===============================================================================
=                                                                             =
=                                   GUN (PC)                                  =
=                             -------------------                             =
=                               FAQ/Walkthrough                               =
=                                      ~                                      =
=            Written by Scottie_theNerd (scottie_thenerd@yahoo.com)           =
=                       Copyright (c) 2006 David Nguyen                       =
=                                Version 1.02                                 =
===============================================================================
*******************************************************************************
LEGAL DISCLAIMER
*******************************************************************************
This guide is written by David "Scott Lee" Nguyen, also known as
Scottie_theNerd. Should this FAQ be hosted on any site other than
GameFAQs (www.gamefaqs.com), permission is required from me before hosting.
Distributing this guide without prior permission is a direct violation of
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- CheatCC (www.cheatcc.com)
- SuperCheats (www.supercheats.com)
- Game Revolution (www.gamerevolution.com)
- The Gamers' Temple (www.gamerstemple.com)
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- R3tox (http://z15.invisionfree.com/R3tox/index.php?)
To gain permission, ask nicely via an email to scottie_thenerd@yahoo.com. This
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Anything resembling spam will be promptly removed.
=======================
VERSION HISTORY
=======================
*Version 1.02 (Jul 3 2006)             -Update Dynamite info
*Version 1.01 (Apr 18 2006)            -Several minor corrections
*Version 1.0 (Apr 16 2006)             -Guide Completed
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
TABLE OF CONTENTS
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
To use the index codes for quick navigation, open the search function in your
browser (CTRL + F) and copy/paste the index code. This will take you directly
to the desired section.
1. Introduction........................................................[INT000]
i.    Characters...................................................[INT001]
ii.   Locations....................................................[INT002]
2. Gameplay............................................................[GPL000]
i.    Controls.....................................................[GMP001]
ii.   Riding.......................................................[GMP002]
iii.  Combat.......................................................[GMP003]
iv.   Doing Missions...............................................[GMP004]
v.    Stats........................................................[GMP005]
vi.   Navigation...................................................[GMP006]
3. Gameplay Tips.......................................................[TIP000]
4. Walkthrough.........................................................[WLK000]
i.    The Hunt.....................................................[WLK001]
ii.   Steamboat Massacre...........................................[WLK002]
iii.  Honest Tom...................................................[WLK003]
iv.   The Red Hang Gang............................................[WLK004]
v.    Quick Killer at the Bridge...................................[WLK005]
vi.   Whore Coach..................................................[WLK006]
vii.  Law and Order................................................[WLK007]
viii. Escape the Jail..............................................[WLK008]
ix.   Ambush the Train.............................................[WLK009]
x.    Defend the Hideout...........................................[WLK010]
xi.   Take Down Hoodoo.............................................[WLK011]
xii.  Save Soapy...................................................[WLK012]
xiii. Hollister's Fort.............................................[WLK013]
xiv.  Attack the Fort..............................................[WLK014]
xv.   Battle at the Steamboat......................................[WLK015]
xvi.  Across the Badlands..........................................[WLK016]
xvii. Escape the Ambush............................................[WLK017]
xviii.Magruder's Mine..............................................[WLK018]
5. Side Missions.......................................................[SDE000]
i.    Bounty.......................................................[SDE001]
ii.   Pony Express.................................................[SDE002]
iii.  Poker........................................................[SDE003]
iv.   Deputy.......................................................[SDE004]
v.    Federal Marshal..............................................[SDE005]
vi.   Hunting......................................................[SDE006]
vii.  Ranch Hand...................................................[SDE007]
6. Weapons.............................................................[WPN000]
i.    Pistols  ....................................................[WPN001]
ii.   Rifles.......................................................[WPN002]
iii.  Shotguns.....................................................[WPN003]
iv.   Sharpshooters................................................[WPN004]
v.    Bows.........................................................[WPN005]
vi.   Melee........................................................[WPN006]
vii.  Thrown.......................................................[WPN007]
viii. Stationary...................................................[WPN008]
7. Shopkeeps and Items.................................................[ITM000]
i.    Dodge City...................................................[ITM001]
ii.   Empire.......................................................[ITM002]
iii.  Indian Trader................................................[ITM003]
8. Gold Locations......................................................[GLD000]
9. Frequently Asked Questions..........................................[FAQ000]
10. Retrospective  ***SPOILER WARNING***...............................[RTR000]
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
1. INTRODUCTION                                                      [INT000]
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"My name is Colton...and GUN is my story."
Games set in the American Old West haven't been too common. Take a look at
something like the World War II genre. As material for gaming, the Old West
offers a lot of potential, but unfortunately we've only seen some mildly
successful ones. Before GUN was a title called Red Dead Revolver, which
featured a lot of gunslinging through the views of several characters. Despite
the film-like presentation of Red Dead Revolver, the plot wasn't up to the epic
standards of the classic Western movies, leaving a bit to be desired.
