deadairface

My horse’s name is Cormac — after Cormac McCarthy, author of the best western novel ever (Blood Meridian). Grullo Dun Mustang.

My guess is you'll be fat, bloated, no buckle showing, bullet sponge in no time at all. Ten pieces at a time, I think you'll be morbidly obese after a day or two and need a crane to get you onto your horse

I've had animals or big pelts stored on the back of my horse disappear, but I'm never quite sure if it's a bug or because someone stole it off the back. People can't steal pelts that lie flat, but they can steal animals or big pelts (bear, alligator, elk, etc.). On the other hand, I've also seen the animal or big pelt disappear off the back of my horse, but when I look in my satchel for what I have stored on the back of my horse it shows up there and I can sell it, even though I can't see it. Maybe check that. I get the animals downgraded too. In the single player game, maybe in the help screen, it says if you keep an animal on your horse too long it will rot. The problem is if you kill a pristine animal up north of Annesberg or something, I don't know how you get it to a butcher in time before it rots. I've tried racing across the map but that doesn't work. I've tried fast travel to a butcher but that doesn't work either. It's disappointing, especially when the butcher mocks you for bringing him a rotten animal)) Now I always just skin the thing.

big game meat made me overweight almost overnight it seemed.

Never heard of that or seen it. Good advice. Especially if you are in defensive mode, basically telling someone I'm no threat to you so don't threaten me....or else. Oftentimes it's hard to tell if someone is stalking you or just nearby looking for some yarrow. So do you just aim and press up on the d pad to fire a bullet straight into the air? One thing that would help me a lot is if the names that are listed (online options/players i think) were ordered by proximity to you instead of what seems like randomly. Sometimes I see somebody seems suspicious so I want to take a quick look at their honor and hostility, but their name is something 247SAND420XXX4 and is buried at the bottom of the list with a bunch of similar names. Perhaps that's not technically feasible, I don't know. I suppose what I want to see is if somebody wants to play as hostile, they show up on the map as always red -- or orange, purple, pick a color. I have no problem if someody wants to play as dishonorable/hostile. The game needs these people. But if they choose to go that way, they and anyone in their posse should never show up on the minimap as a simple blue dot just like everybody else, they need always to be identified as hostile somehow.

Here is my guide for making money quickly without cheating. I'm not saying this is the "best" way, this is just how I do it. There may be better ways. You should try different suggestions to see how much you can make and more importantly how much fun you have doing it. Do what you enjoy doing, it shouldn't be a grind. Also, you'll need some basic equipment to so definitely do story and stranger missions and whatever else to gain levels and unlock the basic items. Some things you can get for free if you're on PS4 If you have gold, you can unlock other things even if you haven't reached the required level. I would say buy the promotion of 25 gold bars for $4.99 is you can. Even if you're opposed to microtransactions, it's worth it just to get your basic setup for the price of a cup of coffee. You'll need a bolt action rifle with a short scope, a varmint rifle, and a fishing rod. A shotgun is also useful for self defense. Try not to spend all your money on clothes or gold plating your guns yet)) So for money, this is what I would do: If you've not already done so, first go to Valentine and hit the stable. Get the free Andalusian (PS4 only) and free upgraded saddle and saddlebags that can hold more stuff (the cheesy looking ones with a skull, PS4 only). Next go to the doctor and sell all your herbs except ginseng which imo is the most useful and hard to find. Then go to the butcher and sell all your meat and pelts. Finally go to the general store and buy four cans of worms (20 total). Don't get the fishing lure at this point because if you catch something big your line will probably break anyway and you'll have nothing. I wouldn't get a bow early on either. Anyway, now you're empty and ready to go. Go to Strawberry and make a trip up to Big Valley towards towards Little Creek River. On the way there, use your varmint rifle to shoot anything that moves, rabbits, squirrels, skunks, birds, anything, they all must die and go into your satchel no matter how insignificant they may seem. Pay no attention to the quality of these varmint pelts. Also, stop and pick every herb you see. Even if it seems like a waste of the time, herbs are like free money sitting on the ground so jump off your horse and grab it. You'll probably get ambushed by the O'Dricsols on the way so be ready for that (fun and xp). Once you get to Big Valley and the creeks, there will be deer and elk everywhere. Use your bolt action rifle to shoot everything with a good or pristine pelt as well as birds or anything else. Also keep picking herbs until you are maxed out or sick of doing it. It won't take long to be maxed out on animal parts and you'll have a bunch of pelts. You can only carry one elk pelt, bear pelt, or big fish. I think the fish will bring in the most (remember you'll already be getting all the meat etc from other big game even if you don't keep the pelts). While you're doing this, you'll probably get invited to take out the O'Driscol's hideout (fun and xp) Listen for bear growls in the hills around they valley and go on foot and try to get a grizzly. There are bighorn rams etc. up there as well (this is probably optional because sometimes it can take a while to get a bear and more likely the bear will get you, but for me it's the most fun). You'll probably get attacked by wolves at some point which will give you a lot of game meat anyway. The goal is to try to get as many pelts as possible and to max out every different type of meat (i.e., venison, big game, mutton, small game, plump birds, stringy meat etc.). And whenever you kill something or pick an herb, jump off your horse and run to it and back because it will improve your stamina and help you rank up. Additionally, you'll gain dead eye experience for everything you kill which helps you rank up too. Once you feel like you've done enough, start heading back to Strawberry by way of Lake Owinjila. Keep killing varmints/birds and picking herbs on the way. At the lake, use the 20 worms to catch 20 fish. You should get at least one big one for the back of your horse and even a load of small fish is surprisingly valuable. You'll also gain strength quickly by fishing which helps you to level up. By the time you get back to Strawberry, you want to have pristine elk or bear pelt or big fish on the back of your horse along with a bunch of pelts, and two pristine smaller animals hanging from the sides. Sell everything to the butcher. The money will be rolling in. Then go back to the doctor in Valentine and sell all your herbs. Less money but it adds up. On weapons, it depends on what you prefer with regard to killing people. I like shotguns so I got the pump action shotgun first, next in order would be the bolt action rifle (good dual use weapon) then varmint rifle (hunting but also deadly if you're good at headshots). Sure, the carbine repeater isn't the best, but imo there's no point in having two repeaters and no shotguns or rifles. a better repeater can wait imo. Same with the cattleman revolver, not the best but it will do for the time being especially if you don't use handguns a lot. Once you get ranked and have extra money, then think about upgrading the carbine or the cattleman revolver or getting a bow. Upgrading the tent is probably the last of the priorities, but it's something many people forget or don't realize the benefits. Hunting alligators is super easy but it's all big game meat so I iirc you'll be maxed out after killing three and can carry one skin, so you end up traipsing through the mud killing frogs and looking for a heron.

