Unpopular opinion, horses are the worst part of the game.

[Arkynyx]

Horses are the absolute worst part of this game.

 

1. Crossing any sort of rough terrain is a nightmare. I tried the step down off a very small ledge my horse wouldnt budge even with lvl 4 bonding. When i finally managed to get it to step down it literally just tipped forward onto its face. Theres an animation for jumping over things that completely kills your speed, mid hot pursuit with the law, my horse takes its sweet time to gracefully hop the tiny rock it could have gone around. Small divets and ledges mess with the control to such a ridiculous level that it often gets me killed or thrown.

 

2. The "auto steering" that is (sort of?) implemented is awful. Was on a long ride from rhoades to valentine and using the cinematic camera i got launched 3 times, once wasnt the fault of the horse steering but of the awful animal a.i., i somehow got launched from my horse tripping on a rabbit the other two times it ran me straight into a wagon, and the other time it tried to steer around a rock but got confused (?) And just continued straight into it. It kind of destroys the point of the "cinematic view" if i have to keep watch on my immediate surroundings to avoid a bounty from slamming into someone or lose loads of hp from being thrown.

 

3. Horses stall the game to such an abysmally slow pace, since removing any sort of useful fast travel, gameplay stands almost to a halt. Every mission is a hey lets go do this fun thing *insert 5+ min of straight riding* do the mission that often lasts 5-10 min "good job arthur, see ya back at camp!" *insert 5+ more min of riding* every mission/side mission/challenge requires so much riding, its just padding at this point. Inb4 "thats the realism! How dare you attack meh immursion" just think, 1 bullet wound is usually enough to kill people and animals due to infection alone. Arthur getting pelted by a malitia would kill him almost immediately, games need to remove some realism to make games playable and enjoyable, this needs to be one.

 

4. Horse riding is so tedious to go anywhere. Whoever thought that tapping a to make your horse run should be fired, it worked in rdr1 because you could fast travel from your scout camp to cover the ridiculous distances. Here fast travel almost doesnt exist as you still need to usually travel a good distance to get to a stagecoach. Tapping also worked in gta 5 because as soon as you got in a vehicle it was just hold to go. Here it just wears out the button on my controller.

 

5. I hardly see any differences when i compare horses, the race horses arent significantly faster than say the shire or travel horses even though race horses rock max speed and shires have like 4, the only thing that makes a noteable difference is the health and stamina. Race horse isnt fast enough to outspeed the ussain bolt horses that the law men use so whats the point.

 

6. The bonding levels i think are the most useless things in the game. Aside from the increased whistle distance which is nice, even though i prefer it spawning in like rdr1 rather than watching it pathfind into a closed off areas to only run in circles, ive never actually found any uses for them other than aesthetics. Why couldnt there be increase in speed or hp or stamina depending on the horse, it doesnt really let me feel a connection to my horse and let me see a noticeable difference when compared to some rando's horse i pick up.

 

7. Just bugs in general, my horse has gotten stuck on a train, had a pronghorn clip into him and stick there, he sometimes just randomly lifts into the air and drops down, and when i was doing a bandit challenge every time i pointed my gun at someone to rob them, arthur would get off the horse and the horse would run away like me pulling a gun on someone spooked it. Theyre pretty funny for the most part but immersion breaking overall.

 

Just wanted to rant a little bit about my frusturations with the "A" mashing genera- i mean horse.

[Merle Travis]

6 minutes ago, Arkynyx said:

Horses are the absolute worst part of this game.

 

1. Crossing any sort of rough terrain is a nightmare. I tried the step down off a very small ledge my horse wouldnt budge even with lvl 4 bonding. When i finally managed to get it to step down it literally just tipped forward onto its face. Theres an animation for jumping over things that completely kills your speed, mid hot pursuit with the law, my horse takes its sweet time to gracefully hop the tiny rock it could have gone around. Small divets and ledges mess with the control to such a ridiculous level that it often gets me killed or thrown.

 

2. The "auto steering" that is (sort of?) implemented is awful. Was on a long ride from rhoades to valentine and using the cinematic camera i got launched 3 times, once wasnt the fault of the horse steering but of the awful animal a.i., i somehow got launched from my horse tripping on a rabbit the other two times it ran me straight into a wagon, and the other time it tried to steer around a rock but got confused (?) And just continued straight into it. It kind of destroys the point of the "cinematic view" if i have to keep watch on my immediate surroundings to avoid a bounty from slamming into someone or lose loads of hp from being thrown.

