Red Dead Redemption

[YellowKing]

Just a heads up; Amazon emailed my $20 gift card code today, and Alan Wake is still on sale for $49.99. Ended up getting it shipped free for essentially half price.

I probably won't get to it for awhile, but couldn't pass up the deal.

[Smoove_B]

Yeah, I also got my code and ordered. Bastards.

[Octavious]

Tempting but I told the wife she could have the card.

Played MP tonight finally. It's really fun even if it's totally wacky and unbalanced. Everyone respawns in the same exact spot in free roam when in a area so it gets a bit ridiculous. Still haven't actually played any of the game modes but shooting coworkers in the face never gets old.

[Octavious]

Finally got some actual MP in tonight. Good fun! Was everyone being quite or was my headset not working? I liked the grab the gold thingy probably because I won that one.

[Captain Caveman]

Finally got some actual MP in tonight. Good fun! Was everyone being quite or was my headset not working? I liked the grab the gold thingy probably because I won that one.

Your headset wasn't on, or perhaps it was on mute. I could all hear everybody else just fine, but the only thing I heard out of you was the sound of my bullets piercing your enormous sombrero.

[Octavious]

Finally got some actual MP in tonight. Good fun! Was everyone being quite or was my headset not working? I liked the grab the gold thingy probably because I won that one.

Your headset wasn't on, or perhaps it was on mute. I could all hear everybody else just fine, but the only thing I heard out of you was the sound of my bullets piercing your enormous sombrero.

It was on weird. Guess I'll have to put my connection back in the DMZ as it acts all funky when I don't. I thought it was a bit quite. Think I need to change the character up. I love the guy but man it's hard to hide when you are the size of a donkey.

[LawBeefaroni]

Your headset wasn't on, or perhaps it was on mute.

It was on weird.

Damn, mine doesn't have a weird setting. Just mute.




I had a going away party to attend last night. I didn't miss RDR but this morning I was like, "Man, I didn't get anything done in RDR yesterday...I need to hunt some boars and finish up sharpshooter..."

[Captain Caveman]

Finally got some actual MP in tonight. Good fun! Was everyone being quite or was my headset not working? I liked the grab the gold thingy probably because I won that one.

Your headset wasn't on, or perhaps it was on mute. I could all hear everybody else just fine, but the only thing I heard out of you was the sound of my bullets piercing your enormous sombrero.

It was on weird.

Come to think of it, we might not have heard you because the 3 of us were in a party while you just joined our game independently. I bet that's it.

This newfangled intraweb thing sure is confusing.

[Octavious]

Ah that's probably what it was. I was going to try the join the party thing but then I didn't.

[Smoove_B]

I had a going away party to attend last night. I didn't miss RDR but this morning I was like, "Man, I didn't get anything done in RDR yesterday...I need to hunt some boars and finish up sharpshooter..."

Doing the challenges is way more entertaining than I thought it would be. I think I'm about 1/2 through with all of them. I'm not sure, but I believe my next batch requires me being in Mexico and I'm still rather enjoying the story / missions stateside.

To that end, I'm finding the mission conversations between Bonnie, the Sheriff, Seth, etc... very well written. Some of their dialog is actually pretty insightful. I've also had situations where I botch a part of the mission and when the game reloads at the autosave the conversations are different. I thought that was a nice touch.

[Mold Maker]

I hate to chime in with such a sill questions, but I'm a bit flustered. RDD is my first 360 game and I'm having trouble with the controls, specifically the shooting. I failed miserably with the rabbits and coyotes at the ranch, but noticed on the last coyote that I had some sort of tracking/auto-aim. Now I can't figure out how to get that tracking again. Anyone have any suggestions or hints?

[LawBeefaroni]

I hate to chime in with such a sill questions, but I'm a bit flustered. RDD is my first 360 game and I'm having trouble with the controls, specifically the shooting. I failed miserably with the rabbits and coyotes at the ranch, but noticed on the last coyote that I had some sort of tracking/auto-aim. Now I can't figure out how to get that tracking again. Anyone have any suggestions or hints?

Auto-aim is huge if this if your first console shooter, and it's turned on by default. In RDR, you aim with the left trigger (LT I think it is on the 360). When you aim, the targeting reticle will jump to a nearby (near the reticle) target. If you hold down LT it will track that target and you can fire. It doesn't track indefinitely and you can lose it behind objects but it's long enough to get off some shots.

