Once players are done with the high-octane car stealing and waging war against Los Santos in Grand Theft Auto V, it's time to bring that mayhem to the online scene. GTA Online, GTA V's online component, marks the first time developer Rockstar Games went all out with a multiplayer component for their title. Needless to say, it was a resounding success.
To this day, GTA Online, remains as popular as ever. If you still haven't joined in on the fun, then there's no better time than now. Of course, don't just rush into the traffic with eyes closed. That would be a fitting analogy when joining GTA Online blind. Newcomers ought to level their expectations by knowing these things about GTA Online beforehand.
10 Expect Some Griefers
In an online environment where players can murder one another without consequences, griefing is already a given. It can't be helped, there are many high-level players who will jump at the opportunity to prey on low-level ones, such is the cycle of life in GTA Online.
That's why anticipating this kind of welcoming human behavior experience. Intentional trolling or straight-up ruining the fun for others is not uncommon in GTA Online just as in other online games that are competitive.
9 Expect Cheaters As Well
Speaking of ruining others' experience, if you play GTA Online on the PC, do expect some "modders" who install cheats to the game. As it is, there are still many of them left in the game and some might have even gotten more creative. Most of the cheaters aim to illegally increase their in-game money.
Rockstar Games deals with them regularly with incrementally stricter punishments so at least their crimes don't go unseen. For those who want a cleaner GTA Online experience, then consoles might provide that.
8 Careful With Your Trust
GTA Online surprisingly shares a certain quirk with some of the most treacherous and prominent survival games these days: betrayal. Newbies shooting their mentor friends in the back after a heist or friends robbing each other make for some interesting stories but are nonetheless scummy.
That's why players should be apprehensive about the friends they make in GTA Online. One moment, they can have a meaningful and even exciting mission on hard mode, and the next, they could be shooting each other.
7 Stay Away From Public Lobbies As Much As Possible
With that said, some of the most lawless and wildest places in GTA Online tend to be limited to the public servers. These are where the most chaos ensues and the whole city is pretty much The Purge as soon as players enter with killing and griefing all around.
When entering and risking play in a public lobby, do expect to get run over by a DeLorean or get chased by a fighter jet. It's part of the fun if that's what you want but not very conducive for making progress. Thankfully, there are private or invite-only lobbies with better rules that cater to the enjoyment of all players.
6 It's More Fun With Friends
Apart from avoiding public lobbies if you're new to the game, the best bet in order to learn and enjoy GTA Online is to play it with friends. That would be real-life friends who also play GTA Online.
That lowers a player's chances of getting betrayed or griefed. Moreover, they can help the players grinding for cash or doing some hard mode missions or heists. The most obvious benefit is having someone to watch your back in case another player decides to lose their marbles.
5 Wait For Sales
Once players have accumulated enough money to seem like they can purchase the stuff they want, the best thing they can do is to wait. That helicopter or American muscle they've been eyeing might actually go on sale.
As it is, Rockstar Games churns out regular discounts for many of the in-game items in GTA Online. This is applicable mostly to vehicles and it does pay to wait for them since they're not exactly the most necessary items and are more like resource hogs...
4 Don't Splurge Your In-Game Money
Speaking of resource hogs, knowing where the spend money in GTA Online might as well be a simulation for real-life thriftiness. Buying the most luxurious stuff in the game to show off how Gucci you are can lead nowhere, particularly if the said stuff is vehicles,
The same goes for purchasing a full arsenal of guns. At most, players only need one or two weapons. The rest should either be saved or invested into something else that will actually yield returns instead of just becoming liabilities. It sounds an awful lot like what your parents will teach you but at least this lesson is coming from a video game.
3 It's More Of An Investment Game
As for where to actually spend your money best in GTA Online, that would be property. It's just like in the real world. Property in GTA Online also has an appreciating value. Allowing your money on warehouses and businesses is a sure way to ease the grinding.
Moreover, properties and businesses in GTA Online offer surefire ways to gain passive income. Of course, not just any property or business will do. Make sure their location is optimal. More expensive properties tend to be in better locations.
2 There Are Many Ways To Avoid Shark Cards
Shark Cards are GTA Online's way of further monetization. Players can buy them with real-life money and essentially get a boost so they can lessen the grinding or the need to participate in missions or heists.
However, if players are patient, they can avoid the need for Shark Cards completely. One of the ways to do this is by waiting for 2x activities where the player rewards get doubled for participation. All it costs is time and patience.
1 It's Full Of Grinding
While on the topic of time and patience, instant gratification is simply not a thing in GTA Online. Don't go in expecting huge mission payouts like in the Story Mode of GTA V. GTA Online has its own gameplay philosophy and structure.
As such, the best way to succeed in this game and be swimming in cash is to grind for the content or to buy your way into elite status with Shark Cards. In order to feel the burden of grinding less, doing missions with your friends or groups is advised.