Red Dead Redemption 2 RDR2 World Map Analyzed & Explained

<div class=”SteamLists_Top”>This guide will take a look at the RDR2 world map, explaining what all the contour lines mean & more.</div><br />&nbsp;
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<h2>Contour Chart</h2>
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(This chart can be used for any game with a topographical map.)&nbsp;
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<img src=”https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/1809862042853262690/FF31C17ABA165DF9B286624957FF500E5D3D6DE9/” alt=”Red Dead Redemption 2 – RDR2 World Map Analyzed & Explained” title=”Red Dead Redemption 2 – RDR2 World Map Analyzed & Explained” width=”1410″ height=”1771″ />&nbsp;
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<h2>Mountain Lines</h2>
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The world map in Red Dead Redemption 2 is topographical. Topographical maps show the natural and artificial features of an area, represented by lines on the map. Natural things like mountains, rivers, lakes. And artificial features like roads, railroads, towns…&nbsp;
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Let’s take a look at a mountain on the Rdr2 map. Compare the lines of this mountain to the Contour Chart above, and you will get an idea of what the mountain would actually look like ingame:&nbsp;
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<img src=”https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/1809862042853251851/9AE394CF23881438BCC97C822CD0429DD801F667/” alt=”Red Dead Redemption 2 – RDR2 World Map Analyzed & Explained” title=”Red Dead Redemption 2 – RDR2 World Map Analyzed & Explained” width=”191″ height=”135″ />&nbsp;
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Mountains with a bunch of lines and a smaller circle in the middle, are big/tall mountains with a small & usually pointed peak. And mountains with fewer lines and a big circle in the middle, are shorter mountains with a bigger and usually flatter peak.&nbsp;
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So for example, a small hill on the map would just be one large circle, because the top of a hill is big and flat. And there would only be a few (or none) other lines surrounding this middle circle, because hills aren’t very tall and usually it’s just the peak. They don’t have a lot of height or ridges like mountains have.&nbsp;
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<h2>Roads, Railroads, Boundary Lines & More</h2>
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These lines are railroads:&nbsp;
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<img src=”https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/1809862042853385440/04CB270231650A013CEFB8E79934827BA8AD789A/” alt=”Red Dead Redemption 2 – RDR2 World Map Analyzed & Explained” title=”Red Dead Redemption 2 – RDR2 World Map Analyzed & Explained” width=”160″ height=”133″ />&nbsp;
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Not to be confused with these lines, that look similar, which are boundary lines. These lines surround towns/settlements, and mark the boundaries of said locations. Here are boundary lines surrounding Valentine:&nbsp;
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<img src=”https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/1809862042853397604/285CD908CAE17C40313578F0C19E6BF7C60D729A/” alt=”Red Dead Redemption 2 – RDR2 World Map Analyzed & Explained” title=”Red Dead Redemption 2 – RDR2 World Map Analyzed & Explained” width=”318″ height=”373″ />&nbsp;
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The lines that are slightly thicker than mountain lines, are roads. Roads look like this on the map:&nbsp;
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<img src=”https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/1809862042853414946/788ED4CD7DA09032663E5D4CF40BF3468671295B/” alt=”Red Dead Redemption 2 – RDR2 World Map Analyzed & Explained” title=”Red Dead Redemption 2 – RDR2 World Map Analyzed & Explained” width=”221″ height=”159″ />&nbsp;
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These small black circles on the map, usually in towns, are train stations. And places where the trains will always stop at:&nbsp;
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<img src=”https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/1809862042853438214/89733F5A4C1BA637764717B36C3C3F26BB4C6C13/” alt=”Red Dead Redemption 2 – RDR2 World Map Analyzed & Explained” title=”Red Dead Redemption 2 – RDR2 World Map Analyzed & Explained” width=”134″ height=”126″ />&nbsp;
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There’s some large blotches of gray on the map that don’t look like normal topographical mountains, as they don’t have a circle surrounded by other lines, but they are indeed mountains. Mountains that look like this are very big, rough, and dense mountain ranges. They’re usually so tall and have such rough ridges that the player can’t climb or pass through them, unless there’s a road. This is why you will see many blotchy mountains that look like this on the very far edges of the Rdr2 map. They are there to mark the boundaries of the map and stop the player from passing through. Here’s what they look like:&nbsp;
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<img src=”https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/1809862042853464288/7024DC8D22829E1FA0A5925B665058EF55A214D6/” alt=”Red Dead Redemption 2 – RDR2 World Map Analyzed & Explained” title=”Red Dead Redemption 2 – RDR2 World Map Analyzed & Explained” width=”280″ height=”244″ />&nbsp;
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Mountains that have a thick blotchy line (kind of like the ones above, but smaller), and a bunch of thinner normal mountain lines, really close together, surrounding it – are cliffs. The actual drop-off part of the cliff itself is the thick blotchy part, and the close together lines coming out of it represent the incline below the cliff. So here’s what a cliff looks like on the map:&nbsp;
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<img src=”https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/1809862042853501360/B203FEE1F878AD77FA86276084BCDF79E048562C/” alt=”Red Dead Redemption 2 – RDR2 World Map Analyzed & Explained” title=”Red Dead Redemption 2 – RDR2 World Map Analyzed & Explained” width=”273″ height=”216″ />&nbsp;
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These really thick, dark black lines (that look just like boundary lines but bigger), are <b>STATE</b> boundary lines. They separate states on the map. For example, you could get a bounty in Lemoyne, but then step one foot over the state boundary line, and you would be in a different state, so the bounty hunters of that state couldn’t go after you anymore. Here’s what they look like:&nbsp;
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<img src=”https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/1809862042853540030/9B098699B9353F9B6B9E65BAFAC5D1F3822EE674/” alt=”Red Dead Redemption 2 – RDR2 World Map Analyzed & Explained” title=”Red Dead Redemption 2 – RDR2 World Map Analyzed & Explained” width=”1410″ height=”1295″ />&nbsp;
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By the way, there are 5 states in RDR2. New Hanover, Ambarino, Lemoyne, New Austin, and West Elizabeth.&nbsp;
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The lines that look like state boundary lines, but smaller, are <b>COUNTY</b> boundary lines. They’re just like state lines but they separate counties instead. This is what they look like:&nbsp;
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<img src=”https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/1809862042853570111/7162542CB5C007BDDB481D9A296FD5D4B77DA2FB/” alt=”Red Dead Redemption 2 – RDR2 World Map Analyzed & Explained” title=”Red Dead Redemption 2 – RDR2 World Map Analyzed & Explained” width=”215″ height=”259″ />&nbsp;
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<h2>Thanks Fellers!</h2>
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Thank ya fellers! I really hope you learned something new from this guide. You might’ve known some of it, or all of it, but I appreciate you checking it out anyways. Please feel free to <b>rate/favorite/follow</b>, and I’ll make more helpful guides like this in the future. Peace :D&nbsp;
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<p style=”text-align: right;”>By <a href=”https://steamcommunity.com/id/zvvx” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>Psycho</a></p><br />Hope you enjoy the Guide about Red Dead Redemption 2 – RDR2 World Map Analyzed & Explained, if you think we should add extra information or forget something, please let us know via comment below, and we will do our best to fix or update as soon as possible!
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