Red Dead Redemption 2 is a beautiful game with a lot going for it.
The attention to detail Rockstar put into the game is still unparalleled several years after its release.
Although, you'll find that after playing it for some time, it has some quirks and imperfections that you'd wish you could change.

This modding guide hopes to serve as a go-to resource for beginners who want to start installing mods for their game.
In this guide you will learn where to start, what to avoid and some important notes for RDR2 mods.
Experience of navigating folders and basic knowledge of file types are required in order to use this guide effectively.

Feedback on this guide with what it discusses and its readability are greatly appreciated. I will be updating it generally and around feedback given.


DISCLAIMER:
This guide has been written based on personal experience of what it attempts to explain and provide knowledge for.
Therefore, I am not responsible for any potential damage or inconvenience that could come as a result of following this guide as all information detailed in it has been written from months of my own experience through trial and error; with the expected outcome of following this guide simply being a smooth modded experience.

This guide will only cover the game as purchased on the Steam platform.
Red Dead Redemption 2 requires a legitimate (non-pirated) copy in order to work with mods. Only the full game will work with mods, not standalone RDO.
The mods I provide you will automatically prevent you from loading into Red Dead Online whilst they are installed in order to avoid a ban.










CHAPTER I - Setting Up
First thing's first - you need the key components that will make mods work when installed.
Please ensure you have the game installed before continuing any further.


1a. Lenny's Mod Loader
Lenny's Mod Loader (LML) is a component that allows asset replacements (textures, audio, etc) to work.
LML is separate from the other components in this list and does not touch any custom scripts, only game assets.

Go to the mod page and download the latest version (the one named beta_11).
Once it has downloaded, open the ModLoader folder and then drag and drop everything into the game's root folder.
You do not need the '_PLACE ALL THIS IN THE GAME ROOT' file. Discard the zip file after you have done the above.



1b. ScriptHookRDR2 V2
ScriptHook is a component that allows custom scripts to work in the game.
This component does not touch game assets directly, unlike LML.

For this guide, we will only be using the second file in the downloads area (the one named ScriptHookRDR2 V2). We do not need the ‘Mod Loader’ from this page.
Once it has downloaded, drag ScriptHookRDR2.dll into the game's root folder. You do not need the .lib file in the sdk folder.
Discard the zip file after you have done the above.



1c. Ultimate ASI Loader
Ultimate ASI Loader is a component that works in tandem with ScriptHook to make custom scripts work.

Download dinput8.dll from the Win64 column.
Once downloaded, drag and drop the file into the game's root folder.
Discard the zip file after you have done the above.



Now stop. Run the game after you have done all of the above.
If the game has got to the main menu without crashing then you have done all previous steps correctly.
Close the game after it has got to the main menu and continue the guide.





CHAPTER II - Installing Mods
Now onto what you've been waiting for - the mods themselves.


2a. Mod Sites
There are a number of sites that provide mods for RDR2 but for this guide I will only recommend the two below:


Nexus Mods (you are here)
The RDR2 section of Nexus hosts some of the best quality mods you can find. This section also includes some modders resources.


RDR2Mods.com
RDR2Mods is a site that was made for hosting mods as well as having dedicated sections for the game's assets, modding resources and discussions.


For what RDR2Mods has in terms of quantity, Nexus Mods has more in quality as you will find a lot more professionally made mods here, although you may also find some of them on RDR2Mods as well since mod authors may upload to both of them.

I would steer clear of any modding sites apart from these two. This is due to those other modding sites having a lack of verification for being secure and professional.



2b. Mod Managers
The use of mod manager applications can help keep your mods tidy and point out mod conflicts so that you can manage them very easily.
These mod managers do not need to be installed in the game's root folder and can be installed anywhere else.
You do not need to use one but I heavily recommend it for its usefulness.

RDMT
Red Dead Modding Tool (RDMT) is an application that automatically tracks all of your installed mods, their conflicts and mod prioritisation.
This manager shows your installed script/ASI mods and LML mods, as well as the option to change mod priority to manage any conflicts.
The manager also gives you the option to merge mods, however this feature is not yet complete and it is advised to avoid that for now.

Installing:
There are two versions of RDMT which you can download: The installer or portable application. Choose only one.
You can download the installer if you would like to use the manager long-term, otherwise the portable application can be used instead.

1. If you have downloaded the installer, open the zip file and run the installer application. Choose where you want to install the manager and finish.
2. If you have downloaded the portable, open the zip file and drag the folder to a location of your choosing.

Setting up:
1. Once the manager is installed, run Read Dead Modding Tool.exe and go into the Settings tab once it opens.
2. There should be a file path which goes to the game's root folder. If there is then skip the next step.
3. If there isn't then you must enter it yourself. Click on the 'Browse' button and navigate to your root folder.
4. RDMT is now set up for use. You can also change the colour theme of the manager and even link your Nexus Mods account if you want to.

