John was developed to be a nuanced character in Red Dead Redemption, as opposed to an explicit villain or hero,[6] and a "family man".[7] Carson said that Marston "has a foot in both the old world and the world that was to come", and felt that the character became interesting due to the combination of cynicism and realism.[6] Wiethoff felt that the early decisions in John's life were a direct result of his need for acceptance, and that he may not have been aware of his actions.[8] John's physical appearance took "quite a while" for the team to achieve, but they felt that it allowed them to develop an emotional connection to the character.[5] Wiethoff was asked to return for the downloadable content Undead Nightmare about a month after moving back to Seymour, Indiana from Los Angeles, where the first game was recorded; Undead Nightmare was recorded in New York.[3]