MERRY CALL TO ARMS

ROLE

Designer

DESCRIPTION

The Christmas variations are similar to regular Call to Arms modes but with snow/heavy snow that impacts visibility.

There are also Easter eggs unique to these variations. These Easter eggs require players to find glowing targets around the play area. After shooting all of the targets, the Easter egg is activated which spawns explosive ammo rounds, extra health pickups, and fires off some fireworks in line with the festive theme.

Two A.I. allies play musical instruments, a guitar, and a banjo; these allies play Christmas carols and songs on these instruments. During waves three and eight, the weather changes to a blizzard to add a change of environment to the mode, the blizzard affects different parts of the RDO map differently.

For these variations, I located appropriate towns or settlements where a snowy Christmas theme would be appropriate. I customized the enemy paths, weapon types, and accuracies as well as established possible distinct enemy types for the selected areas. I also added cover props that both enemies and players use that fit with the theme and the snow in the area.

Game

Red Dead Online

RELEASE

October 2021, October 2022

GENRE

Player vs Environment (PvE) Survival Based Mode

PLATFORMS

PlayStation 4 & 5, Xbox One S & X, Xbox Series X & S, PC
(Formerly also on Google Stadia)

Call to Arms - Rhodes

This variation takes place in a town known as Rhodes situated in the heartlands/prairie region of the RDO map.

I chose this location since the town has a very nice layout and takes on the snow for the Christmas variations quite well. It has a lot of buildings that provide a lot of natural cover. With one main street and a couple of smaller streets, the play area primarily requires players to engage in short to mid-range combat.

As part of the unique features of this variation, I added white wolves, cougars, and a Christmas train (adorned with wreaths and candy canes) that brings in enemy reinforcements. Since the players cannot hunker down on any of the roofs, using the building interiors for cover becomes essential. This makes players use almost all of the buildings in the play area as a means of cover or to traverse within the play area.

Video courtesy of Dark Knight of Thrones on Youtube

Call to Arms - Hanging Dog Ranch

This variation takes place at a ranch known as Hanging Dog Ranch, in the northern plains of the RDO map.

I chose this ranch because it is a very well known location within the RDO universe and the area lends itself perfectly for a snow-themed mode.

This ranch is a relatively smaller play area with tight spaces and only one interior to speak of. This variation forces the players to be constantly on the move and ready for short-range combat within the ranch and long-range combat with enemies coming in from the plains and the cliff behind. The unique enemy types here are white wolves and grizzly bears that can kill the players in two hits.

As part of the easter egg in this variation, shooting the targets (in this case red cardinals) triggers not only the regular easter egg but also spawns nine reindeer that fly off into the sky as an homage to Santa’s reindeer.

Video courtesy of Rockstar Tutorials on Youtube

Video courtesy of Brownie RDO on Youtube

Call to Arms - Annesburg

This variation takes place in the mining town of Annesburg, in the northeastern hills of the RDO map.

I chose this area because of its location within the map, being one of the few settlements so far North, where a mode such as this could be integrated. This area focuses primarily on long-range combat with long sightlines across the town and elevation from the hills on two sides. The buildings themselves also provide high ground for the players as does the tower in the middle of the player area which acts as a perfect sniper's nest.

The size of the play area is such that players have to make use of the provided horses to make their way across the area faster. This changes the flow of the mode drastically, as players have to cross larger distances.

The unique enemies used here are white wolves, white cougars, and a Christmas train bringing in enemy reinforcements armed with an emplaced turret gun (this gun can also be used by the players before the train departs).

Video courtesy of Rockstar Tutorials on Youtube

Call to Arms - Saint Denis Manor

This variation takes place in the grounds of a manor in the town of Saint-Denis in the southern part of the RDO map. This manor was used in the single-player campaign as the Mayor’s manor.

I chose this manor and its grounds as it would be a different take on the usual Call to Arms variations. The play area has a mix of the interior and the grounds of the manor with the enemies funneled in from the only three openings to the manor grounds. This keeps players on their toes in a more traditional survival-based mode, the enemies outnumber the players faster and can be overwhelming.

The unique feature in this mode is six enemies coming in on boats and more armored enemies than in other variations. The manor itself provides good cover with both high and low-ground options. I've also adorned the manor and its grounds with Christmas lights and decorations to enhance the theme of "a Christmas party that gets invaded".