This game is absolutely beautiful, but badly hobbled by micro transactions. Gold bars lock you out of most things, and you can accrue them painfully slowly (at zero points of a percent) through missions, or purchase them from the rockstar store. You’re not able to catch, tame and keep or sell horses, you have to purchase them.
Griefing is a serious problem when I play online. I am constantly shot or burned alive by invisible people, costing me significant money to re-insure and get my horse back.
I am regularly kicked from the servers or disconnected, and there are a lot of bugs that interrupt the experience. It breaks my heart because this game has SO much potential, but as it is the experience is frustrating and constantly reminds me of a micro transaction laden mobile game.