RDR2 Modding Guide for 2025

An up-to-date guide to set up Red Dead Redemption 2 for Story Mode mods, aiming to minimize game instabilities as a result of using modified files.

Guide Edits & Updates

3/06/25: Moved the bit about ScriptHookRDR2 V2's black screen bug out of FAQ into the mod's dedicated section since Rampage has reportedly been causing this bug lately. Thanks macattack93 for bringing this up!

Introduction

Hi hello!

Welcome to this simple modding guide for Red Dead Redemption 2.
This will walk you through all the steps to setting up RDR2 for mods that can be found on Nexus Mods[www.nexusmods.com] or rdr2mods[www.rdr2mods.com].

Certified tuberculosis AND lumbago free!

Some disclaimers:

Only use mods in Story Mode. Attempting to play Red Dead Online with modified game files could get you banned from Rockstar Game’s matchmaking servers. If you have any intention of playing multiplayer, this guide will not be helpful. Use RDO Lobby Manager[www.nexusmods.com] if you're looking for a tool to create private lobbies.

This guide does not compensate for irresponsible modding. I am not liable for time wasted because you thought it was a good idea to install 100+ plugins for a game that can only take up to around thirty before getting the software equivalent of heartburn. This guide is only intended for modders that want to prepare their game for their own hand-picked mod lists and to help people understand how modding RDR2 works (at the surface-level) and how to avoid the various pitfalls surrounding it. If you want a full mod collection to install all quick & dirty, this isn't the place to find one.

This is not a troubleshooting guide for any mod outside of what is presented for this guide. Please don’t bother me about WhyEm’s DLC being incompatible with everything. It's largely up to the user to understand how a mod works and how to properly install and use it for the game. If you think a mod is too hardcore in the technical sense for you, it probably is!

Please remember to double-check what kinds of files you are downloading off the Internet. Modding communities for Rockstar Games titles are notorious for harboring bad actors who will try to get you to download bad mods that don't work or just straight-up malware. I would only recommend downloading mods off of Nexus or rdr2mods.

Where to find your local files

Red Dead Redemption 2 is not widely supported by popular mod managers such as Vortex or Mod Organizer 2.0. It’s important to understand where to locate your game directory / root folder / local files, as you will be visiting it frequently to drop mods into it and find important files for tweaking.

On Steam, RDR2 local files can be found under:

C:\ > SteamLibrary > steamapps > common > Red Dead Redemption 2

The easiest way to reach this folder is going to your Steam Library, right-clicking Red Dead Redemption 2, going under “Manage” and clicking “Browse local files.”


NOTE:
Normally, the ‘SteamLibrary’ folder will be found under your Windows ‘Program Files.’ However, it is highly recommended to keep games away from default Windows folders as users lack write access to these folders and you may run into issues with mods or modding tools. You should ensure your Steam games are being downloaded to a safe folder away from Windows processes. Your game’s file path should look something like this:

C:\Games > SteamLibrary > steamapps > common > Red Dead Redemption 2

It is also recommended to have the game installed on a solid-state drive (SSD). These drives have faster read/write speeds and will improve loading times and performance. One of the biggest causes to the age-old stuttering problem which can occur from using mods is simply because you’re on a hard drive.

If you have previously altered the local files in any way...

It is recommended to perform a fresh reinstall of the game before moving forward with this guide. Yes, the storage size is over 100 GB and you have slower internet speed than an actual nineteenth century livestock town. There is nothing that can remedy this. Things are liable to break and force you to reinstall anyway if you try following this guide using an already modified copy of the game.

To do a clean uninstall of the game:
Go onto your Steam Library, right-click Red Dead Redemption 2, and then under “Manage” click “Uninstall.”

Afterwards, on your File Explorer go to:

C:\ > SteamLibrary > steamapps > common

And delete the Red Dead Redemption 2 folder.
Then, reinstall the game as normal.

If you are having issues launching the game after reinstallation, right-click Red Dead Redemption 2 in your Steam Library, go into “Properties” under “Installed Files” and click Verify integrity of game files. Steam will make sure that you obtain every clean file you need for the game.


Next, you should backup your saves before clearing the folder found in Documents. You can find your save game data at:

This PC > Documents > Rockstar Games > Red Dead Redemption 2 > Profiles > xxxxxxxx

Copy the 'Profiles' folder to a safe location on your computer.
Then, delete the 'Red Dead Redemption 2' folder to clear this data.
Once you've reinstalled the game, launch it to regenerate the Documents folder and then drag-and-drop Profiles into the 'Red Dead Redemption 2' folder. If prompted to merge anything, do so.

