[Aptorian]

I think I am almost done with Chapter 2. Done A LOT of exploring, found a bizarre cave painting that YouTube told me led to a cave. I got 3 gold bars out of that weirdness. Took out a bandit camp that had a god damn Gatling Gun. Got into a fist fight with an Elk. Stabbed some Klu Klux Klan members. I've upgraded the whole camp, except for the crafting stuff. Upgraded all my weapons and my saddle. I'm pretty set right now. Time to do some more story.

If some of you are still early in, I'd recommend just powering through chapter 2 instead of exploring. You'll get lots of new equipment and weapons as the game continues the tutorials.

This post has been edited by Alternative Goose: 30 October 2018 - 07:30 AM

[Traveller]

Yeah I'm going to, the quests and camp stuff seems to give better stuff at this stage than exploring or trying to rob early game targets that only give you limited rewards anyway.
Might try to boost a few stats through swimming and running while hunting too.

Hmm. It appears that pigs will eat a body if you throw it in their pen. Got another one for you, Wu!

This post has been edited by Traveller: 30 October 2018 - 10:27 AM

[Malankazooie]

Have you guys stopped to listen at the door of they guy whining in Valentine Hotel? The one who sounds like he's in a lot of pain? I think either he's trying to pass a kidney stone or is very constipated, because he says: "it's like trying to drive an ox down the barrel of a gun" and "oh my god! it's crowning! oh no no! don't go back in!"

[Aptorian]

Just spent 30 minutes making sure all my weapons were upgraded and clean. Then I spent like 700 dollars changing the look of all my guns so that they all have the steel blue look with dark varnish. I was so tired of my guns looking like shit.

What kind of look are you guys rocking? I keep Arthur looking clean and well dressed. Short right commed hair, clean shaven but with a Magnum moustache.

Typically I have him wearing practical clothing for the right climate but usually it will be work man pants combined with a nice shirt, a vest and a jacket. Nice boots and riding gloves. I don't like most of the hats because the good styles look worn so I've given Arthur a bowler hat.

I also have a trashy looking outfit for when I want to go robbing with a shitty duster jacket and a potato sack for a mask

[Traveller]

Quite the opposite at the moment. The clothing options are amazing, although I dont know why Arthur stands there swaying slightly and opening and closing his mouth like a goldfish while he's getting fitted up.

I'm still a rugged outdoor type, as the second I put something smart on its going to get blood all over it. Skinning a pelt and carrying kill gets blood all over the place, and had everyone asking who I killed. So mostly I'm in a hunting jacket with a pale hat a bit like Josey Wales, and a stubble beard.

I'll get some smarter gear for the town stuff, but right now I'm hunting and treasure hunting. I still like just walking round camp with a mug of coffee at dawn, doing the chores and chatting, then picking a quest to do. Im still working through chapter 2 but I'm in no hurry at all.

This post has been edited by Traveller: 01 November 2018 - 05:23 PM

[Aptorian]

Sort of. It's a living breathing world with lots of mechanics and interaction options. Sort of like an ambitious mix of elder scrolls and monster Hunter seen through the lens of GTA.

It has its limitations but it's easy to get invested in the every day life of the camp. My favorite part so far has been this brewing cat fight between the camp harlots.

[Traveller]

At the camp, you can shave, feed the horses, carry grain, refill water, chop wood, sit and chat, smoke, drink coffee from the pot by the fire, eat from the pot (depending in what supplies you brought in) and there's even the option to sit when you stand by the cliff edge - you can sit and watch the sun come up.
I'm working through the camp missions. After a roaming around a bit it's good to get a directed mission, and some more story. You unlock more stuff, like a ledger that records all donations to the camp upgrades, and more missions as you work through.

You can also set up a campfire, and a tent if you want, wherever you happen to be out in the wild. You can craft stuff, repair weapons, cook and rest, then pack it up when you're done.

My poor horse, I managed to misjudge an incline, he rolled and fell and I had to revive him. And as his stamina was so low, he was limping along until I fed him. It's great the way you get context related comments; when I was patting him Arthur was apologising to him! I was also quite surprised when I was camped and the horse took a casual shit nearby.

This post has been edited by Traveller: 01 November 2018 - 11:20 PM

[Maark Abbott]

Red dead more like

Read head, on pillow

:Erikson: :Sweat_drops: :Sweat_drops: :Sweat_drops:

[Aptorian]

I've been ignoring the shows around the map until now. Decided to go see some of the performances in Denis.

I went to a theater where those side mission circus people were performing. Afterwards an illusionist came on stage and did the bullet catch trick like they showed in The Prestige.

When he dared the audience to take a shot at him I got out of my seat to see if I could actually shoot him. Surprise, surprise I actually fired a bullet at his face and he caught the fucking bullet! It's a video game but I feel like I just witnessed actual sorcery!

[Traveller]

It's funny, I think I spent about 40 minutes watching a show. In a game.

[Malankazooie]

Did any of you guys kill the legendary bear and get his pelt?

I bagged him and made him into a pelt, then took the pelt first to the trapper in the woods, but kept it because I wanted to see if I could do anything with it back at Horseshoe Overlook (camp), so I rode all the way back to camp only to mess up and accidentally talk to Dutch - who had an active mission ready. So the pelt drops, and the cut scene to begin the mission is initiated. Upon gaining control of Arthur again, a message appears in the upper left corner stating that I've abandoned the pelt (or something to that effect). I looked around, and the legendary bear pelt is indeed gone. Fuck!

