Talk:Plasma rifle (Fallout 3)

Rapid Fire

 * "" Fire rapidly. The weapon's effective range is mitigated by the plasma bolts' travel time, but the rapid semi-auto fire and heavy damage compensate to do massive damage""


 * Okay, well that proves to me that my experience isn't anomalous, I'm not the only one getting rapid fire out of the plasma rifle. Tell me, in about how many seconds can you unload all 12 shots? [[Image:Ash_Nuke.jpg]] AshRandom (Talk) 12:59, 16 January 2009 (UTC)


 * While the Plasma Rifle definitely can be used for rapid fire, to me it oftentimes seems to "jam" after a couple of shots for a short period of time (1-2 secs). It almost feels like those good old fighting games where you had to button smash with a certain frequency or else would get a penalty with your character freezing for a couple of seconds... either that or I´m too dumb to press LMB. Golan2781 22:03, 20 January 2009 (UTC)


 * Yes, we've figured part of it out already, it's the "Semi-Automatic Fire Delay Max" the plasma rifle has an attack speed of 4/second with a max fire delay of 2, so for the first 2 second you can get off 8 shots, then there's a 1 sec pause, then in the 4th second you can fire off the remaining 4 shots left in the weapon. So it takes 4 seconds to fire off a full clip magazine of 12, 3 seconds of real shooting with a 1 second pause. Expect to see new DPS numbers and an averaged out ROF number soon, I'm sorry that we're currently so very very very wrong about DPS numbers, they need to be taken down for now, but, its just too time consuming, there are way too many pages and I'm not going to go through them all until me and fiddlesoup have finished collating the data (by hand as apparently the GECK can't do it correctly). [[Image:Ash_Nuke.jpg]] AshRandom (Talk) 22:09, 20 January 2009 (UTC)


 * Guess it´s not that much of a problem, DPS seems like a rather minor value in regard to F3´s gameplay (especially as it can variably depend on tons of factors, like taking reloading time etc. into consideration). The DMG/HIT, crit stats and DMG/AP are much more useful, and you´re really a great source for those.

Goo Not Disappearing?

 * Goo Piles created by this weapon can simply not disappear in certain (outdoor) areas, and also seem to become "connected" with the next unit that respawns after them. This means that if you kill an NPC and turn them into goo, then come back when they've respawned, you can actually pickpocket them through the goo from their predecessor (and even kill them by Reverse-Pickpocketing explosives onto them). This same issue also occurs with ash piles, is it common?--Clean Up 19:55, 1 March 2009 (UTC)
 * Very. A good example is the Enclave kill squad dispatched to Alexandria Arms. Although I've only managed to pickpocket with goo piles. The ashes won't respond. Nitpicker of the Wastes 02:56, 18 May 2009 (UTC)
 * I've had this happen quite frequently with goo and ash piles, where the piles can't be looted until you kill whatever new NPC has spawned. I've been able to pick-pocket the piles and also FAIL at the attempt, causing them to go hostile. Mr. Sully 02:59, 18 May 2009 (UTC)


 * I've Experienced the goo piles Inside Bethesda Offices East. I killed the Raider with the Flamer and the big weapons skill book with a sneak attack critical with the A3-21's Plasma Rifle. If would be sweet if I could lure him over to the front of the door, kill him and just pick pocket the goo, making the process of maxing out my big guns skill much faster. Brett Moan 23:24, 20 June 2009 (UTC)

Tips & Tricks

 * Fire rapidly. The weapon's effective range is mitigated by the plasma bolts' travel time, but the rapid semi-auto fire and heavy damage compensate to do massive damage.


 * Aim for the target's center mass when firing from the hip or down sights. Aiming for particular body parts outside of VATS is difficult because the plasma trail behind the shot blocks your view. The damage rate of this weapon makes headshots for fast takedowns largely unnecessary.


 * Have cover handy to duck behind. The magazine is fairly short and will be emptied quickly, and the reload time is somewhat lengthy (though not anywhere near the longest).


 * For the energy weapons enthusiast, holding both a plasma and laser rifle provides you with the best of both worlds, having the laser rifle for long range shooting, and the plasma rifle for places where firepower is a must. In general, any close quarters combat is better done with a plasma rifle, and due to its impressive damage headshots at close range are almost always lethal.