Tweaking game settings

Before altering any files, you should launch RDR2 in its vanilla state and make some tweaks in the graphics settings to optimize the game to your PC specifications. Mods will inevitably impact the game’s stability and performance so it’s recommended to have the game running as best as it can on your system.

There are like a thousand guides for performance optimization for this game, but I can only recommend one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pH3tMivH9ew&t=1030sIn addition to providing a recommended setup for most specs, it shows detailed comparisons of each individual graphics setting so you can decide which you would like to tweak in order to balance between graphical fidelity or game performance.

There is one other caveat about game settings you need to tweak for modding: your graphics API must be set to Vulkan.

While slightly more GPU intensive, RDR2 sees massive boosts to FPS when running on Vulkan and a ton of mods require you to use it otherwise they will break. I can’t help you if your system cannot run Vulkan for whatever reason; go buy a new computer.

Dependencies

Simply put, you need these following mods to use any additional mods for RDR2. Please be aware that there are different versions and variants of these mods that may not be fully compatible with certain mods. I would only recommend using what I post here.

---

Script Hook

Script hooks are used to run custom scripts in games.

ScriptHookRDR2 V2

[www.nexusmods.com]
A revised version of Alexander Blade’s ScriptHookRDR2.dll which adds some new features and fixes some bugs that were introduced with the AB script hook.

NOTE:
DO NOT download the Mod Loader (ASI loader) on the download page for this mod. It is outdated. Use the ASI loader provided in this guide.

Installation:

1. Manually download the Main File: ‘ScriptHookRDR2 V2’
   
2. Extract ‘ScriptHookRDR2.dll’ to the game’s local files.

The ‘sdk’ folder is simply a developer tool that isn't required to run the script hook. You can delete it or toss it somewhere other than your local files.

IMPORTANT:
A common bug with running V2 is loading into a black screen. This isn't a graphical issue but instead the result of an outdated ASI file conflicting with the UI included with V2. Here’s how to get around it:

• Open ‘ScriptHookConfig.ini’
  
• Set both of these to false and save all changes:
  

If you don't see an INI file, try doing the following:

• Install 'NativeTrainer.asi' from the AB script hook's download page[www.dev-c.com], then launch the game to generate the INI. The file can then be safely uninstalled if you don't want it.
  
• Try installing any other ASI mod so script hook can detect it and launch its parameters properly.
  
• Make one yourself. Create a new file called 'ScriptHookConfig.ini' in the game's directory, open in Notepad, and copy & paste the following text into it:
  

  [Interface]
  Enable = false
  
  [Overlay]
  Enable = false
  

  Then, save it. If done correctly, this will be the INI config that script hook will use.

DO NOT use more than one script hook, they cannot merge with each other. If a mod requires the AB version, just use V2 instead.

---

ASI Loader

ASI files are custom plugin scripts that require an injection file to load them properly into the game. Script mods are always installed directly into the game’s root folder where the ASI loader can be utilized.

Ultimate ASI Loader

[github.com]
ThirteenAG’s github has the most up-to-date ASI loader available. DO NOT download ASI loaders from any other web source.

Installation:

1. Scroll down to the README’s Description section on the github page. You should find a list of DLL files:
   
   
2. Click to download ‘dinput8.dll’ under Win64.
   
3. Extract to the game’s local files.

NOTE:
Some mods, like Online Content Unlocker, may ask for a different ASI loader named ‘version.dll’, also found on this github. DO NOT use this DLL; it is outdated and causes annoying gameplay bugs.
DO NOT use more than one ASI loader at a time, they cannot merge with each other. If a mod requires ‘version.dll’, just use ‘dinput8.dll’ instead.

Installing Mods Through ASI Loader

Mods that utilize the ASI loader are installed by:

1. Extracting the mod files to the game’s local files:
   

   C:\Games > SteamLibrary > steamapps > common > Red Dead Redemption 2

2. And that’s it, really! As long as the following criteria is met, the mod should load into the game the next time you launch it:
   
   • ‘dinput8.dll’ is installed correctly.
     
   • ‘ScriptHookRDR2.dll’ is installed correctly.
     
