The Gatling Laser

[NKF]

Bet that caught your attention, right? No? Well, don't get your hopes up too high. This thread's just about some of the unused equipment in UFO.

 

I probably should have put this in the mod forum, but since it's not exactly about modding the game, but rather general information, it might fit here better. We really should get an on-topic general discussion area for all the games.

 

While testing my spiffy new obdata.dat [1] viewer that I wrote over the weekend, I noticed some interesting things about the six unused items slots in the file [2]. Four of the slots look like they contain unfinished weapons. Well, there are only two weapons. The last two are duplicates.

 

There's an alternate pistol and what looks like a fourth laser weapon. Here are the stats:

 

Pistol (it's actually called ">> empty

Size = 1 x 1

Weight = 4 (that's 1 point lighter than the standard pistol)

Loads standard pistol clips

 

Aimed accuracy: 75%

Aimed cost: 40%

 

Snap accuracy: 60%

Aimed cost: 20%

 

You'll probably notice that this is actually less accurate and a bit slower than the pistol that made it into the game. The only difference being it's compact and lighter. I like the pistols, but this one doesn't really appeal to me for some reason.

 

That was very interesting, wasn't it? Well, no, probably not. The next one's probably what you're reading this for.

 

I'm not sure what to call it, since it's called 'empty'. Rapid fire laser rifle would suffice for now.

 

Size = 1 x 3 (the same as the laser rifle)

 

Uses the same image as the laser rifle in the inventory screen. Looks like an ordinary rifle in the soldiers hands, but looks like an autocannon when on the ground. No don't ask.

 

Weight = 1 or 22 (I'd pick 22)

 

Damage = 40 laser (that's weaker than the laser pistol! But don't discount it just yet.)

 

Aimed accuracy: 80% (not as good as the laser rifle)

Aimed cost : 60%

 

Auto Accuracy: 50%

Auto cost: 15%

 

Snap Accuracy: 65%

Snap Cost: 30%

 

Don't get me wrong, it's no better than the laser pistol, and if you hated the laser pistol, you won't like this. But just look at firing costs - the auto-shot in particular. The laser pistol is already the fastest auto-shot weapon in the game, but it's 10% faster and almost double the laser pistol's auto-shot accuracy (Can we say 6 (autoshots) x 3 (50% shots a burst) x 40 (damage) = 720 total damage a turn?). This weapon looks like it was designed specifically for auto-fire. The only disadvantage is its enormous weight.

 

It needs a bit of patching up to actually get working right, but it would have been quite a good replacement for the heavy-laser. It's heavy enough to be one, anyway.

 

One more of the unused slots looks like a plasma clip of some sort. Does 70 plasma damage, but it's as big as a rifle (1 x 3). Odd thing.

 

Granted, most of these would probably have just been rubbish data left over by the programmers before they released the game. And it could very well be.

 

In any case, modders can officially convert the heavy laser into the rapid-fire laser if they want. It's technically an official unused weapon.

 

Well, there goes my once-in-a-blue-moon new topic quota for the year.

 

- NKF

 

[1] geodata\obdata.dat is the file where the basic information for soldier weapons are stored. It doesn't store everything about the weapons, but hackers love to edit it anyway.

 

[2]These same slots are used in TFTD for the Gauss clips and the hand to hand drills.

[Terawatt_99]

well, that just inspired me to do this:

 

(run through hq3x just for fun )

 

https://members.shaw.ca/uselessness/gattling-laser2.jpg

[Rattler]

Man I so would of used that laser. And I would of used that pistol if it did more damage too

[The Demi-Godly One]

Me too, although they probably took it out of the game because it was so good. (Or at least it seems that way)

[NKF]

I don't think so. There is the laser pistol, after all. While the laser pistol is less accurate and slightly slower than the unused laser, it is much more powerful. You don't see it dominating the game.

 

Even the laser pistol needs a succession of hits to kill some of the tougher aliens (and on superhuman, some of them cannot be killed at all), so, no, I doubt the unused laser would have unbalanced the game. If it had been implemented, I'm sure a lot of people would have disliked it just as much as some people dislike the heavy laser.

 

 

- NKF

 

Edit: Well, I thought it would be better to test the blasted thing first before making a snap conclusion about it. So I copied all the relevant stats into the heavy laser and gave it a couple of test runs. Now, a review:

 

Short answer: It's not the greatest, but Wow!

 

It holds nothing against the laser rifle or heavy plasma (as usual), but it is certainly an interesting 'specialty' weapon. Almost like a weaker but super-fast version of the auto-cannon (which, despite its name, is the slowest auto-fire weapon in the game).

 

This gun is definitely meant for short-medium range auto-fire. The single fire modes just don't seem worth it. Aimed is not too bad if you absolutely need to perform a long range shot, though you're better off using the laser rifle for that. The snapshot's accuracy tradeoffs aren't worth it - practically rendering it useless (low damage, moderate cost). I felt that it performed poorly as a reaction fire weapon as well.

 

On the bright side, you can really move about the map with this thing and still get off a burst or two.

 

As for balance issues, again, it's not too strong, so its usefulness is limited to low to mid level enemies (i.e. sectoids up to reapers).

 

Whether it was the result of uncleared rubbish data or not, it would still have made a rather nice addition to your laser weapon set.

[JellyfishGreen]

I'm going to have to try that in some experimental game. Good for brush- & fence-clearing? If you have 50TU's and sit in one spot, how many auto bursts can you get off?

[NKF]

50 of how many time units? Assuming you mean 50 of 50, then 15% of 50 would be 7.5 time units. That should round down to 7 TUs a burst. That's about seven bursts a turn for a stationary soldier. (As long as the soldier has full time units, you will get the seven bursts)

 

Hmm, looks like I miscalculated then. It's actually 7 * 3 * 40 = 840 possible damage a turn (ignoring the armour modifier and assuming every shot hits )

 

- NKF