The best thing to do is to find an animal (the rabbits are good) and just practice locking on with LT. Don't shoot, just lock on, follow, then pick another target for practice. You should get used to it fairly quickly. Stick with it, console controls take a while to get used to but eventually become second nature. Still nothing like KB/M though.

Later missions introduce you to Deadeye, the bullet-time like targeting system.

[Apollo]

Just got the game a couple of days ago and, damn, it's even better than I had hoped it would be! The only thing is that the longer I play the more questions I have. Would board etiquette demand that I ask my questions here or would anyone mind me starting another thread titled "Red Dead Redemption: Tips and Strategies" or something like that?

[Daehawk]

Has anyone had a glitch with the camp ability? Sometimes I'll pick a spot and camp and then when I leave camp I'm a good ways from where I pitched my camp. Nothing really bad but its a strange one.

[Terrified]

I hate to chime in with such a sill questions, but I'm a bit flustered. RDD is my first 360 game and I'm having trouble with the controls, specifically the shooting. I failed miserably with the rabbits and coyotes at the ranch, but noticed on the last coyote that I had some sort of tracking/auto-aim. Now I can't figure out how to get that tracking again. Anyone have any suggestions or hints?

LawBeefaroni had a good response, but I thought it might help to give you the simple answer...

If an object is close to the center of your screen when you pull the left trigger, it will be autotracked. Then you can shoot with the right trigger. So if you pull the left trigger and it doesn't autotrack, just release, recenter your screen (You don't have to put the dot right on the target, just be close) and repull the left trigger.

[Cylus Maxii]

Just got the game a couple of days ago and, damn, it's even better than I had hoped it would be! The only thing is that the longer I play the more questions I have. Would board etiquette demand that I ask my questions here or would anyone mind me starting another thread titled "Red Dead Redemption: Tips and Strategies" or something like that?

Please do - that sounds like a good idea!

[LawBeefaroni]

Just got the game a couple of days ago and, damn, it's even better than I had hoped it would be! The only thing is that the longer I play the more questions I have. Would board etiquette demand that I ask my questions here or would anyone mind me starting another thread titled "Red Dead Redemption: Tips and Strategies" or something like that?

I don't see a problem with that if it's devoted to tips, hints, etc.




FWIW, there's a 30 minute RDR short on Fox on Saturday sometime. Apparently it's done in the cut-scene engine and directed by the guy that directed The Road.

[Isgrimnur]

Already scheduled on my DVR.

[Smoove_B]

I think I just crossed the 15 hour mark and I'm still in New Austin - though I am about to make circle back to finish was was started in the opening segment of the story.

My only real complaint so far is the number of times I've been tasked to go to Tumbleweed. Sure, I stumbled into the town on my own while exploring (and that kicked off a bandit fight), but the fact that I've had to go back there twice for story-based missions and once more for a treasure hunt had me a bit irritated. Would it have killed the designers to create another area to have a gunfight?

That being said, I did enjoy the fights at Twin Rocks and Gaptooth - I like the whole experience of having a classic shootout...well, classic in the sense of what I imagine.

[ydejin]

That being said, I did enjoy the fights at Twin Rocks and Gaptooth - I like the whole experience of having a classic shootout...well, classic in the sense of what I imagine.

If you enjoy classic gunfights try the directed multi-player modes (as opposed to the free-reign multi-player mode). Gang shootout with 8 on 8 duking it out is a lot of fun, definitely has a classic western movie feel. Free-for-All is just crazy with 16 players all going at it.

[Daehawk]

I get those classic gunfight urges too. To make it feel more like those old westerns I'll limit myself to the pistol and do a lot of hiding behind rocks and things. Very cool with pistol only. lots of long range missing just like the movies. Shame the AI doesn't appreciate it and will open up on me with a shotgun inside places

[hepcat]

I love Rockstar for including the Wilhelm Scream Effect in GTAIV and this game.

[Daehawk]

I love Rockstar for including the Wilhelm Scream Effect in GTAIV and this game.

It's my favorite death scream in RDR

[Octavious]

I love Rockstar for including the Wilhelm Scream Effect in GTAIV and this game.

I thought I heard that but I wasn't positive.

[Mold Maker]

Thank you Lawbeefaroni & Terrified. Am finally used to it and enjoying the game. Seems a bit like cheating, but sure makes things easier. I don't know how people aim with those two joysticks. K+M are too drilled into my head I guess.

