Ambushed, now horse is gone.

[Noxii]

So hello there,

I got a question for whomever are able to answer it, so I was heading to collect some money for Strauss outside of St. Denis just a second ago when I suddenly got ambushed along the road, there were lots of men and I tried to run away from the fight to get some distance and an upper hand in the fight but was unable to and died. When I respawned I noticed my horse was in one direction and my sadle in another, so I did as usual and whistled for my horse but when it came close I noticed it wasn't my horse and it looked more like a random that was just given to me.

What happened, did my horse die in the ambush as well or is there any way for me to get it back? I mean it was a new horse I just bought in St. Denis, a beautiful black Arabian that I paid 950$ for, my god I got frustrated when I noticed it was gone and the autosave doesn't let me load far enough back to get it back. So as said is it gone permanently or can I get it back somehow? 

[PZA1982]

I hate to be the one to tell you, but your horse has been killed. Ironically, this exact scenario happened to me yesterday night with the horse i had been riding since the start of the game :(

It *is* gone permanently I'm afraid. That's why they have the horse bonding mechanic. So the only advice i can give really is to make sure you tell your horse to "Flee" next time you get into a tight spot.

[Poggy]

Horse perma-death, while not as bad as character perma-death would be, really adds a huge layer of danger/risk to the game.  This is the main reason why I'm not going to risk getting a high quality horse - just going to stick with the freebies.  Then I wont feel the sting half as bad.  Maybe I'll get a high quality horse last - after I've used money to get everything else possible and have nothing else to spend cash on.  Brutal mechanic!!

[BropolloCreed79]

This is why I always create a backup save before starting a new mission.  It's saved my horse three times now.  With some missions, you can't save during, so I try to do it before I start off on anything new, even if I'm in the middle of nowhere.

 

[Poggy]

Absolutely!  Rock solid advice that

[Noxii]

Thank you lot for some answers, I managed to save up some more money in the end and bought myself a new Arabian. The struggle there was real as I took some bounty hunting trips and finally managed to save up 950$ only to realize when I got back to the stable that the sale was over and the price had gone up to 1050$ instead. Had to run around like crazy a bit more to save up some more money but got there in the end, now I've done as BropolloCreed79 suggested and save each time I'm basically afraid I'll lose my horse.

But yeah I mean I don't think I've ever felt such frustration and sadness in losing something in a game as when I realised I had lost that horse.

[BropolloCreed79]

19 minutes ago, Noxii said:

now I've done as BropolloCreed79 suggested and save each time I'm basically afraid I'll lose my horse.

I learned my lesson after being bushwhacked by some O'Driscolls while doing cinematic travel.  Never again.  I lost so much great loot, including a unique horse (I won't say where I got it because it's a spoiler for a side quest).  It just makes sense.  Besides, it's fun to have that save point when you want to blow off some steam after losing a bunch of money at poker by turning the other players' heads into canoes at the table.

[Wildpoop]

Had to create account just for this. This is bullsh*t scripted event and if you die, you lose the horse. I had level 4 arabian and just like everyone else, got ambushed outside Saint Denis. And for some reason Rockstar has decided, that in this scenario your horse dies if you die. That is some bs right there. 

Edited October 30, 2018 by Wildpoop
Typos

[PZA1982]

23 hours ago, Wildpoop said:

Had to create account just for this. This is bullsh*t scripted event and if you die, you lose the horse. I had level 4 arabian and just like everyone else, got ambushed outside Saint Denis. And for some reason Rockstar has decided, that in this scenario your horse dies if you die. That is some bs right there. 

Not saying that this isn't true, but how do you KNOW this? It did seem a little odd to me when it happened, (even though i hadn't been killed in a similar way before-only on missions) and even odder when I saw the OP, but is this something that happens to EVERYONE or are you just basing what you've said on yourself, the OP and me?

If this is the case there are probably a few more similar "scripted" events and it would be nice to get a heads up about 'em.

[BropolloCreed79]

16 minutes ago, PZA1982 said:

Not saying that this isn't true, but how do you KNOW this? It did seem a little odd to me when it happened, (even though i hadn't been killed in a similar way before-only on missions) and even odder when I saw the OP, but is this something that happens to EVERYONE or are you just basing what you've said on yourself, the OP and me?

If this is the case there are probably a few more similar "scripted" events and it would be nice to get a heads up about 'em.

I will say that when I am completing a quest that involves traveling back to another location, I almost never stick to roads.  There's less of a risk of being ambushed if you travel "as the crow flies" when finishing something.  Sure, you run into the occasional terrain issue, but for the most part, it's safer.  You also get the unexpected bonus of running into unmapped points of interest, which is always nice.

[Poggy]

It's almost as if you're thinking like a real outlaw, there MrCreed.

