Anybody who played Grand Theft Auto Online when it first launched in 2013 could not possibly have imagined how popular it would have become. It makes sense considering there was not much to do in the online portion of Grand Theft Auto 5. What few activities there were often got bogged down by technical issues. Rockstar Games continued improving it with patches and content additions until it became the juggernaut it is known as today.
Players who jump into Los Santos today are met with a variety of possibilities. However, regardless of what one does in this thriving virtual world, there is usually a small checklist of things one should do beforehand. Doing the small tasks listed below before every mission ensures a smoother ride during the actual mission, whether it be a heist, a simple job selected from the menu, or a part of a storyline added in a content update. The last thing players want is to restart a mission just because they did not prepare properly, especially if they are doing a mission with friends.
6 Stock Up On Body Armor
Enemies in Grand Theft Auto Online are absurdly accurate. They can hit the player from afar even if just an arm is sticking out from behind cover. Gunshots drain health quickly if the strength stat is low, and unfortunately, this stat will not upgrade naturally through the course of gameplay and generally requires players to grind it out. To help alleviate how quickly players die during combat, everyone should stock up on as much body armor as possible.
It is impossible to buy Body Armor from a menu, so players need to drive over to an Ammu-Nation to stock up on it. The amount purchasable depends on the player's level. Always go for the heaviest body armor available. To refill body armor during a firefight, just go to the inventory section of the in-game pop-up menu. Additionally, players can refill body armor in the menu before a mission starts, but they can't buy an excess from here to refill during the mission.
5 Buy Snacks From A Convenience Store
Body armor is just one piece of the health puzzle. To help refill the actual health bar, players need to eat snacks, which are similarly accessed from the pop-up menu. It is impossible to buy these from here or any other menu, however. Go to a convenience store and buy as much as possible from the clerks there.
There is not always enough in stock to fill up the player's inventory, so they might need to visit two of them. Eating snacks during a mission is the same as refilling body armor. Certain items only refill a small fraction of health, so players still might find themselves running out of supplies on particularly lengthy missions.
4 Get Into An Armored, But Decently Fast Car
Car choice is important for most missions that do not provide one to use. Players will want both speed and durability. If a car is armored but weighed down, then it will never catch up to moving objectives if the mission has a car chase or a getaway from police.
Adversely, something fast and light won't have the heft to knock other cars around. Fortunately, plenty of solid options exist. There are even cars with armored windows and obscured windshields to help protect players from enemy gunfire like the Duke o' Death. Cars are expensive, but a worthwhile investment that will prevent deaths and bumps in the road.
3 Buy Ammunition
Fortunately, buying and refilling ammunition in Grand Theft Auto Online is easier and more streamlined than buying armor and food. Players do not need to travel all the way to the Ammu-Nation every time they are running low on bullets. Instead, two far easier ways exist of refilling ammo.
Firstly, players can buy as much ammo as they need directly before a mission on the menu. Secondly, they can buy bullets at any time using the in-game pop-up menu. From here, they can purchase all the ammo they need with the push of just a couple of buttons. It always costs money, but keeping a full stock of ammunition is a top priority.
2 Deposit All Cash
This is something players need to regularly do, as annoying as it is. There is virtually no difference between cash and money deposited in banks. Only when players die, they lose some money they have yet to deposit. It used to be necessary to go to an ATM and drop the money in there, but now it is all doable from the cell phone.
Even though it is easy, it just takes up time and is an all-around uninteresting mechanic. It feels like a relic from an older version of Grand Theft Auto Online. Still, it's a part of the game and players need to do it if they don't want to lose any hard-earned money.
1 Enter A Private Session
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In a game all about committing crimes, giving other players a hard time might be an integral part of the experience. However, sometimes players just want to go about their business without the risk of a stranger coming in to ruin their play session. This is why most people might prefer to play in a closed or private session.
Most actual missions take place in their own session so other players cannot cause trouble when performing the actual objectives, but there's no reason to risk griefing while on the way to a mission either.
Grand Theft Auto Online is available on PS4, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series S/X, and PC.