Being wanted...

[MachineGhost]

Don’t understand this witness/being wanted thing. Seems as though no matter what happens in the game, Arthur is the one to blame. Got jumped by 5 guys in the woods & you happen to kill a horse in the firefight? Wanted for animal cruelty. Get in a fistfight with three guys who attacked you on the docks in Saint Denis? Wanted for assault. Defend yourself & kill some O’Driscolls with lots of witnesses? Wanted for murder.

Enough already. I know that the game needs to give the player something to do, but let’s get real. Even if the “witless witness” NEVER sees Arthur in the visinity of an altercation of some sort, Arthur’s the one that gets reported as being the perp.

Hey Rockstar - hint: there’s enough to do in this game without all the distractions of constantly being wanted for SOMETHING.

[Truth]

8 minutes ago, MachineGhost said:

Hey Rockstar - hint: there’s enough to do in this game without all the distractions of constantly being wanted for SOMETHING

Hey @MachineGhost - you can avoid getting a bounty by wearing a mask (or your bandana)...

10 minutes ago, MachineGhost said:

Arthur’s the one that gets reported as being the perp

If you wear a mask/bandana, the bounty will be for and unknown person (not Arthur). Either run away, or get somewhere you can hide (if in town) and change your clothes/remove your mask so they won't know it was you.

[MachineGhost]

Many thanks for the tips.  Just seemed like useless BS thrown into the game.

So you’re saying I should put my mask on during conflict situations??

[Kormath]

11 minutes ago, MachineGhost said:

Don’t understand this witness/being wanted thing. Seems as though no matter what happens in the game, Arthur is the one to blame. Got jumped by 5 guys in the woods & you happen to kill a horse in the firefight? Wanted for animal cruelty. Get in a fistfight with three guys who attacked you on the docks in Saint Denis? Wanted for assault. Defend yourself & kill some O’Driscolls with lots of witnesses? Wanted for murder.

Enough already. I know that the game needs to give the player something to do, but let’s get real. Even if the “witless witness” NEVER sees Arthur in the visinity of an altercation of some sort, Arthur’s the one that gets reported as being the perp.

Hey Rockstar - hint: there’s enough to do in this game without all the distractions of constantly being wanted for SOMETHING.

you don't get accused for Murder when killing O'Driscolls.  I've done it many times in Valentine.  there's often a group of 2 or 3 just down the side street from the butcher, towards the auction grounds.  I usually find them threatening a townsperson for money.  Kill them dead and the guy or gal they were accosting thanks you.  

Those are the only people (O'driscolls in genearl, not just those in that spot) that you don't get accused for murder.

What i've seen, is after i kill O'driscolls, anywhere, if i loot them that's when a witness will accuse me.  So i'm guessing that's what's happening to you.  Don't loot with witnesses around

If you wear a mask you won't get reported, it will be an unknown something or other, but you won't get a bounty if you get away quick enough and avoid the investigation.

Also, always kill the witness. Always.  That saves you from being turned in for a crime.  I've had to kill witness after witness after witness once.  I killed a guard at the oil factory place with a tomahawk, chased that witness towards Valentine, got seen by a guy passing on horseback, chased him farther down the road toward Valentine, got caught killing him by 2 guys in a wagon, chased them over the hill toward Valentine and killed them to get caught by another lone horseman.  Killed him, also on his way to Valentine. and luckily wasn't seen by another witness.  Seems like the witnesses always run to the nearest settlement or town to turn you in.

[sLLiMM]

2 minutes ago, MachineGhost said:

Many thanks for the tips.  Just seemed like useless BS thrown into the game.

So you’re saying I should put my mask on during conflict situations??

before you engage yes if not it will say "wanted Arthur Morgan" 

[Truth]

1 minute ago, MachineGhost said:

So you’re saying I should put my mask on during conflict situations??

I've made it a habit. Like @Kormath said, you shouldn't get a bounty for killing a rival gang, but you will get a bounty for looting. Again, wearing the mask will keep them from knowing who did it. You can easily just ride off and not have any issues.

Here's the list of crimes/bounties (taken straight out of the guide):

Spoiler

On 11/12/2018 at 3:22 PM, Truth said:

Animal Cruelty: $5

Arson: $5

Assault: $5

Bank Robbery: $25

Cheating: $5

Disturbing the Peace: $5-$10

Intimidation: $5

Jail Break: $25

Kidnapping: $10 ($15 for lawmen)

Looting: $5

Murder: $15 ($20 for lawmen)

Robbery: $5-$10

Rustling: $5

Theft: $5 ($10 for horse theft)

Train Robbery: $50

Trespassing: $5

Vandalism: $5

Unarmed Assault: $5

 

If you do get caught:

For the little things, just pay it off to avoid bounty hunters. For bigger bounties, I spend all my money and turn myself in. This gets rid of the bounty and doesn't cost you anything more than a couple minutes of cutscenes.

[Kormath]

1 minute ago, MachineGhost said:

Many thanks for the tips.  Just seemed like useless BS thrown into the game.

So you’re saying I should put my mask on during conflict situations??

Before if possible.   "I'm gonna rob you, give me your money, but wait let me put my mask on so you'll forget who i am."   Doesn't work here, doesn't work in the game either

Unless i'm building bounty for fun to get lawmen to chase me so i can kill them and get some easy cash, i started to always wear the bandana.  Shopkeepers will remind you to remove it, and stranger quest people also.

[MachineGhost]

Thanks to all for the help. Much appreciated!

[Kormath]

1 minute ago, Truth said:

I've made it a habit. Like @Kormath said, you shouldn't get a bounty for killing a rival gang, but you will get a bounty for looting. Again, wearing the mask will keep them from knowing who did it. You can easily just ride off and not have any issues.

