creators of GTA: Vice City employed a number of methods to form a realistic virtual world. An important aspect of the game that added to this realism was the attention to detail. There were many different kinds of buildings with intricate features ranging from mansions to construction sites. Many of the skyscrapers even had objects on the roof and the lighthouse had a spiral staircase up to the top. The game contains people walking around, many different types of cars, and objects along roadsides as well. For the most part, the game also simulates the laws of physics in a relatively believable manner, whether in collisions or other events. For example, lighting is done very well in this game. The buildings and objects cast shadows with respect to the source of light. There is also a game clock that causes changes in night and day or weather, complete with sunset and sunrise. Another nice effect is that while driving in a car the sunset may cause glare through the windshield. The game also has a great sense of depth and simulates distance by making distant objects harder to see, both in size and clarity.

The degree of interaction with the game also gave it a very realistic feel. To an extent, the people walking around will interact with you if you bump into them, punch them, stand in their way, aim a gun at them, or start shooting a gun in their general direction. Pedestrians will even try to jump out of the way and shout expletives at you if you come at them with a car. You can rob characters, but if you find yourself in the wrong part of town and make yourself an easy target, you may get robbed yourself. Basically, taking a small amount of control over the virtual space away from the user greatly enhanced the realism of the game.

Another factor that gave the game a more realistic effect was the mere size of the virtual space. Even when using a car, traversing the entire map would take considerable time. There were of course boundaries to the game, but such limits were appropriately justified. The game takes place on a group of interconnected islands so the borders of the game were produced by the water surrounding the islands. At the beginning of the game, access to the main island was blocked off, but this was justified by a radio announcement that declared bridges were closed due to a severe storm warning. The upper limit of the skybox was also indiscriminate, since a helicopter would not "bang" into anything.

How do you know where you are?

There are a few ways to become aware of your surroundings in GTA: Vice City. One important device is to take note of landmarks. While all of the buildings are different, some of them have more distinctive features that are easy to remember and can be used for navigation. Different areas of the game also have a different feel or ambiance. For example, some areas of the map are well lit, clean, and contain nicer upscale buildings, while other areas may be dimmer, more cluttered, and contain not quite as nice of buildings. One of the most useful features for navigating the game are the maps. The main map can be accessed from the menu and a smaller one is always available in the bottom corner of the game console. The smaller map has your position and direction clearly marked, as well as important landmarks of the game and possibly the location of your next objective.

How do you know the relationship of your current location to your previous location?

GTA is a game that could be difficult to find a location you had previously visited if you did not take careful note of how you got to your current location. If you traveled from the previous location to the current location in a strait path you could simply turn around and retrace the strait path. Otherwise it is easy to forget where you have been if you have not played the game long enough to become familiar with the landscape. The map, however, is not only useful to find where you are going, but can be used to find where you have been. The small map on the main screen has a symbol to indicate which direction is north, and if you pay attention to directions throughout game play this could be very helpful.

What objects and possible events do you expect to find in these spaces?

Many areas of GTA are effectively characterized by certain objects. For instance, the hotel where the main character is staying is very elaborate and contains features like a restaurant, a front desk, ferns, stairs, moving ceiling fans, oak walls, and an intricate floor pattern. Various sections of the city are also defined by the objects they contain. Near the beach people walk around in the bathing suites and you will find more mopeds and dune buggies. In the mall there are stores and people carry shopping bags. At the country club there are golf carts and golf clubs. Run down parts of Vice City have more gang related activity and you have to be careful not to make people upset or you might get shot. Nicer parts of Vice City have fancy cars and large mansion. All of these features make the game make sense. If you want to steal a fast car you can find one easier in a nicer part of the city. If you have to make some sort of drug deal, it takes place in a back alley of the slums to make it seam more realistic.

Analyze how space was traversed in the game. How was space organized, what kind of options for movement did you have?

There were multiple ways the virtual space of Vice City could be traversed. The main character had the movement abilities of a normal human being; he could walk, run, sprint, jump, duck, and roll. He would, however, become tired after sprinting for a short distance. The character also had the option of traveling by car, which he would usually have to steal. This was the most common and easiest way to travel long distances. With this method of transit, the vehicle would slowly become damaged and this would take place specific to the collisions in a believable fashion. Eventually the vehicle would catch on fire and explode, which was less believable but still a nice effect. Cars could also do damage to the environment; telephone polls, mailboxes, and other objects could be knocked over. Running over a fire hydrant would also cause the viewing screen (simulated windshield) to be covered with water droplets. In addition to dodging roadside objects and pedestrians, other vehicles drove on the roads, which generally would follow traffic laws. Mopeds and motorcycles were a similar travel mechanism. They accelerated slightly faster, but getting in an accident would cause the character's health to decrease. These various vehicles also responded to their environment appropriately. Dune buggies and trucks had an easier time driving on sand than a sports car did and all vehicles were affected in someway by off road driving. Trucks were more top heavy while the sports cars could take tight turns. Having the tires shot out also made driving the vehicle much more challenging and it would move slower. Another method to traverse space in Vice City was by helicopter. This was faster than using a car because you could travel in strait paths and over water. They were more difficult to maneuver, however, and could sustain less damage.

What aspects/objects provided a path or desire to follow a certain direction?

The main incentive to follow a certain path was monetary reward for completing certain objectives. Gaining money allows the player to buy additional weapons and property. Indicators on the map and people calling on the cell phone suggested where the player should head to next. Also, as previously mentioned, the bridge to the main island was blocked off at the beginning of the game due to a storm warning. This aspect of the game limited what parts of the map the player could interact with at certain times.