[Kean_1]

1 hour ago, Poggy said:

It's almost as if you're thinking like a real outlaw, there MrCreed.

....and quite honestly, this is one reason why I really like this game.  I also like the fact that I can lose my horse.  It forces me to exercise caution and also adds an element of tension, excitement and great relief when you know you just dodged a bullet.

Personally, I only lost my horse once and that was my fault entirely (tried to beat the train).  I have survived several ambushes with some really close calls.  I was killed in one or two but my horse escaped without issue.  

When traveling along roads I will often slow down in choke points, over bridges, etc.  More than once I was able to hear them talking as I approach.  I will then pull my pump shotgun or repeater and either face them or run away.  I also will run alongside roads or "as the crow flies" as Creed mentioned.  I actually look forward to encounters like these now as I have become pretty good at reacting to them and they tend to be profitable (stuff I can sell to my fences).

[BropolloCreed79]

1 hour ago, Poggy said:

It's almost as if you're thinking like a real outlaw, there MrCreed.

I wouldn't say "outlaw", but I'm a big believer in the axiom, "work smarter, not harder".

If people want to play the game blundering around like a bull in a china shop, be my guest--just don't come in here whining about how "unfair" the wanted system is when you get attention for standing over a dead body, rifling through the pockets like some Neanderthal.  

To be fair, I'm "White Hatting" this until I unlock the PS Trophy for "Maximum Goodness".  After that, I'm going to turn into the biggest jackass this side of the Rio Grande.

[Poggy]

I tend to agree.  Careful, slow, thoughtful, and mostly good, tends to avoid most problems.

[Wildpoop]

17 hours ago, Kean_1 said:

....and quite honestly, this is one reason why I really like this game.  I also like the fact that I can lose my horse.  It forces me to exercise caution and also adds an element of tension, excitement and great relief when you know you just dodged a bullet.

Personally, I only lost my horse once and that was my fault entirely (tried to beat the train).  I have survived several ambushes with some really close calls.  I was killed in one or two but my horse escaped without issue.  

When traveling along roads I will often slow down in choke points, over bridges, etc.  More than once I was able to hear them talking as I approach.  I will then pull my pump shotgun or repeater and either face them or run away.  I also will run alongside roads or "as the crow flies" as Creed mentioned.  I actually look forward to encounters like these now as I have become pretty good at reacting to them and they tend to be profitable (stuff I can sell to my fences).

This is so full of sh*t, that i had to open my PC to reply to this weeb sh*t.

 

Yea, it's ok to lose your horse and consider your actions so that you don't lose it. But this is not the case in this scenario.

 

And as you state, you have died in ambushes, and didn't lose your horse. That's fine, i can deal with it. When there is a scripter scenario where if you die, you lose your horse i think it's bullsh*t.

 

And this scenario is not about facing them, or running away. You have no choice, they will be heads on 10 guys and you will die. And so will your horse. And you do not look out for this encounter, because it is guaranteed to get your horse killed. There is nothing you can do about it. And that is the bullsh*t part about this scripted event.

[YodaMan 3D]

12 minutes ago, Wildpoop said:

This is so full of sh*t, that i had to open my PC to reply to this weeb sh*t.

 

Yea, it's ok to lose your horse and consider your actions so that you don't lose it. But this is not the case in this scenario.

 

And as you state, you have died in ambushes, and didn't lose your horse. That's fine, i can deal with it. When there is a scripter scenario where if you die, you lose your horse i think it's bullsh*t.

 

And this scenario is not about facing them, or running away. You have no choice, they will be heads on 10 guys and you will die. And so will your horse. And you do not look out for this encounter, because it is guaranteed to get your horse killed. There is nothing you can do about it. And that is the bullsh*t part about this scripted event.

Don't assume Kean is try to fill you with BS.  I think there are safeguards you can do, instead of running full bull in a china shop everywhere.  I also believe that somethings in this game just aren't fair.  I started playing through once, playing the nice guy and things was rough going in every event.  Restarted and instead of sparing NPCs, I'm cold and harsh.  Things seem easier and fewer gankings by NPCs, so far.  I think there are triggers hidden in the mechanics that can make the game easier or harder down the line.

[droberts75]

What would happen if you fast travelled to St Denis on this mission?  Can you get ambushed while fast travelling?

[Poggy]

Whats the name of the mission?  I'll look it up in the guide and see if it says anything about this script.

[Kean_1]

1 hour ago, YodaMan 3D said:

Don't assume Kean is try to fill you with BS.  I think there are safeguards you can do, instead of running full bull in a china shop everywhere.  I also believe that somethings in this game just aren't fair.  I started playing through once, playing the nice guy and things was rough going in every event.  Restarted and instead of sparing NPCs, I'm cold and harsh.  Things seem easier and fewer gankings by NPCs, so far.  I think there are triggers hidden in the mechanics that can make the game easier or harder down the line.

