One of the most entertaining things that could be added to Red Dead Redemption 3 is more ways to antagonize NPCs. RDR2 gave Arthur the opportunity to throw out insults and rob them, but players seeking chaos need more options. The next game could offer more ways for its outlaw protagonist to mess with the people of the wild west.
Red Dead Redemption 2 offers players the opportunity to interact with almost every NPC that they encounter. There is the option to be polite with them, starting a short conversation and gaining some karma. However, the player can also have Arthur antagonize people, either causing them to fire back with an insult, or spurring them into a fight. There is also an option to rob NPCs, but while it will help players complete RDR2's Bandit challenges, it will likely lead to a swarm of lawmen coming straight for Arthur.
One way to make antagonizing NPCs more entertaining in the next game would be to offer more variance in the player's lines. For example, a good mix of irritated or passive-aggressive comments mixed with outright insults could make picking arguments rather amusing. There could even be some variation tied to the karma meter. Good karma players could be more snarky and sly, while a bad karma player's character would be more prone to threats. It would be a good way to reflect how the player has been playing and their respective alignment in a way that ties seamlessly in with the game, although the player may need an easy way to raise RDR's karma afterwards.
RDR3 Needs A Better Range Of Antagonistic Actions
Red Dead Redemption 3 could also offer more options for antagonizing people. While RDR2 allows the player to insult them until they start a fight, there are still other options that could be explored. For example, the ability to challenge a sufficiently antagonized or antagonistic NPC to a duel would be a fun way to bring more use to the game's duel mechanics. In addition, the game could add more ways to start fights, or even cause fights between NPCs. One wild west trope that is sorely missing from Red Dead Redemption 2 is the ability to start a bar fight outside of the one story mission that calls for it, and RDR3 could add that opportunity to the wider world. A chance to kick off a big fight (without the bloodshed that came with Micah's violent prison escape in RDR2) would be embraced by many players.
Another good addition would be for antagonized characters to potentially become random encounters. For example, if the player antagonized an NPC without killing them, they could make another appearance later on as a random encounter. They could be showing up to give the player a peace of their mind, attack them, or even challenge them to a duel. Perhaps they could pay off a gang to come after the player, or round up a few friends and do the job themselves. That kind of interaction could make getting antagonistic with NPCs much more exciting, since it would open many more possibilities for the future even if RDR3 leaves the old west.
Fighting with NPCs in Red Dead Redemption 2 may not be the best for Arthur's karma meter, but it can certainly be a lot of fun. Some more options for causing trouble in the next title could add even more flavor to the roleplaying experience. Red Dead Redemption 3 can make playing as an outlaw even more fun than before.