Here's the list of crimes/bounties (taken straight out of the guide):

  Hide contents

 

 

If you do get caught:

For the little things, just pay it off to avoid bounty hunters. For bigger bounties, I spend all my money and turn myself in. This gets rid of the bounty and doesn't cost you anything more than a couple minutes of cutscenes.

Disturbing the peace suprised me when i got that one.  Trying to throw the tomahawk and horribly missed my target, but that disturbed someone i guess lol.

 

THanks for the list!

[MachineGhost]

Yep, “Disturbing the peace” is a strange one. Bumped into a lady on crowded street in Saint Denis with my horse (at slowest walking speed) - wanted for disturbing the peace. Crazy.

[Kean_1]

@MachineGhost

There have been a couple folks around here that have gone on rants about the bounty system but I could see by their posts that it was simply a lack of understanding of how the mechanic works.  I'm glad to see you're at least open to explanations and tips people here have provided.

There is a method to the madness and deeper than some understand.  Here is a pretty decent explanation 

https://www.dexerto.com/red-dead-redemption/how-to-never-get-a-bounty-in-red-dead-redemption-2-wanted-system-explained-218399

 

Quote

Witnesses
The first thing to understand is witnesses. Any individual or individuals who see Arthur commit a crime, from disturbing the peace to cold blooded murder, will become witnesses. You can see these witnesses marked on the mini-map with an eye symbol. Use a mask around them and stop and intimidate them into not talking if there is only one of them.

If you do not use a mask, witnesses will immediately recognize you as Arthur Morgan. You will know if they have recognized you are not, as it will either say 'Unknown Suspect' or 'Arthur Morgan' underneath the Wanted sign in the top right.

This wanted loop, via Reddit user BurayanFury, comes from the Red Dead Redemption 2 companion app, and provides the best breakdown of the Wanted and Bounty system, and how to never get a bounty.

White eye witnesses

If the eye on the mini-map is white, they know some kind of commotion has occurred, but they don't know by whom or what. As long as you flee the scene quickly, you will get no bounty, as they do not know your identity to report to police.

Dark red eye witnesses

These witnesses didn't get a good look at you either, and so as long as you have not committed a crime in that same area before wearing the same clothes and you are wearing a mask, simply escape the scene and you will not get a bounty.

Bright red eye witnesses

These witnesses have seen the crime and know exactly who you are. These witnesses you definitely want to stop and intimidate them into not talking. However, if there are multiple dark red eye witnesses, you are best to just flee the scene and accept your bounty.

Lawmen
Lawmen appear to have super powers in Red Dead Redemption 2, as even if you are wearing a mask, they will immediately recognize you as Arthur Morgan through any disguise. If this happens, you will get a bounty.

If you recently had a bounty in an area, and you return to the same area with the same clothes, hairstyle and horse, you will be instantly recognized when you commit another crime, even if you have a mask on.

If worst comes to worst, and you do get a bounty, you simply need to head to a post office to pay it off.

At lower wanted levels, when you haven't committed crimes too severe, you will also get the option to surrender to the law. In this case, you will taken to a local jail where you will wait out your sentence, but members of your gang will also come to help break you out.

 

[Truth]

5 minutes ago, Kean_1 said:

Here is a pretty decent explanation

That is THE explanation lol

[Kean_1]

5 minutes ago, Truth said:

That is THE explanation lol

Yeah, I think some don't realize just how deep some of the mechanics are in this game and quite frankly, R* doesn't do a very good job in explaining some of them.  I mean, we are all learning some of these things by accident or through each other as we share our experiences.  Some of this information seems scattered at best.

[Volt]

1 hour ago, Kormath said:

Also, always kill the witness. Always.  That saves you from being turned in for a crime.  I've had to kill witness after witness after witness once.  I killed a guard at the oil factory place with a tomahawk, chased that witness towards Valentine, got seen by a guy passing on horseback, chased him farther down the road toward Valentine, got caught killing him by 2 guys in a wagon, chased them over the hill toward Valentine and killed them to get caught by another lone horseman.  Killed him, also on his way to Valentine. and luckily wasn't seen by another witness.  Seems like the witnesses always run to the nearest settlement or town to turn you in.

 

You can also threaten the witness into forgetting what they saw. I had someone witness me holding up a store. They ran off as the bright red EYE icon on my radar. I ran after them. I caught up to them. I could kill them. Instead, I was able to interact with them and choose to threaten them. It took a bit longer to make them stop being a witness than killing them. So this seems situational in its usage.

[Truth]

Just now, Volt said:

It took a bit longer to make them stop being a witness than killing them. So this seems situational in its usage.

Also prevents the hit to your honor.

[Kormath]

20 minutes ago, Truth said:

Also prevents the hit to your honor.

True, but this play through i'm going for the villian  So i shoot first and let whoever sort it out after.

  i'll run through it again after and do the Hero.

[Kean_1]

1 hour ago, Volt said:

You can also threaten the witness into forgetting what they saw. I had someone witness me holding up a store. They ran off as the bright red EYE icon on my radar. I ran after them. I caught up to them. I could kill them. Instead, I was able to interact with them and choose to threaten them. It took a bit longer to make them stop being a witness than killing them. So this seems situational in its usage.

Yeah, I use the intimidation angle when possible.  The lasso works good to quickly stop them as well.  

[rick249kdr]

2 hours ago, Volt said:

You can also threaten the witness into forgetting what they saw. I had someone witness me holding up a store. They ran off as the bright red EYE icon on my radar. I ran after them. I caught up to them. I could kill them. Instead, I was able to interact with them and choose to threaten them. It took a bit longer to make them stop being a witness than killing them. So this seems situational in its usage.

This is my method. 

I never kill witnesses.

Talk them out of it or hogtie them. When you cut them loose they'll relent.