Is playing as an outlaw sustainable?

[MuffinMcFluffin]

Curious about this. My first playthrough I am going for high honor as a noble gentleman as often as I can (I'll rob things here and there), and I see the added benefits of it plus you won't have bounties everywhere or be shot at all of the time.

 

I'm wondering what the other side is like in terms of sustainability. I can only imagine that I'll be wanted dead or alive in several of the regions and that living in the red is not something that can last very long over the course of the entire story.

 

Anyone happen to be going about it this way, and if so can it hold up for the long-haul? Every stranger encounter you just kill the poor bastard, every store you rob, every house you loot, etc.? Or is there a "strategy" to doing it the right way that can keep it up for a long time?

 

Thanks.

[woggleman]

Make sure you do it smart. I committed a ton of crimes and have had very little bounties. 

[Smokewood]

I try and play naturally without thought of the meter.

I don't leave any witnesses that would threaten the gang.

In town I am laying low, as we are supposed to be doing.

In the wild, I may or may not rob someone... it depends on the situation.

[Nutduster]

It's hard. Having bounties on you makes living in the world harder sometimes, and if you have high bounties too often, you'll never pay them all off.  You can avoid bounties but it's not easy.  I was playing yesterday and some guy was mouthing off to me for no reason on the road near Emerald Ranch - I decided to antagonize him because I was sick of his sh*t, and after a few rounds of antagonizing, he drew his gun and I blew his head off.  There were witnesses to the murder so I ran them down and shot them off their horses (I would have just threatened them but it was two separate people on two horses, so threatening one would mean losing the other).  Then there was a witness to THOSE murders who ran off the other direction, so I had to kill someone else, etc.  When all was said and done I left five bodies scattered along one quarter mile piece of trail, and rode like mad into the wilderness with the law searching the area; luckily the final witness never saw me, just found the bodies, and I got a pop-up notice that you can avoid having a bounty in that scenario as long as you don't get spotted.  I did indeed avoid the bounty, but I felt pretty terrible for massacring half the damn county just to cover up one crime.

 

After that I put on my executioner's hood and hijacked a stage that had three people in or on it.  Happily, all I had to do was ride away and remove my hood, and I didn't get a bounty for that either.  So you can commit some crimes, but you have to use masks (I think anyway) or kill witnesses or both, and you should probably flee the area in a mad hurry as soon as any witness has been dealt with, or it's just going to spiral out of control.  And committing crimes in more populated areas seems like a non-starter because you'll probably be recognized from your clothes or horse a lot; if you do that with any great frequency, you might as well just get used to having bounties on you.

Edited October 31, 2018 by Nutduster

[MjrOu812]

Being a outlaw in red dead 2 is hard on the wallet and of coarse getting killed alot....the first red dead was a lot easier getting away with killing folks, seems like in this game there is a witness even in the most remote places there is...that said, buy a lot of ammunition get a fast horse and upgrade your weapons?

[MuffinMcFluffin]

Thanks for the feedback.

 

I thought it just made it seem like R* was saying that there would be rewards and consequences on both sides of what you do, in that you could go onto one extreme end or the other and be of that status for the long haul. Obviously you need to be wanted at times to be an outlaw (hence the name), but I don't know if that is an enterprise you can endure without the game making it hard for you to counter at every turn.

[feckyerlife]

53 minutes ago, MjrOu812 said:

Being a outlaw in red dead 2 is hard on the wallet and of coarse getting killed alot....the first red dead was a lot easier getting away with killing folks, seems like in this game there is a witness even in the most remote places there is...that said, buy a lot of ammunition get a fast horse and upgrade your weapons?

sh*t, i was going for the Jack hunter (sp?) treasure hunt, on the second map up in the far north.  Someone mouthed off, so i shot him. I hid the body in brush pile way off the road, and still someone investigated. 

[¡MAYDAY!]

It's really not that hard living with bounties. I was wanted in 3 States for a long time. All that meant was every so often I got to kill a group of bounty hunters. 

[volta2001]

Having my honor almost all the way red is getting annoying. People treat you like sh*t. My next playthrough I’ll try the opposite and see the difference 

[theEwing1979]

I keep saying I'll turn over a new leaf and build my honor level up. Then some bitch smart mouths me and a throat gets cut. Just can't help myself. 