 

3. Horses stall the game to such an abysmally slow pace, since removing any sort of useful fast travel, gameplay stands almost to a halt. Every mission is a hey lets go do this fun thing *insert 5+ min of straight riding* do the mission that often lasts 5-10 min "good job arthur, see ya back at camp!" *insert 5+ more min of riding* every mission/side mission/challenge requires so much riding, its just padding at this point. Inb4 "thats the realism! How dare you attack meh immursion" just think, 1 bullet wound is usually enough to kill people and animals due to infection alone. Arthur getting pelted by a malitia would kill him almost immediately, games need to remove some realism to make games playable and enjoyable, this needs to be one.

 

4. Horse riding is so tedious to go anywhere. Whoever thought that tapping a to make your horse run should be fired, it worked in rdr1 because you could fast travel from your scout camp to cover the ridiculous distances. Here fast travel almost doesnt exist as you still need to usually travel a good distance to get to a stagecoach. Tapping also worked in gta 5 because as soon as you got in a vehicle it was just hold to go. Here it just wears out the button on my controller.

 

5. I hardly see any differences when i compare horses, the race horses arent significantly faster than say the shire or travel horses even though race horses rock max speed and shires have like 4, the only thing that makes a noteable difference is the health and stamina. Race horse isnt fast enough to outspeed the ussain bolt horses that the law men use so whats the point.

 

6. The bonding levels i think are the most useless things in the game. Aside from the increased whistle distance which is nice, even though i prefer it spawning in like rdr1 rather than watching it pathfind into a closed off areas to only run in circles, ive never actually found any uses for them other than aesthetics. Why couldnt there be increase in speed or hp or stamina depending on the horse, it doesnt really let me feel a connection to my horse and let me see a noticeable difference when compared to some rando's horse i pick up.

 

7. Just bugs in general, my horse has gotten stuck on a train, had a pronghorn clip into him and stick there, he sometimes just randomly lifts into the air and drops down, and when i was doing a bandit challenge every time i pointed my gun at someone to rob them, arthur would get off the horse and the horse would run away like me pulling a gun on someone spooked it. Theyre pretty funny for the most part but immersion breaking overall.

 

Just wanted to rant a little bit about my frusturations with the "A" mashing genera- i mean horse.

Yeah there is something about the horse riding that just feels...off. Its hard to explain, but in RDR1 when you where galloping, it felt very free and you could really feel the speed of the gallop. But something just feels off in RDR2 when riding, it feels like something is holding back the horse somehow? Sometimes the horses stops for no reason, even though I am holding down the button to continue going. Idk, it feels abit clunky and not fluid like RDR 1 and I find it very hard to control when I trot vs gallop, I never had this problem in RDR 1. It was very easy to trot by slightly tapping A (xbox) and locking on the button. I find it hard to do the same in RDR 2.

 

On a more visual note though, I think the horses LOOK bad. They don't look like real life horses, but more like.... toy horses. They look plastic. Their eyes look weird. Probably a very unpopular opinion, but I think RDR 1s horses look better. RDR 2s horses look kind of short and stocky and plastic and shiny. I would have loved if they kept the horse looks of RDR 1, it was nearly perfect. They could only have upped the graphical fidelity of the models somewhat. But they seem to have completely redone the horses, and not for the better imo.

Edited October 30, 2018 by Merle Travis

[HockeyMike24]

I'm surprised people don't like it. Personally I disagree with all of these points and have spent majority of my time riding. Also keep in mind that different horses have different stats. So maybe you just haven't found a horse that suits your play style yet.

 

I found noticeable differences with breeds.

Edited October 30, 2018 by HockeyMike24

[Mister Pink]

I don't know, some of the things you mention rarely if at all happen to me. Sounds like you are abusing the horse? Complaining about going over rough terrain? What do you expect? A horse isn't going to gallop across rough terrain. You go on trails, places to avoid rocks etc. Think of the horse as an animal not an object and these things are intuitively easy. Complaining about the horse slowing down to jump obstacles is like complaing that you have to use your breaks on a car to make it stop. 

