Hostility is a gameplay element added in the May 14, 2019 update for Red Dead Online. It was added to allow players to more easily fight back against griefers.
Gameplay[]
Hostility has benefits and penalties, depending on what level it is at. There are 3 levels: Low, Medium, and High. It is increased by hostile actions. For example, killing a player-owned horse except in the context of self-defense will increase a Low hostility level to Medium hostility level, and killing/attacking a player who didn't shoot first whilst in defensive will raise hostility by one level.
Pressing Charges[]
If a player is killed by another player and they didn't start the fight or take any aggressive actions against their killer, they have the option to press charges. This increases hostility and increases the offender's bounty by 50 cents.
Defensive Mode[]
Defensive Mode is a mode differing greatly from Offensive Mode, the mode in which everyone has been playing until the May 14 update. In Defensive players cannot lock onto each other, take critical hits from other players, use melee or the lasso and be meleed/lassoed, or use Dead-Eye to mark players. If a player commits an action that increases their hostility, it takes them out of Defensive temporarily; players with High hostility cannot use Defensive or press charges even if they were attacked first. Attacking High hostility players bears no consequences other than being taken out of Defensive Mode. No hostility increase is given to the attacking player if they start a fight with a High hostility player, and no consequences are given if the High hostility player defends themselves from the attack. Players are removed from Defensive Mode when joining Showdown matches, story missions or posses that are not able to go Defensive. Players in Defensive Mode take less damage and deal less damage from and to other players, unless they are attacked; if they are attacked first by another player they deal full damage while still taking less. High hostility players are a maroon color on the map, Medium hostility players are pink and Low hostility players are blue.
Hostility Penalties[]
- Killing/assaulting player owned horse whilst in Defensive: Low to Medium
- Killing/assaulting player who is in Defensive mode: Low to Medium
- Killing player whilst you're in Defensive: Low to Medium