   • The ASI file included with the mod distributable is placed inside the root directory folder for RDR2, containing the game’s EXE (the program that runs the game.)

Most ASI mods usually come with a ‘readme.txt’ (or similarly named) file, which you should always read to learn how to properly install the mod and any important information about it.

They sometimes also come with a INI file, which is a configuration file used to tweak various user-defined settings for scripts or programs.

---

Lenny’s Mod Loader (LML)

[www.rdr2mods.com]
A tool used to inject mods into the game files. Mods that do not run through ASI loaders are dependent on this tool for proper installation.

Installation:

1. Click “Download this file” on the web page and select the main file on the top section of the pop-up: ‘lml_rdr_beta_11.zip’.
   
2. The distributable comes with two folders: ‘ModLoader’ and ‘ModManager’
   
   • Extract everything in ‘ModLoader’ to the game’s local files.
     
   • ‘ModManager’ can be extracted anywhere as it utilizes an independent file path to RDR2 via DLLs included in the aforementioned folder.

Installing Mods Through LML

The mod manager that comes included with LML must be used in order to enable installed mods. It is not the most user-friendly interface in the world and greenhorn modders may run into issues installing certain mods due to poor instruction. I recommend watching this video if you are having trouble:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-OIFFcIKDs

Setting up LML:

1. Launch ‘ModManager.UI.exe’ found in the ‘ModManager’ folder.
   
2. You must specify a path to the game’s files for the mod manager to function. Remember, this is:
   

   C:\Games > SteamLibrary > steamapps > common > Red Dead Redemption 2

3. Pick a theme of your choice and finish setup.

Mods are installed through LML by two methods:

• Extracting the mod to the ‘lml’ folder found in the game’s local files. If the contents of ‘ModLoader’ were installed correctly, the path to this is:
  

  C:\Games > SteamLibrary > steamapps > common > Red Dead Redemption 2 > lml

• On rdr2mods, there is an option to download mods directly to the mod manager, in which they will instead show up under the Downloads section and will be applied automatically. Some mods, such as anything on Nexus Mods, do not support downloading with a manager.

Generally speaking, mods will come with their own ‘lml’ folder, in which you copy over to the game’s local files. This will overwrite the contents of the mods into the ‘lml’ folder properly.
Or they will not, in which you can simply extract the contents of the mod to ‘lml’ or have to follow the instructions found in the mod’s description if the installation process is more involved.

Mods installed to ‘lml’ will show up on the mod manager. Check to make sure they are enabled before running the game.

You may also need to change the load order to ensure that priority mods are not overwritten by other mods. Most of the time, compatibility patches are made between two or more popular mods to ensure no integral files are being unintentionally overwritten. Otherwise, you may have to resolve file conflicts if they are actually causing problems in your game.

Dependencies (cont.)

RDO Asset Frameworks

These are two separate “enables Red Dead Online assets for story mode” mod frameworks. Some mods require them for certain content to load properly, namely Red Dead Offline[www.rdr2mods.com] which simply adds as many multiplayer assets to story mode if feasible.

ONLY USE ONE OF THESE AT A TIME.
DO NOT use both mods simultaneously. They are NOT mergeable. You WILL die a thousand deaths in conflict hell.

Online Content Unlocker (OCU)

[www.nexusmods.com]
This is the full multiplayer asset framework. Any and every file exclusive to RDO is included in this. It is designed to be as compatible with as many mods as possible regardless of up-to-dateness, at the cost of potential instability.

Installation:

1. Manually download the main file: ‘Online Content Unlocker’
   
2. Drop the ‘lml’ folder into the game’s local files.

LITE - Multiplayer Asset Enabler

[www.nexusmods.com]
This is the lightweight multiplayer asset framework. It is a newer alternative to OCU that fixes various bugs that are typically introduced with online unlockers and is designed for optimization. However, older mods may be incompatible.

Installation:

1. Manually download the main file: ‘LITE Multiplayer Asset Enabler’
   
   • This file contains as many multiplayer assets as possible including the online-only weapons. There are several different versions of LITE with reduced assets used in order to maximize game optimization at the cost of further incompatibility with mods that need these assets. You should decide which version of this mod you’ll need in accordance to whatever mods you will also be installing. This mod can be safely uninstalled and swapped to a different version at any time.
2. Drop the ‘lml’ folder in the game’s local files.