 

I'm sorry I can't address all your points but a lot of it sounds like its down to you and you own (unrealistic) expectations. There's a reason your opinion is unpopular and it might not be because Rockstar got it wrong, if you know what I mean. 

[Arkynyx]

7 minutes ago, Merle Travis said:

Yeah there is something about the horse riding that just feels...off. Its hard to explain, but in RDR1 when you where galloping, it felt very free and you could really feel the speed of the gallop. But something just feels off in RDR2 when riding, it feels like something is holding back the horse somehow? Sometimes the horses stops for no reason, even though I am holding down the button to continue going. Idk, it feels abit clunky and not fluid like RDR 1 and I find it very hard to control when I trot vs gallop, I never had this problem in RDR 1. It was very easy to trot by slightly tapping A (xbox) and locking on the button. I find it hard to do the same in RDR 2.

 

On a more visual note though, I think the horses LOOK bad. They don't look like real life horses, but more like.... toy horses. They look plastic. Their eyes look weird. Probably a very unpopular opinion, but I think RDR 1s horses look better. RDR 2s horses look kind of short and stocky and plastic and shiny. I would have loved if they kept the horse looks of RDR 1, it was nearly perfect. They could only have upped the graphical fidelity of the models somewhat. But they seem to have completely redone the horses, and not for the better imo.

That was another thing i forgot to hit on. I agree the horses slow down way too fast which i find infuriating, they go about 1-2 meters before theres considerable slow down. I havent really payed attention to how the horses look however, i hear conflicting things about them though.

[Misterkotte]

I don’t really agree with these points. Of course it’s hard to ride in tough terrain, what would you prefer? That the horse go through the trees or just dodge them? I like the fact that you have to think about where you ride, and it still makes me laugh when my horse crashes into stuff.

 

The ”auto steering” has worked flawless for me and I use it all the time.

 

regarding the slow pace. Just think about the endless hours that devs at Rockstars spent creating everything in the world, why wouldn’t they want you to see it all? It doesn’t have anything with realism to do. I love traveling through the map seeing all the cool stuff that they have created. And the world is far from dead, There’s random encounters everywhere and it’s never really the same thing happening. I get your point, fast travel is great when you you want to get from point A to B but it’s their call and I thought it would bother me more than it actually did.

 

My advice is stop rushing. This is not supposed to be a fast paced game, you’re just going to have to accept that or move on.

[Arkynyx]

1 minute ago, Mister Pink said:

I don't know, some of the things you mention rarely if at all happen to me. Sounds like you are abusing the horse? Complaining about going over rough terrain? What do you expect? A horse isn't going to gallop across rough terrain. You go on trails, places to avoid rocks etc. Think of the horse as an animal not an object and these things are intuitively easy. Complaining about the horse slowing down to jump obstacles is like complaing that you have to use your breaks on a car to make it stop. 

 

I'm sorry I can't address all your points but a lot of it sounds like its down to you and you own (unrealistic) expectations. There's a reason your opinion is unpopular and it might not be because Rockstar got it wrong, if you know what I mean. 

I grew up on a farm riding horses all my life, i know what horses can and cant do. Im very well versed on horses, irl they are very beautifully fluid animals, sure footing power and speed. I wasnt comparing horses to the real life versions because they couldnt compete, these horses are so sticky awkward and hard to control it would be a joke. Im comparing them to how a video game horse should be, without the hindering limitations of real horses and fun to use.

[Mister Pink]

That's great you have that experience with horses. Do you think it may be influencing your expectations to how you play this game? I'm sure there's some bias that you may have as you have real-world experience? I know you said you aren't comparing to real-life but how can you not?  I don't know man. You seem to mention getting launched so many times, I'm thinking the issue is with you, not the game itself. I use the cinematic camera a lot, I can traverse the map pretty well, dodging, weaving, doing quick turns and I've navigated down tough and steep terrain with none of the issues you are complaining about.  I don't think I'm particularly good or better than anyone at riding in the game. 

 

I'm not having a go at you and I'm not trying to delegitimize your experience of the game but if it's working perfectly fine and even great for most people, how is it that you get launched a lot or your horse can't seem to navigate down small steps?

