I read a while back how some weapons become ineffective at higher levels due to the enemies getting better equipment, better weapons, more health, etc. I was trying to compare it to the game Borderlands, where weapons have a level requirement, which, as it raises, usually results in the weapon doing something better than its lower level counterpart. Since it'd take too long to program and wouldn't really fit in Fallout for weapons to have level requirements, I thought of this: weapon damage increases with each level. So, say a level one character with 0 skill in Guns would do about 5 (not accurate, just an example) damage, while a level 50 with 0 Guns skill could do say 25 damage per shot, while a level 50 with 100 Guns skill could do, say, 35 damage. This increased damage could help compensate for how much extra health most characters get when at a higher level.

To balance this, armour could also raise in effectiveness with increased levels, so that instead of Leather Armour having 6 DT at level one, it could have 18 DT at level 50. This probably wouldn't compensate for weapons having increased damage, but it would still reduce the damage they do. Also, some weapons could get extremely overpowered, so the stats would need to be tweaked quite a bit

Do you think this is a good or a bad basic idea?

Also, I'm not suggesting this should be implemented into Fallout: New Vegas, this is just an idea.

Just say "No!" to level scaling.

Sounds a bit too magical, leather armor hardening by the time its user grows better in combat.


I prefer the current system. Just have a truckload of equipment to choose from. For minor incidents you can take less stuff and if you're going Deathclaw hunting you can pack your power armor in if you want.

Yep, for weapons I could contemplate it with the character becoming more conditioned at using weapons (such as being able to hit weak spots). For armour, I guess it could be something like you position the armour better, so that it provides more protection. Honestly, I'm just throwing ideas out there. After all, I've never gotten how you deal more damage with every shot when your weapon skill increases. I understand you becoming more accurate, but somehow your weapon is more powerful? Especially when there's no critical hit message to help reason the extra damage... I guess you could hit weak spots more accurately, but it applies no matter where you hit them.

You take away the whole point really... You find a 9mm first because it is the weakest handgun. It then scales up and you find better weapons as you level up...

Unless I don't understand what your saying?!

You want a 9mm to be effective vs bosses and deathclaws? So by me becoming level 10 my 9mm is suppose to magically do more damage?

Not to mention the way you word your question is horrible... Kinda hard to understand questions when they don't make sense.

Borderlands also doesn't allow you to have armors, you get mods and shields so making lvl req. Weapons makes more sense on borderland's part.

The weapons in New Vegas are actually incredibly well balanced, with different weapons suiting different characters based on income, durability, STR requirement, skill requirement and perk selection.

For example, the 9mm pistol is basically the first gun you recieve in the game. Despite this, it can remain an effective sidearm forever with the help of the Grunt perk. Yes, there ARE handguns that would still out-damage it, but it would have the best "bang for your buck" of them all. Without the Grunt perk though, you'd want to replace it.
The C57-Avenger minigun has the best DPS in the game at first glance, but unless you have 10 STR you may be rather inaccurate with it. On the other hand, the K9000 becomes more effective if you have hand-loader .357 ammo. If you don't have the hand-loader perk but did complete Jules quest, then the FIDO can become more effective with .44 hand-loader ammo.
Finally, the Sniper rifle has superior DPS to the hunting rifle, but it breaks down a LOT quicker and is far more expensive to repair. For the reason, one may opt to stick with the Hunting Rifle.
Oh Baby! has superior damage an damage output to Knock-Knock, but Knock-Knock has a smaller STR and melee weapon requirement, meaning Knock-Knock is actually superior unless your character is an absolute melee master.


They did a very good job of giving just about every weapon in the game an upside and a downside, meaning that your weapon choice depends largely on your character. I struggle to think of weapons that are universally good or universally bad for all characters; there's really only a couple.

Not just a 9mm, any weapon. So the Hunting Revolver would also deal more damage too, as would the Flamer, Grenade Launcher, etc.. Well, increasing your skill with the weapon magically makes the bullets/projectiles deal more damage anyway Also, it wouldn't be that effective against bosses since they scale up already; this was meant to help eliminate the fact the enemies continue to get stronger and stronger as you level up, while your weapons don't.

