GTA SA - Vigilante impossible

[Sir_Lancelot]

How is it possible to do the vigilante missions if one does not have a military type vehicle? It is supposed to be possible with a police car or police bike, right?

I tried a cheat and summoned a Tank. I failed the first attempt because I wasn't fast enough. After some cannon practice I made it through level 12 with the Tank.

But I have to do all missions with no cheats, so I have only the ordinary police vehicles as options here in Los Santos.

I find it easiest to kill the suspect with a HPV1000 beause it let me shoot forward. The problem is the police, I usually have a two star wanted level before I even get to vigilante level 2.
(Hey cops I'm helping you, why put me on your wanted list? )

I have tried to get the Homies to help me, but they are not firing at the suspects because the suspects doesn't shoot at me. And I think the HPV1000 handles like a truck if we are two people on it.

So what's your strategy to succeed the vigilante missions with a police car or police bike? Advice appreciated!

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

I've never done them on the Police bike, so I just chase them down and spin them out/blow them up in the car. Of course, I have a lot of practice from stuff like Driver and Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit.

No cheats, I often don't get past the third chase, but its fun while it lasts.

 

[Sir_Lancelot]

I've never done them on the Police bike, so I just chase them down and spin them out/blow them up in the car. Of course, I have a lot of practice from stuff like Driver and Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit.

No cheats, I often don't get past the third chase, but its fun while it lasts.

The bonus for level 12 is 50% more body armor, so the vigilante missions is something one should finish as early as possible.

You are probably better at the driving than I am, but due to traffic a motorbike makes it much easier to get to the suspects without crashing too much. The police cars don't last very long.

Many of the wanted stars I get, is because I have to kill the police in order to get them of my back. When the suspects drive slow/turn/stop, cops on foot easily knock me off the bike if I don't kill them.
Maybe this could be a job for a helper; to shoot the police so I don't have to.

Should I choose a gang member with a MP5 or Desert Eagle? In my hands, a Desert Eagle means one shot = one kill because my hitman level. The other gang members are not at hitman level, so should my helper use MP5 or Desert Eagle?

According to this info (http://www.gtasanandreas.net/weapons/), three MP5 bullets makes the same damage as one Desert Eagle bullet. Which is the better weapon depends on the rate of fire, and which weapon is more accurate.
What's your opinion/experience?

 

[plarq]

You don't need +50% Armor for the first half of the game.
Then, after the desert opens, drive to Area 69 (5 wanted stars), grab the tank, go to nearest safe house, and save.

 

[Sir_Lancelot]

You don't need +50% Armor for the first half of the game.
Then, after the desert opens, drive to Area 69 (5 wanted stars), grab the tank, go to nearest safe house, and save.

Thanks for the input.
A desert, that must be Bone County outside Las Venturas? And the Area 69 is perhaps the "no fly zone" marked on the paper map?

With a HPV1000 and one helper, I usually make it to level 5 or 6. One time I made it half way through level 9. Then I ran out of luck. The criminals set up an ambush at a chokepoint on the highway!

I have now acquired some RPG's, not sure what I'll hit but something will blow up.

 

[Kozmos]

Steal the military chopper or win it from flying school by getting all gold. Piece of cake.

 

[Sir_Lancelot]

Steal the military chopper or win it from flying school by getting all gold. Piece of cake.

I'll get 4 stars if I leave Los Santos now.

Also, my point is it should be possible to complete the vigilante missions with any vehicle that can start a vigilante mission. So my goal is to prove this possible. I've had some luck with the HPV1000, made it through level 10 once. And how many attempts? 20? 40? Only God knows...

 

[Say_my_name]

Vigilante is hard without either a tank, the battle chopper or some serious heavy weapons, like the Gatling Gun or Rocket Launcher. With enough Gatling munition, it's a piece of cake, even easier than with the tank or chopper, imho, but it's impossible to get the Gatling early on, so you will either need luck or much practice.

 

[Alpha Killer II]

Should I choose a gang member with a MP5 or Desert Eagle? In my hands, a Desert Eagle means one shot = one kill because my hitman level. The other gang members are not at hitman level, so should my helper use MP5 or Desert Eagle?

According to this info (http://www.gtasanandreas.net/weapons/), three MP5 bullets makes the same damage as one Desert Eagle bullet. Which is the better weapon depends on the rate of fire, and which weapon is more accurate.
What's your opinion/experience?

Desert Eagle, saves u more bullets, and about the thread, I beaten the vigilante missions with the tank lol

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

The Apache is another way to do it. Arguably a funner one.

 

[Sir_Lancelot]

Vigilante is hard without either a tank, the battle chopper or some serious heavy weapons, like the Gatling Gun or Rocket Launcher. With enough Gatling munition, it's a piece of cake, even easier than with the tank or chopper, imho, but it's impossible to get the Gatling early on, so you will either need luck or much practice.

It's damn hard! Not only that, the payment for Vigilante level 10 is the same as for Firefighter level 9! Vigilante is much harder and much less money. And being fireproof is also more valuable than +50% armor! This is unbalanced.