Then came Neversoft (of Tony Hawk fame) and their brainchild, GUN. Following
the story of Colton White, a hunter out for revenge against a ruthless one-eyed
tycoon and dealing with corrupt officials, bandits and hostile Indians, GUN
placed players in a free-roaming Old West environment. Players could mount a
horse and ride into the sunset, play a few rounds of poker, hunt some
criminals, dig for gold and even work on a ranch. It was toted as the Grand
Theft Auto of the Old West, something that no other Western title can claim.
Despite it's short length and lack of replay value, GUN does the sandbox genre
some justice, more so with its epic presentation, including an all-star cast of
actors. GUN feels just like a movie, especially with it's immersive soundtrack
and brutal, mature-themed storyline. It's also very easy to pick up and play.
This guide is written as a FAQ/Walkthrough to the PC version of the game. It
can be used for the console versions of the game, as they are essentially the
same apart from the controls, although the PSP version might differ in some
aspects. The sections are designed to be as comprehensive as possible, and
while I do emphasise some recommendations throughout the game, the walkthrough
caters for alternative gameplay styles to suit a wider range of players. While
the missions are fairly linear, there are certainly various ways to go about
achieving their objectives. This walkthrough outlines the simplest, most
effective methods of going through the game.
Note that this guide is not intended to be a spoiler-free walkthrough. I will
make efforts not to refer to essential plot developments, especially through
cutscenes, but I will be referring to characters and locations by name, which
may or may not reveal critical plot details.
===============================================================================
i. Characters                                                        [INT001]
===============================================================================
Throughout the game, you will encounter a wide variety of characters, both
major and minor. Unfortunately, most of the minor characters literally last for
a few minutes before something happens to them. This section is intended to
provide a brief list of the characters that appear in GUN.
--------------
Colton White
--------------
The protagonist of the game. Raised by Ned White to be a hunter, Colton is
adept at using firearms and has a strong survival sense. His gruff but
proactive attitude makes him a natural leader of all people.
-----------
Ned White
-----------
Colton's father. Old and rugged, Ned is a healer and a hunter. He takes care of
Colton and teaches him the survival skills of the wilderness. While seemingly
an honest, caring father, Ned tends to be pragmatic and has a much deeper past
than Colton is aware of.
---------------
Reverend Reed
---------------
A suspicious preacher with a crazy voice, Reverend Reed is first encountered on
the Steamboat with his own hidden agenda.
-----------------
Thomas Magruder
-----------------
A former Major of the Confederate Army during the Civil War, Magruder is a
huge mining tycoon taking over local and native lands to further his business.
However, his goal is far deeper, drawing back to a secret mission in the last
days of the Civil War that might have turned the tide of war and changed
history as we know it.
-------
Jenny
-------
A barmaid in Dodge City, Jenny is a friend of Ned White and carries a stash of
Ned's posessions to give to Colton. She travels with Colton to Empire, and is
not afraid of wielding a rifle to ward off raiders.
--------------
Hoodoo Brown
--------------
The mayor of Empire and owner of Empire's casino. Hoodoo Brown is well-
presented, but rules the town in whatever way he sees fit, assisted by his
loyal deputies J.J. Webb and Rudabaugh.
--------------
Clay Allison
--------------
A former Corporal in the Confederate Army under Magruder, Clay Allison is the
leader of the local resistance against Magruder's firm grip over the land.
--------------------
Sergeant Hollister
--------------------
A former Union soldier in the Civil War, Hollister leads a band of renegades
against the local population. Hollister is feared by his victims and his men,
appearing to be more of a beast than a man.
-------------
Many Wounds
-------------
The leader of the Apache Indians in the area, Many Wounds appears to be a
formidable enemy as well as an invaluable ally.
===============================================================================
ii. Locations                                                        [INT001]
===============================================================================
Despite the free-roaming nature of GUN, the world map is actually quite small.
The game only features two towns and a few open areas, but very little in terms
of exploration.
------------
Dodge City
------------
Located on the east side of the map, Dodge City is a one-street town with
numerous alleys behind the shops. The Deputy, Pony Express and Poker missions
are based here. You won't be able to leave Dodge City until you complete enough
story missions in Dodge. You'll be coming back here quite often.
-------------
Empire City
-------------
Empire, New Mexico, due west of Dodge City. Unlike Dodge City, Empire is a MUCH
bigger town. Unfortunately, that just means more streets to ride through to get
to where you want. There's nothing of particular interest in Empire. The Poker,
Federal Marshal and Pony Express missions are based here. Most of the game
will take place in and around Empire.
