#I’m replaying rdr2 again but I’m ACTUALLY trying to replay it

[scootkiddo]

something I don’t see discussed too often is the vein in which arthur morgan panics when being perceived. in one of the colter missions arthur mentions to charles the severity of their situation— riding out from blackwater, weathering the storm, etc. and charles aptly responds “you’ve had a lot put on you.” arthur then backpedals and is like “i didn’t mean it like that, just.. a lot to think back on.” or later in chapter 2, there’s jimmy brookes recognizing arthur from blackwater & calling him out. arthur denies the accusation repeatedly, but jimmy doesn’t let up. lying low is difficult with having any loose ends, so naturally arthur chases him down. after choosing to rescue the guy from the cliff edge, jimmy commends arthur for saving his life and refers to him as “a good man.” the look arthur gives to this is like a switch being flipped. again, he backpedals, despite the added risk of being recognized, now reaffirming that he was not only in blackwater but a bad man who kills people. it’s pocketed moments like these that really put a spot on arthur’s insecurities. ones that chip away at the armor. he’s the right hand man in a gang— a surrogate family— the one who’s supposed to project strength when tumult falls upon them. he can’t been seen as anyone buckling under the pressure. arthur also has an innate goodness that’s lost in the fog of his misdeeds he believes define him. he should never be called a good man. arthur has a reflexive retreat when people peer beneath the surface level. it challenges the narrative he’s built around himself, the identity he’s convinced himself he must uphold. he wraps that persona around himself like a warm blanket & stretches that blanket thin because that’s all he understands. that’s all he knows. that’s all his life has allowed him

[thecrusadercomrade]

If you have Ps4 or Ps5 or Switch Red Dead Redemption 1 is getting a release August 17. No word for X-Box. But yeah going to do another re-play of Red dead redemption 2 before I play the first. I never played it but I know Red dead 2 is a prequel. I know Arthur won't be mention as the game was made before Arthur existed but going to try to make Arthur proud.

Unfortunately, I only have a gaming laptop, so it’s a shame it’s not coming out for PC. I haven’t played the original, but I’ve watched playthroughs, so I know the story. It’s really good.

I’m actually doing a replay of rdr2 myself now. I haven’t played in years, so it’s nice to get back into it and spend time with this amazing world and all these fantastic characters again. Even if it’s going to take some time to learn how to fight again...

[reddeadreference]

Tiny Blog Progress Update

Drafts: 58 Queue: 3

Okay so I haven’t touched this blog or RDR2 in about a week. The queue (as you can see by the numbers above) has slowly been uploading mission posts (it had been doing one mission one POI for a few days but I had run out of POI - there are still a handful of POI I need to make posts for - so it’s been doing two missions a day until today it posted the final mission post.)

We’re gonna switch to one queued post a day until I get the queue filled up again. Tomorrow the final story-journal pages post will be up. Noon EDT/EST will be the post time.

I have all chapter 2 cutscenes recorded and half of them edited/transcribed. Those will be added to the queue and be the next things posted. (These are also what’s causing other posts to take so long because most of my time was replaying the same mission to get all choices and options recorded.)

What’s stopping me from completing the newspapers is I need to know which ones are only there after certain stranger missions/only there in certain issues/I need the actual transcripts for those that I don’t have yet.

What’s stopping me from posting character posts is I need a lot more photos and details, I’m going to try and get Abigail’s up before the end of the month to show what the posts will be like. 

What’s stopping me from posting the remaining POI posts is just I need photos of the things themselves and I had been busy with other parts of the game. 

What’s stopping me from posting certain location posts is that some locations change between the main game and the epilogue and I only have half the photos I need (one year or the other).

[not-iscariot]

This was really hard but if you’re interested in my reasoning then scroll below...

Favorite game of all time: Dragon Age Inquisition

For a lot of the answers I wanted to give Big Brain Answers, but thinking through all the games I’ve ever played... I don’t have the hours on any other game like I do this one. I have my own issues with the franchise and some of the decisions that get made but hot damn does a good RPG Fantasy series do it for me. I’ve never played another game that genuinely feels different and unique every playthrough, the world is so big and the ability to feel like a bunch of different versions of the Inquisitor are some of the reasons I find the game so fun to replay. I’ve played 3 games through to completion, 2 with the Trespasser DLC, and 1 where I played every DLC available. I’m currently on another playthrough right now... so based on my attachment and hour log I would say this is my favorite game of all time.