There are also compatibility patches for various mods that affect weapon sound effects. Go into the ‘Weapon sound compatibility patches - LOOK INSIDE’ folder, select the patch you need, and drop the ‘lml’ folder inside it in the game’s local files.

Out of the two frameworks, I recommend using LITE as it is the most up-to-date mod of the two, fixes a lot of bug fixes caused by similar mods, and helps preserve game performance. However, you may need to use OCU instead if you find that a mod using multiplayer assets is not working correctly (most notably the player models.)

Utilities

These are not required to run a modded game but are still highly recommended to use to help manage your existing mods or further improve the experience.

---

Red Dead Redemption 2 High Priority Processes

[www.nexusmods.com]
A registry edit for select games which makes them high priority over other CPU, disk or RAM processes. This is probably the best (and safest) last-ditch effort to combat modded RDR2's stuttering if you have exhausted every other method.

Installation:

1. Manually download the main file: 'Red Dead Redemption 2'
   
2. Extract anywhere and run 'Install Red Dead Redemption 2 High Priority Processes.reg'
   
3. Click Yes to continue.

---

Red Dead Modding Tool (RDMT)

[www.nexusmods.com]
Formerly Lenny’s Mod Conflict Checker Tool (LMCCT). A tool used to manage both ASI and LML mods simultaneously and pinpoint conflicts between two or more mods. This isn’t necessarily required to run mods for RDR2 but it is an incredibly useful tool if you wish to create larger mod lists for the game and frankly you’re making your life harder by not using it.

NOTE:
This is the most up-to-date version of the conflict checker tool. Only download from the link provided and avoid using versions labeled as LMCCT as they are outdated.

RDMT has two download options:

• Installer: The tool is installed in your game files.
  
• Portable: The tool is a separate program that requires a file path to the game, similar to the ‘ModManager’ in LML.

For first-time users, it is recommended to use Portable. If you have used RDMT or LMCCT previously, it is recommended to use Installer in order to automatically uninstall any outdated versions of the tool. Because I am assuming that you have cleaned your game folder entirely like I have explicitly asked you to, you should be using the Portable option.

Installation:

1. Go to the “Files” tab. Under ‘RDMT - Portable’, select Manual Download.
   
2. Files can be extracted anywhere outside the game folder.
   
3. Run ‘Red Dead Modding Tool.exe’. You will be asked to designate a file path to the game folder.

We will be using this tool later as an example of how to resolve file conflicts between two popular mods.

---

Rampage Trainer

[www.nexusmods.com]
Trainers are programs (used in-game or on a separate EXE) that are used to directly modify game memory without needing hash editors, etc. They’re normally used for cheating; if you’ve played Red Dead Online for more than a minute you’ve probably ran into someone using a trainer. But we will be using one for testing or troubleshooting mods in singleplayer when needed.

NOTE:
Rampage Trainer is probably the only trainer you should be using out of the dozen that exist for RDR2:

• The native trainer that came with AB’s script hook has minimal features and really is more of a proof-of-concept than an actual tool.
  
• Lenny’s Simple Trainer does not work with ‘dinput.8dll’.
  
• Any trainers specifically designed for cheating in RDO may not work properly in story mode. Also nine times out of ten they’re just malware.
  
• Every other trainer found on Nexus or elsewhere are outdated and probably will not work with the current script hook build or even the current version of the game.

Installation:

1. Manually download either main file:
   
   • ‘Rampage’ → Extract all contents to the game’s local files.
     
   • ‘Rampage NUI’, if you want a more consistent user interface → Extract all contents to the game’s local files.
2. Extract everything to the game's local files.

You're now set to install more mods!

Some more tips before you run off and install something that breaks your game and ruins everything:

• Ensure the mod you are installing is up-to-date. Old mods tend to be incompatible with newer versions of script hook, ASI loader, or other required mods and thus it may not load properly or cause unintended bugs.
  
• Review all requirements for the mod to be loaded properly. If you’re missing a required mod make sure to take a closer look at that mod also before installing.
  
• Follow all installation instructions provided by the mod author. Failing to install a mod correctly and then yelling at them about it not working will not solve your problem and will probably contribute to them closing the comments section, which isn’t helpful for anybody.
  
• If you’re not sure about a mod check the user comments or bug reports. Especially do this if you absolutely need to install an older mod.
  