Edited October 30, 2018 by Mister Pink

[Pocket Fox]

20 minutes ago, Misterkotte said:

I don’t really agree with these points. Of course it’s hard to ride in tough terrain, what would you prefer? That the horse go through the trees or just dodge them? I like the fact that you have to think about where you ride, and it still makes me laugh when my horse crashes into stuff.

 

The ”auto steering” has worked flawless for me and I use it all the time.

 

regarding the slow pace. Just think about the endless hours that devs at Rockstars spent creating everything in the world, why wouldn’t they want you to see it all? It doesn’t have anything with realism to do. I love traveling through the map seeing all the cool stuff that they have created. And the world is far from dead, There’s random encounters everywhere and it’s never really the same thing happening. I get your point, fast travel is great when you you want to get from point A to B but it’s their call and I thought it would bother me more than it actually did.

 

My advice is stop rushing. This is not supposed to be a fast paced game, you’re just going to have to accept that or move on.

 

My fear, is that RDR2:Online is going to be tedious busywork that will make GTA:Online Post Op van errands seem thrilling by comparison.

Keep in mind, your horse doesn't feature a radio. While RDR2 is new, fresh and interesting right now, how will I feel after 1,000 hours galloping over the same space staring at my horse as I go from A to B.

 

It certainly is more visceral and immersive to go it slow and steady. But as time goes on, we're going to tire of it at same point, especially for Online. And no... a Flying Rocket Horse will not fix it lol

Hopefully R* has thought of this for the online component, easier fast travel or something.

[Jedster]

@Arkynyx I wanted to write wall of text but... Nah, I won't be bothered. I think you have expected something different from the game and I am sorry you didn't get it. This game meant to be "grounded" and slow phased like this. Your horse is not a car, he is not going to roll over everything in your way, he cannot jump efficiently in full speed (no real horse can), this is not GTA and you have to think about what and how you going to do this and that... Literally nothing from your post bothers me. I almost never gallop unless it's necessary, because you miss so much of this awesome world...  

[Antipode]

I think most people's issues with the game arises from them trying to rush the game. Slow down.

[full_r3trd]

regarding auto steer, horses have a brain and may do things you dont expect, then you have to take control and correct or press L3 to calm them maybe

[full_r3trd]

4 hours ago, Jedster said:

@Arkynyx I wanted to write wall of text but... Nah, I won't be bothered. I think you have expected something different from the game and I am sorry you didn't get it. This game meant to be "grounded" and slow phased like this. Your horse is not a car, he is not going to roll over everything in your way, he cannot jump efficiently in full speed (no real horse can), this is not GTA and you have to think about what and how you going to do this and that... Literally nothing from your post bothers me. I almost never gallop unless it's necessary, because you miss so much of this awesome world...  

no need to be rude, stick to his question and dont judge people... actually when I was playing I was thinking, "would a horse really let me run him head on into a tree or would the horse ignore me?"

 

i dont ride horses and i have so many questions about this game that may seem obvious to a horse rider so it is better to just be nice with people or if they ask "dumb" questions to at least be courteous and explain "hey it's 19th century and you are on a horse and there are no paved roads, you have to be more careful" is a better response.

[Misterkotte]

4 hours ago, Pocket Fox said:

 

My fear, is that RDR2:Online is going to be tedious busywork that will make GTA:Online Post Op van errands seem thrilling by comparison.

Keep in mind, your horse doesn't feature a radio. While RDR2 is new, fresh and interesting right now, how will I feel after 1,000 hours galloping over the same space staring at my horse as I go from A to B.

 

It certainly is more visceral and immersive to go it slow and steady. But as time goes on, we're going to tire of it at same point, especially for Online. And no... a Flying Rocket Horse will not fix it lol

Hopefully R* has thought of this for the online component, easier fast travel or something.

 

I think it all depends on what they do with gamemodes and such in Online. I’m not worried that it will be just like GTAO because I do think Rockstar has learned a few lessons from that and I do think they listen to their fans. I could obviously be totally wrong but I have a good feeling about it. I’m not worried about the endless galloping back and forth. I don’t really see how it’s different from driving a different vehicle in the same place over and over again. I don’t need speed or other distractions to enjoy traveling across the map if the content along the way is good enough, so far it’s beyond anything I could ever hope for. And It’s not some fanboy talking. RDR 2 is a brilliant game. It’s not flawless, far from it but it’s shaping up to be the best game I have ever played.