I haven’t played RDO in a while, but it would be cool if they added a homestead mechanic.
Have friends? They can help build your house. Have a posse? BAM, instant headquarters. Decorate with stuff you make or stuff from the catalogue! Like hunting? Mail off some carcasses to that dude in Strawberry for some badass taxidermy decor. Hell, like hunting and the trader occupation isn’t 100% right for you? BECOME a taxidermist! Yes, you too can have stuffed squirrels playing poker in your drawing room!
Like Stardew Valley but want it yeehaw? Homesteaders can start with x amount of land and idk, a sod house or something and slowly earn money off their farm to make improvements. Hire NPCs to act as guards against coyotes attacking livestock and bandits. Depending on your hostility settings, online players can either help or hinder you. Open your house to players in need of a neutral zone when they need to rest up but are far from their own camp. Improve your lot or buy more land by taking out loans from the bank! Honorable: work odd jobs to pay them off. Dishonorable: rob another bank or train or any number of people to pay them off quicker!
Like the Sims but want it old west? Host a barn raising party! The more amenities you provide, the better the finished product is. A crappy party means only the framework got put up and the rest is up to you to complete. A textbook perfect party means while it isn’t painted, you can move livestock in the very next day.
Liked RDR’s ranching minigames? WELL HELL, HERE THEY ARE! Herd cattle to and from the market! Raise sheep! Go feed some chickens and protect your farm from random shit!