• Too many mods will cause a memory overload for RDR2 and can crash the game. “Unknown error FFFFFFFF” means you ran out of stream memory and the game stopped running. Give certain mods priority on what you absolutely need versus what you want to use. Too many modified stream files can cause game mechanics such as wildlife or pedestrian spawns to break. Mods claiming to fix this bug instead do shoddy work-arounds which causes more unintended side effects to your game. See the very next section for more information.

The Spawn Bug™

A significant bug that is encountered with heavily modded games is reduced pedestrian or wildlife spawns, especially with vehicles like wagons, trains, and Saint Denis trolleys. While the specifics of this is still being debated, it is widely considered to be a problem involving uncompressed textures used for streaming files such as ‘YTD’ and ‘YMT’, which are commonly used in clothing mods such as WhyEM’s DLC, texture upscales, or most John Marston overhauls. When the game starts getting choked from memory overload, it will attempt to “cull” objects in order to help the game run with a problematic GPU. A marvel in performance optimization, but a nightmare when you want to use custom textures.

As of this guide there has been no successful way to increase the game’s memory usage without causing major problems in other areas. It is recommended to use mods that have used more resourceful compressing methods in order to prevent the bug from occuring in the first place. Unfortunately, a lot of older mods have not done this and a lot of players will unknowingly encounter this bug as they skim through the Most Downloaded page on Nexus, or download mod lists off of several year old YouTube videos.

If you want to learn more about the topic, here’s a 30+ page forum thread discussing the bug in greater detail.[www.rdr2mods.com]
Also a video showcasing the bug, from the author behind LITE - Multiplayer Asset Enabler:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0a11hlEwX6g

Resolving file conflicts

If there’s one skill you should absolutely pick up when modding RDR2, it’s knowing how to fix file conflicts. Depending on the mod that’s overwriting the file, this may cause the overwritten mod to break or cause unintended effects in-game.

For this example, we will be trying to install both Realistic Weapon Audio Overhaul (R.W.A.O)[www.nexusmods.com], and a weapon replacer mod That Gun[www.nexusmods.com]. The goal is ensure that the weapon replacer uses its own audio files and not the ones provided by R.W.A.O.

1. Launch the Red Dead Modding Tool and navigate to Conflicts. This is where you can find the full list of every file conflict present in your ‘lml’ folder.
   
2. With both aforementioned mods installed, you should be seeing this:
   
   We now know which file exactly is causing the conflict.
   
3. Launch the LML mod manager and navigate to Mods.
   
4. LML mods are loaded from top to bottom, meaning that anything below a given mod is loaded after it and may overwrite any of its files.
   
5. Select That Gun, and use the arrow buttons on the side of the mod list to move the mod below R.W.A.O.
   

With this arrangement, That Gun will now load after R.W.A.O. Thus, ‘rev_double_final.awc’ will be overwritten to whatever changes made with That Gun. The mod should now be working as intended.

Understanding your load order is how you can turn a big mod list into a big mod list that actually works.

Mods to avoid

A general list of “Most Downloaded” Nexus mods you should not use because they break your game or there are better alternatives:

• Ped Damage Overhaul: Does not work with ‘dinput8.dll’. Use an Euphoria animation replacer instead.
  
• Enhanced Brawling: Does not work with ‘dinput8.dll’.
  
• Jobs - Expanded and Enhanced: Does not work with ‘dinput8.dll’
  
• Community ScriptHookRDR2-dot-NET: Outdated and non-functional. Nothing will require it.
  
• Red Dead Redemption 2 Save Editor: Outdated. Comes with a DRM(?) that renders the tool unusable because it checks for an update that doesn't exist. Use one of the hundred thousand custom save games people have uploaded instead.
  
• Syyykes’ RDR2 Spawns Fix: An elementary-level ‘gameconfig.xml’ edit made by a comment-deleting egomaniac which forces memory values in an attempt to fix the spawn bug, which can break a variety of things from gameplay mechanics to scripted scenes depending on both your machine specs and whatever other mods you may have installed. You are rolling a dice to determine if this mod helps your game, hinders it, or does absolutely nothing. Use A Modest Memory Pool Booster for LML[www.nexusmods.com] if you are experiencing memory issues.
  
• John Marston Restoration Project (JMRP): Outdated (both this and its successor JMRE.) It also tends to cause problems with RDO content unlockers due to how it handles the Fence and Trader vendors. Use QoL - Artie and Johnny[www.nexusmods.com] instead.
  
