Top 8 Less Known Features in GTA Online
Published at 6/5/23, 1:14 PM
GTA Online, a dynamic and persistent online world for up to 30 players, has been offering engaging gameplay with a wide variety of features since its launch. While most players have their grip on the common features, there are some elements that many seem to be oblivious to. In this article, we will delve into the top 10 lesser-known features in GTA Online that may not only surprise you but prove quite useful.
1. Passengers Moving Over Seats
Picture this scenario: you are playing with friends, and one of them is sitting in the back seat of a four-door vehicle. Would you run around the side of the car to occupy the vacant seat next to your friend? You need not. Players can go up to the same door where someone is already seated and press the 'Enter' button. The other player will move over to create space for you. This feature can save time otherwise wasted running around vehicles. However, note that it only works with four-seater land vehicles, not helicopters.
2. Biker MC Formation Abilities
Introduced back in the Bikers update in October 2016, this feature remains underutilized largely because most players do not ride in formation as motorcycle clubs. When you are an MC president and activate 'Ride in Formation', it creates a little orb on your map. Any MC member within this orb will match the speed of your bike. Apart from this, being in an MC formation also gradually replenishes your health, provides free armor, and fixes your bike. Even the Road Captain can activate this feature.
3. Shooting Helicopter Tails
Since day one, GTA Online has had the feature to take down helicopters by damaging their tails. It is especially useful when dealing with NPC helicopters. By shooting the tail rotor blade, you can disable the helicopter causing it to spin out and eventually blow up. While the minigun is the fastest way to achieve this, any weapon will do, although slower ones will take more time. This method is effective against buzzards, Mavericks, and police helicopters, but not Froggers or sparrows.
4. Retrieve Any Impounded Vehicle with the Assistant
Having your vehicle impounded by the cops can be a headache, but did you know that you can retrieve it without going to the impound lot? If you have a CEO office and an assistant, you can simply call them to retrieve the vehicle for you. The assistant will charge $1000, which is a lot less than the insurance fee you have to pay if your impounded vehicle is destroyed when you spawn another one. This feature remains unknown to many players even years after its introduction.
5. Flight Formation Assist
Added to the game in 2016 with the CEO update and the Bikers update, the Flight Formation Assist is still a mystery to many. It enables any plane in the formation to fly as fast as the lead plane. This feature can be a game-changer, especially during sell missions. It allows you to complete missions faster. But note that only the MC president can activate this feature, not the Road Captain. Also, it is not recommended to use this feature in missions where you have to fly low as the increased speed may make it difficult to avoid obstacles.
6. Lose Wanted Level Using Certain Vehicles
Among GTA's multitude of vehicles, certain ones can help you get rid of the cops instantly. This includes the Terabyte, the MOC, the Avenger, the Acid Lab, and the Kasatka. Here's how it works.
If you're in Free Mode and happen to have a wanted level, calling one of these vehicles to your location will immediately clear it, regardless of the number of stars you have. The vehicles that allow you to explore their interior essentially transport you to a separate instance within the game, making you untouchable by the cops and hence clearing your wanted level.
Bear in mind, this trick doesn't work for certain missions, and the strategy isn't necessarily a vehicle ability or a glitch, but a clever use of game mechanics. So the next time you find yourself in a fix, remember to make a quick call for these vehicles.
7. Quick Travel with Luxury Services and Spawn Locations
Fast travel options in GTA are aplenty, and there are a few under-the-radar ones that you might not know about. These include services offered by the Casino Penthouse and the recently released Taxi business.
In the Casino Penthouse, you can request a limousine that will quickly transport you to several key locations around the map. On the other hand, you can request a luxury helicopter through the CEO abilities menu, which can drop you off at your crate warehouses, vehicle warehouse, or office.
Additionally, the Kasatka and the Yacht offer fast travel options, albeit for a price. These may not be as convenient as the luxury helicopter but are still available if needed.
A totally free alternative for fast travel is setting your spawn location. If you're playing alone, this method is incredibly efficient. You can set your spawn location to various places like your office, nightclub, apartment, or even your yacht or Kasatka. Once set, you can find a new session and appear instantly at your chosen location.
8. High Demand Bonus
Despite being a critical feature to amass a lot of money, many players are unaware of the High Demand Bonus. Here's how it works: for every player present in your lobby, not part of your CEO or MC, you receive an additional 2% bonus on your sales. This scales up to a maximum of 50%, i.e., 25 players in your lobby.
While this sounds risky as it involves making sales in populated sessions, you can mitigate these risks. One way is to activate ghost organization, giving you a three-minute window where other players cannot see your activities. If you're selling crates or a nightclub, you could potentially make way more than what you spend on ghost organization.
For instance, if you're selling 111 crates for $3,330,000 and have 24 other players in your lobby, you would get a bonus of over a million dollars, thanks to the high demand bonus.
Therefore, despite the potential threat of other players, the risk is often worth it due to the substantial bonuses involved.
NOTE: Always ensure you have a plan to protect your assets. Close the application immediately if someone tries to destroy your stuff. For crate warehouses, you'll only lose three crates as long as you close the app before anything gets destroyed.
Honorable Mention: Using the Agency Helipad During Missions
In recent updates, you can now utilize the agency's helipad during missions. Previously, even if you were in an air vehicle, you had to land on the street and enter through the front door of the agency. Now, you can deliver directly via the helipad.