Best Story: Mass Effect 3

This was also really hard because there are a lot of games where I loved the story. I think it’s really hard to end a series and I honestly liked the ending of Mass Effect although not everyone is a fan. The choice-consequence ramifications in this game are pretty brutal and it’s rewarding to see the conclusion of so many of the companions’ arcs. The first time I finished this game I was sobbing which showed how much investment I had in the story and the characters, especially Shepard. I think there are a lot of interesting larger ideas explored in the series like collective consciousness through the Geth as well as the tension between synthetic and organic, which I found myself thinking about a lot when reading Emergent Strategy. 

Favorite Art Style: The Wolf Among Us

RIP Telltale. I liked a lot of their games, but WAU is where I feel the style really hit it’s stride. It worked super well with the fantasy/detective story. I’m sad they never got to finish the game. 

“I’ll finish it some day”: Zelda: Breath of the Wild

BotW is a really amazing game but I have never in my life finished a Zelda game. I want to finish it bad but I sucked literal ass at the boss fights. I also struggle hard with games that have huge open worlds when there isn’t a story really driving me through objectives and missions. Some people love the freedom, I tend to get bored quickly. I dropped the game because I didn’t have time to play it so when I feel up to it again I’m starting from the beginning.

Big Personal Impact: Dragon Age 2

This game made me realize I was bi and helped me come out. That’s pretty much all there is to it. By far my favorite companion set, I hope for future games they take more cross impact between companion characters because that was seriously lacking in Inquisition.

Best Combat: Spider-man 

Super fun combat that you personalize to your fighting style. When I was hitting my best in terms of combos it felt super cool. Just a really strong game gameplay-wise. 

You like, but everyone else hates: Beyond: Two Souls

I don’t know if everyone hates it but when I talk about it I hear a lot of groans... this is definitely one of my favorite games to play with someone else and I think it’s super engaging to play with people who aren’t really into video games. It’s easy enough for them to get into with a decent story and decent twist reveals. 

You hate, but everyone likes: Fallout Franchise

I’ve tried so hard to get into these games. I own most of them but I have never been able to finish one. Fallout 4 was super buggy and I couldn’t get through some of the critical fights. I wanted to be into it but it just didn’t do it for me.

Underrated: Jedi Fallen Order

I don’t think it’s that underrated but I had a friend tell me it was “just Dark Souls with lightsabers” and I thought that was an unfair assessment. The Jedi gameplay is really fun and the boss fights are hard but so worth it to keep trying until you get through them. Also, as a Star Wars nerd, I liked this offshoot exploration of the Jedi. 

Overrated: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

OK I bought this game having never played a Witcher game or engaged with really any Witcher content and I thought, based off the amazing reviews, that wouldn’t be a problem but I could not get through it. I just didn’t understand what the heck was going on or get attached to any of the characters. I went back and bought the first two games on sale, although the first is so frustrating because you have to obsessively save so that you don’t lose progress. I’m open to changing my mind down the road but I just didn’t get into it.

“Why do I like this?”: Grand Theft Auto V

I bought this at the beginning of quarantine last year as a long game to have that would take me ages to complete so I wouldn’t lose my mind. It’s the only GTA game I’ve ever played and I got super into it even though it’s like... GTA. Truly just THAT video game stereotype, you know?

Game you always go back to: Borderlands 2

I’ve played the other Borderlands games but this is definitely my favorite. Just a decent game to playthrough either on your own or with other people. I like the drop-in, drop-out story play through you can do with people.

That atmosphere...: Stardew Valley

Pretty self-explanatory. I wish I lived there. I want what they have...

Bad Day Cure: The Uncharted Franchise

Decent story and story arcs. Good gameplay to zone out to. I like the characters. This was the first set of games I played on my PS4 and it was during a blizzard. Super replayable.

