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The saying, Any Port in a Storm in your native tongue
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Hi all, what is the rough equivalent of that saying in your native tongue?
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Knowing the American entertainment industry (though other, _including_ European entertainment industries are also guilty of this as well,) it would likely be a generic “Europe”-location, drawing on multiple different locations, to create a sort of location-montage, fitting for the game. The GTA-series already does this, condensing what obviously represents much larger geographical areas of the US into smaller maps.
I could see a European GTA-setting be modelled over, simultaneously Haussmann’s sandstone-Paris, or a historicist city centre, surrounded by various non-definable neighbourhoods, and suburbs with something akin to the concrete apartment complexes, so popular to build as social housing in the 1960es and 1970es (“commie blocks” in slang terms, but also prevalent outside of the former Eastern Block, such as in the _Banlieus_ of Paris.)
The “upland” would probably consist mainly of flat fields, agrarian areas, as this is what most of Europe is covered by, perhaps with a smaller mountainous segment, probably harking to the alps (probably the German, Swiss or Austrian Alps in particular,) with Norwegian-esque fjords dotted around, where an unholy concoction of Scandinavian-Dutch-fishing-villages take up some space, and there will also likely be a 19th century historicist castle, akin to the famous _Schloss Neuschwanstein_(Where Rockstar, rightly, would take a swing at Disney, probably.) Another area of the map would likely contain a vaguely Mediterranean-vibe, with references to Spain, Italy and Greece, would all be lumped together. Then add some various tumuli, dolmen, Roman remnants, and a big undefinable forest, and a mining district, and you’re done.
Well, we could go back to the roots and do GTA: London.
I would imagine somewhere like Amsterdam, Brussels or London, somewhere with a reputation for gang violence/the drug trade/organised crime in general. Maybe somewhere like Paris or Barcelona could also work.
With that said though, GTA is intended to be a satire of the US, hence why it’s set there. If there was a GTA game that satirised European politics today- maybe tapping into Ukraine/refugees/Brexit etc- I wonder how many people would actually find it funny given that GTA’s audience is primarily American. Whenever there was a joke in GTA 4/5 about something to do with the USSR or Northern Ireland for example, how many people even picked up on it let alone found it funny? Not that many.
Rockstar are from Dundee originally, not Edinburgh, I was talking through my arse. and there was a GTA London 1969.
a generic Mini-Europe centered around the Alps. Mediterranian cities and coasts in the south; mountain villages, valleys and some lakes in the center; and a more Central/Northern European look with forests and green riverland in the north. add some vinyards and castles. and autobahns.
Brussels would fit quite well imo as the place feels like a GTA Online server already
i like the answer from the thread from years ago – Odessa, alternatively some cities from ex Yugo around Adriatic
It’s a coastal city, it has organized crime history, great sights, rather unique setting for most people and you can also tie it with GTA IV story
The former Soviet Union (especially Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine) in the crazy 90s Yeltsin years would be the perfect setting for a European GTA. That was the time and place Europe was closest to the stereotype of America the GTA games are depicting. Moscow, Kyiv, and Minsk would be the three main cities, like Los Santos, San Fierro, and Las Venturas in GTA:SA, and their surrounding countrysides would be parodies of rural Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus.
I’d also love to see a Red Dead Redemption 3 set in 19th century Austria-Hungary. [Here is a fan-made concept video of it.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtWMn-ho1d4) That time period and place was Europe’s answer to the American Wild West.
London or Manchester. Rockstar are british (Scotland is still UK) and these 2 cities have appeared in GTA before, so it would possibly be that one of these two would be Rockstar’s choice, as they like to reuse and remaster cities, which all bar San Fierro,Las Venturas,Anywhere City and the aforementioned 2 in the UK have been remastered in the HD era.
It wouldn’t work, imo. GTA at its very core *is* Europeans making fun of the USA. And I’m very aware there was a London, but that’s well before GTA became GTA.
I could imagine an American team making something akin to a GTA set in Europe, but Europeans couldn’t and shouldn’t make it. This sort of satire requires an outsider’s perspective.
A London and surrounding suburbs on one side, with the Swiss Alps in the middle breaking off into a southern France landscape to the gentle Spanish and Italian countryside with a few smaller hubs that contrast with London, modern but built on the old and beautiful architectures.
Similar to an expanded GTA 5 layout but the Swiss Alps would have to be full of life and activity, lots of twisty roads. And I hope to God they bring back the GTA 4 driving physics, maybe drop it down a notch, 10 percent. It would also help make the map feel bigger.
London only because that’s where it all started. I’d take other major hubs that have a rich and beautiful side and a poor and decapitated contrast.
The game originated from Dundee, Scotland and many local references are sprinkled as easter eggs in the various versions.
Racing the cops on the Kingsway, and beheadings up the Law with a sword stolen from the museum would be authentic.
That said they’d choose somewhere better known. Venice? 🤣
For the realism, it has to be in the United Kingdom, because the NPCs would otherwise have to speak in French or another language, and having subtitles of what an NPC tells you on the street seems bad to me, not to mention if it’s in Moscow for example and the NPCs have dubbed voices, I don’t know, it’s said that the conversations with NPCs in GTA VI are going to be with artificial intelligence so the variety and amount of possible conversations are going to be absurd, so I don’t know how the issue of dubbing or subtitling would be implemented there, more than anything for that reason, I think it should be in an English-speaking place like London(especially), Birmingham or the North of the UK (Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds).