Using:
1. Any script mods you have installed will show up in the ASI Mods tab. These mods do not need to be prioritised.
2. Any LML mods you have installed will show up in the LML Mods tab. These mods can be prioritised if there are any conflicts.
3. To prioritise your LML mods, you can use the up/down arrows to sort them. Mods are prioritised bottom to top (mods below overwrite the ones above them).
4. Prioritising your mods is key to conflict management. Any active mod conflicts will show up in the Conflicts tab.

That's all there is to using RDMT. Like I said earlier, do not use the Merge feature in this manager as it is not complete. This guide will not cover mod merging.



2c. Mod Installing
When you have chosen a mod you'd like to install for the game, there is something you need to keep in mind if you haven't gathered it already.
The mod's page should come with installation instructions. If they don't or you are unsure then you should adhere to the below information.
There are two types of mods for RDR2: Script mods and LML mods.

For an example of a script mod, look at Horse Hydration. This mod consists of an .asi file that is simply dropped into the root folder.
For an example of an LML mod, look at Rain Particles Fix. This mod consists of a dedicated folder which is simply dropped into the lml folder.

Some LML mods will not contain a dedicated folder and will simply ask you to drop its files into the stream or the replace folder, which are located inside your lml folder. Some, more complex mods will contain both script mods and LML mods that are dropped into their respective locations once downloaded.


Side note: Ultimate ASI Loader provides a 'scripts' folder that you can use if you want to bundle your script mods together instead of keeping them in the root folder. However, RDMT will not detect your installed script mods as a result but they will still work without problem.


Don't go wild just yet. Now that you know how to install mods, you should read the rest of this guide to ensure you have a smooth experience modding your game.





CHAPTER III - Mod Organising
Knowing how to organise your mods is very useful if you start facing mod conflicts and/or wish to uninstall a mod.


3a. Mod Conflicts
Although we've already mentioned mod conflicts, you should know how to properly manage them and be aware of specific conflicts.

Two or more mods that edit the exact same files will obviously conflict to the point where your load order results in one of them completely overriding the other.
An example we can look at is Real Weapon and Brand Names and Weapon Name Overhaul. These two mods edit the same file named 'strings.gxt2' and so are completely incompatible.
The majority of more complex mods which edit multiple files will often state their incompatibilities on its mod page. If in doubt, it doesn't hurt asking around.

As mentioned earlier, you can use the mod manager to prioritise which conflicting mod overwrites another if the conflicts are less severe and could still result in both mods working alongside each other well enough.



3b. Mod Uninstalling
If you have run into a mod conflict that can only be resolved by removing a mod or just want to uninstall one then its often as simple as removing the files in question.
Of course, you'd first need to know what exact files you are getting rid of.

The best way is to view your mods in the mod manager, select the desired mod in the list and then press the 'Open Mod Folder' button at the top-right.
You will be taken to the mod's location in the lml folder where you can then delete/remove the mod's folder and be done with it.
Script mods will of course be in the root directory and it is as simple as finding the name of the script which should correlate to the mod's name.

If you have installed a mod directly into the stream or replace folder then you will need to look in the mod's downloaded zip file and locate where those files are by their names or folders. Using the search bar in file explorer can also help with this but just be careful you don't delete the wrong files.
If you do not have the downloaded file anymore then you will need to trace the mod back to its mod page and look at the files from there.



3c. Mods to Avoid
This is an informative section which will detail certain mods you should avoid installing due to issues they pose to your game.
Obviously you can install any mod you want if it means you'll enjoy the game more but I will point out the following mods which are known to cause significant issues.


We'll start off with a couple of outdated components:

ASI Loader
ASI Loader, also referred to simply as 'version.dll', is the outdated counterpart of ScriptHook.
For summary, version.dll is redundant as it contains a lot of bugs and breaks some scripted events in the game. ScriptHook contains significantly less bugs when compared to ASI Loader. Mods that require ASI Loader to work will not work with the newer version of ScriptHook.
You should avoid any mods which require it to work (although, those mods which do are outdated by today's standards).


AB ScriptHook
Alexander Blade's ScriptHook, also referred to as AB ScriptHook, is an outdated version of ScriptHook V2 (the one this guide uses).
This version of ScriptHook was the first available alternative to ASI Loader and has simply been made redundant thanks to ScriptHook V2 and Ultimate ASI Loader.
The exact same can also be said for ScriptHookRDR2.Net, which is redundant in the exact same fashion.
Most mods that require these outdated ScriptHook versions may still work, however don't be surprised if they don't work as intended or crash your game.



