Big spoiler warning for the main story of RDR2 and the missions in Red Dead Online, so if you're one of the twelve people who haven't completed those yet, get on it.
Red Dead Online brought something different to the table from early GTA. Booting up your character for the first time, you're met with a purpose - a story. You were wrongfully accused of a murder, plotted in greed and the grieving widow has freed you to avenge her husband and get back to those who left you to rot in Sisika Penitentiary.
The story continued, and improved with a second update bringing more missions and allowing you to confront another one of the people responsible for your six months in prison. But unfortunately, since then we havn't recieved any developments in the story of Jessica LeClerk and Horley- Uhh, Horley Horley?
We have had a new, shorter story consisting of five missions from then, however. "Blood is Thicker than Shine" - The tale of an old moonshiner and her quest to get everybody in the west drunk enough that they can't do anything when she gets revenge upon the revenue agents who threw her in a burning building, and her old companions who betrayed and abandoned her.
Either way, here I've compiled a list consisting four story-based additions to Red Dead Online, that would almost definitely bring the players back.
*Note before we start, I've increased the mission counter to include 7 players for each of the new missions to account for a full persistent posse. I've always been an advocate for higher player counts in missions for both RDO and GTAO and found it strange that the RDO missions don't allow a full posse of 7 players.
Our Purpose, Fulfilled: A World of Opportunities Part 3
We've hunted down Teddy Brown in Fort Mercer, we've watched Amos Lancing die in the streets of Blackwater and we've seen Horley scare the life out of Jeremiah Shaw. There's one more person for us to hunt down, Jessica's ex-best-friend. This is the thrilling conclusion to the main story of Red Dead Online, and it ties into the estates from my previous article!
- Starts when the player buys an estate, after being prompted by Horley
- Jessica Le Clerk and Horley have an office or bedroom in which the story missions and radiant quests can be started.
- The radiant quests are like moonshiner bootlegger missions, hunting down gang higher ups and trying to get information or evidence.
- They pay out around $15 per mission and have a five minute coold-own period.
- The radiant quests are like moonshiner bootlegger missions, hunting down gang higher ups and trying to get information or evidence.
- Prologue Mission, before buying an estate.
- High Honour player - Personal Security has the players drive and defend a wagon of socialites from Saint Denis to Rhodes. Thieves try to rob the socialites, so the player must take them to safety and defend the thieves. Rewards depend on the wagon damage and the socialites left alive. $50 - $300
- 2 - 7 players
- Low Honour Player - Choice of Transport has the players decide whether they want to rob the same wagons from the high honour missions or a Leviticus Cornwall train. They can also split into two teams to rob both at the same time, dividing police attention but meaning they have less backup from their allies.
- The rewards depend on what the player does and how much they steal. Can max up to $600.
- The high price is to contribute towards the estate, in order to continue the story.
- 2 - 7 players
- The rewards depend on what the player does and how much they steal. Can max up to $600.
- After completing these missions, Horley will write you a letter suggesting you invest in an estate.
- High Honour player - Personal Security has the players drive and defend a wagon of socialites from Saint Denis to Rhodes. Thieves try to rob the socialites, so the player must take them to safety and defend the thieves. Rewards depend on the wagon damage and the socialites left alive. $50 - $300
- Main story is about hunting down Grace Lancing, the main plan is to get her to an estate party where Jessica can confront her.
- Mission 1 - A Life More Luxurious has the players rescue their personal butler, Gertrude, from a Lemoyne Raiders camp.
- 2 - 7 players
- Mission 2 - Becoming a Socialite has the players attend one of the mayor’s parties to be seen around town and make contacts as Le Clerk looks for information on Grace Lancing. The party also coincidentally gets robbed and the players have to escape with only their pistols. For saving the mayor, he says you can call in a favour if needed.