[h1r0ll3r]

I'm wanted dead or alive in quite a few places. I have a couple bounties $1000+. Normally, I like going on long trips and put it into cinematic mode however, with all these bounties, my horse will run right into the bounty hunters and I get lit up. When I'm camping/cooking, bounty hunters will creep up on me and jump me the moment I leave camp. In most cases I can kill the bounty hunters without issue however, sometimes they'll literally come out of nowhere and I'm dead. Aside from losing money when I get killed, I don't think it's all that bad. 

[HaRdSTyLe_83]

On 11/1/2018 at 2:27 AM, ¡MAYDAY! said:

It's really not that hard living with bounties. I was wanted in 3 States for a long time. All that meant was every so often I got to kill a group of bounty hunters. 

 

same here, never paid a bounty, never saw a reason to, if that is all the game does and send a couple of noob bounty hunters then i dont expect to pay a single bounty in the game at all.

 

On 11/1/2018 at 8:40 AM, theEwing1979 said:

I keep saying I'll turn over a new leaf and build my honor level up. Then some bitch smart mouths me and a throat gets cut. Just can't help myself. 

 

i just talk to random people all the time when walking around the town and the honor keeps going up, you dont have to do good deeds, just complementing is enough

[mas0764]

On 10/31/2018 at 1:24 PM, Nutduster said:

It's hard. Having bounties on you makes living in the world harder sometimes, and if you have high bounties too often, you'll never pay them all off.  You can avoid bounties but it's not easy.  I was playing yesterday and some guy was mouthing off to me for no reason on the road near Emerald Ranch - I decided to antagonize him because I was sick of his sh*t, and after a few rounds of antagonizing, he drew his gun and I blew his head off.  There were witnesses to the murder so I ran them down and shot them off their horses (I would have just threatened them but it was two separate people on two horses, so threatening one would mean losing the other).  Then there was a witness to THOSE murders who ran off the other direction, so I had to kill someone else, etc.  When all was said and done I left five bodies scattered along one quarter mile piece of trail, and rode like mad into the wilderness with the law searching the area; luckily the final witness never saw me, just found the bodies, and I got a pop-up notice that you can avoid having a bounty in that scenario as long as you don't get spotted.  I did indeed avoid the bounty, but I felt pretty terrible for massacring half the damn county just to cover up one crime.

 

After that I put on my executioner's hood and hijacked a stage that had three people in or on it.  Happily, all I had to do was ride away and remove my hood, and I didn't get a bounty for that either.  So you can commit some crimes, but you have to use masks (I think anyway) or kill witnesses or both, and you should probably flee the area in a mad hurry as soon as any witness has been dealt with, or it's just going to spiral out of control.  And committing crimes in more populated areas seems like a non-starter because you'll probably be recognized from your clothes or horse a lot; if you do that with any great frequency, you might as well just get used to having bounties on you.

The bandana should really function as more of an identity-hider than it does. People didn't wear full hoods; the western archetype is wearing the bandana. It should have way more of an effect hiding who you are when you use it.

Also, getting killed but having your bounty not go away, doesn't really make a lot of sense. If they killed you, wouldn't they bring your body in afterwards? There should be more of a logical explanation for a penalty when you die besides losing some money and then just re-awakening somewhere. Also, they should do better to actually apprehend you and make you serve jail time, also with some sort of penalty.

I just don't understand why they always shoot first, kill me, and then I just wake up short $20 dollars, but with the same bounty on me. That just makes a gameplay loop of trying to evade being killed; but since there is no penalty to being killed, it doesn't incentivize me much to change my behavior other than going and paying my bounty off.

 

The choice to flee, fight, or surrender should be way more consequential, but it should also be much harder to be ID'd. As it is right now, those mechanics seem like they are in the game just to be there, but they don't really change the gameplay loop.

[Mister Pink]

On 10/31/2018 at 5:10 PM, Smokewood said:

I try and play naturally without thought of the meter.

I don't leave any witnesses that would threaten the gang.

In town I am laying low, as we are supposed to be doing.

In the wild, I may or may not rob someone... it depends on the situation.

This is how I've been playing. At first the metre always fluctuated within a small spectrum somewhere in the middle. Now it's about 75% honourable.  I'm not playing with any motives in mind. I like the nuance that most people that are good can do terrible things and vice versa. So I play a bit like you and by the principles that you mentioned.

 

I take care of witnesses so as not to compromise myself. Even if I know it means killing an innocent. It's how I imagine Morgan [insert career criminal name here] would do it. 

 

To not kill the innocent and get myself or the gang compromised isn't that realistic. I mean the "best" criminals usually are successful because they're willing to make morally bankrupt decisions. Having said that, I might feel sorry for an old vet and give him a hug or give a blind man money. But to stick to one or the other because you've premeditatively committed to one end of the metre is not realistic. People aren't black and white. We're all shades of grey. 