When I think of European cities associated with crime but still have a sprinkling of glamour (sorry glasgow and Charleroi) which is kind of the combination that makes a gta setting a few come to mind. London, Amsterdam, Paris, Marseille. The more I think about it though the more obvious it feels like it’s gotta be Naples
The way I see it, any location they would choose to parody has to have 3 things: the main city has to have a port, or at the very least be close to the sea, highways and large roads in the cities as driving is the main feature of these games, and have a history with crime and/or state corruption.
Additionally, while GTA does poke fun at controversial topics and politics, it is almost never about socio-political topics, such as migration, ethnic and religious conflicts etc. Whatever location they choose,it would probably not have these issues.
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With that said, here are my top 4 pics:
1. London – they’ve done GTA 2 here, so remaking it would be the logical choice. London also fits all of the criteria, even though its a bit away from the coast, but connected through Thames. Also lots of parody material with British politics, tabloids and football
2. Southern Italy – this area has always been associated with the Mafia, so very easy to write a story here. Game would probably be centered around Naples, with Sicilia and/or Palermo also included. A bit difficult with driving, as these cities are more pedestrian-friendly, but not small enough to be an issue
3. Generic Eastern Europe location – this is a bit tricky, since there isn’t really a city in Eastern Europe that would fit, due to them being smaller in size, as well as a lack of large coastal cities. The Balkans are obviously a no-go, also because even the larger cities are quite small and crowded. The way I see it, it would either be a large port city, like Odessa or Saint Petersburg, or they would create a generic one that would fit, which would borrow elements from all countries in Eastern Europe
4. Istambul – maybe not considered Europe, but a lot of potential for a game. Only problem is that the streets may be too narrow for a GTA game
Brussels would be an actually interesting choice, even if it’s not the biggest metropolis, it has many contrasts and elements for social commentary and satire (Antwerpen could be great too, but I’ll let Flemish compatriots talk about it) :
* It is somewhat divided by its canal, and has high social contrast. some of its areas are very poor, some of its areas are very rich. This isn’t unique to Brussels at all though.
* It is the most cosmopolitan city in Europe, and the second most cosmopolitan city in the world (behind Dubaï). 62.5% of its population is of foreign origin. From former Moroccan and Turkish immigrants often living in the poor quarters/being poor, to the Sub-Saharan African quarter known as Matonge, to the richer EU expats and bureaucrats living in their own bubble, and all the people in between from all around the world. This city is more cosmopolitan than London, than New York, than Paris. And of course, it is officially bilingual (French and Dutch), but English has a big presence there due to the tourists and EU expats and institutions.
* Quite important architectural variety for such a “small” place: some medieval buildings here and there, some 17th’s, 18th’s, 19th’s ones; some clearly rich areas, some very poor and industrial areas. But when it comes to architecture, a phenomenon known as [Brusselisation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brusselization): putting modern buildings amongst historical ones, without a care for coherence or beauty preservation. It would thus offer player a good deal of variety regarding urban landscapes, because it has a bit of everything (more so than many European capitals or big cities, which preserved a more coherent or “monogamous” style). It has a forest and many parks. It has places feeling very urban, and some others more akin to suburbs and small towns.
* For Americans, they would see different facets of Europe, both ancient and modern: the Royal palaces and other places related to the monarchy and royal family, the medieval plazas and ancient churches, old style buildings. But as well, the very modern soulless buildings and small skyscrapers of businesses and of the EU institutions, the gentrified areas. It’s a place that meets both the clichés of old Europe, of some parts being “open-air museums”, as well as the clichés of modern Europe.
* For some “high stakes”: it has the EU institutions, so, great for diplomatic and corruption storylines. It has the NATO headquarters there, so, could be interesting for military conspiracies. It has prisons, of different types. It has the threat of terrorism, the drug-related issues, the white-collar criminality issues, the communities and racism issues, the problems of internal politics and its mess due to having 19 municipalities.
In summary, it has all the sociological and demographic conditions to make an interesting plot, to make social commentaries and satire, to have visible variety in the different parts of the map, to show elements of history (from the remnants of the colonisation of Congo to the establishment of the EU and to the new tensions and issues regarding terrorism, immigration and racism).
*And I would add, as it is the capital of the European Union, it would make sense to have it as first one situated in continental Europe, symbolically, but as well because its population is literally more pan-European than Belgian (as culturally Belgians are a minority there now).*
Baltic sea, year 900. Though you steal boats rather than cars. Land in to Finland, where graves have more swords in them than Poland has churches. Land in to Germany and see how dysfunctional the holy Roman empire can be. Land in Sweden and take part in a Viking voyage either in England or all the way in west Rome. Steal a horse and have the entire community treat you like someone killing the king, and the king is the god.
Roar your soul out while hitting your axe on your shield and have an arrow stuck in your throat at the next moment.
GTA Europe 900
any of the big crime cities in european countries would do like:
-brussels
-birmingham or manchester
-neaples
-nice, marsielle
-malmo or gothenburg
i think going into the balkans or eastern europe would make the cultures too homogenous and boring.
Probably one of:
Palermo/Sicily (because Mafia)
Poland (Europe’s Florida, but colder)
London (the most multinational and multicultural city on the continent with a long history of gangs, although the lack of guns might cause them issues)
Somewhere in Albania (because Albania has a huge mafia problem)
Moscow in the 90s (because those times were fucking wild)
I think the London one is most likely because Rockstar’s European division is in the UK, although it is in Edinburgh, but Edinburgh is definitely not where they’d set it (if they set it anywhere in Scotland, it would be Glasgow because Glasgow is scary)