[ChuckB]

Ok, the forum made me buy this and I'm really grateful - I immensely enjoy the game so far! (I'm about 8hrs in and I spent a lot of time just riding around and doing random stuff).

Some questions:

1. What is wrong with these %$&§? cougars? In my first encounter ever my beloved horse was killed under my butt without any warning, I was heavily injured and could fight of the three(!) attacking cougars with quite some problems ... got my new horse (see below) and same thing - cougar zooms in, horse is dead, frantic shooting, I'm dead. There is this "cougar alley" up near Fort Mercer where this happened two times and I'll avoid this corner. Any hints?

2. Horses: So my beloved horse was killed by the cougar from hell and I whistled and another horse came: Will such a new horse be as good as the old one? (with the exception of the lower stamina that you have to improve) After taming the stallion on one quest and jumped of my stallion to pick some flowers (yes, I know ...) and the stallion "got lost". I had to wait a few minutes and whistling brought a new again - so what's the deal with horses? Is there a way to have more than one, parked somewhere? Any feedback would be appreciated.

3. Dead Eye. I still have level 1 - how does one improve it to the next levels?

Thanks!

[LawBeefaroni]

1. You'll get used to the cougar roar of doom. When you hear it, run or get ready. I find a pistol or shotgun are the best to have drawn. If you're stopping to pick flowers or do other tough cowboy stuff, check your surroundings. The sounds in this game are very helpful letting you know whats in the area.

2. If you hitch a horse, that's the one you'll get when you whistle. You can't have more than one as your "active" horse. However, as you break more horses, their deeds become available. If you buy a deed, any time you use it that particular horse will become your "active" horse and will be the one you get when you whistle.

3. I think fame raises deadeye. When you get level 2, here's a tip: you can exit deadeye without shooting by pressing R3 again (right thumbstick).

[Brian]

I was in Mexico and saw two dudes off in the scrub doing... something. I rode over there to get a closer look and discovered that they were unloading dynamite off of a wagon.

Since I didn't get any prompts to interact with them I rode off thinking, "that sure was a lot of dynamite. I hope they're careful with it."

No sooner do I complete the thought then I hear a loud BOOM! and turn around to see two bodies and half of a wagon go cartwheeling through the air.

Dumbasses.

[wonderpug]

3. Dead Eye. I still have level 1 - how does one improve it to the next levels?

It's tied to main quest progress. You'll get level 2 in the first area of the game, and level 3 in the second. More specifically, the characters whose quests will raise your Deadeye are:

Spoiler:

Nigel West Dickens in the first country, and Landon Rickets when you advance to Mexico.

1. What is wrong with these %$&§? cougars?

[ChuckB]

Thanks a lot for all the feedback - highly appreciated!

1. You'll get used to the cougar roar of doom. When you hear it, run or get ready. I find a pistol or shotgun are the best to have drawn. If you're stopping to pick flowers or do other tough cowboy stuff, check your surroundings. The sounds in this game are very helpful letting you know whats in the area.

Yes, the sound is great - I'm playing this on my 46 TV with my surround system and it's fantastic! Good thing I don't have any direct neighbors. Any yes, rifle doesn't seem to be a good anti-cougar weapon ....

2. If you hitch a horse, that's the one you'll get when you whistle. You can't have more than one as your "active" horse. However, as you break more horses, their deeds become available. If you buy a deed, any time you use it that particular horse will become your "active" horse and will be the one you get when you whistle.

So I saw that I got the deed for the stallion that I broke in connection with the main quest line (I think it's a Kentucky something). I have noticed that this horse is faster than my previous one. So assuming this new stallion dies, how do I get the same, meaning the same class, again - do I have to go to shop and buy it again? What if I simply whistle after the stallion was killed (likely by a cougar) - will I get a inferior horse? Can I see somewhere what horse I currently use? This horse business is complicated ...

I really love the world that they created. Granted I'm one of these players that really enjoys walking around and exploring things and getting into random encounters, fights and quests (I spent close to 100hrs in Oblivion and Fallout 3 doind exactly that and I'm only about 10% into the main quests ...), RDR is a fantastic game. I love just riding along and looking over the open country from a hill. The music and sounds are great, the graphics and especially the lighting is superb, and the animations of men and wildlife is really good.

[Terrified]

Wow! I don't think I've ever played a game as solid and stable as RDR... Only to have to bug out so badly on one mission I had to take it out to keep me from tossing my controller across the room in frustration.