----------
Badlands
----------
The plains between Dodge City and Empire. A railroad runs through this area,
and it contains a couple of mines, an old cottage and plenty of buffalo.
Hecht's Ranch is accessed off this area.
---------------
Hecht's Ranch
---------------
A private ranch south of the Badlands. Nothing here but horses. The Ranch Hand
missions are based here, and you will run past this place several times
throughout the game.
------------
Piper Lake
------------
A small lake north of Empire. Nothing of particular interest around the lake
itself, although it leads to the Resistance base.
--------------
River Canyon
--------------
Hidden Resistance base on the west side of Piper Lake. Nothing much here but
gold, tents and outlaws.
---------
Canyons
---------
Lots of rocks and narrow passages around here, with a couple of railroad
tracks. A couple of mines are active here, and plenty of gold lying around.
Several canyons are named, including Ten Fingers Canyon and Devil's Slot
Canyon, even though the whole complex is known as "Devil's Canyon".
-----------------
Magruder's Mine
-----------------
Large industrial complex at the top of the map with plenty of empty ground and
horses around it. The mine itself is inaccessible until the end of the game.
----------------
Blackfoot Camp
----------------
Home of the Blackfoot Indians. This is actually where you first hunt with Ned
and parley with Honest Tom, and you will later return here to assist the
Indians. Funny how they can re-use the same part of the map without you
realising it.
------------------
Hollister's Fort
------------------
Big fort with lots of gatling guns, cannons and zombie-like renegades. Scary
place. Not accessible until the later part of the game.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
2. GAMEPLAY                                                          [CTR000]
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
===============================================================================
i. Controls                                                          [GMP001]
===============================================================================
----------------------
General and Movement
----------------------
Move Forward.....................[W]
Move Backward....................[S]
Move Left........................[A]
Move Right.......................[D]
Crouch...........................[Left Shift]
Jump.............................[Space]
Use..............................[F]
Drink Whiskey (Heal).............[G]
Scalp............................[T] + [F] over dead body, Scalping Knife
required (Note: there is no point to this)
--------
Combat
--------
Draw Weapon......................[Left Mouse Button]
Holster Weapon...................[T]
Fire.............................[Left Mouse Button]
Reload...........................[R]
Melee attack.....................[Right Mouse Button]
Grab Enemy.......................[F] (Only while stunned)
Release Enemy................[F] (While grabbed)
Execute/Subdue...............[Right Mouse Button] (While grabbed)
Switch to/from revolver..........[Left Alt]
Switch primary weapon
Rifle........................[Left Alt + G]
Shotgun......................[Left Alt + T]
Sharpshooter.................[Left Alt + Q]
Bow..........................[Left Alt + E]
Throw explosive..................[V] (Hold to throw further)
Switch to Dynamite...............[Left Alt + V]
Switch to Fire Bomb..............[Left Alt + Left Click]
Quickdraw........................[C]
Switch Targets...............[A] or [S] (During Quickdraw)
Zoom.............................[Z]
Lean Left........................[Q]
Lean Right.......................[E]
-------------
Horseriding
-------------
Mount/Dismount...................[F]
Move Forward.....................[W]
Move Backward....................[S]
Move Left........................[A]
Move Right.......................[D]
Spur.............................[Left Shift]
Gallop...........................Hold [Left Shift]
Jump.............................[Space]
Skid.............................[Right Mouse Button]
===============================================================================
ii. Riding                                                           [GMP002]
===============================================================================
No planes or cars here; just good ol' fashioned horsepower. Apart from walking,
riding is the only other way of getting around, and it would be incredibly
silly not to take a horse at every opportunity. Horses can be found practically
anywhere, from the streets of Dodge to middle of the plains. Very rarely will
you be left in the middle of nowhere without a horse, but it can and will
happen. In that case, you can either walk, or you can reload the game and hope
a horse spawns nearby.
NOTE:
There is no actual difference between the horses. You can pick any colour
horse, saddle or no saddle, anywhere anytime and it will have the exact same
speed and health as any other horse. Unless you're really picky about what
colour horse you ride, just jump on any and it'll do whatever you need it to
do.
The exception to this is Reverend Reed's horse, unlocked at the end of the
game, which is faster and has more health.
------------------
Control Overview
------------------
Mount/Dismount...................[F]
Move Forward.....................[W]
Move Backward....................[S]
Move Left........................[A]
Move Right.......................[D]
Spur.............................[Left Shift]
Gallop...........................Hold [Left Shift]
Jump.............................[Space]
Skid.............................[Right Mouse Button]
----------
Movement
----------
The mount a horse, walk up to it and press the Use key (Default: [F]). Move
around using the same movement keys as on foot (Default: [W],[A],[S],[D]).
