[Blog] Planet GTA Interview (by eAi)

[Brophy]

Planet Grand Theft Auto.com interviewed us yesterday and have posted the interview on their website. In it we discuss various things about the past and the future of MTA.

Click here to read the interview!

[Posty]

I like the answers that were given here. Tells us about what's been going on and what some future plans are.

However, one reply that bugged me was

"We don't have a firm stance on multiplayer mods. We've seen them come and go many times. There’s probably been about ten different mods that have been started, and in most cases [they] have fallen apart during the time we've been developing MTA. As such, we take other mods' claims "with a pinch of salt," and keep doing what we do best - making GTA playable online. Obviously, while we're flattered that people feel that imitating MTA is a worthwhile project, we're surprised that people haven't put their time into making other games into multiplayer."

I'm sorry, but I just don't think that one thing is enough. I like the choice to choose between mods for differences in features and gameplay. What you're trying to say, is that Microsoft should go, "Oh, there's allready a gaming console out, lets just stop making ours." Or for Google, "Oh, MSN search is allready being created and developed upon, why don't we just stop." By that logic, there should be one company to do certain things, and there should be no one to compete with. While I don't view MTASA and other mods as competition against each other, I'm guessing you catch my drift as to why I don't like that response. Just in my opinion, it sounds slightly arrogant.

By no means do I mean to start a flame war or a conflict from this, I just thought I'd give my opinion on the interview. For all the other questions, I thought they were answered with much thought and information that users would like to hear. Overall, it's a great interview, but I don't like how that last reply makes you guys sound...

[Guest]

Really looking forward to the DM

[Cray]

While I don't view MTASA and other mods as competition against each other, I'm guessing you catch my drift as to why I don't like that response. Just in my opinion, it sounds slightly arrogant.

You make an extremely valid point, and I for one didn't even put it together that we were saying something that would shine a negative light on what we think of other mods. I don't want to try and justify the response, since it has already been said, but please understand that it was supposed to sound more like a push to see different TYPES of mods, rather than producing the same results that we are openly targetting. I think with a variety of game modes that each of the mods could target, we could all co-exist together and have a huge fan base individually. Instead, we often (but not always!), have been seeing the same attempts by other teams, over and over again.

[orappa]

I got the impression that that comment was targeted more at half-assed mods that last a week and then die, rather than the more established mods such as Rumble and SA/VC-MP.

[Si|ent]

I got the impression that that comment was targeted more at half-assed mods that last a week and then die, rather than the more established mods such as Rumble and SA/VC-MP.

Me too entirely.

But it comes as no surprise that certain people would choose to ignore the 'We've seen them come and go many times. There’s probably been about ten different mods that have been started, and in most cases [they] have fallen apart' and go straight to the 'flattered that people feel that imitating MTA is a worthwhile project' to take it out of context.

[eAi]

I think the thing is, its fine to have some competition, it keeps people on their toes, but for if I were an non-MTA developer now and I wanted to start a multiplayer mod, I wouldn't do it for GTA, I'd pick another game that has a community that wants a multiplayer mod, like mafia for example.

[Posty]

While I don't view MTASA and other mods as competition against each other, I'm guessing you catch my drift as to why I don't like that response. Just in my opinion, it sounds slightly arrogant.

You make an extremely valid point, and I for one didn't even put it together that we were saying something that would shine a negative light on what we think of other mods. I don't want to try and justify the response, since it has already been said, but please understand that it was supposed to sound more like a push to see different TYPES of mods, rather than producing the same results that we are openly targetting. I think with a variety of game modes that each of the mods could target, we could all co-exist together and have a huge fan base individually. Instead, we often (but not always!), have been seeing the same attempts by other teams, over and over again.

Thanks for the clarification on that. The way it was put into the interview, it seemed as if you guys meant it the other way around The reason I made the point was because of what it would be interpreted as if not clarified (as it is now).

[bloodeye]

I think the thing is, its fine to have some competition, it keeps people on their toes, but for if I were an non-MTA developer now and I wanted to start a multiplayer mod, I wouldn't do it for GTA, I'd pick another game that has a community that wants a multiplayer mod, like mafia for example.

oh man that would rock! gtaT stop trying to mod GTA an d go to Mafia cus u wont last against MTA's Race and SA-MP DM

[kyeman]

There's lots of MP mods out there that you'll probably never hear of. They're created by people wanting to learn how to program, and they think that creating an MP mod for SA would be a fun way to it. Noone has the right to discourage this.