Here there be spoilers.

Spoiler:

Ok, I don't remember the mission name at the moment. But it's the last mission in Mexico where you are trying to take out the Mexican general and Williamson, the guy who shot you in the opening.

So, in brief, the mission is...
1) Walk into Mexican town
2) See cut scene where you walk thru the town as the revolution is happening. Stumble across the captured leader of the revolution about to be executed.
3) Get into high noon showdown with Mexican officer
4) Free leader of the revolution
5) Free people in jail
6) Join people rushing the Presidio. Kill lots of people.
7) Get there in time to see the General and Williamson escaping in a stagecoach.
8) Stop the stagecoach
9) Get cut-scene where you choose to kill Williamson or take him into custody
10) Get clean-up cut-scene. Leave Mexico.

I will attempt to detail every bug I hit.

Run-thru #1: I started by walking into the Mexican town. And suddenly I was in a showdown with a Mexican officer! No cut-scenes, just straight into the gunfight. So I had no idea what was going on. I win the gunfight, free the leader, then run to the jail cell. I free the guys in the jail cell and... That's it. nothing happens. No instruction what to do next. I can run around, and shoot and stuff, but the 'assault' is never triggered, so there's no one to fight. So I kill myself with dynamite.
Run-thru #2: I start at the last check-point, the jail, and this time when I free them, the assault triggers. So I join the assault, see Williamson escaping and go to begin the chase of the stagecoach. I summon my horse and... There's no option to mount my horse. Normally when I get close to my horse, I see the yellow 'Y' to mount. But I'm standing on my horse, pressing 'Y' and nothing. I try other horses, even trying to steal a horse that someone else is mounted on. Nothing. And the stagecoach gets away.
Run-thru #3: Thinking something was buggy, I decided to exit to Xbox dashboard and reload. So I enter the town again... And this time I get the first cut-scene! Woo, now I can actually follow the plot and figure out what is going on. Everything goes fine from that point, when I get to the stagecoach I can mount my horse and give chase. I capture the stage coach. Williamson gets out, I shoot him and... FREEZE. My Xbox completely and utterly freezes up. It's not just the game, i can't even hit the Xbox button to get to the dashboard. I press every button on my controller, and the only one that does anything is the > button. When I press that, PAUSE appears in the lower right hand part of the screen, and when I press it again, it goes away. But otherwise, nothing works.

At this point, I was so frustrated I pulled the disk out, and quit playing in frustration.

Run-thru #4: At this point, I spoiled myself by looking up this mission online so I knew what was supposed to happen. So I tried once more. This time, everything went perfectly and when I got to the point where Williamson exits the stagecoach, I didn't touch any buttons. My companion kept urging "Shoot him! Shoot him!" and I wanted to, but I was afraid of another freeze. Eventually, the companion shoots him for you, and then the game went to the magical final cut-scene and I was done the mission! Woo!

So I guess I just wanted to warn folks that the final mission in Mexico was very, very buggy. I was just lucky to have saved right before that mission, thank goodness.

[Smoove_B]

Wish I didn't have any bugs. I had the game lock up on me twice during the Battle at Fort Mercer - at two different spots. Couldn't do anything but shut down the Xbox. Fortunately I have a save file right outside before the mission starts, and I'm hoping the file isn't some how corrupted.

You'll get used to the cougar roar of doom. When you hear it, run or get ready. I find a pistol or shotgun are the best to have drawn. If you're stopping to pick flowers or do other tough cowboy stuff, check your surroundings. The sounds in this game are very helpful letting you know whats in the area.

More or less. There's series of trails at the top of Rio Bravo that I've affectionately named "Death Alley". In the span of about 5 minutes I lost two horses and killed about 6 cougars. It was unreal. I go through there at a full gallop now and I don't stop for anything. After you take a few down with only your hunting knife, they don't seem so tough.

I also found a spot just north of the MacFarlane Ranch that would just keep spawning packs of wolves.

I could be wrong, but my impression is that there are "hot spots" in the game that spawn random animals and that they're not just wandering over every square inch of the wilderness.

[LawBeefaroni]

So I saw that I got the deed for the stallion that I broke in connection with the main quest line (I think it's a Kentucky something). I have noticed that this horse is faster than my previous one. So assuming this new stallion dies, how do I get the same, meaning the same class, again - do I have to go to shop and buy it again? What if I simply whistle after the stallion was killed (likely by a cougar) - will I get a inferior horse? Can I see somewhere what horse I currently use? This horse business is complicated ...

