Suggestions for Ballistic Weapons Modders

[FlankerDFR]

I’ve seen and used a lot of great ballistic weapon mods in gaming, and as someone who’s used a wide variety of firearms professionally for more than 30 years; I’m frequently amused at the trouble modders will go to, to ensure graphical excellence and fidelity in their weapon models and textures, only to allow seriously n00b “weapons” function errors in their mods. I’m only addressing ballistic weapon modders who are trying for authenticity in their mods. If you want to put something into your mod because you like it, even though it’s not particularly realistic………..that’s cool; it’s your mod after all!

 

What the heck am I talking about? Sounds and muzzle flash.

 

The shorter the barrel and larger the cartridge----the louder the muzzle blast (bang), and greater the flash. e.g. SIG 550 (standard barrel length) vs SIG 552 (very short barrel). The 552 is much louder and has a much more prominent muzzle flash than the 550. A dramatically shorter barrel means a lot more unburned propellant exiting the muzzle, which makes more noise and flash. A good flash hider (Phantom, Vortex, and AAC Blackout styles, and these aren’t the ONLY good ones) will attenuate the flash from even short barreled assault rifles, but they don’t do a darned thing about the bang! It’s still LOUD!! BTW: Flash suppressors are there to attenuate the flash from the shooters end of the weapon; so a bright flash does not mess up the shooters low light/night vision, it’s still real easy to see the attenuated flash from the business end though!.

 

Suppressors not only significantly reduce the muzzle blast, but virtually eliminate the muzzle flash as well (just like the muffler and/or catalytic convertor on your vehicle).

 

In general; most modders make (or use) suppressed sounds that are too low (very few suppressed sounds on TV shows and in the movies are good examples, and even in reality based shows, by the time the suppressed sound is recorded, then played back over a TV, computer, or other speakers it’s been significantly changed from what it was in real life).

 

Suppressors DO NOT reduce ballistic performance. Used to be true years ago with the older style of bullet wiping baffled suppressors. Nowadays; reduced ballistic performance still occurs when subsonic (heavier bullets with reduced powder in the cartridge) ammunition is used, but there is NO performance reduction when using standard or high velocity ammo.

 

So………….keep those great weapon mods coming………….even if you do have a huge muzzle flash coming out of your weapons suppressor! :laugh:

[Moraelin]

Well, bear in mind that:

 

1. The game doesn't actually have more than 3 levels of loudness, as far as the NPCs are concerned: suppressed, normal gunshot, and loud gunshot like the 44 and such. Fine differences like between the SIG 550 and SIG 552 just aren't supported by the game engine.

 

2. The muzzle flashes and sounds in the game are what they are, and not everyone will go and paint a different one and record new sounds, especially when just porting a gun someone else made.

 

3. For better or worse, almost nobody is really making museum pieces. They must fit well in the game, which is to say, with the existing guns and sounds. If your suppressed gun sounds louder than Bethesda's unsuppressed guns (which realistically it would), it doesn't coordinate well with the rest of the game.

 

4. Ditto for balance. There is a balance reason why the same cartridge (say, 9x19mm) does more damage in a handgun than in a longer barrelled SMG, or why it does less damage when suppressed. Basically if you want higher damage, you pay for it by taking higher risks.

 

5. Well, if you don't like it, by all means, do something better :P

Edited March 4, 2011 by Moraelin