Red Dead Online: The Ultimate Concept Bundle - A 5 Year and 11 Update Plan - Update 2: High Society and the Grace Lancing Gambit

Concept Update 2: “High Society and the Grace Lancing Gambit”

Seasonal Changes:

• Takes place during RDR2, Chapter 1.
• The Van Der Linde gang has fled Blackwater. Players can track them up North through Ambarino and into Colter.
• Dutch will fill the player in on the passing of Davey Calendar, and that Mac and Sean are missing.
• More gang members are asking for supplies.
  • Pearson wants any foods you can find. Higher quality pays better.
  • Bring healing herbs to the Reverend so he can care for John Marston’s wounds.
• Sean has been captured by Bounty Hunters, so his missions will temporarily be replaced by Micah Bell.
  • Micah will introduce himself to players, and say he'll be handling work for their "Plucky Irish friend"
• Jake Adler has been murdered, and his home has been burned down. Sadie is hungering for revenge and will now send you on missions to hunt down and kill O’Driscolls.
  • Sadie Adler has a new introduction cutscene.
• From this season forward, if players in storymode are playing a chapter which matches the currently active season in Red Dead Online, there is a chance they will see their Online character wandering the world or visiting the Van Der Linde campsite.
• Blackwater is now on high alert after recent events with the gang. Lawmen will be twice as determined to stop criminals, and attack as soon as players equip their weapons. On the other hand, bounties from this town will pay out double RDO$ and Gold.
• Appleseed Timber, Co has now set up near Strawberry. Players can earn cash for bringing food to the workers.
• Live events:
  • Weekly cutscene: Halfway through this season, players will be able to watch Dutch’s gang rob Cornwall’s train, and ride off in a cutscene. The player character will be hiding among the trees.
  • Daily cutscene: The next day after watching the previous cutscene, the players will be able to see that same train stopping at Annesburg, with the captured staff being helped off in another cutscene.
  • Daily event: On the last day of the season, players can ride with Dutch and the gang from Colter to Horseshoe Overlook. This will be a travelling safe space in which no player will be able to equip any weapons or deal damage to other players.

“A Land of Opportunities” Part 3:

• A new set of “A Land of Opportunities” Missions has been added to the game.
• Players can now purchase an estate after completing the first of the new set of “A Land of Opportunities” Missions.
  • High Honour players will have to complete “Personal Security” – In this mission, players must defend a wagon of socialites on their way to Rhodes from Saint Denis.
    2 – 7 Players
  • Low Honour players will have to complete “Choice of Transport” – In this mission, players must choose whether they want to rob the same wagon convoy from ‘Personal Security’ or focus their attention on a Leviticus Cornwall train carriage. Players are also capable of splitting up into smaller teams in order to tackle both of the targets. Mission rewards will depend on how much the players steal.
  • 2 – 7 Players
• Upon purchasing the Estate for $2000 / 80 Gold, players will have access to the rest of the “A Land of Opportunities” missions.
  • There are five missions in total, with a story focusing on hunting down Grace Lancing. Horley prompts the player to purchase an estate in order to lure her in.
    • Mission 1: A Life More Luxurious – In this mission, players must rescue their personal butler, Jeeves, from a Lemoyne Raiders camp.
      • 1 – 4 Players
    • Mission 2: Becoming a Socialite – In this mission, players must dress up and attend one of the Mayor’s parties in order to be seen as one of the social elite, and to make contacts. Towards the end of this mission, the party is attacked by robbers, and the players must defeat the attackers with only their pistols and revolvers.
      After the party, the Mayor approaches the lead player, and thanks them for their hard work defending the party and tells the player if they ever need a favour, just to let him know.
      • 1 – 4 Players
    • Mission 3: Why We Avoid Public Transport – In this mission, players must break into Grace Lancing’s safe within the Rhodes Bank to steal documents based on Mr LeClerk’s business. Players must then fight their way out and escape on a nearby passenger train, driving it full speed through Saint Denis and getting off near Van Horn.
      • 2 – 4 Players
    • Mission 4: Full House – In this mission, players attend a celebration on the Casino River Boat, and hand out estate party invites to esteemed guests, including Grace Lancing – Who is seen to be trying to seduce a new partner after Amos was killed. Grace mentions the lead player looking familiar, before promising to come to the party.
      • 2 – 4 Players
    • Mission 5: A Chilling Conclusion – In this mission, players are now hosting their own estate party in order to trap Grace Lancing so Jessica may confront her. Upon Jessica’s arrival, Grace tackles her, but Jessica throws her to the ground and drops an ice sculpture of a swordsman on Grace, impaling her. Waves of enemies attack the estate and must be fought off.
      In this mission, players are once again reduced to only their revolvers and pistols but can collect their long-arm weapons from the upstairs bedroom.
      • 2 – 7 Players.
    • After completing the missions, the host player is taken into a cutscene within the estate, where Jessica explains how she is now a wanted fugitive and will have to live a life on the run. The player recalls the Mayor’s offer for a favour, and can either:
      • Clear their own name to earn a new camp theme, 20 free bounty clears and 10 coupons for 50% off any item in the game.
        • The camp theme features skulls, bodies, pikes, and a stash of money, and represents being a low-honour criminal.
        • This will decrease the player’s honour
      • Clear Jessica’s name to earn a new camp theme, RDO$500 and 5 gold, along with an honour increase.
        • The camp theme matches that of Jessica’s camp, seen in the intro to Online.
        • The player will now have a RDO$50 bounty in whichever state their estate is in.
      • Players will be able to complete the finale again in order to unlock both camp themes,
    • After completing the whole story, Jessica and Horley will remain in the office in the player’s estate, offering Bootlegger-like radiant quests, in which they will hunt down gang higher ups and try to get information and evidence about the murder of Mr LeClerk.

