Energy Weapons are Serious Business

[youreviltwinSA]

I intend to create a pack of mods that collectively would be known as "Fallout 3 is Serious Business", that are designed to make the game a little more consistant with common sense, a little more balanced, and perhaps a little more consistant with the canon of the earlier Fallout games, but not at the expense of gameplay or common sense.

 

Some of the first changes I want to make are to energy weapons. They are good fun in vanilla Fallout 3, but they do have a few flaws. Proposed changes:

 

1) More sensible ammo capacity and usage

 

In vanilla Fallout 3, laser rifles have a capacity of 24, and plasma rifles have a capacity of 12, yet when you reload you see yourself reloading just one microfusion cell. Obviously one microfusion cell must contain several units of energy. But then, how come a cell only contains 12 shots in a plasma rifle and 24 shots in a laser rifle? The common sense answer is that plasma shots use up more energy than laser shots, but if that were true then the figure for your total remaining microfusion ammo should be halved when using a plasma rifle. That doesn't happen. So instead, for some reason you have to reload a plasma rifle's microfusion cell when it should only be half empty! This makes no sense.

 

Similarly, the laser pistol has a capacity of 30 shots, and the plasma pistol has 16 shots, but you see yourself reloading both use the same small energy energy cell ammo. Again, this makes no sense.

 

This was not a problem in the earlier Fallout games as you couldn't see how many energy cells you were loading into your gun - presumably your gun could contain several energy cells at the same time, like multiple bullets. But in Fallout 3 you see yourself reloading just one energy cell, and so the different ammo capacities no longer make sense.

 

THE SOLUTION!

 

Both laser rifles and plasma rifles will be given an ammo capacity of 24, but the plasma rifle would use up 2 units per shot. This means that regardless of what weapon you use, a microfusion cell always contains the same amount of energy, but plasma rifles drain it twice as fast. This makes much more sense. It will also prevent plasma weapons from automatically being better than laser weapons - plasma weapons will do more damage, sure, but you'll pay for that extra damage in extra ammo consumption.

 

The laser pistol and the plasma pistol will be given a capacity of 32 small energy cells. This means the laser pistol will have 2 shots extra, while the plasma pistol will drain 2 units per shot, and have 16 shots per reload, same as vanilla.

 

2) Increase the number of enemies with energy weapons

 

Until the Enclave turn up, there's a real lack of enemies with energy weapons. Sure, the occasional Talon Merc has a laser pistol or laser rifle, and the Brotherhood uses lasers (though they shouldn't be your enemies unless you are being a very bad person!), but other than that it's all Small Guns and Big Guns.

 

It is especially weird seeing a couple of Super Mutans using miniguns and missile launchers and the rest using hunting rifles or standard assault rifles, given how in Fallout 1 they were often seen weilding laser rifles and plasma rifles. True, the Fallout 3 mutants might not have access to Falllout 1's well-stocked Military Base or Cathedral, but I figure that wherever they found those miniguns and missile launchers they should have found some old energy weapons too, not just puny rifles.

 

THE SOLUTION!

 

Reduce the number of Super Mutants with guns and improve the melee mutants. Give the few remaining mutants with guns... much better guns. Use Gahan's "Nailed to Death" mod http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1765 which increases the number of melee-only Super Mutants, and then gives the remaining gun-weilding mutants better guns. Except, Nailed to Death gives them extra Big Guns such as miniguns and missile launchers, while I'll be giving them laser rifles (and on the highest levels, plasma rifles).

 

Also, in the GOAT test in Vault 101, one of the amusing questions had "Grab a laser pistol from the armoury and cut through the door" as one of the possible answers. It appears that Vault 101 should have some laser pistols! So let's give a few to a couple of the security guards that the Overseer sends to cause you trouble.

 

Perhaps higher-level Raiders could have the occasional old poor-condition laser pistol or laser pistol. If they can get their hands on sniper rifles, missile launchers, flamethrowers and insane numbers of grenades and land mines, I'm sure occasionally they find a laser weapon or two as well.