Press the Use key again to dismount. Press [Space] to jump over obstacles such
as fences.
Note that you can dismount at anytime, so if you need to jump off from a full
sprint, you can do so without taking any damage. This is essential for
completing Pony Express missions. Avoid dropping from heights, as this will
damage both the horse and the player.
Remember that movement is not based on direction. Pressing forward will move
the character towards the top of the screen. Pressing right will move him to
the right, pressing down will move him downwards, and so on. It's logical on
foot, but on horseback it can be a bit deceiving. If the horse is facing down
and you want to go up, press up; don't use left and right to turn the horse
around.
-----------
Sprinting
-----------
Press the [Left Shift] button to spur your horse and hold it to gallop.
Obviously, galloping is much faster than trotting, but controlling your horse
becomes more difficult. Note that holding the Sprint button will allow you to
gallop indefinitely, as there is no stamina limit. Steer the horse by using the
left and right keys. You do not need to hold the forward key while sprinting.
The initial spur will give a boost of speed. Tapping [Left Shift] again will
spur the horse, giving another "turbo" boost. However, spurring too often will
damage your horse, killing it if you exhaust its health.
A horse's health bar (surrounding the player health bar) is grey. When you spur
the horse, the health bar will change to green. If you spur again while it is
green, it will lose a chunk of health. After a few seconds, the bar will return
to grey, after which you can spur again without a damage penalty. The health
bar will only regenerate while the horse is not galloping. The Horse stat (see
Stats [GMP005]) will decrease spur damage.
--------
Combat
--------
Horseback fighting works the same way as fighting on foot. You can use any of
your weapons, Zoom with them and Quickdraw from horseback. The only difference
is that you cannot use your melee weapon. Pressing the [Right Mouse Button]
will force your horse to trample what's in front of it.
You can kill enemies by shooting from horseback or by trampling them to death.
Small targets on foot (eg. people, wolves) can be damaged simply by running
over them. Larger targets (eg. buffalo, riders) can only be damaged by using
the Trample attack. Trampling is also needed to break down certain barriers.
Unlike dismounted combat, you cannot hide behind obstacles. On the other hand,
you will not take any damage yourself while mounted; all damage is taken from
the horse first until it is shot out from under you. In contrast, you can pick
off riders or aim specifically for their horse.
---------------------------------
Texture Loading: Speed Can Kill
---------------------------------
You might be wondering why this is here and how it relates to riding. It's
actually quite important to keep this in mind.
As with most games, GUN features two types of textures: high resolution
textures for nearby environments and low-res textures for distant textures. To
save processing capacity, the game only loads hi-res for nearby objects, but
has to process them as you travel through various areas. This is fine when
you're on foot, but when you're riding, you're travelling much faster.
Depending on how powerful your machine is, you might encounter this problem
frequently. When you're riding, you'll suddenly notice that all the land and
objects around you are blurry. This is the first warning that your computer
isn't loading the textures fast enough. If you continue further, the textures
will simply disappear and you will be riding on air. Go past this, and your
game will most likely crash.
There isn't any real way to avoid this problem. The only preventative measure
you can take is to slow down or stop when the textures start losing pace with
your travelling speed.
===============================================================================
iii. Combat                                                          [GMP003]
===============================================================================
This is a no-brainer: the point of fighting is to kill the other guy. Granted,
it does get a *little* more complicated when you actually get around to it.
Engaging in combat simply involves pulling out your weapon, pointing at an
enemy and pressing the fire button. Repeat until the enemy is dead. Of course,
the enemy will most likely be doing the same to you, and that's where the
difficulty comes in.
This section will look at the different aspects of combat and its related
topics.
------------------
Control Overview
------------------
Draw Weapon......................[Left Mouse Button]
Holster Weapon...................[T]
Fire.............................[Left Mouse Button]
Reload...........................[R]
Melee attack.....................[Right Mouse Button]
Grab Enemy.......................[F] (Only while stunned)
Release Enemy................[F] (While grabbed)
Execute/Subdue...............[Right Mouse Button] (While grabbed)
Switch to/from revolver..........[Left Alt]
Switch primary weapon
Rifle........................[Left Alt + G]
Shotgun......................[Left Alt + T]
Sharpshooter.................[Left Alt + Q]
Bow..........................[Left Alt + E]
Throw explosive..................[V] (Hold to throw further)
Switch to Dynamite...............[Left Alt + V]
Switch to Fire Bomb..............[Left Alt + Left Click]
Quickdraw........................[C]
Switch Targets...............[A] or [S] (During Quickdraw)
Zoom.............................[Z]
Lean Left........................[Q]
Lean Right.......................[E]
--------
Health
--------
The health bar is represented by a green bar surrounded by a gold engraving in
the bottom left hand corner of the screen. As you take damage, the bar will
drop until it reaches a critical red colour, and your character will mention
that he "needs a drink". Damage is obtained through being shot or falling from
high distances. If the bar drops to zero, you are dead, though you get to
respawn to an earlier checkpoint. Death is never permanent.