- (Perhaps the Van Der Linde Gang can be seen here, and have it be the same party)
- 2 - 7 players
- Mission 3 - Why We Avoid Public Transport has the players break into Grace Lancing’s safety deposit box in the Rhodes bank to steal documents based on Mr. Le Clerk’s business. A shootout ensues and players must escape on the nearby passenger train, taking it through Saint Denis at full speed and getting off near Van Horn.
- 2 - 7 players
- Mission 4 - Gambling with Life has the players go to the casino boat to give estate party invites to high-end guests, including Grace Lancing (Who is trying to seduce a new husband after Amos was murdered by Jessica.) She makes a remark about the player looking somewhat familiar.
- 2 - 7 players
- Mission 5 - A Chilling Conclusion is the trap estate party in which players are once again reduced to their pistols (Their larger weapons are stored upstairs in the bedroom). Jessica confronts Grace about everything, Grace tackles Jessica but LeClerk has been training and manages to fight her off. Jessica drops an ice sculpture on Grace, impaling her. Waves of enemies attack the estate and have to be fought off.
- 2 - 7 players
- Mission 1 - A Life More Luxurious has the players rescue their personal butler, Gertrude, from a Lemoyne Raiders camp.
- Jessica LeClerk is left on the run after the very public murder, the host player can call the mayor and either:
- Clear their own name to earn A new camp theme, 20 free bounty clears and 10 coupons for 50% off any items, but take a decrease in honour.
- The camp theme is based around being a low-honour criminal. Skulls and open fires around the camp. Perhaps even corpses and a stash of money.
- Clear Jessica’s name to earn a second new camp theme, $500 and 5 gold, along with an honour increase. However, the player will have a $50 bounty in whichever state their estate is in.
- The camp theme matches Jessica's and has more sheltered areas and comfortable seats.
- (The mission can be played a second time to unlock the other camp theme, but no other rewards will be given)
- To gain the rewards/finale consequences, you must be the host of the story. Other people won't be dragged into an ending they don't want
- Clear their own name to earn A new camp theme, 20 free bounty clears and 10 coupons for 50% off any items, but take a decrease in honour.
- Le Clerk and Horley will stay in your office after completing the story.
The Fan Favourite: Undead Nightmare 2
I think the chances of a single-player DLC are slim enough, so we'd be more likely to get our undead thrills in online.
- Separate open-world lobby with zombies roaming around.
- Zombies are smarter, clumping together and clambering over eachother to get the fatal bite on you.
- Public safe houses across the map, most are nearby towns where missions can be picked up from familiar characters like Jessica LeClerk, Cripps, Fike and Alden.
- No PVP.
- It's pointless given the circumstances, and having more enemies on the map will counter-balance that danger.
- Ten different zombie types
- Typical fresh undead zombie
- The bolter, the fast zombie returning from Undead Nightmare
- The bruiser, the tough zombie returning from Undead Nightmare
- The retcher, the spitting zombie returning from Undead Nightmare
- The Deviant, the sentient zombie returning from Undead Nightmare as a special zombie-item trader
- Sells holy water, which can be used as a horse reviver or health cure
- The Amalgamation - Multiple severed chunks from different zombies, merged together into one huge and disgusting beast
- The Miner - Wears a mining helmet, and is thus harder to kill. Also commonly carries dynamite on it's belt which can be shot
- The howler - Attracts more zombies when it sees you by screaming
- The Satanist - Is on fire, and will burn you if it gets nearby. Moves very slowly
- The Nun - Is a nun, won't attack you unless you attack it first
- 5 story missions.
- Prologue - Outbreak sees the players reacting to the zombies attacking towns and trying to flee from Saint Denis, where Horley gets bitten. This is the introduction to the new lobby, the player is first taken to the Shady Belle survivor camp where they are given a flaming torch as a new melee weapon and five throwable zombie baits.
- 1 player only
- Mission 1 - Liberation has the players free each of the towns in New Hanover and Lemoyne by eliminating zombies, burning graves and ringing church bells.
- 2 - 7 players
- Mission 2 - Dead West continues that with players freeing West Elizabeth and New Austin.
