SaddleGuard - Mounted Horse Cover and Combat System

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[center][left][img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/3024/images/9757/9757-1785107895-1476149625.png[/img]

[center][b][size=6]SADDLEGUARD 2.2[/size][/b][/center]

[code]                         A Horseback Cover and Mounted Combat System for Red Dead Redemption 2[/code][img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/3024/images/9757/9757-1784999627-372767740.png[/img][line]

[heading][quote]DESCRIPTION[/quote][/heading]

[b]SaddleGuard 2.2[/b] is a complete horseback-cover and mounted-combat system for [b]Red Dead Redemption 2 Story Mode[/b].

Arthur can lower himself along either side of his horse, remain in cover without an artificial duration limit and use supported sidearms during combat.

The original horseback-cover animation already existed within the game, but it had not been developed into a complete player-controlled mechanic. SaddleGuard expands it with weapon handling, aiming, firing, native reloading, Dual Wield preservation, dynamic stamina, rider balance, camera effects, physical aiming limits, IK, facial expressions and optional Arthur voice events.

[b]Version 2.2 is primarily focused on optimization, stability and reliability.[/b]

The internal systems responsible for weapons, transitions, IK and mounted-state handling have been further refined to provide a stronger and more efficient foundation for SaddleGuard.

[quote][b]Version 2.2 also prepares the technical foundation for a future major SaddleGuard feature involving NPCs.[/b]

The NPC feature itself is not included in this release.[/quote]Separate editions are available for:

[list]
[][b]Keyboard and mouse[/b] — tested.[/]
[][b]PlayStation 4 / DualShock 4[/b] — tested.[/]
[][b]Xbox controller[/b] — experimental and not yet physically tested.[/]
[/list][quote][b]Horseback cover has physical aiming restrictions.[/b]

Arthur can move the camera freely, but firing is blocked in directions that the horse, posture or animation cannot safely support.[/quote][img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/3024/images/9757/9757-1784999635-464588098.png[/img][line]

[heading][quote]WHAT IS NEW IN SADDLEGUARD 2.2[/quote][/heading]

[heading]OPTIMIZATION AND STABILITY[/heading]

[list]
[]Further optimized the mounted-cover runtime to reduce unnecessary processing.[/]
[]Reduced redundant weapon-state, animation and IK work during active gameplay.[/]
[]Improved synchronization between weapon state, animations and mounted-cover transitions.[/]
[]Improved recovery from interrupted transitions and unusual gameplay states.[/]
[]Reduced unnecessary IK updates during sensitive animation handoffs.[/]
[]Improved overall transition consistency and runtime reliability.[/]
[/list][heading]WEAPON RELIABILITY[/heading]

[list]
[]Fixed a RDR2 behavior where an already-empty physical sidearm could incorrectly regain loaded ammunition while remaining holstered.[/]
[]Improved protection of two identical physical sidearms so each weapon keeps its own correct state.[/]
[]Improved reliability when RDR2 reports identical equipped sidearms in a different internal order.[/]
[]Improved preservation of the correct physical primary and secondary roles during complex weapon transitions.[/]
[/list][heading]UNARMED COVER AND PLAYER INPUT[/heading]

[list]
[]Arthur can now enter horseback cover while completely unarmed without automatically drawing a loaded sidearm.[/]
[]A supported weapon can be drawn while the existing cover-entry animation is still in progress.[/]
[]Improved aim + fire behavior when combat is initiated from an unarmed cover state.[/]
[]Improved player-input priority during weapon selection and cover transitions.[/]
[/list][heading]EMPTY WEAPONS, RELOAD AND DEAD EYE[/heading]

[list]
[]Improved handling when the original primary sidearm is empty and a loaded secondary needs to take over.[/]
[]Improved native reload handling while a secondary sidearm is temporarily active.[/]
[]Improved firing responsiveness during reload-related cover transitions.[/]
[]Improved recognition of legitimate ammunition changes produced by Dead Eye.[/]
[/list][heading]DUAL WIELD AND ANIMATIONS[/heading]

[list]
[]Improved distinction between genuine Dual Wield situations and normal single-sidearm states.[/]
[]Improved restoration of the correct weapon setup after complex Dual Wield transitions.[/]
[]Improved animation timing when a secondary sidearm takes over from an empty primary.[/]
[]Reduced abrupt weapon-position changes during promotion and restoration transitions.[/]
[]Improved completion of authored weapon animations without unnecessary interruptions.[/]
[/list][heading]PDOR 1.39 COMPATIBILITY PREPARATION[/heading]