Horses (see Riding [GMP002]) have their own health bar, which surrounds the
player health bar. Horses will take damage in lieu of the player when fighting
from horseback.
Health can only be increased by improving the Health stat, which is done
automatically after completing a few Story missions (see Stats [GMP005]). You
take a substantially amount of damage at the beginning of the game, but as you
progress through the story you will be able to withstand far more damage. Note
that dynamite explosions will most likely kill you in one hit, and cannon shots
will take off huge chunks of health.
To recover Health, drink some whiskey by using the [G] button. You will
instantly recover all of your health. Be warned though: you can only drink from
your flask four times before you run out and need to find more. This can be
increased by buying the Health slot item from the Dodge City Shopkeep.
---------------
Using Weapons
---------------
You will have a reasonable selection of weapons to choose from, each with their
own uses. For a more comprehensive list of weapons, see Weapons [WPN000].
The different weapon types you can use include:
-Revolvers:      Quick-firing close-range weapon
-Rifles:         Long range, medium-speed, powerful weapon
-Shotgun:        Very short range, very high damage
-Sharpshooter:   Very long range precision rifle
-Bow:            Long-range silent weapon
-Melee:          Close-quarters attack
-Thrown:         Tactical explosive weapons
Most of these are not available from the beginning, and will be procured
throughout the game. Ammunition can be obtained in towns or off dead enemies.
The ammunition count can be seen in the bottom left hand corner, as well as any
rounds still in the weapon's chamber.
Each weapon has their own characteristics and aiming reticule. Using them
basically involves point, click and fire. Note that each weapon has a limited
range. An enemy is in range when the reticule turns red when aiming at them.
Otherwise, the hit will not register.
-----------
Quickdraw
-----------
Quickdraw is a special mode that slows down time and switches the view to
first-person, allowing the player to use their revolver to shoot much faster
and more precise than they normally could. Quickdraw is activated by pressing
the [C] button.
Quickdraw has a limited duration. When activated, this duration is seen as a
gold bar at the bottom of the screen. Outside of Quickdraw, the bar is seen in
the bottom left hand corner of the screen along with the health and ammo bars.
The duration of Quickdraw can be increased with the Quickdraw stat and the
Medicine items bought from the Indian Trader.
The bar cannot regenerate by itself. Rather, it can be slowly recovered by
killing enemies. Various "special" shots can speed up recovery, including:
-Headshots
-Weapon shots (shooting the weapon out of the enemy's hand)
-Multiple kills (in quick succession, including non-revolver multikills)
-Arrow shot (shooting arrows out of the air)
-Multiple Melee kills
-Shooting riders off horses
-Explosive multikills
-Dismemberment (blowing off a limb, usually with a shotgun or Ferguson)
Incidentally, most of these are most easily done using Quickdraw, so you'll be
relying on regular kills and headshots to recharge your Quickdraw. Note that
scoring those shots will increase your Quickdraw DURING it's duration.
Eventually you'll run out of things to shoot, so you won't be able to sustain
Quickdraw indefinitely.
While in Quickdraw, aiming will be much slower. If there are any enemies in
range, you will automatically lock onto them. Multiple enemies are indicated by
red arrows indicating their position. Use the [A] and [D] buttons to quickly
scroll between targets. This is recommended, since aiming manually is painfully
slow. This is incredily useful for taking out mobs and multiple arrows,
although it can be disorientating.
Once activated, Quickdraw can be toggled off. You are not forced to use up all
your Quickdraw, and whatever amount you have left can be used again. This
allows you to tap Quickdraw for one or two accurate shots before snapping out.
Conserving Quickdraw this way can greatly extend the amount of time you can use
it.
Note that you essentially have unlimited ammo during Quickdraw. You can fire
away as much as you want and you won't reload until the Quickdraw is over. The
ammo will be deducted from your chamber, but if it exceeds the number of rounds
already there, it will reset from full. Use Quickdraw to your advantage as a
"tactical reload" while taking out enemies. Be very liberal in its use: you
WILL be relying on it for practically any difficult situation until you can
rapid-fire one-hit-kill with the Ferguson rifle.
--------
Aiming
--------
Bows, Rifles and Sharpshooters can be aimed with the Zoom button (Default:
[Z]). This will allow you to take far more accurate shots at the cost of
reduced peripheral vision. You can aim on foot and on horseback, and is
essential for taking out distant targets.