Thanks Yoda but don't worry about it.  I figured RDR2.org would see it's share of this lot when the game released.  

I don't see the reason people like Wildpoop have to resort to disrespectful remarks like that but to be honest, I'm too old to evn give a crap.  Clearly his hamfisted ways of playing the game are working for him so what do I know anyway?  Let him continue to be frustrated with the game.  By contrast, I'm having a great time with it and learning how to react with the gameworld.  

RDR2.org was a fun and cordial atmosphere up till launch.  ......I'm not going to let a couple bad apples ruin it for me.  Time to start using the ignore feature.

[JackJT]

I agree with some that this sucks when you are ambushed and lose your horse but I also agree with the people who says it is a part of the experience and immersive aspect to the game. I think it sucks when you can’t do anything about it. Like you walk away saying “what did I learn” ... “uh don’t travel?” Cause I wasn’t even on a road I was crossing over one and it happened and boom ten dudes and me and my horse dead. My raven black shire you get in the story. I get that it helps you learn to be more aware of your surroundings and proceed with caution but at least allow us to have a chance to fight back or get away. I see ok I had a chance and I lost, but I had no chance and lost not just $50 but my horse as well that I bonded level 4 with. It honestly made me so mad when it happened cause now I feel like I can’t ride any of my bonded horses in fear that it’ll happen again.  

[DylBandit]

On 10/30/2018 at 10:37 AM, BropolloCreed79 said:

This is why I always create a backup save before starting a new mission.  It's saved my horse three times now.  With some missions, you can't save during, so I try to do it before I start off on anything new, even if I'm in the middle of nowhere.

  

This is a good idea. 

[Vareos]

I'm on my third playthrough. In both prior playthroughs I did not run into this particular ambush.  Though sadly it seems third time is a charm and this time myself and my arabian got shredded in about ten seconds or less. No missions active or bounties simply riding out of Saint Denis from the stables. All seems well suddenly on the left hand side of the road some damn Lemoyne raider starts mouthing off about where I do and don't belong. I find myself stuck in some sort of slow movement lock very much like you experience in camp. The enemies appear around me ,one enemy shouts "get that SOB!" another shouts "open up that maxim on him" 

I had zero chance to run or get myself to any defensible position before I was chewed to pieces by the enemies and the heavy machine gun they had used  to kill me and my horse in the ambush. There was no "BULL IN A CHINA SHOP" bs going on I was casually riding out of town ,nothing new done it a million times this same route before and never been ambushed in THAT spot with so many enemies plus a maxim machine gun. I will agree back up save files help but in this situation short of making a save every dang time I ride into Saint Denis there was no way to expect that in the town itself. 

Very much like wildpoop has stated you cannot evade, avoid or survive this encounter . It is a zero chance scenario and extra saves are pointless unless you plan to do so EVERY time you go in Saint Denis because there is NO way to know when or what triggers this event but when it hits you're dead no if ands or buts about it and so is your horse. No let me be clear I don't mind getting my backside kicked if I have at least a chance to fight back. Yes the risk of losing your horse adds an edge to the game but this isn't a "risk scenario" it's a "Oh well too bad you and your horse are dead" scenario.

TL:DR  It was a Forced NO CHANCE scenario and mechanics that activated in the ambush made it feel very much like a huge snarky FU from R*. If it's a bug well sh*t happens and moving along but if this is a working as intended mechanic scripted intentionally that's pretty messed up.

[Skyenout]

Created account for this. Just like wildpoop (lolz that we refer to each other by these names btw) says, this isn't one of those "Oh darn, guess I learned that I really liked my horse after all" moments. This is clearly some sort of glitch after talking to Strauss about other debtors and heading off in that direction near Saint Denise.

You get jumped by 10 guys and a gatling gun and you're dead before you can get a gun out. No getting off and telling it to flee, no dead eye trigger will save you. I've died on a horse before and it let's you keep the horse. Not this glitch. Lost a fully bonded Arabian. Couldn't load the autosave bc it already saved over it. So pissed.

I don't save every time I leave camp bc the game has autosave (that has worked consistently up until now) and I'm not a psychopath. 

[Diss]

A good insurance policy is to get the free white Arabian from near Lake Isabella (one of the best horses anyway) and also another quality horse.