Also something to know is the weight system is different online, when I started, I’d eat the same amount of meat I did in single player and immediately I was overweight. I couldn’t believe I was overweight. in single player I’d eat more and was always underweight. The only way I found to maintain perfect weight online is to eat only canned foods, and even then I let myself go hungry a lot of the time (like when hunting and there’s little chance of being killed). Also find as much ginseng and yarrow you can and craft potent health tonics to protect your cores without eating. Another thing is to always upgrade your tent, that way your health core will fill without needing to eat (especially if you rest in camp). So if you are just starting, constantly monitor your weight until you find the right amount of food for online play. I sell virtually all my meat to the butcher.

Use whatever term you like, but I’m talking about things like when I have to go piss downstairs I’ll go into defensive mode far away from any action and hide myself in a cluster of trees. When I come back one guy suddenly lassoes me for a drag, the other guy opens fire on me while being dragged, and the third guy shoots my horse. Or the people who stand outside a general store waiting for some to come by and hitch their horse so they can shoot them in the back of the head, etc., etc., etc. If that’s what you enjoy doing to other players and having done to you, indeed the highlight of your night, I don’t know what to say. I ride around in free roam in offensive mode and I’m wary of everyone and always ready to defend myself. That’s a whole different story. This other stuff I call griefing for lack of a better term and that seems to be the label that’s been adopted by the community. There’s no reason for it. Most mature people frown upon it and wish it would be addressed. edit: Add to that the possies who stand next to the stranger mission icons knowing that as soon as you complete the mission successfully, the game will respawn you right there next to the station with no gun at the ready, no horse, and the three posse members can then immediately blast you with shotguns. No chance whatsoever to defend yourself. You respawn again and if you whistle for your horse, they kill it. If you don’t want to call them griefers, call them cowardly a-holes. They don’t love fighting or love hostile interactions or anything of that nature. They are there for no other purpose than to ruin other people’s games and try to piss people off. Of course they don’t consider it a problem, they are classic internet trolls.

It is annoying when a griefer (singular) kills you with a cheap shot, but you can respawn and can either go after them or go somewhere else, it’s a whole different story when it’s a persistent posse of 4+ griefers and when you respawn you really have no chance at all. I think when this happens, the griefers should show up as red dots for everybody, not just you. Then everybody will know they are a hostile posse and go after them, or a least if you’re just a bystander you’ll know the situation and can either get ready to defend yourself or just leave the area if you don’t want to deal with them. Who knows. This is Rockstar’s problem, they are the experts and can see all the data, and they are the only ones who can come up with solutions, if they want to. But the cynical side of me says that a Rockstar doesn’t care. If a persistent posse of griefers is buying gold all the time to upgrade camp, get matching outfits, buying all the expensive guns and horses, they are “good customers” for Rockstar. If you’re just one person who makes money hunting or on missions, etc., and doesn’t buy a lot of gold, you’re more like a freeloader and they are going to side with the posse of griefers and make things easier for them because that’s where the money is at. I think Rockstar is fully aware that the griefing problem is more profitable preventing it, that’s why the problem is still so persistent after all the months of beta.