[list]
[]Added SaddleGuard-side support for the cooperative compatibility interface developed together with Starkweather43 for [b]Ped Damage Overhaul Reloaded 1.39[/b].[/]
[]The integration is designed to coordinate shared camera, physical-reaction, ragdoll and intentional weapon-removal states.[/]
[][b]This compatibility is not active with the currently available public PDOR build yet.[/b][/]
[]A new PDOR update from Starkweather43 is still required before the cooperative integration can function publicly.[/]
[/list][quote][b]IMPORTANT[/b]

The new SaddleGuard compatibility integration is intended specifically for [b]PDOR 1.39[/b].

Installing SaddleGuard 2.2 alone does not enable the new PDOR compatibility system. It will become usable only after Starkweather43 releases the required PDOR update.[/quote][heading][quote]MAIN FEATURES[/quote][/heading]

[list]
[]Horseback cover on both sides of the horse.[/]
[]Persistent cover without an artificial time limit.[/]
[]Support for revolvers, pistols and the Sawed-Off Shotgun.[/]
[]Support for modded revolvers and pistols registered to the correct native weapon groups.[/]
[]Aiming, firing, native reloading, drawing and holstering while in cover.[/]
[]Temporary storage and restoration of unsupported equipped weapons whenever possible.[/]
[]Preservation and restoration of Dual Wield loadouts.[/]
[]Exact preservation of physical sidearms, including two weapons of the same model.[/]
[]Configurable stamina, exhaustion and rider-balance systems.[/]
[]Horizontal and vertical firing limits based on the physical cover pose.[/]
[]Adaptive camera shake during mounted cover.[/]
[]Progressive facial expressions and an optional aiming expression.[/]
[]Optional native Arthur voice events.[/]
[]Configuration through
[code]SaddleGuard.ini[/code].[/]
[/list][line]

[heading][quote]WEAPON HANDLING AND DUAL WIELD[/quote][/heading]

Dual Wield is not used while Arthur remains lowered in horseback cover. When two sidearms are equipped, SaddleGuard preserves both physical weapons while one remains active in the lowered pose.

Weapons of the same model are preserved individually rather than treated as interchangeable copies.

If the original primary sidearm is empty and the secondary sidearm is loaded, the loaded secondary can take over when the current cover state requires a usable weapon.

If both sidearms are empty, one may still be drawn:

[list]
[]The right holster has priority.[/]
[]The left holster is used as a fallback when necessary.[/]
[]The selected weapon remains empty.[/]
[]Use the normal reload control to request RDR2's native reload.[/]
[/list]SaddleGuard does not create or duplicate positive ammunition.

Native RDR2 reload behavior and legitimate ammunition changes produced by Dead Eye remain under the game's control.

[img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/3024/images/9757/9757-1784999655-639139607.png[/img][line]

[heading][quote]CONTROLS[/quote][/heading]

[quote][b]IMPORTANT[/b]

Install only the edition intended for your input device. Do not combine the ASI or INI files from different packages.[/quote][center][b][size=5]KEYBOARD AND MOUSE[/size][/b][/center]


[table][tr][th]Control[/th]
[th]Function[/th]
[/tr]
[tr][td][code]T[/code][/td]
[td]Enter or leave horseback cover[/td]
[/tr]
[tr][td][code]TAB[/code][/td]
[td]Draw or holster the supported sidearm[/td]
[/tr]
[tr][td][code]R[/code][/td]
[td]Request a native manual reload[/td]
[/tr]
[tr][td][code]E[/code][/td]
[td]Leave cover and smoothly dismount[/td]
[/tr]
[tr][td]Right Mouse Button[/td]
[td]Aim[/td]
[/tr]
[tr][td]Left Mouse Button[/td]
[td]Fire[/td]
[/tr]
[tr][td][code]SHIFT[/code][/td]
[td]Press, hold and release to activate Arthur's optional voice sequence[/td]
[/tr]
[/table]The keyboard activation key can be changed through
[code]ActivationKey[/code].