Edited December 20, 2018 by Diss

[Wolfgangapolooza]

I also travel through the wildreness for the most part. But I had just gotten the white Arabian from Lake Isabela. And I had an awful time doing so, it was the first horse I'd ever broke and I wasn't familiar with the mechanics. So the first time I lost it and camped nearby and slept for as long as I could. It wouldn't respawn. So alternatively I went and decided I'd hunt the legendary bison in that location and get the legendary buck as well, putting some time and distance between me and the horses spawn location. When I was done and made two trips to the trapper and what ever other stops I'd made exploring, farming feathers, or completing any challenges, I'd probably killed 2 hours real time give or take. So I travelled back and finally got my white Arabian. Now my trouble begins. I go to Strawberry so I can ride this much faster horse to saint denis in under 9 minutes for a challenge. I was ambushed twice and attacked by wolves once. All before making it half way to my destination. I get literally within feet of the bridge to saint denis and this horse comes out of nowhere from the side of the road and knocks me off my horse thus failing the challenge. I get back on my horse and continue into the city in hopes it was still achievable. But it wasnt. I turned around and went right back the same way I came and I was surrounded by enemies. I had no time to counter attack or anything. Same ambush as most of you have had encountered. It's like the game knew I had just tamed this rare animal and rode it all the way from one side of the map to the other just to take my new horse. Never has dying killed my horse I've had since the beginning of the game. This is a cruel game mechanic. Not the players fault in my opinion. You have no chance. I think it only does it if you have recently gotten a good horse. I'm guessing they're horse thieves. But again, not players faults. Just Rockstars way of spitting in your face.

[Parzival]

I'm curious to know exactly which encounter this is, too. I've been ambushed on the road numerous times, but nothing to the intensity described here.

[Kormath]

11 hours ago, Parzival said:

I'm curious to know exactly which encounter this is, too. I've been ambushed on the road numerous times, but nothing to the intensity described here.

artistic over embellishment is what @Wolfgangapolooza's post is. 

I spent most of my 20+ days of playing in my previous and current play through  in the area between the Arabian and strawberry, there is only 1 ambush there, near the lake, with 3 or 4 guys, wrong side of Strawberry to affect the timed run.  Wolf attacks are common but you can easily outrun them or shoot them dead, but again they're at the lake, which is the wrong side of Strawberry for the timed run.  There is an ambush by the Leymone Raiders before you get to Rhodes, but that's only 3 or 4 guys and you can easily ride through them, i did that to get my timed run with the white Arabian completed.  

[Ducknuts]

Second playthrough and I stumbled upon a sick Missouri Foxtrotter in Chapter two. Fed her and she came around. Best horse in the game and she was mine early. 

 Heading into St Denis, no bounty, no quest and nearly a full bar of honour! I've been past this spot a hundred times with no hassles. I'm glad I read the previous posts as I had no idea what happened. I was dead before I knew it and when I re-entered the game, no Foxtrotter, just a shitty Tennessee Walker as my temp. horse. I was devastated. I've spent hundreds of hours playing this game and have never lost a horse! I hadn't made a save for a couple of hours as I was not doing anything that could get me in trouble. I sacrificed two hours playtime and went back and got her. Really pissed off that I had to do that as I'd been on a collecting hunt and lost a heap of collectables.

 A gattling gun? Seriously? Rockstar obviously made it impossible for you to survive this ambush but why? If it's a glitch then so be it but from the comments above it seems they are targetting players who own top horses. If they don't want us to have them why make them available in the first place? If it is Rockstar just pissing on you for their own enjoyment then that's just sick and f**k you Rockstar! 

 From now on I'm saving every 15 minutes. A hassle but I don't want to have to worry about this crap happening again! And I'll make sure I keep leapfrogging the last two saves so an Autosave can't stuff me up!

 

Edited June 26, 2019 by Ducknuts

[Foxtrot]

I quite happily threw away two or three days worth of game play to get back a beloved horse.  I wouldn't have really minded losing a few collectables as it would mean I play the game for longer, and I really did enjoy taking my time with this game.

Outside of this thread, I've never heard of this unsurvivable random attack - most ambushes you can simply ride away from if you don't want to stand your ground.  This event might be a glitch.

I havent noticed any difference in game play when riding a top tier horse.  Indeed, the difference in stats doesn't make a significant difference in gameplay.

[Kormath]

8 hours ago, Foxtrot said:

I quite happily threw away two or three days worth of game play to get back a beloved horse.  I wouldn't have really minded losing a few collectables as it would mean I play the game for longer, and I really did enjoy taking my time with this game.

Outside of this thread, I've never heard of this unsurvivable random attack - most ambushes you can simply ride away from if you don't want to stand your ground.  This event might be a glitch.

I havent noticed any difference in game play when riding a top tier horse.  Indeed, the difference in stats doesn't make a significant difference in gameplay.

I went back 2 chapters the first time i lost the white arabian.  Don't jump a train at Braccus station, the horse will run off the bridge.