Favorite Protagonist: Hades (Zagreus)

I almost said Dragon Age 2 for Hawke but because Hawke’s personality really depends on the player (I exclusively do humorous) I didn’t feel that counted for strong protag writing. Zagreus rocks. Bi king. He’s sensitive and caring and tough and funny. His arc is so wholesome... my childhood trauma definitely projected heavy onto this game.

After Work Game: Left 4 Dead 2

This was the first game I ever bought on Steam back in 2012 to play with my online friends from deviantArt... that’s how old this game is for me. I’ve clocked almost 400 hours and it’s definitely my go-to comfort/tune out game. I literally play this game to self soothe when I have anxiety... I’m so used to it and familiar with the gameplay that it doesn’t stress me out at all. 

Biggest Letdown: Mass Effect Andromeda

After ME series I was honestly fine where Shepard’s story ended and I was down for another protag and offshoot story but... the game sucked. The combat was fun and it wasn’t unplayable but ME was so good that this game just didn’t live up to the standard. The companions are just not as interesting or engaging, it was buggy and animated weird as hell, and I couldn’t give a fuck about Ryder honestly...

“Back in the day” game: Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire

Curling up on the couch or in my room on my Gameboy Advanced SP in red collecting pokémon... these were the DAYS. 

“Not the best but having fun”: Fire Emblem Franchise

Three Houses is definitely my favorite and the only other that I liked out of the few I’ve played was Awakening. I think the games are decent and fun, Three Houses was definitely the strongest in terms of side characters and story, but there are still issues like... how romancing works. Claude is so bisexual it’s actually alarming... 

Criminally Overlooked: Mirror’s Edge

This series had potential to become such a cool franchise but it stopped after Catalyst. I was so invested in the world they created and it was just very... whatever Watchdogs was trying to do but I didn’t like as much. Some really awesome gameplay, just a lot of parkour and running.

Depressing Game: The Walking Dead 

This game and the subsequent ones I just feel so bad for Clementine, this poor girl cannot win. I never finished the last season because I lost track of what Telltale ended up doing, but now I know they finished it so I gotta get back in there. Yeah I cried at the end of this first game.

Favorite ACTIVE Franchise: Dragon Age

So many issues with the series but... it’s likely if they’ve announced a new one I’ve already pre-ordered. I’m very invested and hope Dragon Age 4 is as good if not better than Inquisition...

Not usually my thing but...: Red Dead Redemption 2

Not at all a game I would usually get based of how it was advertised and explained to me as well as the usual crowd who’s into it but... I really loved it. I said this before that I’m not great with super large maps and free reign but RDR2 is one of the few exceptions. I would spend hours just running around and hunting. I started playing it in quarantine and lord... it was so nice to just roam around this huge, beautiful map and feel like I was hanging out outdoors. It also made it shitty to be stuck outdoors because all I wanted to do after I finished was go on a cross-country road trip. Still very much a like... manly man game. But I don’t mind that.

Anyways that’s my two cents. Here’s the blank:

[squidproquoclarice]

Have you ever written about the timeline of Arthur and Mary's relationship? If so, could you please link me to it? I am replaying the game and I just don't get it ... was she living with the gang for a while? Or did they just "date" somehow? Before or after Eliza or on-and-off all the time? How would that be even possible in such a big country...

