A key component of Rockstar's attention to detail in their games is the wide breadth of activities available to players. From playing golf in GTA V to poker in Red Dead Redemption 2 the various activities draw players deeper into the in-game worlds, and none more so than the plethora of missions that vary in gameplay and content in RDR2. Rockstar also uses these missions for subtle exposition and character development along the way. One set of missions in particular that was great for world building in Red Dead Redemption was herding cattle.
RDR2 features a couple similar missions that serve both as quick money for the gang and powerful narrative drivers, but John Marston is only present for the second mission - where he helps Arthur steal a herd of sheep yet isn't allowed to help Arthur herd. Marston first learns how to heard from his savior Bonnie MacFarlane in Red Dead Redemption, and while this may seem like merely another display of the tension between the two men, it actually plays into the greater character arc of John. Marston doesn't do any herding in RDR2 because he is still very much just a young gunslinger at that point, and the act of herding serves as a subtle indication of the change in him.
In RDR2 the missions where Arthur is herding animals are both moments where he steals the herds to make money for the gang. The first mission is simple enough, a quick ride with only a few jokes at Uncle's expense, but the second one features much more action and character development. Arthur and John share some great dialogue, from fun jokes - such as Arthur mocking John's inability to swim - to serious observations - such as Arthur's critique of John's parenting. These moments also serve to where both John and Arthur are on their arcs. Arthur is a big brother to John, and shows it with his waning belief in Dutch's plans and effort to urge John to be a better man.
RDR2: Learning How To Herd Is One Step Towards John's Dream
When players take over as John in Red Dead Redemption 2's epilogue he is a bit older and wiser, but he is still very much an outlaw. With the loss of older brother, a father figure in Hosea, and the rest of his family in dead or in peril because of Micah's betrayal, Marston is at his lowest point and seeking to rebuild his new life. This is mirrored by the setting of New Austin, which during the time of RDR2 is going through its own struggles with frontier life in towns like Armadillo and Tumbleweed, along with the growth of civilization in areas like Blackwater. Just as New Austin is a tale of two conflicting worlds, so too is Marston a man with one foot in each side of his life; torn between avenging his fallen gang and building a good life for his family.
This subtle narrative plays out not only through the epilogue of RDR2, as John works up enough to get a loan and finally buy his own piece of land, but over into the opening chapters of Red Dead Redemption where, after being pulled back into the life of a gunslinger, Bonnie MacFarlane finally teaches him how to herd. This all tells the story of Marston learning to do honest work and slowly building up his family's ranch, which was something hinted at in the mission with Arthur and finally pays off when Marston takes Jack to buy their own herd of cattle. He sadly never got to live out his dream due to John's tragic end in RDR1, but Rockstar's clever breadcrumbs gave the tale more nuance all the way through Red Dead Redemption 2.