--Kingclyde 09:21, 21 June 2009 (UTC)

Plasma Weapons and the US Army
I was wondering; it's clearly stated that Mister Gutsies were designed by and used by the US Army, and they are also clearly equipped with Plasma weapons. But that then raises the question; why didn't the US Army make Plasma Rifles to issue to their troops? All evidence in-game points to the fact that Plasma Rifles and Pistols are a Post-War technology.

--117649AnnihilativeRepentance 00:14, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

It appears that the Enclave's plasma weapons may largely be scavenged (and dupicated) from Mr. Gutsy units. Compare the way the Plasma Rifle looks to the Mr. Gutsy's weapon. The Enclave, needless to say would have modified the weapon for human use.--Hollow Points 16:25, 21 August 2009 (UTC)Hollow Points


 * See, this is what people get for not playing original Fallout titles. Plasma weapons are a pre-war technology: P94 Plasma Rifle, Glock 86 Plasma Pistol. http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/fallout/images/thumb/5/5c/Scribe.jpg/15px-Scribe.jpg Tagaziel (call!) 16:32, 21 August 2009 (UTC)


 * The plasma weapon technology seen in FO3 seems to be significantly different than from the previous Fallout games though. The rifle went from being a handle weapon to a rifle weapon, and the business end is now a plasma arc contained by a glass vessel (or just out in the open with the plasma pistol). The plasma weapon seen on the Mister Gutsy model resembles this new plasma weapon tech, not the previous. --MadCat221 02:39, 22 August 2009 (UTC)
 * The US was working on advanced plasma weapons before the war, see MPLX "Novasurge" Prototype Plasma Pistol. Although, Grizzly has you guys beat. Nitty 02:46, 22 August 2009 (UTC)