Anytime you get a huge sprawling canon, there tend to be internal inconsistencies in the writing timeline/facts.  For something like RDR2 where writing was being constantly updated and revised, it especially would make sense some artifacts of previous iterations and plans might still be in there and just didn’t get caught.  Arthur and Mary are no exception–while the way they talk around each other and their picture make it very clear it was a youthful thing and they act like they haven’t seen each other in a very long time, but then there are contradictory claims Arthur supposedly taught a now-teenage Jamie to ride and Abigail, who’s been with the gang only 5 years, supposedly remembers Mary playing dominoes in camp?So usually the only way to solve that is to pick the path that makes the most sense, work in what other mentions you still can without stretching logic too far, and then cheerfully ignore the utterly contradictory stuff that then makes zero sense.  For me, it makes the most sense that Arthur and Mary were together when they were very young.  They don’t act like two people who met at age 25 or 30 back in those days.  They act like two people who met as kids desperate to not live the lives they were living, who hung everything on this childish idea of the grand romance of escape with this person who’s so opposite to everything they know, rather than genuinely loving and accepting each other as people.  Even in their mid-30s, they’re still talking like that, and alternating spinning wild fantasies with exchanging bickering judgments about each other, because they never grew beyond it.Maybe you can work in the Jamie horse riding thing by saying Arthur gave baby Jamie some horseback rides and “taught” him.  The Abigail remembering dominoes thing, nope, that’s pretty much just gotta go.  (Also slightly skeptical about Mary coming into camp to hang out.)My personal timeline and HC that seems, for me, to make the most sense of the whole thing goes something like this.Arthur and Mary met in 1883 in California when he 20 and she was 17.  They were often a bit of an long distance relationship as Arthur was away with his “uncles” on “business trips”.  Arthur told her the truth, promised he was trying to be better, gave her the ring in late 1884 and they had an understanding of sorts, even if they weren’t exactly formally engaged.  Though I expect their understanding of what they each expected the other would do and the path they would take wasn’t in harmony because yeah, they were two young, dumb kids in love.  Mary expected he’d leave the gang entirely, and Arthur more or less expected that being a genial con man like Hosea would be enough.Spring 1885 saw a trip to Illinois and John joining the gang, and as I’ve discussed elsewhere, Arthur reacted badly in a panic feeling that he’d been judged a failure and been replaced.  Mary broke up with him, especially as some of Arthur’s actions to prove himself to Dutch came to Francis Gillis’ attention and he finally found out who and what his daughter’s somewhat roughspun suitor actually was.  He hastily arranged a marriage for her before word could really get out, and Mary didn’t have the courage then to defy him, just like Arthur couldn’t defy Dutch.  Arthur and Mary part ways again until 1899.Arthur falls apart even more, and the gang moves to Wyoming, where late that summer he and an equally lovelorn young waitress named Eliza McCready both get incredibly drunk one night and end up in bed together.  Arthur’s just turned 22, Eliza’s 19.  Eliza and Isaac are killed in May 1890, when Isaac had just turned 4.The Eliza/Arthur relationship is a very deep and rich vein to mine, I’m convinced, and we can make some pretty good speculation about things based on what else we know about Arthur, and what they imply about Eliza.  (Not bad for a single mention, eh?)  Because for one, if we know anything about Arthur, it’s how fiercely and loyally he gets attached to people.  He doesn’t seem the type to ever have been a callous “love ‘em and leave ‘em” carouser, so the fact that he and Eliza never married, and Eliza also didn’t join the gang, is also peculiar and seems to indicate against it being openly romantic between them given they both were unattached and they had a child together.  So a drunk mistake after being dumped by Mary seems to make the most sense there. I regard it more as an initial respect, then a friendship that they both assumed was for Isaac’s sake, then a slow growth of mutual pining and a missed opportunity they never got to set right before Eliza died.   They both were unmarried, and societal pressure at the time to get married for respectability with an unwed pregnancy was immense.  That seems to indicate it was a one night stand between two strangers who found themselves in an awkward situation, and possibly she was very hesitant to tie herself to an outlaw for the same reasons as Mary.  I can’t buy the view of Arthur and Eliza as this dreamy, gauzy filtered secret romance with both longing for their occasional times together.  Eliza had to be tough as hell, y’all.  Arthur was a sporadic babydaddy, so she was a single mother in the West.  She couldn’t be a lovesick girl making her whole life revolve around waiting for her prince to ride up on his steed a few times a year to play dad to his kid.  And if Arthur loved her so much, why didn’t he marry her if he was more than willing to propose marriage to another woman and had far more reason to marry Eliza than Mary? Anyway, I wanted to explain more of the relationship with Eliza given how it contrasts to the one with Mary, because this does circle back to timeline logic: I don’t see Eliza happening before Mary, or simultaneously.  There’s a schoolboy-and-schoolgirl smittenness and naivete to Mary and Arthur, even 15 years later.  That reads very, very strangely if he’d gotten another woman pregnant, not married her, and seen both her and their son murdered and been traumatized by it before courting Mary.  Even in other men, that would seem odd.  For Arthur, it’s damn near impossible, given that loss is what’s shut him down so completely to the notion of romantic love and fatherhood, even as desperately as he still longs for them. ��Just doesn’t seem to work.