So (and you guys can put this in spoiler if you feel it's necessary), what am I screwing myself out of by losing the legendary bear pelt?

[Traveller]

Go to the Trapper, it will be there. Pretty sure it is from what I've read anyway. I got it and rode all the way to the nearest Trapper, crashed my horse again at one point and the pelt came off and rolled down a hill!

I think once you've killed and skinned a legendary, all the crafting options for that item appear at the trapper regardless of whether you deliver it or not.

The bear pelt gets you various outfit parts when devided up and mixed with other skins. Hat, coat, gloves etc. The coat is ok but you do kind of end up looking like a dead bear.

I wonder of there's a leather duster around...

This post has been edited by Traveller: 03 November 2018 - 06:03 PM

[Aptorian]

I fucked up with the elite bear. I just sort of ran into it, it charged me and not knowing what kind of "armor" a bear has I shot it a handful of times in the face with a pistol and then it mauled me.

Anyway I think I am about to transition into chapter 4.

Not sure I liked chapter 3 much from a writing perspective. A lot of dumb decisions are made that I feel are down to bad writing rather than believable, logical character choices and short comings. I feel like my resentment from GTA 5 is creeping back in now as the manuscript starts to unravel. Pacing between missions lack cohesion as well.

Don't get me wrong, the game is still great, still love the story and characters but I'm surprised the story beats arent heavier, sharper and more impactful. Oddly, for a bunch of bandits - I don't think they're actually violent enough for my tastes. I'd have thought the game would have descended down a more brutal path by now.

This post has been edited by Alternative Goose: 03 November 2018 - 07:05 PM

[Traveller]

Even from the perspective of chapter two, I'd say although they are a gang who aren't too bothered about people getting killed along the way, as a whole they're heart isn't really in it any more. I've already been part of conversations about moving west, getting money in order to get away etc. Some of them are getting a bit past it, they're older and although they don't all admit it in company, they're individually looking to retire somewhere.

It's not about the gang in their prime as far as I can see; I think that time has passed.

[Traveller]

Too tired to play much last night, so had a trip out just collecting plants and bagging the occasional animal.

At one point I was crouched by the road hunting, and a horse goes by with a woman yelling and shouting, hogtied on the back. I casually raised my bow, and as he drew level, I deadeyed the rider right in the head, sending him off his horse. It was great timing.

I'd could really play this game all day, going to have to wait til later this evening again though.

This post has been edited by Traveller: 04 November 2018 - 09:18 AM

[Aptorian]

Ran into a first world problem. I had way too much money and nothing to spend it on. Every time I died or somebody tried to rob me I was losing hundreds of dollars

So I bought a 700 dollar Arabian horse and named it Expensive Taste. Then I went on a spending spree at the tailor and bought like 5 oof everything. Afterwards I went to a fence and spent 500 dollars on recipes.

Now I'm down to 1000 dollars. I wish those last few guns would unlock so I could get at then.

This post has been edited by Alternative Goose: 04 November 2018 - 09:40 AM

[Malankazooie]

I got a little more into hunting. Primarily due to there being an abundance of fauna as you travel to destinations related to quests. I bagged my first Elk. I was wondering why all my pelts were always classified as 'poor' quality. Did some googling and now I know why. Damn, hunting is more involved then I thought it would be. It's going to take some effort to get 'perfect' pelts.

As I've expanded my travel radius farther and father outside Horseshoe Overlook (camp), I've happened on a few 'stranger' type quests (show as ?). One to do with collecting dinosaur bones. Another about cigarette cards. Another with a guy taking nature pictures. He wants to capture nature's top predators before the animal at the very top (man) does them all in. Arthur says something to himself along the lines that he should meet Dutch. The quest ends when I retrieve his bag from a coyote. Another stranger quest where I bought a treasure map for $10. It is supposed to take me to the location of the real map. I think I've been duped.

I've run across some various, radiant encounters too - Unpinned a woman from under her dead horse, would have given her a ride home but had the legendary bear pelt on back of my horse so couldn't. Stopped to help another fella who was trying to repair a shoe on his horse. When I greeted him, his horse kicks him in the back and kills him. Damn I was laughing so hard at that. Saved another guy who was bit by a snake. This one paid off later because I ran into him in Valentine and was able to purchase a gun at the gunsmith and he paid for it. Have stopped a few stick ups. And took out four O'Driscoll gang members who tried to rob me,

Finally, finishing a certain quest and returning to camp has the camp go into celebration/party mode. Where everything is put on hold and boxes of alcohol are placed around the camp, whereby you can grab a bottle and drink and celebrate into the night and get drunk and sing.

[Aptorian]

The celebrations in camp are great. They really help to create the illusion of family. I was walking around chugging bottles of beer and whiskey at the last one.


Pro-tip: when ever you come across a cigarette pack you can't pick up because your bag is full, discard your old ones. There's collectible cards in every pack you find. I think it might only be the premium packets but I collect all packs just to be sure

[Malankazooie]

During that night of celebration the preacher (Reverand Swanson) was being creepy AF. He was saying some off-putting things to me in his inebriated state. The guy is obviously fighting some inner demons. I'd hate to know the full story of what skeletons he has in his closet.

The guy who was cause for the celebration (Sean), in his drunken state, was talking some shit to my face to. He then apologized. Arthur may have to box his ears and put him in his place if he gets anymore uppity.

[Malankazooie]

Tried to name my horse 'Snuffy'. It said that was not allowed because it was deemed "offensive language." Settled on 'Thunder' instead. Uh, since when is the word 'snuffy' offensive?