• John Marston Animation Overhaul: Use Extended Player Animations[www.nexusmods.com] instead.
  
• Project New Austin 1907: Breaks spawn pools entirely and is a big culprit for “Unknown FFFFFFFF” errors. The "classic color scheme" doesn't work without the main mod so don't bother with that either. The mod author is apparently working on an update.
  
• Red Dead Redemption 2 Mod Manager: Doesn't work, hasn't worked, will never work. Just use LML, 5head.
  
• Disable Out Of Bounds Snipers: Outdated. Doesn’t play well with other mods that require the sniper to be removed, such as mods that reimplement Guarma after Chapter 5. Use No Out Of Bounds Snipers[www.nexusmods.com] or Pinkerton Repellent[www.nexusmods.com] instead.
  
• Speed Up Game: Extremely poorly put-together ASI file that breaks so many things that it’s kind of impressive.
  
• Rifle Holster: Causes a crash when loading a save game. Use Bakou’s Rifle Holsters[www.nexusmods.com] instead.
  
• Predators Rework: Breaks scripted scenes involving animals (such as the wolf chase during "Enter, Pursued by a Memory.")

Please let me know if I need to expand upon this list :)

Questions & Concerns

Should I be using Nexus Mods or rdr2mods?
Up to personal preference, for the most part. Both sites are verified modding communities for the game. You may find a more active community or bigger variety of mods available on Nexus, but people always have their reasons for staying away.

How do I revert my game to vanilla (apart from reinstalling)?
Remove ‘ScriptHookRDR2.dll’ and ‘dinput8.dll’ from your game folder or set them to read-only. None of your mods will load without them and as a result the game will revert to using its vanilla files. Most mods for RDR2 are safe to uninstall mid-save unless explicitly stated otherwise.

AB’s script hook still works fine for me, but I have problems running V2! What gives?
The AB hook has had a long-standing quirk in which the game’s pools for spawning pedestrians, etc., are being constantly culled (more often than what the game normally does) causing lower populations for towns and wildlife as a result. While this is likely an intentional “tweak” to minimize crashing on installs with many different mods or plugins, you don’t really need it if you curate your mod list.

What is exactly wrong with ‘version.dll’?
It is a special version of ASI loader (hence the name) that RDR2 specifically uses in order to unlock RDO content for modding. Older mods like Outfit Changer or Lenny’s Simple Trainer used it back in the day in order to allow players to utilize multiplayer content such as the male and female player models, as OCU and LITE were not a thing at the time. However, it was extremely unstable in Story Mode and was confirmed to break some world encounters (i.e., the two dudes dueling in Valentine) or certain gameplay mechanics (i.e, surrendering to law enforcement), amongst other things. If you want access to multiplayer content use Red Dead Offline[www.rdr2mods.com] instead. If you need the MP player models for whatever reason then you will have to use the Rampage trainer and utilize hashes found here[www.rdr2mods.com] to customize them. Player model edits should be entirely vanilla, including any RDO assets, so they should not cause the spawn bug.

How do I know my spawn pools are currently bugged from certain mods?
Try fishing or going hunting for birds. If you're playing as John a very easy way to check is visiting the chicken coup in Beecher's Hope to see if there are any actual chickens there. The spawn pools for these animal types are usually prioritized by the game for culling when it is necessary. Also try looking around Saint Denis for trolleys and wagons as this location is easily the most impacted by this bug.

I’m still having issues with stuttering! Can you recommend any fixes?
Do not install mods that claim to be “install & forget” fixes for stuttering, they do not work on every machine and are common culprits of the "Unknown error FFFFFFFF" crash if you are playing with multiple mods. A list of common troubleshooting tips:

• Install the game on a SSD with faster read/write speeds.
  
• Change your advanced graphics settings in-game to Vulkan graphics API.
  
• Make sure your FPS is capped to 60. RAGE engine seems to have issues trying to run at a higher framerate. If you're experiencing microstutters (occasional 2-4 FPS drop) because of hardware limitations rather than usual modded game stuttering, you could mitigate it by capping at 55 FPS instead.
  
• Use the most up-to-date ASI loader.
  
• Disable logging for Lenny’s Mod Loader.
  
• Ensure there isn't a memory leak.
  
• Go back to your in-game settings and tweak them for better optimization.