- 2 - 7 players
- Mission 3 - The Mask introduces Moses to the players, who has stolen a mask from an ancient crypt. Someone has stolen the mask from Moses, so the players must hunt it down and find it.
- 2 - 7 players
- Mission 4 - Redemption has the players take the mask to the crypt and fight through waves of stronger undead creatures to return the mask. The world is seen returning to normal. Horley becomes human again, Nigel West Dickens is seen advertising his cure.
- 2 - 7 players
- Prologue - Outbreak sees the players reacting to the zombies attacking towns and trying to flee from Saint Denis, where Horley gets bitten. This is the introduction to the new lobby, the player is first taken to the Shady Belle survivor camp where they are given a flaming torch as a new melee weapon and five throwable zombie baits.
- Plague Freeroam is still available after completing the story. Waves Mode is unlocked, like GTA survival mode.
- Players are based in a building (Saint Denis theatre or bank for example) and have to fight off progressively stronger waves of zombies.
- Waves mode is for 1 - 14 players
- Matchmaking is on, so if you're looking for a big game but you don't have two persistent posses at your disposal, it can still be done.
- The Four Horses of the Apocalypse are back, but as legendary hunting animals. Kill the horses and take their charms to add to your saddle for their powerful effects which are triggered when using Deadeye on a horse.
- Random events can be encountered, with couples stuck on surrounded wagons, families where grandad has been bit and you have to shoot him, or burning trains passing by.
Rockstar's Redemption: Red Dead Redemption II
Red Dead's singleplayer has such a brilliantly evolving world, but in online it's like we're stuck within the same few weeks. Now, Rockstar could always just update the world every now and again, but here's a more fun and interesting way of doing it.
- Live events in RDR2
- Look, if we're doing a Season Pass, we might as well bring these in too. They'll bring back a lot of players, even if just for a day.
- Players can go to certain areas on specified dates across a year or two to see the events of RDR2 unfold. It would perhaps appear like a cutscene from another angle.
- Not so much gameplay on this one, but having them at the end of every Outlaw Pass' run means there's more Outlaw Passes to run, which means more content overall.
- The Van Der Linde camp is a safe social space for players to show up.
- You're spoken for by Sean, Sadie and Trelawny after doing free-roam missions for them, so they let you in.
- Arthur is an instanced character, with players seeing their most recent saved version of Arthur Morgan.
- If the player is in the epilogue, they’ll see the same hair and clothes settings they have equipped on John Marston.
- Van Der Linde Gang bounty posters could be a collectible found around the map, and sold to Susan Grimshaw or Hosea.
- After all, we don't see many around in the storymode.
- Perhaps Strauss could loan us money which we have to pay back in a week, or else we will have a $50 bounty and not be allowed at camp until it was cleared.
- Watching Wapiti form and fall apart, Valentine develop and Blackwater grow would really make the game world feel like it was developing.
- The shootout in Strawberry could perhaps make it so there was a higher law presence there meaning players would have to leave their guns on their horse.
- Blackwater's lockdown would also be an interesting event through most of this story
- Sean’s death would see his missions be replaced by Micah. Trelawny would stay around. Sadie’s contact point would move around more often after the story has passed.
- Sadie's missions could get very interesting when she takes charge of the gang during the first part of chapter 5
- After the story has passed, we’d be between the end of the game and the epilogue. Perhaps the ranch in Big Valley could show up over time, along with the new buildings in Blackwater, Valentine and such.
- Certain events could be seen from other angles for additional context, like Abigail and Hosea's distraction for the Saint Denis bank, John being arrested, Sadie leading the gang during the Guarma missions or seeing Dutch and Micah turn John away during the train heist.
- Seeing an Injured John Marston on the ground, whilst Dutch looks him in the eye as he abandons him would add so much to the story
- Do I mean the train or the bank robbery? Who knows!