So far there hasn't been much copying with SA, unless you're generalising with creating a multiplayer for GTA. But this idea in itself is not the sole right, or idea, of MTA. No group has announced intention to create a race mode, placement editor and SDK.

Lastly, I don't think MTA is in a position to call other MP mods immitations, when it failed to deliver on its promises of releasing MTA:Blue for Vice City.

http://www.mtablue.info/ <- Vaporware. Sorry to have to put it so bluntly, but it's an undeniable truth that MTA must wear. If MTA:Blue for VC had been released, there may not have been GTA:C or VC-MP mods.

[him selfe]

Simply put, competition is healthy and it pormotes development. I doubt many people create multiplayer mods because they want to immitate MTA, and claiming so without foundation is arrogent, no mater how you try and spin it. As kyeman has said many people will atempt to create their own multiplayer mods for gta because they want to learn how it's done and have some fun doing it. People will create multiplayer GTA mods because they want multiplayer GTA, not because they want to immitate MTA, and if they have played MTA before starting their own project, they're most likely doing it because they're not satisfied with the mods that are already out there. If they were perfectly happy with MTA, and they didn't want to learn how to do it them selves, they probably wouldn't waste the time and effort creating a new one. The fact is no mod is perfect, and since MTA is not open source people can't easily apply the changes they'd like to see without being on the team. Having multiple mods out there is a good thing for fans of GTA who want to play it online because it increases the chances of there being a mod that will match their idea of how multiplayer GTA should be. At the end of the day the fans will choose which they want to play. And if they're not happy with what's out there, they will try and make a new one. You did not invent the concept of multiplayer GTA, there were plenty of ideas floating around before MTA existed, just because you managed to push out a mod before anybody else does not mean you have some sort of intellectual right over the idea. If you think people shouldnt spend their time trying to create a multiplayer mode for GTA and should spend their time working on something else, then it's even more of a reason for others to do so, because it means you're geting too big for your boots and you're attempting to snub the player's choice of variety.

[eAi]

Its irrelevant if we released blue for vc or not, its debatable if anyone would have every made GTA into a multiplayer game (except R*) if IJs hadn't started MTA. We never promised to release MTA:blue for vc, its not vaporware as it wasn't an anounced project - the core was anounced as being in development, not a release of the core.

Anyway, we were asked the question in the interview, we answered it.

As I've said before, many companies hate competition yet the competition makes them stronger. We don't hate competition, we would just like some originality shown.

[Kent747]

I dont see where we said that we had the sole rights to develop multiplayer GTA mods... can you point me to that please??

We are fine w/ competing mods, we just figured people could be more creative... There's a lot of other single player games I'd like to be involved in if I hadn't joined the MTA team.. Morrowind, Max Payne, Mafia?

But thats life, good luck with your mod. We'll be trying to push out the best product we can regardless.

Kent

[him selfe]

its debatable if anyone would have every made GTA into a multiplayer game (except R*) if IJs hadn't started MTA.

Thats a very bold and presumptuous statement to make. Considering there was plenty of interest and some very skilled people out there, it was inevitable that it would hapen. I personally had considered the posibility of a third party GTA3 mod before GTA3 was even released on the PC, simply because i and my friends thought it would be fun, I lost interest in gta3 for a while and when i regained interest i found MTA and was happy with the way it was going so saw no need for me to do anything, i'm lazy so i'd rather let other people do it But the point is sombody would have done it eventualy.

[eAi]

I wasn't presuming that, I said it was debatable. As MTA was the first mod that ever made any game from a single player to online game, as far as I'm aware, I think its likely it would never have happened. Lots of things don't happen or get invented because the right people don't think of doing them, not because the right people aren't there.

[orappa]

Funny how it's the same people who get offended each time...

[LukeS]

On the subject of originality, isn't it worth noting that there's a massive gap in what MTA covers at the moment by only allowing racing? People are trying to fill that gap, because people want that gap filled. You may well have plans to fill it yourselves, but you're taking a while getting there - and if people believe they can do a better job, or have a different goal - then why the hell not?