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How do you report things like this? I got tired of the griefing so I decided to do some stranger missions on my own, figuring it was a way to have some fun outside of free roam. But apparently people have figured out where you spawn back to after a mission and just wait there to kill you. For example, I did wagon recovery from the Valentine post office and it said mission passed and dropped me back outside the front door of the post office. Literally one second after I got dropped back into free roam, while I was watching the screen inform me how much cash/experience/etc I got, a guy was choking me to death. Then I respawn a short distance away and immediately his posse was right there on horseback waiting to kill me. Didn’t even have a chance to pull a gun or call my horse. I thought I understood the concept of griefing, but when you get killed literally one second after getting dropped out of a successful stranger mission, that’s going too far imo. Poker is about the only thing I can still enjoy at this point, and even then I’m expecting some outside griefer to split my head open with an ancient hatchet while I’m dealing cards. Too many people have learned how to game the system in too many ways. Add to that they all do some kind of “cougar glitch” and apparently get unlimited money, the whole thing is just absurd.

It must be a thing because i had same experience last night. I was clearing out a hideout and had just about finished up when out of the corner of my eye I see a player ride up and a message pops up saying so and so killed the leader and he’s out there looting all the bodies. I figured some people see smoke, ride over and watch you do the dirty work, the jump in to gather the spoils.

Hi, I’ve been wondering about something and this seems like a good place to ask. I’m not trying to criticize you or say one way of playing is better than another, so please don’t take it that way. My question is this: when you are stabbing cops, are you just getting overall experience points to level up or do you also get individual experience points for strength, stamina, and deadeye? I ask because I often fish, for example, and I don’t think it levels me up in terms of overall number, but it does increase my strength level. So my overall level is somewhere in the low 20s, but my strength is 9/10. I also hunt and pick a lot of herbs, and while I don’t run around pointlessly, I will jump off my horse and run a short distance to gather a batch of herbs or skin a kill. That got me to 10/10 stamina surprisingly fast without even trying. And shooting a varmint or a bird gives +1 deadeye for each kill and up to 5, 10, or 25 deadeye xp for bigger game (iirc correctly). So while my overall level is low, I have no need for tonics. I can seemingly run forever and not get tired. Once I did one of those timed repossess the wagon missions and just ran there without my horse and got the wagon back on time. I always upgrade my tent and with 9/10 strength, it seems I can take a lot of damage with little effect, especially with the hunker down ability card or whatever it is. Again, not to criticize or challenge, but what exactly is not only your overall level, but also your individual trait levels well? It just doesn’t seem like one would (or should) gain much strength, stamina, or deadeye experience by standing there stabbing cops and dying over and over, but I admit, I’m totally ignorant on this point. Maybe they all go up together, but I’m not sure.

I actually thought about that the other day in regard to griefing. I have a mic but don’t use it, I mute everyone, and I don’t even know how to send or receive messages. All I hear are in game sounds. That makes me an extremely boring person to grief. It’s like trying to kick a rock to get a reaction out of it - pointless. I either respawn, hunker down, and kill them if they get in range, or I press charges and move on if I have no time for them. They might get an initial cheap shot, but if they want to keep it going they’ll have to spend an hour eating my bullets. No fun at all for them and they quickly move on. There’s no problem using a mic and many people wouldn’t play with out one. But just treat them like mosquitoes. You don’t get mad at a mosquito if it bites you - you either slap it dead or let it fly away. Treat them the same way because they’re just trolls looking to get under your skin. Good advice above.

This is the first online game I’ve played and was pretty worried after reading all the horror stories (which were almost all about 6 mos old btw). But I’ve been playing for a weak and have been pleasantly surprised by the lack of grief. I don’t even bother with the defensive mode anymore. My impression is that by the time most serious players get to level 20 or so, they’ve been griefed enough times that they have no real interest in doing it to others. I like to hunt and often someone will ride up on me while I’m putting a pelt on my horse and I expect the worst, only to get a thumbs up or a wave from the player. It’s actually a nice feeling and now I like to do it to others. I’ll ride up slowly with my shotgun out, of course, and there’s a moment of tension, but it quickly becomes apparent that it’s a friendly encounter rather than hostile. I think griefers at this point mainly prey on low level players, and also low level players do it because they don’t know what else they’re supposed to do in free roam (gotta shoot something after all). But once you’ve played enough to get your bearings straight and basic weapons of choice, it’s pretty easy to respawn, get some cover, and take them out. I find that usually they run off once they see you know how to defend yourself. edit: should add that they prey on morons like me who load the game standing on a street corner in Saint Denis in offensive mode and not paying attention while downloading and trying to sign into the official app. But at least I came back and blasted their posse leader dead while the guy who shot me and other posse member were cowering behind a building not far away. They then retreated until their red turned back to blue and disappeared. I’ll count that as a win any day. I definitely was asking for it so I can’t complain. Lesson learned.