GTA Online Freemode Event Update

[OWGKID]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0M71BMAgSSs

R*'s new update for GTA V (Current gen/PC exclusive (goodbye PS3/Xbox 360) coming on the 15th of September  :-D

FEATURES

• Loading screens for GTA Online has been REMOVED (Instant action and mayhem >:D >:D) ???
• You can customize your session's random events
• New modes (King of the Castle and Hunt the Beast

[Art Blade]

+1 :-X for the heads-up, cheers :)

wow, sounds cool, customisation of those random events.. and the loading screens were indeed a bit tiresome :)

[PZ]

Sounds like loads of fun and chaos!  :-X

[Binnatics]

Thank you for posting GKID!  :)

I'm looking forward to it, will be great indeed. Although I doubt that they will fully remove the loading screens. I think what they mean is that many new gamplay options will be available through the preset session and will popup / randomly happen to all players in the session. That will make loading screens and lobbies unnecessary. Just make sure you are i na lobby together and you will be part of the action.
My bet is that, for any given deathmatch, race, mission or heist, you will still have to setup a lobby and watch a loading screen. But the new freemode gameplay content looks very promissing, so I think we won't be setting up lobbies as much as before indeed ;)

[OWGKID]

Yeah, you definitely need lobbies for some activities (heists, DMs and races)

[Art Blade]

There were loading screens when starting a mission but no loading screen when starting a new event called Time Trial.

We don't yet know how to customise the stuff, as in how often something happens etc. Also, I only read about a "tutorial" that needed to be completed before starting the new stuff. There was no tutorial. In my session we only had one time trial event and Binnatics participated in one different event in a different session. None of the old events such as Help Lester or Smuggler Planes have happened since the update.

[OWGKID]

Tried some GTA Online yesterday. Didn't spend much time in the loading screen between SP/MP  :-D (I believe I spent 5-10 seconds).

[Binnatics]

After 3 days of experience with the new update I can tell the following:

Loading screens are the same as before, as I suspected. The new events simply occur while in free mode, and some are activated by going to its location (like the time trial) and press "E" while on the spot.
Indeed all other random events, smuggler planes, Lester's distraction missions, High priority vehicles etc. haven't occured ever since. I really hope they fix that, because it seems to be a bug as a result of this new update.

The new stuff consists of randomly appearing events and challenges while in free mode in a session with either enough players or a public session. We don't know that yet. Anyway; When with 3 people in a private (invite only) session, none of the events or challenges occur. You will only have the time trial available and can do it whenever you want, how often you want, just like any other mission. The difference is, that you don't loose connection to any other things happening in the session. You will be put in a passive mode but can still hear and see the rest of the stuff going on around you like voice chat of other players, their characters and what they do. While busy with the time trial, there will be no connection to any other event or challenge starting. When you complete the trial, you may find out that an event has recently kicked off, or is about to happen because you are prompted to prepare yourself within the given preparation time.

The difference between a challenge or an event is this: A challenge is simple and just challenges all available players in the session to do the most melee kills, the longest 'low-fly-without-crasing', the most driveby kills or simply the most near misses in the given time. Usually 5 or 10 minutes.
An event will suddenly start, always with a purple symbol shown on your map. As soon as an event kicks in, all players can choose to go to the mission area and compete, or let it pass of course. Example: King of the Castle; suddenly there is a little purple castle on your map. Go there, and defend the castle against any other players trying to take it from you. After 10 minutes the one who possessed the castle the longest time will win.
My experience with the events is that most players in public lobbies will try to get a piece of the pie resulting in a massive and sometimes chaotic scene full of players who battle for a high priority vehicle, a suitcase. If you like adrenaline rushes and mad firefights with helicopters, rocket launchers, miniguns, sniper riffles and sticky bombs, this is your game. It can be really great.
My experience with the challenges is that not all players will try and compete. If you do the right preparation you make a good chance winning it. I did the near misses challenge on a bike and had more than the double of number 2 on the list, who probably had a fast car. I put my knuckleduster on and went to some other players to prepare for the melee challenge, and no other player beat me to it.
I didn't win all challenges btw, I heavily failed in the destruction challenge where you have to destroy as much property as possible. I used explosives and rockets, which I had to pay for replacement afterwards. Number one just grabbed a tank or a savage and did masive damage without having to replace any ammo.

Since the challenges can also be played with a minimum of 3 players, I think it is session related wether the events and challenges will occur or not. Maybe if we start a crew + friends session, which is at least semi public, we can trigger the new stuff to occur. That is something to find out. Maybe appart from that you will also need a minimum amount of players present in the session, who knows. Maybe it's public-only. But I guess not, because rockstar didn't mention that at all.

Anyway, I've had great fun doing the time trial (which will be different each week, with the goal to beat the par time or even the world record) and doing the random events and challenges in public sessions. Things can get pretty hectic, and of course killing other players is usually needed to compete, and required to win. The good thing is; I like that >:D
But doing the same with crew and friends, without the hectic, and maybe even cheating, suns of bitches in random public zoos, is something I'd prefer ;)


Edit: I forgot to mention the hiding abilities in the interaction menu, which is about all influence you have on the way the new stuff appears, but Art described that over here

[Art Blade]

nice summary and experience report, here's a +1 :-X :)

I can't say much about the stuff because I play almost exclusively in my own or a friend's "invite only" session. Usually I am on my own or with one or two friends unless we play a heist which consists of four players (friends) so all I've seen so far is the time trial. It has been just one, always occurring as soon as there are two players in the session and it has always been on Del Perro Pier. If you participate, you'll get a destination checkpoint to the East of the map on the dam of the lake in what appears to be an extinct volcano. How you get there is your own decision but you need to beat the par time which requires a fast and flawless drive or ride (no air vehicles). There will be traffic..