Edited November 6, 2018 by Mister Pink

[The N. Bellic Man]

8 hours ago, Mister Pink said:

We're all shades of grey. 

Pretty much this. Though I have tried to be more good than bad when it comes to the civilians, I've been kind of forced to be evil in some occasions. For example when you accidentally crash (and this sometimes happens very easily even if you're not being reckless) your horse to some random rider he usually starts shooting. And if he's with someone then that usually means two dead bodies. And more often than not someone (usually two persons) come to the crashing site and won't listen to your pleas. So, boom, two more dead. Even if first two bodies might be justified, the other two aren't. Even so, I don't want those last two guys to report my crimes since I feel that I don't have to take responsibility from the earlier actions that were pretty much self defense.

[Mister Pink]

Some poor souls are just at the wrong place at the wrong time. 

Edited November 6, 2018 by Mister Pink

[MagicNarcosis]

So I decided to play my first run through as a full fledged outlaw - noBS type of character.

I don't just kill randomly, I have my own moral code inside the honor system and so far, I can't get all the way down to red but I can't get out of red, either.

But I have to admit, it has made my first playthrough amazing!! Most games punish you too heavily to want to commit to a darker play style.

 

• I have about 3k in bounty combined in total and climbing. (At chapter 3 and holding off til I'm done hunting for satchel upgrades)
• Cooking and crafting, hunting and bathing outdoors is a serious "life on the edge" type of deal. You must constantly look at your mini map and full map, almost ALWAYS readily have your shootout loadout equipped. Any group of NPC's over 2 become an anxiety igniting situation because of the constant harassment from Bounty Hunters, and they shoot well.
• When you wake up from a camp rest, they're there.
• When you set up gotdamn camp, they're coming.
• You wanna hunt perfect pelts? You gotta do it between the wave of bounty hunters nipping at you damn heels the whole time. 
• Clean your horse? Feed your horse? It's all a gamble when you're on this outlaw sh*t. 
• Compass Map mode is almost suicide when on the run, but a necessity in ones immersion. 

 

All of that while still dealing with the random gangs coming at a much slower, more random pace than BH's. Being from LA, my senses are already on point, but so is my paranoia 

 

 

95% of the bounty hunters have rings when I loot them. Unless this is a bounty hunter thing, I've been killing a lot of husbands...

 

• I rob when I please, 
• I shoot when guns other than mine are drawn (Sometimes I'll wait for the fire in dead eye)
• I choose to help everyone in need when my intuition calls for it.
• I will rob that ass BLIND.
• I'll shoot the sh*t out of you and your horse if you come after me.
• I pay my losses in poker, but when I please - ROBBED BLIND.
• I don't do bounty missions, I'm hunted my gotdamnself.
• I genuinely antagonize anyone deserving. Or to provoke MORE robbery (I love robbing)
• once you kill my horse, anything goes. Whether I can revive it or not. 

 

 

You can say I'm sorta building a weird bond with this character for longevity reasons. Because I know it's a strong possibility that this story will end and I will be left doing mindless nothing with activities that may grow old, quickly. I need to have reasons more grounded to extend my play beyond any of Rockstar's barriers, at the edge of the sandbox.

 

Edited November 6, 2018 by MagicNarcosis

[marcx666]

28 minutes ago, MagicNarcosis said:

So I decided to play my first run through as a full fledged outlaw - noBS type of character.

I don't just kill randomly, I have my own moral code inside the honor system and so far, I can't get all the way down to red but I can't get out of red, either.

But I have to admit, it has made my first playthrough amazing!! Most games punish you too heavily to want to commit to a darker play style.

 

• I have about 3k in bounty combined in total and climbing. (At chapter 3 and holding off til I'm done hunting for satchel upgrades)
• Cooking and crafting, hunting and bathing outdoors is a serious "life on the edge" type of deal. You must constantly look at your mini map and full map, almost ALWAYS readily have your shootout loadout equipped. Any group of NPC's over 2 become an anxiety igniting situation because of the constant harassment from Bounty Hunters, and they shoot well.
• When you wake up from a camp rest, they're there.
• When you set up gotdamn camp, they're coming.
• You wanna hunt perfect pelts? You gotta do it between the wave of bounty hunters nipping at you damn heels the whole time. 
• Clean your horse? Feed your horse? It's all a gamble when you're on this outlaw sh*t. 
• Compass Map mode is almost suicide when on the run, but a necessity in ones immersion. 