Now onto the notable mods which you should avoid:

WhyEm's DLC
The notorious WhyEm's DLC is the second most popular mod for RDR2, known for the tremendous amount of content it adds to the game (weapons, clothing, etc).
WhyEm's DLC, while a very impressive mod which deserves the attention it got, is also a problematic mod due to the unintended issues it causes while installed.
Due to the sheer amount of items (well over 2500) that this mod adds to the game, it causes the infamous NPC spawn bug (more info on this bug below) when wearing any clothing items that the mod has added and has recently been claimed to corrupt save files.
Not only is the mod incompatible with other popular mods, it is also no longer being maintained and a fix for its current issues will not happen anytime soon.


4k/HQ Texture Mods
Certain texture mods, although they make the game more appealing, can cause crashing, instability and the NPC spawn bug (more info on this bug below).
Mods such as this one and even this one fall victim to these issues due to the game's engine not being able to handle textures of that quality and/or the textures themselves being uncompressed.


Limit-Surpassing Mods
Mods that attempt to directly bypass the game's limitations by raising the Memory Pools and/or VRAM limits are to be outright avoided as they often do not succeed in doing what they aim to and can instead make your game unstable.
Mods such as this one, this one too and also this one have been known not to work as their author's intended. The issues brought by pushing the game's limitations, such as the mods mentioned above, simply cannot be bypassed. These mod authors have good intentions at the end of the day but their efforts are sadly in vain.


JMRE
John Marston Restored & Enhanced (JMRE) was a popular mod that aimed to overhaul John Marston's appearance to resemble how he looked in version 1.00.
This mod was a group project that unfortunately went down the drain at the hands of the team lead. On top of being over-scoped and bloated, the mod was quickly abandoned once the team split and isn't on the Nexus anymore.
JMRE was intended to be a successor to a very similar mod named JMRP, you should use that or QoL as an alternative if you would like to restore John to his intended look.


Known Outdated Mods
Disable Out Of Bounds Snipers, Contracts and Contracts Remastered are three mods I'm aware of that will crash the game at the main menu due to being outdated.
Blackwater City Overhaul and Rifle Holster are two mods I know of that will crash the game when loading saves due to texture-related issues.
There are working alternatives to these mods under different names (excluding Blackwater).





CHAPTER IV - Common Issues
Now to point out known issues that you may face with mods or at least hear of in the community.


The Spawn Bug
The 'NPC spawn bug', also referred to as the 'trains spawn bug' is an issue caused by certain mods, namely the ones above that I advised to avoid.
The issue itself completely stops NPCs spawning in train carriages, resulting in empty trains (excluding the driver).
This bug not only hinders immersion for people but also prevents the completion of Bandit Challenge 10 (for those who do the challenges).

The specific cause of this bug has yet to be fully understood, however it has recently been found for a fact that:
1. Mods that (are known to) contain uncompressed textures will trigger this bug.
2. Mods that contain High Quality/4k textures push the limits and will trigger this bug.
3. Mods that add a lot of things to the game (such as WhyEm's) push its limits and will trigger the bug under certain conditions, if not guaranteed.
4. Having too many texture mods can trigger this bug. There is not a precise limit known yet.

Like I said earlier, there is unfortunately no mod that will bypass this issue for you. The only way to avoid this bug is to uninstall the mods that cause it.



Game Crashes
There are multiple points at which your game can crash for whatever reason (menu, mid-gameplay, loading saves, etc).
Through my own experience, I have narrowed down what can cause some of these crashes.
Note that everybody's experience with crashes can vary and will often be subject to system specs, current graphics settings and the mods you have installed.

1. Game won't launch/Black screen at main menu
This crash can be caused by a specific mod or missing components.
If you have followed this guide, ensure you have installed the three components correctly (as seen in Chapter I).
If you have ensured that they have been installed correctly and the issue persists, remove your mods one-by-one in order to find the culprit.

2. 'Unknown error FFFFFFFF'
This notorious crash is often caused by texture mods that are 'incompatible' with DirectX 12.
The crash can easily be avoided by switching the Graphics API to Vulkan instead or removing the suspected culprit mod.
If the issue is still persistent then it may be graphics driver-related. Please ensure that they are up to date.

3. Crash after loading/reloading save
This crash is also caused by certain mods.
Like before, you will need to root out the culprit mod and remove it.
Adhere to the mods I advised you to avoid (as seen in Chapter III) as they are known for this specific issue.





End of guide.
I hope this guide has helped you have a smooth modding experience.
Remember that feedback on this guide and how to improve it is greatly appreciated.
Understand that I will only assist with troubleshooting related to what's provided in this guide.