So I've been playing San Andreas a bit, loving it just as I much I have the others... and then it happened. I was forced to take over a MacArthur Park-ish place from another gang. Then the colors appeared on the grid: each gang owns different chunks of town... As if playing GTA wasn't fun enough, now I just drive all over town, blast members from the other gangs and build the empire.
My new favorite phrase: You have just provoked a gang war!
Greatest game ever.