Actually, it looks like the game is designed around the idea that we may be using guns and energy weapons more interchangeably. I mean, a master marksman with a 10mm Pistol wouldn't suddenly become inept when he picks up a Laser Pistol. And it doesn't really ruin the role-play for a mad scientist to have to use a hunting rifle instead of a Plasma Rifle for a little while, you know?

At any rate, I'm hoping the general balance between regular guns and energy weapons stays close to what it was in Fallout 3. Where the progression from weak guns to better guns is relatively smooth for ordinary guns, but for energy weapons you're stuck scrounging for ammo and using a piddly Laser Pistol up until later in the game when you get some of the most powerful weapons out there. It's kinda like the "Warriors are linear, mages are quadratic" trope Falloutified.

Let's hope they will balance it this time, i plan to use energy weapons right from the start as well.

early on conventional firearms ammunition is more common, but later on our journey we swim in cells and whatnot. If it is anything like Fallout 3 & New Vegas.

I cannot hand any evidence backing my words. So I just blindly assume shotgun shells, 9mm rounds and so on. Are more common than energy weapon ammunition.

Energy weapons were that kind of weapon that was typically a bit higher tier. So lowly thugs and raiders didn't have these weapons, or the ammo, to much. You'd have to scrouge for it or "persuade" mechanical foes into surrendering their energy cells.

High tier bullets were also much harder to come by.

In general i wouldn't be against a bit rarer ammo. I cannot recount ever really having any need to purchase ammo from a vendor in Fallout 3 or NV. Ammo was just that abundant.

I never had problems in Fallout 3 or the first two installments. In NV however due to the dozen different calibres you always ran out of ammo on one weapon and had to resort to another. I do like my ammo being scarce, not so scarce that you have to make every shot count, but so scarce that you might favour a stealthy approach. This goes for both types of weapons naturally.

However didn't both the power fists as the supersledge use microfusioncells in the classic games? I think this is a decent way to balance melee vs ranged, at least for the really powerful melee weapons.

As I have never played energy weapons in the latest fallouts, I always had massive amounts of ammo, even more than I had for many big weapons or some conventional weapons I did not use.

I think a reduced amount of calibres (3-4) for conventional weapons and two different sets for energy weapons could do the trick where you barely find enough ammo. The beginning of New Vegas had it right, I believe, a 10mm with few rounds, and a varmint rifle, with a little more available. Basically so you are forced to craft a few for the most common calibres, and weapons (Hunting rifle, 10mm pistol, Shotgun etc.) and than a few more special weapons you can rarely find or buy (12,7mm pistol) with little ammo available.

That being said, in Fallout 1 and 2 energy weapons were rather gated to get to. They were really the best weapons you could get in the end, not an approach I find particularly awesome, but the feeling of wielding something special should persist.

I am 100% against ammo that is too scarce.


Scarce ammo ruins big guns and explosives.

The wonderful Farman and missile launcher were pointless to ever actually use due to the fact that using for a few fights would render the weapon a empty piece of heavy junk.

The same thing goes for Gatling guns. They were heavy and you could easily go through a few hundred rounds fighting a small group of raiders. Vs 10-15 shots with a plasma rifle.

The solution is in you: Energy weapons have always been endgame weapons in the series. They weren't in every household by 2077. Adjust how you play the game and compromise at the start.