Once you have a deed, you don't need to buy it again. All it does is change your active horse. If you use it, it will make that horse active. If you try to use it and that horse is already active, it will tell you. At that point, you can just whistle and you'll get that horse running. Sometimes, like right after it gets killed, you have to wait a bit before summoning it.

EDIT: And a tip about deeds. The game saves after you switch horses via deed. So if you carry two deeds...

Spoiler:

I free the guys in the jail cell and... That's it. nothing happens. No instruction what to do next. I can run around, and shoot and stuff, but the 'assault' is never triggered, so there's no one to fight. So I kill myself with dynamite.

Spoiler:

I had the same thing happen. Twice in a row. I think for me it was related to shooting the firing squad that was executing the rebels on the way to the jail. Both times I took them out, freeing the prisoners didn't start the next battle. I too had to blow myself up with TNT. The third time I ran straight to the jail without taking out the firing squad or the soldiers on the porch and everything worked fine. Didn't have any of the other bugs, fortunately. I didn't shoot Williamson either, by choice. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to turn him in like Escuella or not.

[LawBeefaroni]

I made it to West Elizabeth and decided to complete all the challenges. I thought it would be tedious but it was rather enjoyable. Level 10 sharpshooter was hilarious.

[Smoove_B]

Here comes another post about Mexico...

I've crossed the 20 hour mark and I'm not even 1/2 through the game (going by % completed). Still having an absolute blast. Just when I started to think I was getting bored with seeing the same things, the story shifts to Mexico and I have all kinds of new problems to deal with. The new landscape is different enough that it doesn't feel all like I'm doing the same thing over and over again. It really is a beautiful game to look at - especially late at night or during a full-on thunderstorm.

Here's a tiP I figured out by accident. If you want to skip the animation associated with skinning an animal, park your horse on the animal's corpse and climb down. When you go to skin it, the results should just pop up in summary and you can go on your way. Saves a bit of time. It doesn't work for gathering plants but it does seem to work for looting the corpses of people you kill as well.

[Daehawk]

I find if I skin or loot that if I'm running over them as I do it it skips the animation too.

[Cylus Maxii]

I am coming close to finishing the challenges. I was very happy with the pay-off for finishing the treasure hunting to level 10; it should help with some of the hunter challenges...

I thought they were crazy to have me defeat TWO cougars with a knife - I would just as soon fight a fully armed posse on open ground using only a biodegradable spork.

Now - they want me to kill a bear with a knife. Anybody have tips on this? (BTW I have hints on killing bears with single shots and fighting cougars with a knife...)

Here's a "funny" story - the first time I tried to kill a grizzly bear with a knife - he knocked me in the river with the first swipe and I drowned.

[LawBeefaroni]

I rolled around in circles swinging away like crazy with the knife. Had to use a few medicines. Fortunately it saves right after because some boars apparently didn't like what I gone and done and they killt me after the skinning animation.

Or you can "cheat"

Spoiler:

I was proudly telling a friend about my acomplisment and he said he just shot a bear a bunch of times with a pistol and then finished it with the knife.

[Cylus Maxii]

I rolled around in circles swinging away like crazy with the knife. Had to use a few medicines. Fortunately it saves right after because some boars apparently didn't like what I gone and done and they killt me after the skinning animation.

Or you can "cheat"

Spoiler:

I was proudly telling a friend about my acomplisment and he said he just shot a bear a bunch of times with a pistol and then finished it with the knife.

Spoiler:

I've been trying to use that tactic - shoot with another weapon and finish with knife. I just got an increase in my capacity for medicine after finishing the treasure hunter line - so I went to town to get 10x before I try that some more.

I've also tried another cheesy trick - running into the tanner's cabin or the one by the lake. The bears can't follow and you can run back out and knife them again while they are circling the building.I've also tried to kite them around a big rock. But it hasn't worked so far; I think they heal if you don't get your attacks in quickly enough.

I had one glitch where a bear was sticking his head halfway through the cabin wall that happened before I got this challenge. I'm getting frustrated and kind of hoping that will happen again and I can just cut his face off.(But I'd much rather use some brilliant tactic)

[LawBeefaroni]

It seemed to take a lot of swipes. Like 10-15. I don't know if headshots count with the knife.