Estates Extra Features:

• During missions, the Estate is an instanced interior using new seamless building technology, which can previously be seen in Lowry's Basement.
  • This allows players to travel in and out doors during missions without having to worry about loading screens.
  • In order to properly run instanced interiors for individual players in Freeroam, the typical invite and loading will apply to Estates.
• The estate can be customised with the following:
  • Nine wall colouring options, with six different styles of wallpaper
    • Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple, Black, Brown, White
    • Pin stripe, bordered, plain, horizontal stripe, floral, animal silhouette print.
  • Twelve different carpet and rug options
    • Floral in six different colours, bordered in the same colours
  • Five different types of flooring
    • Dark wood, light wood, mahogany wood, black and white tile, gold-trimmed tile
  • Three different types of stone accents
    • Black marble, white marble, granite.
  • Upon completing “A Life More Luxurious”, players will now have access to their own personal private butler. He will now cook the player high-quality meals upon request and serve guests at luxury parties.
    • Such meals include the likes of lobster, crab, haggis, steak, chicken tikka, and other extravagant meals for the time. Players will sit at their dining table to eat these and can enjoy them with a selection of beverages.
    • Luxury parties are like the parties at the Diamond Casino and Resort in GTA Online, they cost $100 to host.
• Players now have a “Butler Bell” in their items menu, which can only be used in the estate. This will allow players to access different butler services.
  • For example, the butler can bring outfits stored in your wardrobe to you.
• Players have a personal bar with a various luxury imported alcohol.
  • Players can use their butler bell in order to have a platter of it delivered to them.
• The player's camp dog will sit by their bed and will be seen eating from a bowl in the kitchen during mealtimes.
• Players can gain faster core regeneration and level three fortification in their king-sized bed.
• Players can invite their friends to stay and heal in guest rooms.
  • Posse members can enter whenever and will have their own assigned beds and wardrobes across two guest rooms.
  • If the posse member has a weapon locker at their camp tent, it will be at the foot of their bed.
  • Posse members’ dogs will also sit by their beds and eat in the kitchen during mealtimes.
• Players can sit by the fire and read one of their many books, improving deadeye core, xp, and filling the bar.
  • Different types of books can be purchased for different levels of core and bar fortification, ranging from picture books, to encyclopaedias, to poetry books.
    • If a player decides to read an encyclopaedia, there is a slight chance they’ll learn a skill, recipe, or gain information for their animal compendium.
• Players can have a bath to clean all the dirt from their character after a long day’s work.
  • The butler won’t help the player bathe; however, he will offer to bring in a glass of wine.
• Players can keep their horse warm and groomed in your own personal home stable, where you can see your current active horse next to all the horses of visiting posse members, and a select few of your other stabled horses.
• Players can collect and send mail from their Mailbox outside the Estate.
• Players change up their looks with their own personal stylist with all the different options available at a barbershop, for a reduced price.
• Players can upgrade their stylist for 10 Gold to offer appearance changes for RDO$400
• Fast travel for a reduced price from the map on the office wall.
  • Players can also fast travel to a custom-set destination, rather than pre-set locations. This will cost full price, however.
• The estate can be used as a new spawn location in the main menu, as well as a fast travel target.
• Mementos from each storyline and legendary bounty can be seen around the estate
  • This includes (But is not limited to) the likes of a bottle of moonshine, the conman’s hat, The Shepard’s mask, and Grace Lancing’s pearls.

