Red Dead Redemption 2: New Playthrough, Who Dis?

[RealAlHazred]

So, several years ago, my wife and I got Red Dead Redemption 2, from Rockstar Games (the makers of the Grand Theft Auto series). As a historical nerd, I was really taken with the level of immersion it achieves of the turn-of-the-twentieth-century US. And it's extremely open, which I like in games (similar favorite games for me include Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom, Assassins Creed: Odyssey, and Cyberpunk 2077). It is slightly more linear than many of those games, having very defined chapters; certain equipment and such unlocks in various chapters, meant to show how your gang develops and the world reacts to your actions.

I started a playthrough, but got bogged down by the heaviness (Important Spoiler: your character develops Tuberculosis and dies before the end of the game; in the Epilogue, you play a different character). And then my daughter was born, and I pretty much had to put any violent video games aside for a while.

We've gotten into a pattern after she goes to bed either my wife or I has time to play games. I've started a new playthrough of the game, and, this time around, I'd like to try to use various exploits to open things up more. I'm not talking about cheat codes -- I'm talking about things the game lets you do, that give you certain items and such before the part of the game where they usually unlock.

I'm not sure if there's anybody who plays the game here, but I thought I'd document things I want to do, or have already done on this playthrough, and see if anybody has any ideas on other things I haven't thought of.

 

[RealAlHazred]

Chapter 1: Colter

So, the game starts you in what is effectively a "tutorial area" which is extremely limited compared to the rest of the game. You're in an abandoned mining town (Colter) in the Grizzlies (basically the Rocky Mountains) and there's a blizzard going on so if you wander too far from camp you just... die.

Nevertheless, there are things that I'd like to try.

For one, in the mission "Old Friends," you can disarm one of the O'Driscolls (a rival gang), and then kite them toward Micah Bell (easily my most-hated NPC in the game). He and Micah fight, and Micah gets disarmed; you can then take his revolver, which is slightly better than the one you start with. Besides, it's just... satisfying... watching that snake get a drubbing. Though, you have to stop him from killing Micah or the mission fails and you have to restart. Sad.