And I know I word it quite badly; I've always struggled to neatly get my point across. At least I didn't go 'omg weaponz shud do more dam when i lvl!!' Even though that sounds clearer to me

And the armour part was using the scaling process of Borderlands, nothing else Like I said, Fallout wouldn't suit having level requirements. That's why I suggested the weapons simply scale with you so you aren't plinking away at bullet sponges as much.

Weapons are balanced enough if you ask me. If I wanted to change something though, I'd make low-skill penalties severe. Like increased spread and low rate of fire.

You've made a good point; all I can suggest is that everything gets the damage bonus, but they still keep their normal bonuses, or these even get buffed. So Knock Knock would have an even bigger damage gap than Oh, Baby! but it would swing even faster, with a larger bonus than Oh, Baby! would get to swing speed. Hopefully, they figure out a way to stop enemies becoming bullet sponges in the next game. Maybe making you use different tactics against different creatures (mutated animals climbing walls or flying, anyone?) to provide challenge without requiring lots of frustration as your weapons ping off of it's armour (unless it's a Deathclaw ).

That'd work well; it could stop people using the Compliance Regulator with nothing in Energy Weapons. I never understood why critical chance doesn't raise with weapon skill; surely if you're better with a weapon type you're more likely to hit something important?

Sounds pretty lazy... "I'm gonna use a 9mm pistol the entire game because my proficiency with the 9 is godly"

I play a good build for atleast 70+ hours. If I choose to use the 9mm it's for a challenge that's about it...near endgame that is.

In borderlands even still, I play a class for a long time and try to max out as many proficiencies as I can.

Only good thing to come out of this thread is the penalties for using high level weapons with little to no skill. Should be increased incredibly in my honest opinion. Still that's only a thought, an amazing thought but not like anyone that cares would note that.

Play most any RPG or FPS game and as you progress further you need to upgrade your weapons.

I didn't say to use the 9mm the whole game; as I said before, it was an example. And no, it wouldn't be proficiency with a 9mm pistol; it'd be with Guns in general, otherwise it would take too much programming and time (which could be spent on features like increasing the penalties for not having the right skill for a weapon), plus it would be tedious for the player too.

I don't use the 9mm at all, not in the multitude of hours I've spent on this profile. Why? It's a nice gun, sure, but it does next to nothing to high-level enemies unless you use special ammunition. Against weaker enemies like molerats and smaller geckos it works pretty well. Now, if it was scaled to the player, I'd consider using it.

I don't get the relevance about you trying to max all proficiencies in Borderlands, although that could have went over my head with my poor memory

I use a .45 pistol, an Assault Carbine, and a Grenade Rifle for nearly all of the game. Doesn't matter my level. When I need to take down harder enemies, out comes the Automatic Rifle or the .45 machine gun and down goes the target. I wear Reinforced Leather (except at Hoover Dam, then I put on Power Armor) and I'm fine most of the time.

So... I guess what I'm saying is, I don't see the point in scaling weapon power.

I don't see why a higher level should automatically mean that any weapon is more effective. It is all about skill in this game, not level. A level 5 character that has 50 guns should be able to use the same weapons and do the same amount of damage that a level 30 character does if they also have a guns skill of 50. The skill is supposed to reflect your expertise with that type of weapon, level is not supposed to have anything to do with it.

I agree that failing to meet skill requirements for a weapon should have heavy penalties. Weapons that have skill requirements in theory have them because those weapons are more complicated to use than others of the same general type, and trying to use them without the appropriate expertise should be very limited in efficacy.

I don't see any reason to have your critical chance modified by skill level. Yes, you are more accurate, but that is already reflected in the fact that you are more likely to hit your target and do more damage when you hit. That, by the way, is the justification for increased skill level resulting in increased damage. You are more likely to land a more harmful shot with higher skill.

I see no reason at all for armor changing with your level. You get more HP, so you are already gaining a kind of defensive boost regardless of what kind of armor you are wearing. As with weapons, if you are having trouble at higher levels then it probably means you need to get better armor, not that whatever armor you have been using should be more effective.