Lodges:

• Players can now purchase a new business, “The Lodge”
• The lodges function like one of the in-game hotels but are run by the player. Other players can stay here and use it as a personal home for a host-set price per night.
  • This price can be anywhere between RDO$0.25 – RDO$10
  • Whilst rooms are vacant, they may be filled by NPC characters, but players will be able to override their stay.
  • There is no role associated with this business.
• The goal of this is to earn money over time, and at max function depending on size, they will earn between $60 and $100 per day.
• Each lodge will have either two, four or six rooms, depending on the size.
  • These rooms can be customised separately, with the following:
    • Walls: Hunter, Floral, Classy
    • Furniture styles: Naturalist, Refined
    • Floor types: Carpet (RED, GREEN, BLUE, BROWN), Wood (DARK, LIGHT)
    • Decorations: Taxidermy, Plant Lover, Bounty Hunter
• Hotel rooms supply a wardrobe, bed, and a public eating area with a stew stove.
  • The owner can decide what quality of food will be cooked, which will determine the price.
  • The public eating area can be decorated with the following:
    • Seating: Benches, Crates, Tables, Classy Tables
    • Floor types: Same as rooms
    • Walls: Same as rooms
• If the guest player has a weapon locker or dog, they can be accessed at the lodge if allowed by the owner.
• One communal bathroom is available.
• Players can book a stagecoach taxi from the reception area.
• Extra staff can be hired
  • RDO$1.50 per day per staff member. Up to three available.
    • Extra cleaner, extra cook, security guard

Miscellaneous Changes and Additions:

• A variety of new, basic small houses and shacks have been added for purchase around the frontier.
  • Each of these provide a bed, a stew stove, a mailbox, a wardrobe, and a weapon locker.
    • Sleeping in the bed will provide level two fortified cores at a rate between the max-level camp and estate.
    • The stew stove can have any of the basic stew recipes in it and will serve eight people.
    • The building will provide shelter from the surrounding weather, with a fireplace to burn logs in.
  • Outside each house is a chopping block for wood, which players can use to build their stamina and make firewood to keep their house warm in cold weather.
  • Mementos from storylines can be seen around the house, much like the estate.

• Bounties are now tied to separate states across the Frontier.
• Players can now “Invite everyone to property” when inviting players to their Moonshine Shack, Lodge or Estate.
• Players can now add colour tints to the rope of their reinforced lasso.
• Outlaw Pass will be themed around Colter, with cold weather outfits and mining gear, and socialites with luxury fur and silk clothes.
• Changes have been made to the wilderness camp:
  • New upgrades:
    • Upgraded Wilderness: Adds a tent and a coffee pot to the camp
    • Wilderness Wanderer: Adds a small stew pot to the campfire, offering base quality stews.
  • Other players can now set a tent at a posse member's Wilderness Camp if they have Upgraded Wilderness.
  • Players can now also fast travel to the nearest fast travel target from the wilderness camp, if they have ‘Wilderness Travel’ unlocked.

Justification:

Once again, this is a smaller update focusing on tying up a lot of loose ends from the current version of Red Dead Online. Having this be separate from the last update means Rockstar can focus on getting them out faster, whilst preparing for the larger pieces of content down the line.

Seasonally, here we see the first set of events taking place within the actual story of Red Dead Redemption 2. I didn’t want to compromise the integrity of the game’s story, so I have kept our character’s influence to a minimal with them only helping in very few situations.

A Land of Opportunities needs to be completed, the cliffhanger was dropped on us too long ago, and it’s about time we got a solution to it. This time round, I wanted a buy-in so players who have been playing the game a lot can finally have something to sink their money or gold into, so after the first honour-dependent mission, players much purchase an Estate.

I wanted to have a progressive feeling of difficulty to each of these missions, so I increased the player count from 1 – 4 to 2 – 4 as it went along, with the finally requiring 2 – 7 players – Finally providing a mission for an entire posse. Personally, I love massive shootouts, so having the increased player count should really make this a mission to remember.

The finale has a choice for the host player to make, with consequences and rewards either way. I felt like this would be a good way of making the player feel as if their choices and honour actually mattered.

Naturally, I didn’t want the Estate to be used for the short storyline and fall to waste, so I decided to give it some extra features for player benefit – Along with a suite of customisation so it can feel personal.

Sticking with the “High Society” theme, I wanted to add a small business for a more passive income to the game. This is why I decided to add the “Lodge”. The structure adds convenience for passing online players, whilst providing money to the owner.

I felt as if immediately adding Estates as a large, expensive house was a huge skip for a lot of Red Dead Online players, so I added the smaller houses too. It allows those wishing to roleplay their progression to do so, all while giving stepping stones for lower level players to climb up past. Of course, players can own a smaller house and an estate simultaneously.

Sticking with the notion of upgrading progression, I felt as if the Wilderness Camp needed a few upgrades to increase its quality and usefulness.