 

3) Increase the variety of energy weapons

 

Fallout 3 has a rather small selection of energy weapons. There are a few unique varients of laser pistol, a unique laser rifle and a unique plasma rifle, but since the unique varients look identical to the normal ones, the unique versions don't really add much variety.

 

joefoxx has done a great job recreating the Wattz 2000 laser rifle from the earlier Fallout games, and is currently working on the Turbo P94 Plasma Rifle. Meanwhile, jkruse05 is making brand new design pulse pistols and pulse rifles. http://thenexusforums.com/index.php?showtopic=89556 With any luck, someone may recreate the Wattz 1000 laser pistol and the Glock 86 plasma pistol.

 

For them to fit into the weapon balance of the game, and also the ammo capacity system I've proposed above, some of the classic Fallout weapons may not be able to have exactly the same ammo capacities as the earlier games. To avoid contradicting Fallout canon, they can be given slightly new model numbers.

 

Here's my proposed list for Fallout 3's new selection of energy weapons. I've already modified the ammo capacities of the vanilla Fallout 3 weapons to work this way. I haven't bothered mentioning the Gattling Lasers since they nicely fit in their own category. I haven't mentioned the unique laser pistols either as they are basically just improvements of the standard AER7 laser pistol.

 

 

 

Wattz 1000 Laser Pistol --> Wattz 1200 Laser Pistol

Used by: Raiders (figured it was a shame none used energy weapons). Also a few Vault 101 security guards during your escape. One of the questions in the GOAT test at the start of the game did mention getting a laser pistol from the armoury.

Capacity: 32 energy cell ammo, with 2 cells used every shot, so 16 shots per reload

http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/fallout/images//7/7e/LASERGUN.gif

In Fallout 1 and 2 the description of the Wattz 1000 laser pistol mentioned that it was supposed to be a civillian model inferior to police and military models. So here is Wattz's police/military model. The Wattz 1000 could fire 12 shots, the Wattz 1200 can fire 16 shots. The actual ammo capacity is 30, but each shot uses 2 ammo, giving it the same energy inefficiency of plasma weapons. Each shot does about 1/3 more damage than the normal Fallout 3 AEP7 Laser Pistol, but it can only be fired half as fast as the AEP7, and it is has a higher AP cost in VATS.

 

I wouldn't bother with Fallout 2's "Magneto-Laser Pistol" since Fallout 3 already features several unique varients of laser pistol. (Plus, the concept of the Magneto-Laser Pistol is a bit absurd - what on earth is a "magnetic field targetting system", and how could it possibly affect a beam of light? Magnetic fields should only be relevant to plasma weapons, not lasers.)

 

AEP7 Laser Pistol

Used by: Same NPCs as vanilla Fallout 3

Capacity 32 energy cell ammo, with 1 cell used every shot

The normal Laser Pistol from the vanilla game, but with ammo capacity increased to 32. Perhaps may be some minor adjustment to damage or action points for balance reasons.

 

 

Wattz 2000 Laser Rifle --> Wattz 2000 Scoped Laser Rifle

Used by: Super Mutants! And highest level Raiders. Plus occasionally other random NPCs that might normally use laser rifles. But not Enclave.

Capacity: 24 microfusion cell ammo, with 2 cells used every shot, so 12 shots per reload

http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/fallout/images//c/cf/LRIFLE.gif

The Wattz 2000 Laser Rifle is the energy weapon enthusiast's equivalent of the Sniper Rifle. It uses 2 microfusion cells for every shot, giving it the same energy inefficiency as a plasma rifle. It has half the rate of fire of Fallout's normal AER9 Laser Rifle, and a higher AP cost in VATS. The good points are that it does 1/3 more damage than the fast-firing AER9 and it features a scope. For close/medium range encounters it is inferior to the AER9 or the Wazer Wifle, but at long range it is superior thanks to the scope. The only better sniping weapon is the proper Sniper Rifle. Handily there is no need to change the model number since in Fallout 1 and 2 it had the same number of shots (12) and it featured a scope. I figured it was worth adding "scoped" to the name to help distinguish the different types of laser rifle.

 

 

AER9 Laser Rifle

Used by: Same NPCs as vanilla Fallout 3, though NPCs other than Enclave may have chance to use Wattz 2000 instead.

