Fallout: New Vegas PC Gamer preview scans

[.Pixote.]

Also, it's not about scientific reality, it's about the reality of '50s mentality with regard to weapons.

Completely agree…now I wonder how many arguments were fought over by the original developers in regards to this issue. The balance is important, and more for more sake doesn’t cut it for me, unless it fits the setting.

 

[Arr0nax]

The more you have - the less you appreciate, and that’s especially true to Fallout and its weapons selection.

Totally agree with that.
Apart from some exploits permitted by the open map, the Fallout games really succeeded in making you feel the scarcity of weapons, and making the acquisition of every new gun or armor a magic moment.

Also, the gun you had was determinant in allowing you to survive, whereas Fallout 3 was just impressingly easy with whatever weapon you had.
That's where the weapons shifted from being the condition of your survival, to superficial eye-candy "WOW thaT we4p0n iZZ so EPIC"

 

[TailSwallower]

Another thing Bethesda messed up - In the original Fallouts it was a long time before you saw an Energy weapon, so there was no point in tagging it at the start of the game... In Fallout 3 all you had to do was stumble on over to Super Duper Mart, kill a few raiders and voila - your very first laser pistol.

Sure, the laser pistols are pretty crap, but still - it should have been a big moment in the game, but simple things like that are forgotten and moronic things like giant robots are pushed to the forefront.

 

[aenemic]

Another thing Bethesda messed up - In the original Fallouts it was a long time before you saw an Energy weapon, so there was no point in tagging it at the start of the game... In Fallout 3 all you had to do was stumble on over to Super Duper Mart, kill a few raiders and voila - your very first laser pistol.

Sure, the laser pistols are pretty crap, but still - it should have been a big moment in the game, but simple things like that are forgotten and moronic things like giant robots are pushed to the forefront.

not sure I would say they "messed up". as far as I know, energy weapons aren't exactly something uncommon in the FO universe. the only reason they appear late in the old games is likely because they're supposed to be the most powerful weapons. but that's where they messed up in FO2 - when you finally get energy weapons, you're fighting so many enemies with heavy armor that they simply turn useless.

plus, if you really want to you can get your hands on energy weapons really early on in FO2.

 

[Harold]

Fallout was never ballistics reality – it was ballistic fantasy, with some fairly realistic weapons tossed in the mix. The Pulse rifle is a beautiful thing, and guess what - it’s not real, but who gives a fuck. The gun nuts need to stop and think – does adding tons of new realistic weapons actually enhance the game play any. I would prefer that most of the game was sticks and stones, so when you finally come across a gun, it is a moment of true excitement - (unlike the Fallout 3 Teddy Bear Gun). The more you have - the less you appreciate, and that’s especially true to Fallout and its weapons selection.

I agree that guns should be scarce (and less is usually more) but in my opinion they should be more realistic than they are. Unless you have a lot of critical hit perks it's almost impossible to instantly kill with a headshot. When I first found a gun in Fallout I thought "how many times do I need to shoot this guy in the head?!" I mean every hit from a .44 magnum does like 15 points of damage out of his 90 hit points. What is he - superman? Scarcity is important but so is plausibility.