- One of the best moments would be watching Dutch turn his back on Micah at the end of the story, as Unshaken kicks in and a whole lobby is left in tears. Again.
- Seeing an Injured John Marston on the ground, whilst Dutch looks him in the eye as he abandons him would add so much to the story
- After a few real life years, Rockstar could introduce a second set of these to match the epilogue
- Having a fully developed Red Dead Online world would be fantastic, and John's ranch could be a new safe area
- They could do this a third time, and take it to RDR1's level if they released the rumoured remaster in RDR2
- Railways from Blackwater and bridges to Mexico completely changing the pace of the original map areas
- This would also be interesting as we would have to find new ways to the newer map portions, after the breaking of the dam. Watching New Hanover and Saint Denis grow to 1913 would reintroduce some exploration to the game, and a lot more potential easter eggs.
- The turret jeep from the last act of RDR1 would be a very expensive item players could buy, and be the game's equivalent to the MKII Oppressor
- Railways from Blackwater and bridges to Mexico completely changing the pace of the original map areas
- Live events would bring a lot of life back into the game, and most of it is already existing content. It’s a good way to tell the story from a different angle and perhaps convince those weird online-only players to try it out
On The Hunt: More Legendary Bounties
Legendary bounties are some of the most interesting, and popular, missions in the game, so I brought in a few new ones with some interesting twists, turns and special rewards.
The Plague Doctor - Katherine Gunne (1 - 7 players)
- Makes the player sick in the intro cutscene, to survive they have to craft an antidote in time. After surviving, they must catch or kill her
- The antidote is a few special herbs which spawn during the mission
- Around Armadillo
- Unlocks plague doctor mask
- Max difficulty causes the player to hallucinate some of the antidote plants when sick
The Klansmen - Bill Smith, Jesse Clark, Isaac Van Johnston, Carl Davidson and Josiah O'Niell (1 - 7 players)
- Hunt down and capture or kill 5 KKK members
- There would be literally nothing more satisfying than bringing these racists to justice
- This is also a good way for Rockstar to get back at the modders who were recently harassing players with KKK models and offensive messages
- They will not try to flee, but stand their ground and fight
- There would be literally nothing more satisfying than bringing these racists to justice
- They are camped at Shady Belle
- Unlocks the flaming torch
- Max difficulty has the players get attacked just after dropping the bounties off at the Rhodes sherif office
The Preacher - Dutch Van Der Linde (1 - 7 players)
- Chase down Dutch, but it’s an impersonator
- Dutch Truck Der Linde
- I will not apologise for that joke
- Dutch Truck Der Linde
- He's situated up at the top of Tall Trees, the place which eventually becomes Chochinay, where you hunt down real Dutch in RDR1
- Nice foreshadowing
- Unlocks Dutch’s main story outfit, “The Preacher”
- Max difficulty has the target required to be taken in alive
Big Frankie - Francis McFadden (2 - 7 players)
- Scotsman in a bar in Van Horn, brute bodytype. Must be knocked out in unarmed combat or shot if the player can get away
- We need more of these big guys in melee-based missions. They're fun to take on
- As this mission is the first 2-player minimum bounty, one person can fight Frankie as the rest are attacked by other patrons
- Is lifted into a bounty wagon by two people in a cutscene, as that type of character can't be picked up
- Unlocks the kilt
- Max difficulty has the target have to be taken in alive
The King of the Irish - Colm O’Driscoll (2 - 7 players)
- Must be caught alive
- We don't want to break the canon, he has been caught before and escaped. This could be the time he's properly caught however, as that's not seen in the story
- In the mill near Colter
- Unlocks the “Cold weather” camp theme, and camps in snowier areas
- Max difficulty has the O’Driscolls not marked on the minimap, and two other O'Driscolls must be captured
- Could tie in nicely as a limited-time bounty before the Colm's hanging live event
What do you think of these storylines for Red Dead Online? Which would you prefer? If anybody has any good ideas, we might feature them in a follow-up article!