I'll chuck it up to artistic license on the part of the game makers. Power armor shrunk so the PC can fit through doors and sneak around. The old style plasma weapons would look to much like big guns so they made them rifle sized so they would in better with the other energy weapons. So either these are suppose to the the exact same weapon from previous fallouts with some artistic license. Or Enclave miniaturized them for easier portability. --98.240.210.20 12:34, 23 August 2009 (UTC)
 * They're not a different take, nor are they miniaturized. It's a completely different model, cobbled together from various plasma technology. Also, portability? The Glock 86 is much more compact and efficent than the Enclave's version. I also fail to see how looks are a valid reason to completely change the appearance of a weapon. http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/fallout/images/thumb/5/5c/Scribe.jpg/15px-Scribe.jpg Tagaziel (call!) 15:15, 23 August 2009 (UTC)
 * You fail to see why the looks of something is a valid reason to change how it looks?....Ever notice how cars went from being big heavy things to lighter, faster, shaped differently. Not all of that is due to aerodynamics. You could look at some of the current problems faced by barrett versus other weapons manufacturers for our military. The military wants lighter, smaller, yet more durable weapons to work with. It would clearly seem to be the case here. Aside from those issues, and if you have taken a look at the offerings from barrett lately you will see aesthetics are also important. Just look at all the changes in the 82A1. If you know about weapons in the real world, you will know that more often than not the main differences between models are all cosmetics. Aside from all of that, they did wonderful jobs on these weapons. They are much better looking than the older versions. 76.123.149.130 06:12, 28 August 2009 (UTC)
 * To further my argument you have simply to compare the weight/amo capacity of the weapons. The Enclave Plasma Rifle is 8/12 weighs 8 holds 12. Now the P94 plasma rifle weighs in at 12 and only holds 10. So the enclave weapon is lighter, and holds more shots per clip. Even a slight weight advantage is good. You might consider one soldier carrying this rifle. That is only 4 pounds lighter, but consider that you are moving them in mass amounts of 1000s at a time. You can see that will add up to quite a bit. The same holds true when comparing the pistols. Bethesda did an excellent job when working with the looks. For example the newer enclave plasma rifles have a stripped down stock. So aside from simply updating the weapons, there are ample other reasons that they are different. All of that aside I think the main reason he was asking is that during operation anchorage we were allowed to bring along robots with plasma weapons but not use any. Then again consider that now we can use plasma weapons but the gauss rifle is lost tech. 76.123.149.130 06:24, 28 August 2009 (UTC)
 * Uh, huh. You know, if you played the original games, you'd understand that the reason the Plasma Rifles are bulky is because that's an industrial weapon and likely the cutting edge technology, as you find one in the secure testing labs in The Glow. This is a pretty clear indication that plasma weapons were developed recently and those with higher power (rifles) were bulky and inefficent, precisely because they needed that size to accomodate the reactor and superconductive barrel.
 * Now, your argument that "military wants lighter weapons". Maybe in our world. In Fallout's world, they want reliable weapons, which is why pretty much every weapon is bulky and looks like it could withstand hitting someone on the head with it. The Enclave's rifle is fragile - drop it on the coil, it breaks, drop it on the cell port, it breaks, drop it on the stock, it breaks, drop it on the chamber, it breaks. Both versions look more like steampunk cobbled together guns rather than reliable, military weapons, like the AER9 Laser Rifle or the AEP7 Laser Pistol. For this reason, I think it's quite likely they are stripped down versions of larger weapons and the Enclave version is basically the Winchester P94 plasma formation chamber with a handle and trigger.
 * Oh, and Gauss rifles are far from lost tech. Just play Fallout 2. You know, actual Fallout. http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/fallout/images/thumb/5/5c/Scribe.jpg/15px-Scribe.jpg Tagaziel (call!) 17:11, 28 August 2009 (UTC)
 * Ugh hate the rte. I can't imagine a military not wanting a weapon system that is better, while weighing less. True about the bulkiness of an item, but remember just because something is bulky that doesn't mean it is strong. That goes too far into materials science though, but you can get an example by looking at carbon nanotubes. Light, small, but quite strong. Now that is using our technology of course, those plasma rifles could be made of something similar. I very much doubt that simply because it does take a good bit of tech to make something along those lines. I am new to the fallout universe, I played 1, skipped 2, played 3 and liked it more because its more difficult. I can't really stand it on lower difficulties but when you crank it up and ignore vats it can be quite fun. Though vats is great for laughs, watching a persons body explode doesn't really get old. Back to my point, it has been a bit of time since fallout 2 to fallout 3. In that time they probably learned how to miniaturize the process, and by doing so develop better weapons. So while in Fallout 2 they might have been cutting edge industrial weapons, now they have been modified for use by infantry. There are actually examples of similar happening in our world. Things that started out for another purpose being reconfigured and changed for military use. If you look at them you will notice that over time. I guess a very early example would be the Kama. That presents an item that was used for farming, then converted to weaponry out of necessity. From there it was further modified. Tenetke 09:14, 29 August 2009 (UTC)
 * Uh, this is something I've been saying - that the Enclave weapons are nothing more than stripped down versions of classic Fallout weapons, modified for easier infantry use, but at the same time, far more fragile. http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/fallout/images/thumb/5/5c/Scribe.jpg/15px-Scribe.jpg Tagaziel (call!) 09:45, 29 August 2009 (UTC)
 * Then why does this have higher max condition than any Small Gun? Your claims about its frailty is all heresay. The simple fact that it is a rifle shape in contrast to the "2-hand handle" shape of the P94 is the only comparison we can make, as there is no condition system in FO1 and 2. How do you know that the P94's claw-shaped emitter doesn't misfire if you even just look at it cross-eyed? It can't be done, because there's no real point of comparison on the P94 as far as durability is concerned. The only point we can compare on is size and ease of handling from visual inspection.--MadCat221 04:44, 31 August 2009 (UTC)
 * Condition is relative to what Bethesda says it is. How can A3-21's Plasma Rifle be more durable than the standard version without looking any different? How can a spacesuit take a bullet or energy burst and still keep the wearer sealed away from the harsh conditions of space? The barrel is made of glass. The P94's claws are made of metal. That alone should tell you that the P94 could easily survive mass transit. With all the hoses and doohickeys on this one, it could get caught on something getting loaded into and out of a vertibird, for example. Use your head! Nitty 04:52, 31 August 2009 (UTC)
 * The P94's barrel can take a hit against a wall as it gets spun around quickly in tight quarters, which I find a more likely occurrence than snagging the hoses on the EPR. And possibly so by strength-augmented power-armored soldiers, so there's definitely a danger of damaging the weapon through handling. That's one of the advantages of the smaller plasma rifle here: easier to wield. And the glass barrel on the EPR... what kind of glass? Seeing that it's containing a plasma arc, and its durability is trusted enough to be field deployed, it's probably not cheap glass. Not all glass is fragile. As I said before, any judgments on durability comparisons are hearsay, as you can see arguments for the frailty of one and durability of the other can easily be refuted and counteracted 'till both arguers are blue in the face.--MadCat221 05:07, 31 August 2009 (UTC)
 * The P94 is an industrial-grade weapon, like the L30 Gatling Laser, it's not made for close quarters. And the EPR is definitely stupid, there's a hose leading from the bottom of the grip to the bottom of the stock. That'll get caught in the shoulders of your power armor nice and quick. Why not just snake that right through the stock itself? The EPR can't be used in the jutting corners of any ruined building without something hitting something. The P94 has none of that. Also, yes, I'm prefectly content to argue until my face is blue. :P Nitty 05:15, 31 August 2009 (UTC)