[center][b][size=5]PLAYSTATION 4 / DUALSHOCK 4 — TESTED[/size][/b][/center]


[table][tr][th]Control[/th]
[th]Function[/th]
[/tr]
[tr][td]Hold
[code]L2[/code]+ press
[code]D-PAD RIGHT[/code][/td]
[td]Enter or leave horseback cover[/td]
[/tr]
[tr][td][code]L1[/code][/td]
[td]Draw or holster the supported sidearm[/td]
[/tr]
[tr][td][code]CIRCLE[/code][/td]
[td]Request a native manual reload[/td]
[/tr]
[tr][td][code]TRIANGLE[/code][/td]
[td]Leave cover and smoothly dismount[/td]
[/tr]
[tr][td][code]L2[/code]/
[code]R2[/code][/td]
[td]Aim / fire[/td]
[/tr]
[tr][td][code]X / CROSS[/code][/td]
[td]Press, hold and release to activate Arthur's optional voice sequence[/td]
[/tr]
[/table][center][b][size=5]XBOX CONTROLLER — EXPERIMENTAL[/size][/b][/center]


[table][tr][th]Control[/th]
[th]Function[/th]
[/tr]
[tr][td]Hold
[code]LT[/code]+ press
[code]D-PAD RIGHT[/code][/td]
[td]Enter or leave horseback cover[/td]
[/tr]
[tr][td][code]LB[/code][/td]
[td]Draw or holster the supported sidearm[/td]
[/tr]
[tr][td][code]B[/code][/td]
[td]Request a native manual reload[/td]
[/tr]
[tr][td][code]Y[/code][/td]
[td]Leave cover and smoothly dismount[/td]
[/tr]
[tr][td][code]LT[/code]/
[code]RT[/code][/td]
[td]Aim / fire[/td]
[/tr]
[tr][td][code]A[/code][/td]
[td]Press, hold and release to activate Arthur's optional voice sequence[/td]
[/tr]
[/table]D-Pad Right is reserved by SaddleGuard only while Arthur is aiming or already using the custom cover state. Its normal behavior remains available outside that context.

[quote][b]EXPERIMENTAL XBOX EDITION[/b]

The Xbox edition has not yet received physical in-game validation. Please report incorrect mappings, input conflicts, crashes or controls that do not respond as described.[/quote][line]

[heading][quote]CONFIGURATION[/quote][/heading]

Edit
[code]SaddleGuard.ini[/code]only while the game is closed.

Change only the value after the
[code]=[/code]sign and use a period for decimal values.
