Note that there is a graphical glitch where the end of your weapon will clip
with objects that are a few metres in front of you. There isn't much you can do
about this besides aiming elsewhere.
When looking at a target, the reticule will turn red if the enemy is in range
and will automatically track the target for a short distance. If the target is
not hostile, the reticule will turn blue. Allies will be shown in green.
----------------
Melee Fighting
----------------
You will always be equipped with a melee weapon, which can be used with the
[Right Mouse Button]. You can use it repeatedly to for a 3-hit combo, which can
be repeated infinitely. Melee attacks are usually poor in damage and should
only be reserved for desperate situations.
Additionally, if you stun an enemy by wounded them with a gunshot or melee
attack, you can grab them using the Use ([F]) key. Grabbing them allows you to
use them as a human shield. Your hostage's health appears around your own
health bar in the same way as a horse health bar appears. When the hostage's
health bar depletes, he will obviously die. Note that enemies won't be any less
aggressive even with one of theirs held hostage.
You can release hostages by pressing the [F] key again, or execute them using
the [Right Mouse Button]. When doing Bounty missions, you can subdue criminals
using the same method to capture them alive, and earn more money in the
process.
-----------------
Enemy Behaviour
-----------------
Dealing with ruffians of the Wild West can be tough. To help you manage the
most persistant of enemies, I will list out all their actions in order to help
you prepare to fight them:
-They will stand still and shoot at you
-Sometimes they have horses and ride around you
...that's pretty much it. A sore point in GUN is the lack of any complex AI,
meaning that every enemy in the game is essentially Quickdraw fodder. To give
them some credit, at close range they will try to dodge and roll out of the
way, but that usually makes them easier to shoot.
Basically, most enemies will be armed with rifles or revolvers. Revolvers will
close in due to their range while riflemen will fire at you at further
distances. Either way, they're more or less stationary targets while firing, so
you can easily pick them off with your own rifle or revolver. Riders will
charge towards you and fire, but will circle around aimlessly after doing so.
They CAN trample you though, so it's often a good idea to get out of the way or
shoot off the rider.
A few exceptions:
-Indians armed with tomahawks will charge on foot to engage in melee combat.
Don't try to match them in hand-to-hand combat; just shoot them with your guns.
-Indians armed with bows will stand still and shoot you. See above.
-Some enemies will throw dynamite or whiskey bombs. Obviously, you should avoid
these.
-Some enemies will be operating cannons or gatling guns. Kill them ASAP with
rifles or Quickdraw.
-Bosses tend to have different behaviour. See their respective sections in the
walkthrough on how to beat them.
-Enemies will never engage in combat unarmed. If you shoot their weapon out of
their hands, they will either attempt to pick it up or will pull out another
weapon. Sometimes enemies will pick up a dropped weapon if it's better than
their current one (eg. an axeman will pick up a bow, a revolver-armed enemy
might pick up a rifle).
===============================================================================
iv. Doing Missions                                                   [GMP004]
===============================================================================
There are two types of missions in GUN: Story missions and Side missions. Story
missions are available one at a time, each progressing the plot of the game.
Side missions are usually available in batches, with several being unlocked
after certain story missions are completed.
For more information on story missions, see the Walkthrough section ([WLK000]).
For more information on side missions, see the relevant section ([SDE000])
--------------------------------
Locating and Starting Missions
--------------------------------
To find a mission, open up the World Map. Available missions are represented by
tokens with icons on them. You can flip through the available missions and see
their starting locations on the map. The story missions will be represented by
a star and red/black token.
In the real-time world, each mission will have a person or place to talk to in
order to start the mission. These people are designated by a large name over
their heads. Story mission starters will have their name in yellow text; side
missions will have their names in brown text. Bounty missions are triggered by
reading the Wanted posters littered around the world.
Walk up to the starter and press the Use key to talk to them (Default: [F]).
For side missions, the person will give a briefing on the mission, and you will
be given a choice as to whether or not you want to start the mission. Accepting
the mission will turn off all other NPCs and missions, and you cannot perform
other missions until you complete your current one. You can end the mission
anytime by selecting END MISSION from the menu.
---------------
Mission Types
---------------
-Story:         Can involve anything from eliminating people to laying
ambushes.
-Bounty:        Kill or capture wanted criminals
-Pony Express:  Make emergency deliveries under a time limit
-Law Man:       AKA Deputy missions; maintain the peace in Dodge City
-Rescue:        AKA Federal Marshal; stop gangs and help travellers
-Hunting*:      Hunt down the great beasts of the land
-Poker:         Play Texas Hold 'Em poker in casinos
-Ranch Hand:    Herd cattle and fight cattle rustlers
*NOTE: The Hunting mission is the only mission type that has no definitive
beginning or end. Talking to the Indian Hunter will allow the great beasts to
spawn. You can hunt them down anytime you want.