Capacity: 24 microfusion cell ammo, with 1 cell used every shot.

The normal Laser Rifle from the vanilla game. Probably. Might be very minor changes for balance reasons.

 

 

Wazer Wifle --> Scoped Laser Rifle (Ext. Cap.)

Found: Billy's Wazer Wifle quest in Little Lamplight

Capacity: 24 microfusion cell ammo, with 1 cell used every shot

http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/images/thumbs/2213-1-1230324908.jpg http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/fallout/images//c/c1/LRIFLE2.gif

It has the rate of fire, ammo consumption and VATS AP cost of the normal AER9 laser rifle, but the damage and scope of the Wattz 2000 scoped laser rifle. This is thanks to the recharging system having been upgraded with a special recycling chip that reduces the drain on the microfusion cell. I figured that since since joefoxx did such an awesome job and recreated both the normal Wattz 2000 and the unique extended capacity version with extra wires and stuff, it was worth replacing the Wazer Wifle. (It's a bit boring how the Wazer Rifle looks identical to the normal laser rifle. Much nicer making it look like the unique rifle in Fallout 2.) The cost/value of the weapon should be increased, as for some bizarre reason the Wazer Wifle was worth less than a normal AER9 laser rifle, and now with a scope it will be even better.

 

 

Glock 86 Scoped Plasma Pistol

Used by: Brotherhood of Steel, high level Talon Mercs, highest level Raiders

Capacity: 32 energy cell ammo, with 2 cells used every shot, so 16 shots per reload

http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/fallout/images//2/2a/GLOCK.gif

Handily both the original Fallout 1 and 2 plasma pistol and the Fallout 3 Enclave plasma pistol have the same number of shots, 16, so there is no need to change the model number of the Glock 86. It does significantly less damage than the Enclave plasma pistol, has half the rate of fire and uses more AP in VATS. It's advantages are its scope and the plasma projectile travels 50% slightly faster than the Enclave plasma pistol, making it useful at slightly longer ranges. It also available earlier in the game.

 

 

Plasma Pistol (Ext. Cap.)

Found: Somewhere pretty hard to find or late in the game.

Capacity: 32 energy cell ammo, with 1 cell used every shot

http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/fallout/images//2/2e/Plaspst2.gif

Fallout 3 doesn't actually have a unique plasma pistol. So let's use the one from Fallout 2. This Glock 86 Plasma Pistol has had its magnetic housing chamber realigned to reduce the drain on its energy cell. Its efficiency has doubled, allowing it to fire more shots before the battery is expended. This should be quite tricky to find or in a location late in the main quest. Debatable as to whether it is superior to the Enclave weapon. Its ammo consumption is certainly better, and it has the advantage of scope and faster projectile, but suffers from a lower rate of fire and higher AP cost in VATS.

 

 

Enclave Plasma Pistol

Used by: Same NPCs as vanilla Fallout 3 (the Enclave!)

Capacity: 32 energy cell ammo, with 2 cells used every shot, so 16 shots per reload

The standard Plasma Pistol from the vanilla game, but with ammo capacity doubled to 32 and energy consumption increased to 2 cells every shot.

 

 

Winchester P94 Plasma Rifle --> Winchester P92 Plasma Rifle

Used by: High level Super Mutants, high level Talon Mercs.

Capacity: 24 microfusion cell ammo, with 3 cells used every shot, so 8 shots per reload

http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/fallout/images//6/66/PLASMA.gif

The plasma rifle in Fallout 1 and 2 was the Winchester P94 and it could fire 10 shots. That would mean 2.4 units of microfusion energy per shot, and unfortunately I do not think that is possible in Fallout 3! So instead here we have the the P92, an earlier energy-inefficient Winchester rifle that merely fires 8 shots. (A whopping ammo consumption of 3 microfusion cells per shot!) This contrasts greatly with the Enclave plasma rifle that can fire 12 shots per reload. It also does slightly less damage, has a lower rate of fire (1/3 less than the Enclave plasma rifle), and a higher VATS AP cost. It weighs more too! The one advantage is that it can be found earlier in the game.

