What missions should I avoid to maintain high honor?

Maintaining high honor in Red Dead Redemption 2 is crucial for unlocking the best possible ending. The game features a morality system where your actions, such as helping strangers or committing crimes, influence your honor level. To achieve the high honor ending, you must avoid certain missions and make ethical choices throughout the story. Here’s a detailed guide on how to maintain high honor and which missions to avoid.\n\nFirst, understand the honor system. Your honor level is displayed in the player menu and ranges from low (red) to high (white). High honor is earned by performing positive actions like helping NPCs, donating to camp, and sparing enemies. Low honor is gained through negative actions like killing innocents, robbing, or being cruel. The game’s ending is heavily influenced by your honor level, so it’s essential to monitor it closely.\n\nTo maintain high honor, avoid missions that force you to make morally questionable decisions. For example, in Chapter 6, the mission ''Money Lending and Other Sins IV'' requires you to collect debts from Downes Ranch. This mission is unavoidable but can lower your honor if you choose aggressive dialogue or actions. Instead, opt for polite and compassionate responses to minimize honor loss. Similarly, missions involving the gang’s criminal activities, such as robberies or assaults, often lead to honor penalties.\n\nAnother mission to approach carefully is ''A Short Walk in a Pretty Town'' in Chapter 4. This mission involves a shootout in Rhodes, which can result in civilian casualties if you’re not cautious. To avoid losing honor, aim carefully and avoid hitting bystanders. Use Dead Eye to target enemies precisely and de-escalate situations whenever possible. Additionally, missions like ''Banking, The Old American Art'' in Chapter 3 involve violence and can lower your honor if you harm innocents.\n\nOutside of missions, your daily actions also impact your honor. Avoid antagonizing or attacking NPCs, as this will quickly lower your honor. Instead, greet people in towns like Valentine or Saint Denis to gain small honor boosts. Donating to the camp fund or helping strangers in need, such as rescuing them from ambushes, also increases your honor. For example, in the Heartlands, you might encounter a stranger being attacked by wolves. Saving them will reward you with honor points.\n\nTo recover lost honor, engage in positive activities like fishing and releasing the fish, or hunting and donating the pelts to Pearson at camp. You can also pay off bounties instead of fighting lawmen, as this reduces negative honor. If you accidentally lose honor during a mission, focus on these activities to restore it quickly.\n\nFinally, pay attention to the game’s dialogue and choices. In missions like ''The Fine Joys of Tobacco'' or ''Blessed Are the Meek?,'' you’ll have opportunities to spare enemies or show mercy. These choices significantly impact your honor, so always opt for the compassionate route. By following these steps and avoiding morally dubious missions, you can maintain high honor and unlock the best ending in Red Dead Redemption 2.\n\nPractical tips: Regularly check your honor level in the player menu. Save your game before starting missions with potential honor consequences, allowing you to reload if needed. Focus on side activities like helping strangers or donating to camp to offset any minor honor losses. By staying mindful of your actions and making ethical choices, you’ll ensure a high honor playthrough and the best possible ending.