------------------
Failing Missions
------------------
Depending on the mission you are doing, there are several ways to "fail". The
most common method is to die (obviously). Failing a mission will not result in
permanent failure. Instead, you will start the mission at certain
"checkpoints". These are never identified explicitly, but are usually after
doing something important or beginning another section of the mission.
---------------------
Completing Missions
---------------------
After completing a mission, the game action will pause and you will be
presented with various bits of information. For a side mission, you will be
given a list of stat improvements. For a story mission, you will see any items
that you have earned.
Note that you will be left at your last position after completing a mission.
You will be not be taken back to your starting point. This can occasionally
leave you without any horses to use.
When completing a story mission, your new starting location will be fixed.
Whenever you load the game, you will spawn at this point no matter what until
you have completed the next story mission. This can be very frustrating in some
cases, and convenient in others.
===============================================================================
v. Stats                                                             [GMP005]
===============================================================================
Theoretically, you could go through the whole game without improving any of
your stats, but let's face it: it's a hell lot easier if you do beef your
stats up, especially when the game progresses and enemies become more numerous.
Better stats = faster killing speed.
Stats can only be improved by doing side missions (See Side Missions [SDE000]),
with each side mission improving a certain set of stats. The only way to max
all the stats is to complete all the side missions. Health is the only stat
unaffected by side missions, as it is improved at certain intervals during the
story missions.
This section lists the effects of each stat, which missions improve them and
general comments.
---------
Gunhand
---------
Effect: Improves power, accuracy, fire rate, reload
Improved by: Hunting, Deputy, Federal Marshal, Bounty
Gunhand is probably the most important stat. A higher Gunhand stats means that
you can shoot faster, shoot more accurately, kill is less shots and reload
faster. When combined with better weapons and upgrades, it takes half a second
to reload most weapons, compared to the 3-4 second reloads early in the game.
Case in point: Ned's Ferguson rifle. At the beginning of the game, this single-
shot rifle is awkward to fire because of your slow reload speed. When you get
this weapon towards the end of the game, it can fire just as fast as a revolver
and take down riders at long distance with one hit. Compared to barely being
able to hit a target twenty metres away, that's a substantial difference.
Having a low Gunhand stat requires you to manually aim accurately and use the
Zoom function to get headshots, whereas a high Gunhand stat means you can close
your eyes and still be able to knock down several targets in a row. Upgrade
this stat as soon as the opportunity presents itself.
-----------
Quickdraw
-----------
Effect: Improves focus and duration of Quickdraw
Improved by: Deputy, Federal Marshal, Bounty
Fairly straightforward stat. A higher Quickdraw stat means more time to take
out enemies Matrix-style. A handy stat to have, especially early in the game
when you require Quickdraw to make those accurate close-range shots, but
eventually it reaches a point where you have enough Quickdraw time to take out
dozens of targets...if there were dozens of targets.
-------
Melee
-------
Effect: Improves melee damage and reach
Improved by: Deputy, Federal Marshal, Bounty
Improves melee effectiveness. Not a huge amount of difference made by improving
this stat, and you won't be using melee at all with a good Gunhand stat. Might
as well improve this stat since you need to do the same missions to improve
Gunhand and Quickdraw.
-------
Horse
-------
Effect: Improves horse health and spur
Improved by: Pony Express, Rancher
Like Melee, a handy stat but no dramatic difference. The Horse stat will
increase the amount of health a horse has and decrease the damage taken by
multiple spurs, but the difference is negligible, and you will rarely need to
spur from Empire to Dodge. If you're sharp with your rifle and Gunhand stat,
enemies won't get much chance you shoot your horse out anyway. Note that the
Horse stat does NOT increase speed; only the Quality Horseshoes item can do
that, apart from using Reverend Reed's horse.
--------
Health
--------
Effect: Increases health
Improved by: Story missions
Self-explanatory. More Health means being able to take more hits. The
difference is quite significant when Health is maxed out, as you will be able
to stand there and absorb dozens of shots, whereas at the start of the game
five shots will easily kill you.
Health can only be improved by doing Story missions and at certain intervals,
so you can't train this one individually. However, the Story missions give
large chunks of health, usually +25 at a time, so the improvements are easily
noticeable.
===============================================================================
vi. Navigation                                                       [GMP006]
===============================================================================
The world of GUN isn't very large, but it can be easy to get lost for a
newcomer. Thankfully, the game provides some easy-to-use navigation aids to
find your way around.