Vigilante strategy, using conventional land-based police vehicles

• I find the HPV1000 better than the car, because the bike lets me shoot forward. This bike is somewhat slow, but it does last longer than a car maybe because I crash less riding the bike. A bike is also a smaller target, and not so often hit by incoming fire.
• A fellow gang member on the back is necessary to keep the cops in check, and to shield me from bullets. Earlier I found them little helpful because they didn't shoot at the suspect's cars, but in fact they do (just not always).
• A question still: What weapon should my helper use, MP5 or Desert Eagle? I think their weapon skill level are poor, or at best gangster level. The Desert Eagle only becomes superior at hitman level.
• One MP5 bullet: 25 damage. One Desert Eagle bullet: 70 damage. I tend to prefer them using a MP5, but I'm not sure which of these two weapons are more effective in the hands of the regular Grove member.

Desert Eagle, saves u more bullets, and about the thread, I beaten the vigilante missions with the tank lol

Saves me bullets? It's not me, it's them - my friends wearing green. And they have unlimited ammo.

 

[Sir_Lancelot]

I did the impossible! I made it to level 16! After a zillion attempts I finally had luck the times when it seemed hopeless.

As usual I started with a HPV1000 together with a Grove member with MP5. Also I had MP5 (of course).
My helper died somewhere around level 8-9, and I never found another guy with better gun than a 9mm so I was alone for the rest of the levels.

I know all the police bribes and I tried to pick up a bribe when I got to 2 or 3 stars. It's often a difficult decission to make, can I afford using time to get that bribe? The more stars I have, the more it pays off to spend time on a bribe.

One time I had 3 stars, I had no nearby bribes. But Binco wasn't far away so I went there and bought a new torso!

The RPG was useful a couple times, when the criminal bunch waited for me. I blew them up from distance. The RPG was also effective when the criminals drove around in the city, but I barely survived it myself. Had to grab another police bike.

I'm unsure if this was one of the failed missions or if it was the one I succeeded in:
I used Pay'n Spray. Parked the bike and jacked a car, stars gone, changed to the police bike again.

 

[Hehehe]

I just stole a tank from the army (now that I think about it it would propably have been easier to steal it from a military base). Then I did the vigilante missions. I got to level 23 if I remember right

 

[Rheinmetall]

With a tank the vigilante can be done near ifinately in the desert. There are no buildings in the way so you can cruise straight to your prey. I once did over 100 consecutive missions and quit because of boredom.

 

[ArneHD]

Using a tank is boring, using a chopper is fun!
Also, it's more difficult than you think to do missions in the desert, to much geography in the way.

 

[Rheinmetall]

There are less civilizan cars in the way to get crushed. No collateral damage and no stupid police pestering you.

 

[Sir_Lancelot]

There are less civilizan cars in the way to get crushed. No collateral damage and no stupid police pestering you.

In a tank you don't have to think about other cars. Neither about the police.

... well not until your tank starts burning. But that shouldn't happen before you have passed level 12. I thought the Rhino was damageproof, but it's not. It's vulnerable to flames and heat from burning cars. And after the Rhino is starting to smoke, it's not even resistant to gunfire.

 

[Rheinmetall]

In a tank you don't have to think about other cars. Neither about the police.

... well not until your tank starts burning. But that shouldn't happen before you have passed level 12. I thought the Rhino was damageproof, but it's not. It's vulnerable to flames and heat from burning cars. And after the Rhino is starting to smoke, it's not even resistant to gunfire.

The collisions and police eventually break your tank. That will not happen in the desert. That's why I said the desert is the best place to do it.

 

[Terrapin]

One alternative method involves capturing FBI vehicles. First, load up on weapons. Second, start a killing spree and don't stop until the Feds start to show up (four stars, if I recall). Start killing feds. You'll need some skill, because you'll have choppers and SWAT teams after you at the same time. Lead the battle to an area near a save point or a pay'n'spray. Lose your stars. The dead Feds will have left a couple of their black Ranchers sitting around. Save as many as you can. Now you have police vehicles which can go through pay'n'spray. If you buy all properites with garages, you can seed a few around town to give you back-ups if one Rancher dies.

Finishing on a bike. That is impressive. I have never gotten past level 10 that way, and then only by capturing more bikes along the way.

 

[Sir_Lancelot]

One alternative method involves capturing FBI vehicles. First, load up on weapons. Second, start a killing spree and don't stop until the Feds start to show up (four stars, if I recall). Start killing feds. You'll need some skill, because you'll have choppers and SWAT teams after you at the same time. Lead the battle to an area near a save point or a pay'n'spray. Lose your stars. The dead Feds will have left a couple of their black Ranchers sitting around. Save as many as you can. Now you have police vehicles which can go through pay'n'spray. If you buy all properites with garages, you can seed a few around town to give you back-ups if one Rancher dies.

How do you actually use a car in this mission? I can see how it works out in theory, just not in practice.
Do you set up an ambush with serious heavy weapons? If this is your tactic, you might just use any cop vehicle, no need for the rare FBI vehicles.
Or do you crash into their cars? The FBI vehicles are probably though, but they are not a tank. I don't think a FBI car will last long if this tactic are being used. Teach me if I'm wrong!

Finishing on a bike. That is impressive. I have never gotten past level 10 that way, and then only by capturing more bikes along the way.

Got almost to level 17 that way. For me bike is easier than car.






@Rheinmetall - About a tank used in the desert:

When I do Vigilante in Los Santos, I can start in the Marina and end up near Palomino Creek. That is a big distance. You don't end up in Las Venturas often?