u/Intelligent_Ride3730

I was thinking the other day about how in RDR2, the story progression is reflected in the way you change camps. As things evolve, your base of operations changes with it. In GTA V, though, it works very differently. You have your main house, and while you can buy other properties, that core home never changes with the story.

For GTA VI, I can see it going one of two ways. It could stick to the GTA V approach, where you have a primary residence and maybe the option to buy more places, or it could lean more into the RDR2 style, where Jason and Lucia are forced to move throughout the story and use different locations as temporary hideouts. For example, Jason’s house could be the first base, but later on they might have to relocate to the motel in Port Gellhorn.

That system worked really well in RDR2 because the camp reflected the gang and its gradual decline, which fits the kind of story the game was telling. With GTA VI, it is less clear what that would represent. It could mirror Jason and Lucia’s relationship, or maybe symbolize something else entirely idk

(I don't check this sub that often as to not make the wait feel longer, so excuse me if this has been talked about recently)

I was going back through the leaks earlier today with a friend and one thing really stood out: there’s actual equipment tied to stealing vehicles, tools that either speed the process up or are required to even get the job done.

Now, everything I’m about to say is backed by what’s been seen in those leaks, but obviously, that doesn’t guarantee any of it makes it into the final game as-is (or at all). That said, I think there are a few pretty solid assumptions we can draw from it.

1) Cars are going to have protection; the more expensive and luxurious the car is, the more protection it'll have.

Gone are the GTA 5 days of simply wanting a car and jumping straight in. After breaking into a car, your character will have to hotwire it. Luxurious cars WILL have protection against this. This means that you'll be extremely slow at doing it, which alongside the car's alarm and nearby passersby, will make it difficult or impossible to steal the fanciest car you see riding around Vice City. These luxurious cars will have reinforced glass, reinforced door security, etc.

There's also a tool called a "slim jim" made to break into cars without triggering these protections. It looks like a rod, and the leaks show it's used to manually unlock older car doors quietly. The slim jim cannot break into luxurious cars because of internal defenses. Instead, you'll need an "Immobilizer Bypass" to hack the code via a PDA. Lucia is seemingly the "hacker" of the duo who carries specialized tools like this. We know hijacking is getting an "Advanced Hijack Cars" system overhaul, and there are even leaked code events for "Steal Car Fail" and "Carjacking - Advanced AI." This means you can actually fail to steal a car if the NPC fights back, locks the doors, or drives off.

2) Cars are going to have the same level of importance and focus as horses did in RDR2.

I know. Unlike a horse, your car can't love you back or form a relationship with you. That said, this doesn't mean they're simply going backwards from the improvements we've seen made in RDR2. You will have your main car (and secondary ones if you want) that will serve as your mobile base of operations. We know the limited inventory is coming, so the trunk, backseat, and glove compartment of your car will carry a lot of your stuff*,* mainly your heavier weapons.

Tying into this "vehicles matter more" feature, there's an actual Vehicle Compendium system. Just like in RDR2, finding new vehicles and liveries adds to your compendium. Taking care of your car, like taking care of your horse, is almost guaranteed to come back. You'll need to wash your car at actual car washes, refuel it at gas stations, and take it to mechanics for actual maintenance. Rockstar is going all-in on immersion here. Car interiors now even have working GPS and waypoints directly on the dashboard screen while you are in first-person view.

3) Cars being harder to steal, especially luxury ones, is an intended and primary feature.

There'll be fences in the game. Just like in RDR2 where you could steal coaches and sell them, you'll be able to steal cars and sell them to a "car fence" (like the leaked PG Car Fence). This means that the stolen cars are probably too hot to keep, so they serve as a high-risk alternative to making money. This makes perfect sense because it would be a bit weird seeing Jason, still living in his rundown first house, having a luxurious Lambo parked outside. Though you obviously would be able to buy luxury cars legally with your own money later on.

4) Stolen cars vs. registered cars.

Following on the previous assumptions, I'm pretty certain the game will make a strict distinction between the cars you legally buy/own, and the cars you steal. This is still a GTA at the end of the day, so while you'll be able to steal whatever you want, stolen cars will have a few major drawbacks. Primarily, you're either NOT going to have your weapon inventory in them, OR it'll be very limited. Secondly, stolen cars would show up if you're pulled over in a traffic stop, forcing you into either being arrested or bolting it.

I imagine the more luxurious the car is, the more heat it has. Once reported as stolen, you'd be wanted by the police if they simply spot you driving it. This is backed up by the massive new witness and police recognition system. Police on the lookout can get a "Personal Description" of you and a "Full Vehicle Description." The leaks show a warning that says: "Any vehicle you are seen entering will be known by the Law."

There’s more to it, but this is the big stuff. It really shows they’re building on what Red Dead Redemption 2 did, instead of just sticking with the more “arcade” style system from Grand Theft Auto V.