-----
Map
-----
Accessible from the pause menu, the map shows the surrounding area. There are
several maps, with smaller, detailed maps available for certain areas:
-The Pass (Hollister's Fort, Blackfoot Camp)
-Dodge City
-Empire
Every other location will display the world map, which is probably more
helpful. Press the [Z] button to zoom between local and world maps.
Places of interest are marked on the map. The three Shopkeeps are always marked
on the world map, as well as the next Story mission. Unlocked side missions
will appear as well. Other than that, there isn't anything you can do with the
map.
---------
Compass
---------
In the bottom right-hand corner of your screen is a compass. The compass will
display a minimap of the nearby area and mark various people and places.
-Important characters or mission starters are identified by a blue dot.
-Enemies are marked in green.
-Horses are marked in brown.
-Objectives are marked by red/orange crosses in a black circle. Distance to the
objective is designated by a flashing orange wedge. The closer you are, the
thinner it becomes.
People who are above or below you will be marked by a small arrow on the map
pointing up or down respectively.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
3. GAMEPLAY TIPS                                                     [TIP000]
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
---------
General
---------
-Don't be too picky about getting killed. You won't lose any money or items,
and dying will allow you to restart from the last checkpoint with a full bottle
of whiskey. Sometimes, it can even be beneficial to fail a mission just to
refill all your health. Of course, that removes some of the challenge.
-Similarly, don't be to picky over using your whiskey to heal yourself. It
refills after every missions and there are plenty of extra pickups around.
Smack the [G] button when your health meter sinks below 1/3.
-Mine gold whenever you can. You don't need to, and mining gold does not count
towards your game completion total, but doing so allows you to buy most
upgrades and items when you run into their respective shopkeeps.
-Don't concern yourself with stealth. There are very few missions that require
stealth, so feel free to run around. This isn't Tenchu or Metal Gear Solid.
-Always do side missions when they pop up. You can survive without doing them,
but they seriously make your life easier with the stat bonuses.
-Follow the directions on the Compass. Often it's a little too helpful, so make
the most out of it.
-Beware texture loading, especially when travelling on horseback. If you move
through areas too quickly, the game won't load textures fast enough, and you'll
notice that you're running on air. Slow down and wait until your computer can
load the textures; otherwise the game will crash.
-While there are plenty of innocent people to shoot, there isn't anything you
can gain from doing so. While GTA allows you to shoot people for money at the
cost of Wanted stars, shooting innocents in Empire or Dodge will get you
nothing. Instead, a "Town Patience" bar will appear on the screen. Kill enough
people, and a "Showdown" will occur. Several waves of gunmen will attack you.
Apart from target practice, there's nothing you can gain from engaging in a
showdown.
--------
Combat
--------
-When riding a horse, always equip your rifle unless you're out of ammo. The
rifle is the most well-balanced in terms of speed, power, range and accuracy.
Second preference should Sharpshooters, and then Bows. If your rifle runs out
of ammo during combat, whip out your revolver. Forget shotguns; they're useless
on a horse.
-Fighting on horseback protects you from most damage until the horse dies. Use
this to your advantage when attacking large mobs. You can also trample enemies
with the horse, so use that to your advantage too.
-Conversely, fighting on horseback can be awkward when dealing with multiple
incoming enemies. You might like to ambush on foot instead.
-Don't rely on melee combat, especially against bosses. Use it to quickly
finish off a close enemy, but don't charge with your tomahawk. You won't do
enough damage quickly enough to stop yourself getting shot. Bosses aren't
stunned by melee attacks, and they WILL return the favour twofold.
-When in doubt, use Quickdraw. You can use Quickdraw anytime the bar has
anything in it. Using it will give you more time to make decisions and take out
enemies. Quickdraw regenerates quickly anyway, so be liberal in its use.
-If you're using a mouse/keyboard (and since this is for the PC version, I hope
you are), you can afford to manually aim to score headshots. The crosshairs for
most weapons aren't accurate, but imagine where the point of impact is and use
that to aim for targets. Use a point of reference and fire at heads, causing
riders to fall off like they've been decapacitated by piano wire. Ditto with
Quickdraw shooting: don't waste time and shots on torso and limbs. Go for the
head.
-Similarly, aim for the head when using the Zoom function. The only thing the
noggin' is good for is to put a bullet in. You also get faster Quickdraw
refills with headshots.
-Don't be conservative with your ammo. There are ammo crates in every town, and
you can pick up ammo from fallen enemies. If worse comes to last, you've still
got your revolver.
-Avoid exposing yourself too often. Crouch behind cover to prevent yourself
from getting hit. If there are many enemies around the corner, use Quickdraw to
get them first.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
4. WALKTHROUGH                                                       [WLK000]
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
This section is the meat of the guide: the walkthrough to the whole game. The
walkthrough will be divided into the story chapters in chronological order. The