You know, out of the maybe 6 or 7 (or more, who keeps track?) character's I've made in Fallout 3 (I haven't played NV), not once has any of them ever specialized in Small Guns. From what I've heard, it's the most popular weapon type people use in Fallout, but I have yet to use it or even specialize in it.
I've simply never found a reason to, from my perspective the skill lacks unique and interesting weapons, and mostly contains your usual firearms. There's only three small guns in FO3 that I find interesting, the dart gun, the railway rifle, and the Zhu-rong incendiary pistol. I like the dart gun but it just isn't viable to use as a main weapon. But I just don't see any reason to use small guns when energy weapons are mostly similar but much more interesting.
I've used Big Guns, Explosives, Melee weapons, Unarmed and Energy weapons, some of my characters using two of those types, yet I've never used Small Guns. I'd dare you to convince me they aren't boring!
After all, why should I use ol' bullets when there are things like Flamethrowers, Laser and Plasma weaponry, Super sledgehammers, Axes, grenades, mines, a flaming sword, fist weapons, electric and emp weapons, and so much more cool stuff?
So tell me why you use them, or even play small guns builds, so maybe I can understand why they're so popular despite there being cooler weapons to use. Or, tell me why you don't use them, too.
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Edit: I see 'plentiful ammo' come up alot as a reason. Could be reason enough If you don't want to use melee or unarmed.
Edit: I see small guns are better than big guns and energy weapons for sniper or stealthy ranged characters.
I'm pretty sure all Fallout-related dicussion is supposed to go into the Vault 111 group now.
Much more abundant ammo which allows you to conserve other weapons for the bigger encounters.
The Hunting Rifle is awesome if I remember correctly as is the Assault Rifle. Sniper Rifle gives you a better way to approach distant situations and Shotguns are obviously devastating.
I'd say Small Guns did me for 75% of the game, pulled out energy weapons more towards mid/late game. Never got into Big Guns.
I'm not sure what kind of 'build' I used back then but I always made sure I started with 9 INT so I got the most skill points per level, then made a run for the INT bobblehead to cap.
1. Dart Gun isn't supposed to be viable. It's supposed to be a utility weapon. To cripple the enemy's legs and do a little DOT. It is nicknamed Deathclaw's Bane.
2. After all, why should I use ol' bullets when there are things like Flamethrowers, Laser and Plasma weaponry, Super sledgehammers, Axes, grenades, mines, a flaming sword, fist weapons, electric and emp weapons, and so much more cool stuff?
A majority of that stuff has terrible durability and not nearly as much constant damage or plentiful ammo. And the guns are less powerful than the energy weapons, but the are supposed to. Not by much though... You can still do just as well with a shotgun as a laser rifle
1. I want dart gun to be viable. It's a poison crossbow for crying out loud, and that's cool. (when is it called deathclaw's bane ingame?)
2. Ammo's not much of a concern after getting the perk that makes you find more of it, forgot what it's called. Durability isn't much of a problem if you stock up on materials like you should, or have back-up weapons.
I suppose ammo concerns is a good reason, but there is a perk that mostly covers for that. Still, ammo is strangely plentiful in this post-apocalyptic wasteland.
Energy weapons only being available late game is an issue I ran into as well. That was when I used small guns, but they were dropped as soon as I got my shiny new plasma rifle.
Maybe some could connect to my line of thinking, but there is just something about using gunpowder and that nod to more conventional, simple arms.
I almost always use small guns and explosives on most of my main focused characters, primarily shotguns and pistols. I understand the attractions of energy weapons and new flashy weapons, but I just have more fun with revolvers/semi-automatics, shotguns, and the occasional sniper or machine gun.
I, actually I think that I see what you mean, kind of. You mean sticking to them because they are mundane and historically accurate rather than the fantastical unrealistic weapons, and they feel more conventional and realistic?
Because I sort of have a few characters in rpg's who, despite all the spells and magic and such in their fantasy settings, stick to mundane and realistic weapons as best as possible, like they can't use magic or similar because they are only human. No trickery, no bs, just straight up physical combat.
In Fallout, that's sort of how I feel about unarmed and some of the melee weapons (like not the Shishkebab or Jingwei's sword, etc.). I see because Fallout doesn't have archery or crossbows, those conventional firearms would be your physical ranged weapons. Probably because Fallout comes off as more realistic than fantasy games since the way it looks, all grey and not very vibrant, that having realistic weapons wouldn't be that out of place that I would have considered it. Maybe I also simply associated those guns with those usual boring military-themed fps games, which I detest. I should probably give small guns a second chance now that I think about it.