Red Dead Modding Tool appears to have a merging tool! Is it useful?
It’s not recommended to use it unless you absolutely know what you are doing. It’s an (old) beta feature of RDMT and users have reported issues when attempting to merge certain popular mods.

Why are certain mods asking me to remove files found in other mods if present?
This method forces a mod to overwrite a file without potentially causing a conflict with other popular mods. This can help dummy-down load orders and even fix any issues that may arise from overwriting certain files. However, if you decide to uninstall the mod which contains that file, you will have to reinstall the mod that was overwritten by it in order to recover the original file otherwise that mod may no longer function properly. This method works fine but if you're installing/uninstalling mods often you're better off using RDMT to learn how to arrange your load order instead.

What’s the best method for testing newly installed mods?
Use a trainer such as Rampage. If you don’t want your current save game to be affected by any changes made with Rampage, download a custom save game if you need to skip Chapter 1. Or just turn off the game’s constant auto-saving.

Do you have a curated mod list you can recommend?
Not yet. Soon™

Will you make a modding guide for Red Dead Redemption for PC?
As of the making of this guide, no substantial break-throughs had been made for RDR1’s modding scene yet. There are trainers (Rampage[www.nexusmods.com] is now available for RDR!), texture swaps, basic ASI scripts, and custom save games. That’s about it.

Will you make a modding guide for Grand Theft Auto V or any other Rockstar Games title?

Thanks for reading, stranger!

Now get out there and show those pansies at Take-Two Interactive that modding video games is actually pretty cool.

[Mr. MSG]

Is there a mod that allows you to change the total ammo capacity? I want to increase explosive ammo capacity

[blank]

Re running the game after I bought it near release and looking forward to your mod recommendations :D

[Sunrider_Vanguard]

Hi! Quick question regarding the mods to avoid! I am checking out the Ped Damage Overhaul page, in which it indicates that Dinput8.dll is needed, however, this guide says it does not work with it.

This is what it says on the page on the installation section:

"2. Extract Dinput8.dll and ScriptHookRDR2.dll into the main directory of RDR 2 (where the .exe file is)."

Does this mean that this mod is good to use? Or should I keep looking at another mods?

[BargainSale]

Cant rate this guide cause I own the game on the RGL (ew), but I second most of this. Just getting back into the game after 4 years and most mods are an outdated mess. Still, lots of hidden gems to find. I recommend Kiddo's economy mod and everything from Rededrunk for anyone that wants a more hardcore experience

[Mr. MSG]

I turned it off last night and my game is actually running way better.

[impulse]

# Mr. MSG
Change engine parameters= game break (changes compute/render timelines which causes the game to be unstable, laggy, freeze, and most likely crash often)
Change the sidelined cached data that the game will use in the future= Game stable (to a certain limit, which depends on your RAM, GPU vRAM, Virtual Memory+Page File are set to)
This is a console (probably Xbox) port, so a lot of the game engine's capabilities are limited to what consoles could do at the time of development (2013-2018) which means the OG xbox one and ps4. Even higher resolutions and larger texture mods can cause instability since this game IS dated and will never be able to get around those limits.

[Mr. MSG]

Ive been using Syyykes for a month! Can you give me more detail on whats wrong with it? I havent had any major issues but I have noticed a few minor things like pop-in being more common and a few weird animation bugs that occur once in a blue moon.

[The Mothman]

found rdr3 folder in game files..

[flam]

I appreciate the guide and have been modding RDR2 up to this point having never come across a few of these things, like the ultimate asi loader and RDMT. But man, no more Enhanced Brawling? That mod along with Honest Brawls is too much fun to think of going without it. I'll def have to do some testing but in any case, great guide!

[Lozzy]

@Phalanx
a lot of PDO's features such as disarming were bugged from my own testing with ScriptHookRDR2 V2 + dinput8.dll. experiences may vary as a lot of these features are deliberately random chance as and there are many other factors going into whether the mod is working as intended or not. so, it goes into the "I Cannot Be Bothered" pile.

this is actually the least of this mod's problems:
> breaks mission scripts often.
> the preset balancing on the mod is atrocious and requires lots of INI editing.
> the mod is dependent on NPC spawn pools to apply all that it does so it's very vulnerable to the spawn bug or other instances of pedestrian culling, which makes testing it even more inconsistent. WhyEm's DLC + PDO is more-or-less the wombo-combo in having a large list of mods that don't actually function properly.