People want to play multiplayer GTA, I want to play multiplayer GTA - why the hell would anyone want to develop a multiplayer mod for another game therefore? Or another mod in general infact. You simply can't tell people to go mod another game because 'this patch is covered' by yourselves.

MTA keep on sort of marketing themselves as being professional, so it's a shame to see arguments cropping up such as this one where people are told "Go mod something else" essentially.

I don't want this to be a competition, I have nothing against MTA - but people on both sides are making things very difficult by, well, spouting rubbish - or inflating egos.

[eAi]

We aren't telling people anything, we were asked what we thought of other mods and we answered the question. If you'd rather we lied about what we think we can give you a PR'd answer.

The comment was not meant as a personal attack at anyone or any particular mod, so I find it strange that people feel the need to defend themselves and start criticising MTA.

[LukeS]

I just find it strange how you fail to understand the concept of developing a mod for GTA because you love GTA - judging by the interview that's not something you understand, and calling everyone elses' efforts "immitations" is an insult to every single other mod imo.

[eAi]

Who are we to insult them? Why do they care what we think? I don't think initiating a successful format is as terribly wrong as you seem to think it is, many many games imitate each other, many films and books do. Imitation is the sincerest for of flattery after all.

I personally don't make MTA because I love GTA, I do it for the challenge. I can't speak for the rest of the team on this matter though.

[orappa]

Translation for SA-MP fanboys:

"We don't have a firm stance on multiplayer mods.

This means that their opinion varies on the mod in question.

We've seen them come and go many times.

This doesn't apply to SA-MP because the team have already proven their capabilities with VC-MP.

There’s probably been about ten different mods that have been started, and in most cases [they] have fallen apart during the time we've been developing MTA.

Actually, there have been many more than ten. Again, this doesn't apply to SA-MP.

As such, we take other mods' claims "with a pinch of salt," and keep doing what we do best - making GTA playable online.

Again, the SA-MP team has already proven itself with VC-MP. Also note that "what we do best" means "what we ourselves are best at", not necessarily "what we do better than anyone else in the world".

Obviously, while we're flattered that people feel that imitating MTA is a worthwhile project, we're surprised that people haven't put their time into making other games into multiplayer."

If the other comments didn't apply to SA-MP, Rumble or GTAT, why would this one? The team feels that the community would benefit more from variations in gameplay, not just loads and loads of identical mods with 5 players (AGAIN, I am not talking about SA-MP, Rumble or GTAT).

[him selfe]

If the intention was to immitate MTA then there wouldnt be a problem, the problem lies in the fact that you assume that others are attempting to immitate you, and you assume that simply because you were the first on the block you are the authoirty when it comes to multiplayer GTA. And when people point out that you were out of line making that statement (which could easily mislead the less awear fans) instead of appologising (although hands out to those who did) you maintain your level of arrogence and maintain that you are the IT mod and everybody else just wants to be like you, when infact, no other serious mod would possibly immitate what you're offering at the moment. You make bold assumptions and then report them as facts, that is moraly corrupt and people will always complain about that, if you dont like the fact that people speak out against your actions, dont be so arrogent in the first place.

EDIT: I'd like to once again point out that my criticism of MTA and it's team has absolutly nothing to do with SA:MP, i am not a SA:MP fanboy and if you'd see my treatment of SA:MP fanboys you'd be well awear of that, i hate fanboys nomater what they support. It is you who keeps applying the SA:MP stamp to any critical view of MTA. At the end of the day there is no way of justifying that statement because it was made without proof or any foundation, it was an arrogant assumption to make no mater who the target was, even if there was no target atall, it's not something you have proof of or the right to claim.

[MAD_BOY]

just out of interest, and completely offtopic, if you're not an sa-mp fanboy, then why do you always just have to say that you aren't when the words 'sa-mp fanboy' are mentioned?

[Si|ent]

So you choose to take things out of context and view everything in the worst light you possibly can, (yet I notice you all happily ignore the dozens of instances of the team praising other mods and clamping down on those trying to start flaming topics and discussions regarding them) so what? It's just a few words in an interview. Get over it and move on.

Oh and 'moraly corrupt' really made me laugh out loud, thanks mate

[Aeron]

"Rookworst zonder r is ook-worst!"