I was viewing the art of fallout which I found impressive.

But I was blown away when I saw the Pipe pistol schematics.


https://bethesda.net/data/images/event/41/full/12.jpg

It appears that the lowly "pipe" gun will be able to be modded to possibly 10 different calibers and 30 distinct weapons.

That is amazing news in my opinion and should really put to rest the worries that FO 4 will short is on weapons.

This should greatly increase the variety of weapons we run across. I am truly impressed with the thought and detail that will be going into weapon crafting.

To paraphrase what was shown in the art we will have.

10 separate actions which i assume changes caliber.
6 pistol stocks, 5 lightweight collapsible stocks and 8 full stocks
12 barrels ranging from short to sniper length
11 magazines of varying size.

It's a thing of beauty, but I'm not certain every gun can be as modifiable. Energy Weapons seem to be as flexible, though, which makes sense.

Pretty awesome indeed. The potential is great.

Yeah, it looks awesome. I'm really excited about the weapon crafting system.

The amount of variety is amazing.

look the Shivsword art and that Chain Sword too, if they can modified like on the art OMG

wonder if any of the magazines hold only one round cause in fallout 1 and 2 the pipe rifle was basically a musket made from junk parts.

There is a bolt action type receiver described about in the image... so perhaps there is a one shot design somewhere in there.

*wolf whistle*

The first receiver listed on the right-hand side of the page is a break action receiver. That would signify a single shot rifle.

One of the receiver options is called "manual open" and feels to me like its suppose to be a breach loading mechanisms, I think thats the closest you get to the old pipe rifle.

Edit: Damn you ninja Conrad! ;p

I love the fact that it stay a little ratty even in its most "advanced" stages, was worried it would become more perfect as it was build onto, this way you get any weapon type you want while still keeping that Macgyver look, RP a junk collector amateur gunsmith!

I wonder if modifying the receiver to change it into a pistol/machine gun/whatever also changes the ammo it receives. I always liked shooters where the pistol shared from the same ammo pool as the automatic gun, so I want to do that with a few Pipe Guns. I saw at E3 the Pipe Rifle in the Pipboy menu took .45 ammo, and the Pipe Rifle in the crafting montage took .38 ammo.

I certainly hope it changes ammo. I never could stand games that had just generic ammo that every weapon shot. Damage should be caliber based.

I think this fall out crafting system should appease us both though. It appears you can have a rifle pistol or carbine that all shoot the same ammo based on the receiver you use.

Edit:
The pipe revolver rifle shot 45's. That is what led me to believe that the receiver affects the caliber you are shooting.

Since the art uses the term powerful for some of the receivers (including the revolver one) and as you say the revolver we saw uses .45, it is indeed likely guns sometimes change what caliber of rounds it uses depending on receiver.

I love that Crude Bolt revolver in the middle. It will DEFINITELY be one of the guns I am going to use.

Im just thrilled that random raiders wont be running around with laser rifles or military assault rifles.

These look to serve the same purpose but will be much more authentic looking for filthy raiders to be using.

Well Im sure some raiders still will, especially in higher level areas, but at least now there is something to vary up there loadout

I believe everything is supposed to be fully customization.

I could see a few raiders carrying military grade weapons. Especially if they looted them from containers or victims.

Anyways, I am very optimistic about the weapon variety for the game. Seeing the details for all the possible options for Pipe weapon styles makes it seem as if there will be plenty of distinct weapons to choose from.

Pipe gun looks good for a hodgepodge of random junk! Lol

True, but I don't think everything will be as modifiable as the Pipe Gun. We didn't see any mods for the Assault Rifle or the Junkjet that drastically changed them, for instance.

If we can turn the pipe rifle into an AR, I may ignore that other Assault Rifle.

I do hope they still have unique weapons in addition to all this goodness.

Considering how much standard weapons can be modified, I would bet that unique weapons will not be upgraded versions of existing weapons. Instead they may be quite distinct from all the non-unique weapons.

Unique weapons could be similar to the Pulse Gun and Holorifle from New Vegas in that they were unique weapons, but were not based on any of the standard weapons that could be obtained.