[table][tr][th]Setting[/th]
[th]Default[/th]
[th]Function[/th]
[/tr]
[tr][td][code]ActivationKey[/code][/td]
[td][code]84[/code][/td]
[td]Keyboard edition only.
[code]84[/code]corresponds to
[code]T[/code].[/td]
[/tr]
[tr][td][code]DisableDuringMissions[/code][/td]
[td][code]0[/code][/td]
[td]Prevents cover activation during missions when enabled.[/td]
[/tr]
[tr][td][code]EnableStaminaSystem[/code][/td]
[td][code]1[/code][/td]
[td]Master switch for SaddleGuard's stamina and exhaustion behavior.[/td]
[/tr]
[tr][td][code]EnableDynamicStamina[/code][/td]
[td][code]1[/code][/td]
[td]Allows movement, terrain, aiming and fatigue to affect stamina drain.[/td]
[/tr]
[tr][td][code]StaminaDrainPerSecond[/code][/td]
[td][code]0.50[/code][/td]
[td]Base stamina drain per second.[/td]
[/tr]
[tr][td][code]StaminaMaximumDrainPerSecond[/code][/td]
[td][code]3.80[/code][/td]
[td]Maximum dynamic stamina drain per second.[/td]
[/tr]
[tr][td][code]PreventNativeRecoveryInCover[/code][/td]
[td][code]1[/code][/td]
[td]Prevents normal stamina regeneration while custom cover is active.[/td]
[/tr]
[tr][td][code]EnableJumpBalanceSystem[/code][/td]
[td][code]1[/code][/td]
[td]Enables rider-balance evaluation for jumps and landings.[/td]
[/tr]
[tr][td][code]EnableFacialExpressions[/code][/td]
[td][code]1[/code][/td]
[td]Enables progressive facial-expression stages.[/td]
[/tr]
[tr][td][code]EnableAimFacialOverride[/code][/td]
[td][code]1[/code][/td]
[td]Enables the temporary aiming expression.[/td]
[/tr]
[tr][td][code]EnableArthurVoiceEvents[/code][/td]
[td][code]1[/code][/td]
[td]Enables Arthur's optional voice sequence.[/td]
[/tr]
[tr][td][code]AimSectorInnerDegrees[/code][/td]
[td][code]0.0[/code][/td]
[td]Defines the front horizontal firing boundary.[/td]
[/tr]
[tr][td][code]FrontAimToleranceDegrees[/code][/td]
[td][code]3.0[/code][/td]
[td]Adds tolerance around the horse's forward centerline.[/td]
[/tr]
[tr][td][code]AimSectorOuterDegrees[/code][/td]
[td][code]150.0[/code][/td]
[td]Defines the base rear horizontal firing boundary.[/td]
[/tr]
[tr][td][code]RearAimToleranceDegrees[/code][/td]
[td][code]15.0[/code][/td]
[td]Extends the rear firing boundary.[/td]
[/tr]
[tr][td][code]MinimumAimPitchDegrees[/code][/td]
[td][code]-18.0[/code][/td]
[td]Defines the lowest permitted vertical firing angle.[/td]
[/tr]
[tr][td][code]MaximumAimPitchDegrees[/code][/td]
[td][code]32.0[/code][/td]
[td]Defines the highest permitted vertical firing angle.[/td]
[/tr]
[tr][td][code]EnableAdaptiveCameraShake[/code][/td]
[td][code]1[/code][/td]
[td]Enables SaddleGuard's adaptive camera shake.[/td]
[/tr]
[tr][td][code]AimShakeIntensity[/code][/td]
[td][code]2.25[/code][/td]
[td]Maximum SaddleGuard shake intensity.[/td]
[/tr]
[tr][td][code]AimShakeIdleScale[/code][/td]
[td][code]0.10[/code][/td]
[td]Low-speed shake scale.[/td]
[/tr]
[tr][td][code]AimShakeRiseSeconds[/code][/td]
[td][code]0.60[/code][/td]
[td]Controls how quickly shake increases.[/td]
[/tr]
[tr][td][code]AimShakeFallSeconds[/code][/td]
[td][code]0.78[/code][/td]
[td]Controls how smoothly shake decreases.[/td]
[/tr]
[/table][quote][center][b]150° BASE REAR LIMIT + 15° REAR TOLERANCE = 165° EFFECTIVE LIMIT[/b][/center]
[/quote]The camera remains free outside the permitted sector, but firing is blocked where the physical cover pose does not support the shot.

Advanced weights, smoothing values and rider-balance options are documented inside the supplied INI.

[line]

[heading][quote]PERFORMANCE, OPTIMIZATION AND STABILITY[/quote][/heading]

SaddleGuard uses a mounted-focused runtime.

The complete gameplay systems become active while Arthur is mounting or mounted. After dismounting, a protected cleanup period allows pending states to finish safely before SaddleGuard returns to its minimal on-foot state.

Version 2.2 further refines this architecture to keep unnecessary processing away from situations where SaddleGuard's gameplay systems are not required.

[quote][b]PERFORMANCE RESULTS[/b]

Previously published benchmark results were recorded on earlier SaddleGuard builds and are therefore not presented as direct benchmark results for version 2.2.

Actual performance can vary according to hardware, graphical settings, location, NPC density and the user's installed mod setup.[/quote][line]

[img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/3024/images/9757/9757-1784999774-862865361.png[/img]

[heading][quote]COMPATIBILITY[/quote][/heading]

SaddleGuard has been used during development alongside:

[list]
[][b]Extended Player Animations[/b].[/]
[][b]Enhanced Brawling[/b].[/]
[][b]Rampage Trainer[/b].[/]
[][b]Dive Crawling[/b].[/]
[][b]Terrain Texture Overhaul[/b].[/]
[][b]Weapon Smoke Particle Fix[/b].[/]
[][b]GunFX[/b].[/]
[/list]Compatibility may vary when another modification directly controls the same weapon, holster, animation, camera, stamina, controller input or mounted-combat systems.

