The modder known as 'Silent' has indeed been dutifully fixing Grand Theft Auto (GTA) bugs for the past decade. This dedicated effort has culminated in a significant milestone for the GTA modding community.
Silent's project, called SilentPatch, began in 2013 as a passion project and has since evolved into a phenomenon in the PC gaming world. Over the past ten years, Silent has created an impressive number of fixes for the classic GTA trilogy:
- 67 fixes for GTA III
- 66 fixes for GTA: Vice City
- 165 fixes for GTA: San Andreas
In total, Silent has implemented over 300 improvements across these games, addressing a wide range of issues from minor annoyances to more significant gameplay problems.
The latest SilentPatch update, released in November 2024, marks a decade of Silent's work and coincides with the 20th anniversary of GTA: San Andreas. This update is particularly noteworthy for several reasons:
1. Open Source Release: Silent has made the entire project open source under the MIT license, inviting collaboration from other talented developers.
2. Extensive Bug Fixes: The update tackles some of the trilogy's most notorious issues, including:
- Improved clothing physics for CJ in San Andreas
- Refined headlight behavior during different weather conditions
- Elimination of the multiple explosion glitch in vehicles
3. Quality of Life Improvements: Even minor issues have been addressed, such as properly displaying mission completion texts based on screen resolution and correctly scaling ending credits.
4. Preservation Approach: Silent's work is characterized by a methodical and respectful approach to game preservation, ensuring that the original game experience remains unaltered while fixing bugs and improving functionality.
It's important to note that these fixes are not compatible with the remastered versions included in GTA: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition. They are designed for the original PC releases of the classic GTA games.
SilentPatch has become an essential mod for fans of the original trilogy, allowing players to experience these classic titles in their best possible form. The project demonstrates the power of a passionate community in keeping beloved games alive and improving them, even decades after their initial release.
By making SilentPatch open source, Silent has opened up new possibilities for collaboration and further improvement, ensuring that the legacy of bug-fixing and game preservation can continue well into the future.