 * Could the new design simply be because the Enclave has no ability to reproduce the P94 or (even better) the new (F3) plasma rifle is simply easier to aim, due to it being a rifle-type weapon instead of something fired from the hip? The MPLX "Novasurge" Prototype Plasma Pistol is an Enclave design, so they may not have had the capacity to produce these weapons during F2. They also could have found the Pre-War Enclave laboratory where the Novasurge was created, salvaged, and improved the weapons they found. This is a possibility, due to the fact that we don't know what the Enclave found while they crossed the U.S. Between F2 and F3. They had to move by land, due to their Vertibird's limited range.Therefore, they may have decided to make a detour to a lost Enclave lab, and found these newfangled guns. And yes, I have played Fallout 1 and 2.--Hollow Points 02:10, October 18, 2009 (UTC)Hollow Points
 * The EPR looks stupid. its a glass cone with a bunch of wires and a stock.
 * the p94, on the other hand was sleek and awesome. Another question, where are the enclave making these things? I dont understand how they would get that kind of material in the wasteland.gun_with_utters 19:23, May 12, 2010 (UTC)GatlingBrahmin
 * the p94, on the other hand was sleek and awesome. Another question, where are the enclave making these things? I dont understand how they would get that kind of material in the wasteland.gun_with_utters 19:23, May 12, 2010 (UTC)GatlingBrahmin

Differences
Couldn't the differences between the Enclave version and the P94 be chalked up to a simple change in artists? If you look at most notably Sentry Bots and the Enclave's Advanced Power Armor, both look completely different then they did in previous installments. The Sentry Bots look more like a miniturized Mammoth Strider from Heavy Gear while the APA Mk II looks 100% different. Like these and a lot of things in Fallout 3, different artistic styles could be to blame. Overall, the Enclave model does look more like a weapon that would exist in 1950's sci-fi while the original looks more like an industrial tool. However, both tend to have similar preformance, both being short ranged (due to the slow moving projectiles of the Enclave model) and nasty when they hit but the differences are mostly (besides seperate stats for seperate systems) cosmetic due to both their origins and artist tastes. Also, when looking through the Fallout 3 art book, all the plasma rifle designs look like this (the final product) so it looks like Bethesda didn't even consider using the P94 model.--KnightNapier 01:06, October 19, 2009 (UTC)
 * The P94 is a pre-war design, these are stated in-game to be the Enclave's post-war designs. And the claws at the end are a major element of the P94. Just because we don't know the model designation of this version and because Bethesda never wanted to use the original design doesn't mean it's the same model in-universe. Bethesda never intended to use the Wattz 1000 or Wattz 2000 designs either, and yes the AEP7 and AER9 are clearly stated to be different models. It's pretty normal that for every type of weapon there would be different versions by different manufacturers. Ausir(talk) 01:22, October 19, 2009 (UTC)

Decreasing Damage?
I got through to Broken Steel before running around the wastes doing all the other quests. By then I had a few Plasma Rifles and it has been my main weapon. Recently though I have noticed that every few game days the damage it does decreases by 1 point. It was at 59 for 100% condition with Energy Weapons skill at 100 and all SPECIAL stats at 10. Now it's down to 56 and nothing has changed at all, inventory or stats. Anyone know anything about this? It has me dumbfounded and saddened.65.32.178.165 05:10, December 21, 2009 (UTC) Kensamare

Another location for the Plasma Rifle
Higher level players may encounter Smugglers with Plasma Rifles during Point Lookout. Torinir 06:36, November 7, 2010 (UTC)

Sound.
Right now the current firing sound is from New Vegas, if anybody could get the Fallout 3 variation placed in there, that would be great.--Nothing. 10:11, August 10, 2011 (UTC)