I agree with that quote. GTAO is a mixed bag for me. The Jetsons stuff like the Deluxo, Oppressor and Up and Atomizer sort of ruin it for me. But then again only some of my time is spent in 'open' GTAO.

I can make more money in a public server, especially with the car import/export business. Running these sell missions in a populated server is easier, since no AI spawns. Actually all of my businesses (I have the hangar and the bunker too) fare best in a public server. And a public server is required for most of it. The trouble is that other players may choose to intercede. And since this is broadcast to the entire lobby, and your position is shown on the map, it's easier than it should be for rivals or griefers to find you.

But it's easy to quickly eject everyone with a network trick (technically I'm removing myself) and stay in an empty public server. So the businesses that require public still function with no one left to ruin your day, aside from the NPCs. When I first started playing GTAO I found it a sh!tshow. I would have probably stopped playing if it weren't for the Invite Only option. Playing it this way early on was great. I had a blast with all of the new (for me) content and levelled up and made paper in peace. I could opt-in any time for head to head racing, or a shooting range match, a parachute jump or essentially all of the content aside from businesses. When done I could just return to my private lobby. There are a ton of ways to make money, and to have fun in this game outside of the PvP arena.

As I got in to the 40's levels though, I had enough money to afford an apartment, office and a helicopter. My character skills had improved, I had armor, good weapons and some fast cars and bikes. I started playing in open a bit more. Since I could now spawn safely in my apartment, instead of out on the street, it gave me the chance to test the temperature of the server. Sometimes you land in a lobby with a dozen players just going about their business, sometimes it's 30 all playing deathmatch with flying armed motorcycles, some of which I can watch from the window of my high-rise apartment while listening to country or gansta rap. Depending on the server temp and my mood at mo, I could choose to head out in to the city, or do the network trick or Invite Only. I think with these options I'm able to enjoy the best of what this game offers while minimizing the worst of it. I like the street racing, with motorcycles especially. I like the cars and heists, the golf, parachuting and stunt jumping. I absolutely love flying helicopters in Los Santos. The flight model sucks sure, but I forget all of that and just have a hell of a good time. I play it full time first person.

I would also like the PvP or open public with two changes. Remove the Jetsons stuff and remove the map blips showing player locations. As it is I mostly just play there to run my I/E business, since the sell missions consist of driving a super car a few miles to delivery. I don't get messed with much, I think there's not much time to intercept (aside from aircraft and flying bikes). I also have fun ripping though the streets on the Akuma while others take potshots. Sometimes that stuff is fun too. I don;t actively seek out PvP but I'm equipped now to defend myself. Not long ago I had just dropped off a super car to a buyer and went out to the street to use my phone and call for my helicopter to fly back to the office. I was standing with my back to the wall surrounding the car buyer's house and on the phone when a car came around the corner and floored it straight at me, to crush me against the wall. I saw it just in time and jumped to the side as it slammed in to the wall.

I looked for cover but none close, as I fumbled away my phone and drew my combat MG. The car had two players in it and the driver threw it in reverse, stopped after 50 feet at which point the passenger got out and the driver gunned it to hit me again. I shot the passenger dead before he got all the way out which freaked out the driver who decided to split. But he panicked and went over the hill and got stuck on a staircase leading down to the dock. With his wheels off the ground and I guess his doors jammed by the stair railings he just stood on the gas while I took aim through the rear window and gave him the good news. Called my helicopter and flew back to the office. Sometimes it's just a really fun game. Sometimes. Well, most of the time depending on how you're managing or filtering the stuff you don't like.