 

 

Enclave Plasma Rifle

Used by: Same NPCs as Vanilla Fallout 3 (the Enclave!)

Capacity: 24 microfusion cell ammo, with 2 cells used every shot, so 12 shots per reload

The normal plasma rifle from the vanilla game, but with capacity increased to 24 and 2 ammo used per shot.

 

 

A3-21's Plasma Rifle --> Turbo Plasma Rifle

Found: Given by A3-21 as reward for his quest

Capacity: 24 microfusion cell ammo, with 2 cells used every shot, so 12 shots per reload

http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/fallout/images//a/a4/PLAS2.gif

An old-fashioned Winchester P94 plasma rifle that's been upgraded to be as powerful as a standard Enclave Plasma Rifle, and with the better criticals of the vanilla game's A3-21 plasma rifle. It seemed a bit odd to me that android A3-21 would give me a super-powerful version of an Enclave weapon, given that the Commonwealth isn't supposed to be related to the Enclave. I thought it more likely he would have an improved version of the good old P94 plasma rifles seen in the earlier Fallout games. Specifically, that clever android A3-21 has used Commonwealth technology to hotwire the plasma bolt chamber to accelerate the bolt formation process, improving the rate of fire and reducing the AP cost, and he has also realigned the magnetic housing to tighten the size of the plasma bolt (for increased damage and criticals) and reduce the drain on the microfusion cell, allowing 12 shots rather than 10. This means that nostalgic players can get all the advantages of the Enclave plasma rifle and keep the appearence of classic Fallout weapon. It is slightly heavier than the Enclave weapons, though.

 

 

Advanced Plasma Rifle (or perhaps "Enhanced Plasma Rifle", or "Phased Plasma Rifle", for a Terminator/Babylon 5 reference, heh)

Found: Late in the game, somewhere with lots of Enclave. Perhaps even used by a couple of Enclave.

Capacity: 24 microfusion cell ammo, with 2 cells used every shot, so 12 shots per reload

This is the normal (Enclave) version of A3-21's Plasma Rifle from vanilla Fallout 3, given a new name. This has all the advantages of the Turbo Plasma Rifle, and also does more damage than standard Enclave plasma rifles, and it is lighter. Doesn't need a new model, but might possibly be given a slight reskin.

 

 

Enclave Pulse Pistol

Used by: Some Enclave, instead of plasma pistols or laser rifles

Capacity: 32 energy cell ammo, with 2 cells used every shot, so 16 shots per reload

http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/fallout/images//c/cd/PULSEPST.gif

Though powerful, the text in Fallout 2 describes the YK32 Pulse Pistol as "never considered a practical weapon due to its inefficient energy usage and bulky design". The Enclave have built their own version (or rather, jkruse05 has! http://thenexusforums.com/index.php?showtopic=89556 ) that does not have these design flaws. The Enclave Pulse Pistol has the energy consumption of a plasma pistol, the high projectile speed of the Glock 87, and the high rate of fire and low VATS AP cost of an AEP7 laser pistol. The cost of making the pulse pistol rapid-fire and energy efficient is that the damage has dropped to inbetween a laser pistol and a plasma pistol, effectively making it is a super laser pistol. The weapon's electrical pulses do additional damage to robots, and critical hits on robots will result in instant destruction.

 

 

Enclave Pulse Rifle

Used by: Some Enclave, instead of plasma rifles

Capacity: 32 energy cell ammo, with 4 cells used every shot, so 8 shots per reload

http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/fallout/images//d/d1/PULSERIF.gif

The Enclave's version of the Pulse Rifle does not compare to the deadly YK42B from Fallout 2, but is unique in being a powerful energy rifle that uses small energy cells rather than microfusion cells. It has the rate of fire and VATS AP usage of an Enclave plasma rifle, and the damage is less than a Winchester P92 but greater than a Wattz 2000 scoped laser rifle. The weapon's electrical pulses do additional damage to robots, and critical hits on robots will result in instant destruction.

[Triumph675]

Your correct on all parts about fixing energy weapons. If this happens it will be a most have for FO3.

 

Wattz 2000 Laser Rifle --> Wattz 2000 Scoped Laser Rifle

 

Brings back good times.