Talk:Fallout weapons

Close combat Action Point #s
The APs required for melee and unarmed weapons is missing, and should be added, regardless of what happens to the suggestion below.

Animations
I can see a couple of reasons that "Hands required" might have been thought to have been necessary, but with all due respect, it really is not. Shields or a second weapon can be used in other games, which makes the distinction relevant, but not in Fallout. Only two things distinguish the use of two handed weapons from one-handed. Appearance, which is obvious and already shown on the weapons' own pages. And animations, which distinguish all weapons.

Animation is arguably interesting in its own right, but it is crucial in understanding why NPCs can use some weapons and not others, rather than merely memorizing each one: NPCs can only use weapons for which they have the animation frames.

Obviously, Spear is a whole different animation from other Melee Weapons, and the Rocket Launcher Heavy Weapon is held completely differently from the others, on the shoulder. But it may be more confusing than useful to list them separately.

All NPCs can use Melee or Unarmed class weapons, except Dogmeat, obviously The .223 Pistol uses the SMG animation in both FO1 and FO2
 * Ian: Pistol, SMG
 * Tandi: SMG
 * Tycho: Pistol, Rifle
 * Katja: SMG

Animations other than Pistol, SMG and Rifle are:
 * Throwing (although all the NPCs have many skill points in Throwing, the animation frames and code for it are not in the game files, and so they cannot use Grenades etc)
 * Heavy weapons. The weapon is allowed to hang down at arm's length. Minigun, Flamer, Plasma Rifle, Turbo Plasma Rifle, the Gatling Laser Energy Weapon, and the afore-mentioned Rocket Launcher.

All of the NPC allies' names are short enough to fit, and so are Rifle, SMG, Pistol, Melee and, if not Unarmed, then Unarm
 * VvAnarchangelvV 07:50, June 10, 2011 (UTC)

The distinction between one- and two-handed is relevant to the trait "One Hander".

Fanatic fallout fan 12:56, August 24, 2011 (UTC)

As far as I remember the distinction is also relevant with crippled arms. NPCs will switch to one-handed weapons when one of their arms is crippled and the PC will get a malus on her "To Hit" percentage when using a two-handed weapon with crippled arms.