Image via Complex Original
It hasn't been very long since the online portion of Grand Theft Auto V launched, and connection issues still plague the multiplayer game. Those who can get online, though, are being treated to a really impressive online GTA game. So far it's everything we hoped it would be.
There's a free roam mode, where players can steal cars, stick up convenience stores for cash, and wreak havoc on one another with heavy munitions. Then there's an endless series of jobs and missions to take on with enemies, friends and frenemies.
There are also a lot of changes from the main story mode of GTA V, and this early in the game a lot of players are probably missing out on some things. Luckily we're here to save you from embarrassing yourself with this helpful list of GTA Online features that you may be missing out on.
You can kill players while they're shopping
Typically when players enter a shop in GTA Online they become invulnerable, unable to attack other players or be attacked by them. But there's a loophole for those willing to fight dirty.
If you notice another player in a store, poke your head in the door and aim a weapon at the cashier. The store closes shop, making your prey vulnerable once more. The best part is they'll always be taken by surprise.
You can get your car repaired for free
This one's easy, and some people may notice it on their own. But just in case, here it is.
If you're anything like us then you'll feel a good deal of ownership over your personal online vehicle. We've grown pretty fond of ours, which makes us want to repair it when it gets damaged. But that can be expensive. Luckily, all you have to do is load a new session from the menu and your car will be good as new.
You can kick players out of your car
Speaking of your car, it can be pretty frustrating when another player kills you and steals your precious ride. Luckily there's an easy way to prevent that, or kick another player out even if they're already speeding away.
Just open the quick interaction menu (hold "back" or "select" depending on your system) and toggle the option that locks other players from accessing your vehicle. If they're inside they'll be kicked out immediately.
This menu is infinitely useful; you can also make yourself invulnerable to other players' attacks here, though you'll be unable to attack them as well.
You can track players on your GPS
This can be useful if you've got a vendetta against someone and you want to target a specific player. Open the quick interaction menu (again, hold "back" or "select") and navigate to "highlight players."
From here you can make players' dots on your mini map blink. That's sort of useful, but even better—though unfortunately less obvious—is the ability to set a nav marker to that player's current location. Unfortunately Rockstar still hasn't figured out how to make GPS markers move, so you'll have to refresh it frequently to stay up to date on your enemies' locations. Still useful though.
You can use cars in a bike race
Jobs eventually get more interesting than just races and deathmatches, but even when you're only racing, things often get weird.
In one mode, one group of players races from the airport to the northern Alamo Sea in cars while others chase them in heavily armed fighter jets. In another, a simple bike race becomes a blood bath when players gain the ability to shoot each other.
Luckily, in some multiplayer bike races you can simply hop off your bike and hijack an NPC's car. Your opponents will be in for a surprise. There are a ton of other ways to cheat the system without actually cheating, so watch out for them and never stop experimenting.
You can prevent other players from stealing your money
The game reminds you of this once in a while, but it bears repeating in case it didn't register with you. Just like in story mode, you lose money when you die in Grand Theft Auto Online. And other players can take some of the cash you drop.
That is, if you're dumb enough to carry cash on you. Stop by an ATM every now and then to unload your money into the bank (the game will direct you to one from the quick selection menu). It makes a surprising amount of sense.
You get more points for playing with friends
It's not just more fun to play with friends; it's lucrative as well. You get more reputation points, the precious currency used to level up, for playing on a team or with crew members.
Doing a job with a crew members gets you 10 percent extra RP. Doing one as a team is even better; whether the team is made up of your friends or simply other players found through matchmaking, it nets you a full 20 percent extra RP.
You can find random supply drops
Once in a while in online free roam mode you'll be notified that a supply drop has taken place nearby. It doesn't happen very often—we've played for hours, and they can be quite scarce—but they're worth going after.
With how precious cash can be in free roam mode, especially early on with players constantly stealing your money and absorbing all your bullets (forcing you to buy more), the supply drops can be really useful. Just make sure you're the first one there, or that you've got the biggest gun.
You can join missions straight from your phone
For some reason there are a number of different ways to join missions. The most obvious is presented to you as soon as you start playing Grand Theft Auto V Online: walk into the familiar-looking missions marker.
But you can also choose specific missions from the start menu map and begin them without having to actually go to those locations (makes you wonder why they bothered tying the jobs to specific locations in the first place). And undoubtedly the most convenient way to do a job quickly is to open your cell phone and ask for a quick job. It's not as dirty as it sounds; you pick the mission type, it puts you into a mission quickly.
The more jobs you do, the more there is to do
It may seem like there's not much to do at first, especially while the game is still teaching you the basics of Grand Theft Auto Online. But the fact is the more you do, the more you can do.
The initial race and deathmatch missions are admittedly boring, but stick with it and soon your world will open up to more weapons, more vehicles, and more mission types. Eventually you can also buy apartments and garages. Seriously—stick with it and you'll have some amazing experiences.
Did we miss anything else? What other helpful tips do you have for GTA V Online? Tell us in the comments or on Twitter.
