Expands the already excellent ambience by adding a variety of NPCs, props, and vehicles to the world!
This mod is currently in BETA.
One thing about RDR2 that always bugged me was the limited interaction between NPCs and certain locations, like shops. Ever notice how you’re the only one shopping in town? This mod originally started as a way to let NPCs enter shops and other interiors they’re typically restricted from, but it quickly grew into something more.
While working on the initial idea, I started noticing other details, like how small the town’s population felt. While there are mods that increase the town’s population by adjusting the gameconfig, they came with other issues. I wanted to seamlessly integrate more ambient NPCs in a way that feels natural.
Even though Rockstar did a fantastic job crafting the game’s ambiance, I wanted to enhance the sense of a lived-in world further by adding more details—like scattered debris and clutter in towns. I also wanted to add increased and varied vehicle traffic.
For now, Valentine is the only area I’ve worked on. I’m not sure how much interest there is in something like this, but it started as a fun project to see how much I could enhance the game’s atmosphere.
What this mod does (currently for Valentine only):
Adds a variety of ambient NPCs that blend in with vanilla to add a greater sense of life in the world
(100+ ambient NPCs added to Valentine and nearby areas, but you will not encounter all of them at once as it is in random chance.)
Allows NPCs to enter shops and other interiors
Adds new props, debris, and vehicles to make the environment feel more lived-in
Increases NPC and vehicle variety! I’m hoping you won’t see the same NPC even with an increase in population
Expansion to towns
(currently there are campsites littered around Valentine since realistically, these new NPCs need places to live)
Note: This mod is disabled during missions to avoid any issues!
Requirements
ScriptHookRDR2 V2 is required.
Installation
Place Rededrunk’s Ambient World.asi in the main directory.
Potential Conflicting Mods
AMJM Transport mod – wagon feature or store your wagon – Thank you to LittleFilms for discovering this!
FAQS
Why should I use this mod over other population mods?
This mod is not just a population mod. You can still use it alongside other population mods, though I can’t guarantee you won’t experience any issues if you do so. Similar to how Rockstar placed their NPCs, I’ve manually added NPCs with custom schedules, interactions, variation, and pathing to minimize conflicts and added randomization to ensure they blend into the world naturally. Unlike other population mods that just increase the number of NPCs, this mod keeps the roads mostly vanilla. The wilderness remains desolate!
Is this compatible with ___ mod?
Probably yes. This mod was developed from the ground up and does not touch any core game files. I don’t see any compatibility issues with other mods, but we are in beta phase, so if you come across incompatibility issues, let me know!
What other features are you planning?
I plan to expand this mod to other locations if there’s enough interest. I’m also working on a few additional features but I’ll hold off on sharing details until I’m sure they’re technically possible.
Changelog:
Version 0.4.8b
Cumberland Forest Update – Added new NPCs, vehicles, traffic, props, and camps throughout Cumberland Forest
Cumberland Forest Update – New Feature: Certain camps and points of interest, such as broken wagons, are now temporary. These locations may appear during one visit and be gone the next, bringing more variety and unpredictability to exploration
Cumberland Forest Update – Added new encounters
General – Added a number of ambient events in previously worked on areas that will play out with or without player interaction
Fixed the aggression levels of the Kuo Chao & Co. guards in Chinatown
Removed the Butcher Creek woman from Valentine as it turns out she was a unique model
Version 0.4.2b
Saint Denis Chinatown Update – Added new NPCs, animals, traffic and props to Saint Denis Chinatown!
Saint Denis Chinatown Update – NPCs now differ in height
Saint Denis Chinatown Update – Gunsmith Chu Ling of Kuo Chao & Co. has hired some guards in his shop
General – Added an .ini file to enable/disable areas in the mod.
Fixed cloned horses appearing in Valentine
Fixed ambient sounds from triggering randomly indoors
Version 0.3.8b
The Heartlands Update – Added new animals, travelers, and other NPCs throughout the Heartlands!
The Heartlands Update – Wild Cattle Herds (some with a dominant Bull) can now be found in the Heartlands
The Heartlands Update – More random ambient events have been added in the area
Version 0.3.0b
Strawberry Update – Added new NPCs, vehicles, traffic, animals, and props, to Strawberry!
Strawberry Update – Visitors and investors are now present in Strawberry. High-value investors typically travel with armed bodyguards
Strawberry Update – Increased lawmen presence to match the town’s tourism activity
Strawberry Update – Introducing the first iteration of Ambient Events
Strawberry Update – All updates from Rhodes are now present in Strawberry
Valentine Update – All updates from Rhodes are now present in Valentine, including NPCs’ ability to carry props, smoke while walking, and background sounds
Valentine Update – Overhauled NPC behaviors and routines in line with Rhodes
Valentine Update – Fixed instances where some players experienced a bug with the catalogue camera while browsing in shops
Valentine Update – Fixed an issue where some NPCs attempted to enter shops while still mounted or using vehicles
General – Adjusted timing for all NPCs in Valentine and Rhodes
Version 0.2.2b
Fixed an issue where it might get stuck after completing a mission
Fixed an issue where in rare occurrences, a vehicle might spawn on top of each other
Version 0.2.0b
Rhodes Update – Added new NPCs, vehicles, traffic, props, and camps to Rhodes!
Rhodes Update – New NPCs may now carry props
Rhodes Update – Group/Gang Affiliation – The Lemoyne Raiders and The Grays will be more present in Rhodes
Rhodes Update – Improved sound effect of murmuring crowd/background chatter in certain locations such the train station and the parlor
General – Improved overall NPC behavior – More ambient conversations among each other as well as NPCs acknowledging your presence with greetings, waves, or insults
Version 0.1.6b
Fixed NPC pathing issues
Adjusted vehicle placements
Added new props
Updated certain NPCs with new behaviors and appearances
Major Update: Time-Based NPC Schedule! Each NPC’s schedule now adapts to the time of day. Expect fewer people at night, except around bars.
Version 0.1.1b
Fixed issue for users who were experiencing floating wagons and other objects
Credits:
Rededrunk