 

All of that while still dealing with the random gangs coming at a much slower, more random pace than BH's. Being from LA, my senses are already on point, but so is my paranoia 

 

 

95% of the bounty hunters have rings when I loot them. Unless this is a bounty hunter thing, I've been killing a lot of husbands...

 

• I rob when I please, 
• I shoot when guns other than mine are drawn (Sometimes I'll wait for the fire in dead eye)
• I choose to help everyone in need when my intuition calls for it.
• I will rob that ass BLIND.
• I'll shoot the sh*t out of you and your horse if you come after me.
• I pay my losses in poker, but when I please - ROBBED BLIND.
• I don't do bounty missions, I'm hunted my gotdamnself.
• I genuinely antagonize anyone deserving. Or to provoke MORE robbery (I love robbing)
• once you kill my horse, anything goes. Whether I can revive it or not. 

 

 

You can say I'm sorta building a weird bond with this character for longevity reasons. Because I know it's a strong possibility that this story will end and I will be left doing mindless nothing with activities that may grow old, quickly. I need to have reasons more grounded to extend my play beyond any of Rockstar's barriers, at the edge of the sandbox.

 

This is what I love about these type of games. It is what YOU make of it, make your own stories. Be who you want to be. Hell, my Arthur at the moment is realising that times are changing and he needs to change with them if he wants to survive, so, he doesn't kill innocents, he only robs when he needs to and he tries to do more good than bad, BUT, make no mistake, if you are a dick to him you will get a bullet between the eyes without a second thought. This is the beauty and freedom we have, the ability to play the game how, and whatever way we want.

[MagicNarcosis]

Exactly, my friend.

A lot of people let the story and narative direct their characters. That's cool and all, but there's a world of depth you miss out on when you don't really dive into the potential of everything. 

[Digitalbulletz]

For me its not. Almost every thing you need/want is in a town that's problem #1. You can't camp/hunt in peace when you have a bounty problem #2. It's nice not having a bounty on your head and being able to set down a camp go to sleep wake up the next morning make a cup of coffee and taking your time vs waking up and tearing down camp asap to avoid bounty hunters. 

[MagicNarcosis]

4 hours ago, Digitalbulletz said:

For me its not. Almost every thing you need/want is in a town that's problem #1. You can't camp/hunt in peace when you have a bounty problem #2. It's nice not having a bounty on your head and being able to set down a camp go to sleep wake up the next morning make a cup of coffee and taking your time vs waking up and tearing down camp asap to avoid bounty hunters. 

Why would you want peace when you're hunted?

 

KILL ME DEAD, SEND THE WHOLE BUILDING.

I want the challenge. That's why I'm bounty'd up.

I also save anyone being held up by any law enforcement.

Spoiler

I ended up saving a cop in a random event, I actually felt good. Somewhere deep, deep down under all the bodies on my gun's barrels, I felt good about letting a cop slide.

 

[Sonny_Black]

Was in Valentine, some feller driving a stagecoach pointed a rifle on me because apparently I was on the middle of the road and was annoying him, so I apologized 'sort of' and he said "I knew you didn't have the guts". 

So I mounted my horse and followed him, he turn around Valentine one time before leaving, once he was in the wilderness I catched up with him, took out my Schofield, stayed just behind him and pulled a bullet in his head.

I left and went back to Valentine.

'If nobody sees it, it didn't happen.'

 

 

Edited November 7, 2018 by anthony

[Digitalbulletz]

51 minutes ago, MagicNarcosis said:

Why would you want peace when you're hunted?

 

KILL ME DEAD, SEND THE WHOLE BUILDING.

I want the challenge. That's why I'm bounty'd up.

I also save anyone being held up by any law enforcement.

  Reveal hidden contents

I ended up saving a cop in a random event, I actually felt good. Somewhere deep, deep down under all the bodies on my gun's barrels, I felt good about letting a cop slide.

 

Personally if you have bounty's it's because your an idiot that can't keep it clean. Remember only the dumb criminals are in jail the smart ones you never here about.

[MagicNarcosis]

1 hour ago, Digitalbulletz said:

Personally if you have bounty's it's because your an idiot that can't keep it clean. Remember only the dumb criminals are in jail the smart ones you never here about.

 

Some of us choose to actually be on the run, unlike some "idiots" who can't keep the bounty off merely playing casually with honor

Edited November 7, 2018 by MagicNarcosis