[quote][center][size=5][b]COMPATIBILITY WARNINGS[/b][/size][/center]

[b]PED DAMAGE OVERHAUL RELOADED — PDOR 1.39[/b]

SaddleGuard 2.2 has been prepared for cooperative compatibility specifically with [b]Ped Damage Overhaul Reloaded 1.39[/b].

[b]However, this compatibility is not publicly active yet.[/b]

The currently available PDOR 1.39 release does not yet provide the final cooperative interface required by SaddleGuard 2.2.

Starkweather43 still needs to release a new PDOR update containing that interface before the new compatibility system can function.

Once that update becomes available, SaddleGuard 2.2 will be able to coordinate the relevant shared states with PDOR 1.39 instead of both mods attempting to control them independently.

[quote][b]Until Starkweather43 releases the required PDOR update, continue using the conservative compatibility settings:[/b]

[code]SaddleGuard.ini
EnableAdaptiveCameraShake=0[/code][code]Ped Damage Overhaul Reloaded.ini
LoseDroppedWeapons=0
DroppedWeaponsAbandoned=0[/code][/quote]The weapon settings above remain recommended as a precaution for the previously reported PDOR behavior involving permanent weapon removal, particularly when two sidearms of the same model are equipped.

[b]The new cooperative integration is intended for PDOR 1.39 only.[/b]

Other PDOR versions are not covered by this compatibility implementation.

[b]WEAPON FLOURISHES[/b]

Weapon Flourishes has a temporary and contextual conflict while horseback cover is active.

Manually activating a flourish during cover may start a separate animation and interrupt the cover pose or weapon transition.

To avoid this:

[list]
[]Do not activate weapon flourishes while Arthur is using horseback cover.[/]
[]Disable or remap the manual flourish input if accidental activation occurs.[/]
[/list]Outside this specific situation, Weapon Flourishes is not documented as completely incompatible with SaddleGuard.[/quote]Without PDOR, SaddleGuard does not intentionally cause permanent weapon loss.

[line]

[heading][quote]KNOWN LIMITATIONS[/quote][/heading]

[list]
[]Some aiming directions are intentionally restricted by Arthur's position, the horse and the physical limits of the cover animation.[/]
[]Extremely rapid repeated inputs may briefly overlap native RDR2 weapon animations.[/]
[]Steam Input, controller remapping or third-party input software may change the expected button behavior.[/]
[]The Xbox edition remains experimental until it receives physical in-game validation.[/]
[/list][quote][b]Please report reproducible issues with the edition used, input device, equipped weapons and the actions performed before the problem occurred.[/b][/quote][img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/3024/images/9757/9757-1784999787-1072222060.png[/img][line]

[heading][quote]INSTALLATION[/quote][/heading]

[list=1]
[]Install [b]ScriptHookRDR2 V2 and Dinput8[/b].[/]
[]Download the correct SaddleGuard edition for your input device.[/]
[]Place
[code]SaddleGuard.asi[/code]and
[code]SaddleGuard.ini[/code]beside
[code]RDR2.exe[/code].[/]
[]Launch Story Mode, mount a horse and use the activation control assigned to your edition.[/]
[/list][heading][quote]UNINSTALLATION[/quote][/heading]

Remove:

[list]
[][code]SaddleGuard.asi[/code][/]
[][code]SaddleGuard.ini[/code][/]
[/list][img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/3024/images/9757/9757-1784999796-2090611464.png[/img][line]

[heading][quote]REQUIREMENTS[/quote][/heading]

[list]
[]A legitimate PC copy of Red Dead Redemption 2.[/]
[]Story Mode.[/]
[]ScriptHookRDR2 V2 and Dinput8.[/]
[/list][b]Lenny's Mod Loader is not required.[/b]

[quote][b]STORY MODE ONLY[/b]

Do not use SaddleGuard in Red Dead Online or RedM.[/quote][line]

[heading][quote]AUTHORSHIP[/quote][/heading]

[b]SaddleGuard is an original project conceived, designed and directed by me, with technical assistance throughout its implementation and testing.[/b]

The base horseback-cover animation already existed within Red Dead Redemption 2, but it had not been implemented as a complete player-controlled combat mechanic. SaddleGuard was developed and refined from my specifications, testing and feedback.[/left]
[/center]

[img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/3024/images/9757/9757-1784999807-1610078859.png[/img]