magistrate

So at some point last year – probably because of rionaleonhart – I wandered into Red Dead Redemption II fandom periphery, and then I watched a Let's Play of it, and then I fell headfirst into it, and then I started writing a story which I thought was going to be an easy 30-40k and which has, surprising only myself, ballooned into a multi-hundred-thousand-word project which is taking me forever to complete. I think this is the third time something like this has happened because I've followed Riona off the beaten path. I suspect she's actually a literary will-o'-the-wisp.

Anyway, I spent most of this year exerting actual financial discipline so I could save up for a PS4 and get the game, and that finally happened. And now I'm slowly playing through this thing I've written many thousands of words for. Score!

This game gets a lot of flak for being grindy and tedious in some regards, and for making decisions that prioritize realism above playability, but what I've discovered is that about 96% of the grindy tedium is actually stuff I really groove on. (I mean, let's be real, I adore the crap out of The Long Dark's sandbox mode, and that game is literally 100% "Wander around this beautifully-rendered environment, forage, scavenge, hunt, manage your temperature, and try not to get eaten". With added exhaustion, thirst, and hunger mechanics that actually will kill you, plus an injury system. Come to think of it, I'd probably love to see all of that in RDR2.) So far I've played only enough of the main storyline to get to a place where most of the map amenities are unlocked and the character who most annoys me is off somewhere and not in camp to irritate me, and I've been spending the rest of my time running around, exploring, hunting, and doing side missions.

And having shenanigans.

So many shenanigans.

I've taken to reporting them on the Horseshoe Overlook Discord, which I joined before I'd even bought the game. In the interests of posting to this journal at any point ever, I figure I'd share some of my Arthur's exploits here. (I'll use highlight-to-read spoiler blackouts as necessary.)



( On starting up. )


( On acquisitions. )


( On dealing with fellow gang members. )


( On hunting. )


( On characters doing what they want. )


( Naptime. )