#Guns & Ammo

[attactica]

I Visited The Smallest Gun Shop In America..

[fictionalafvsmybeloved]

The Better Scorpion

I haven't touched a CAD program in years, and it shows in my work. I'm not happy with the results, but short of spending weeks working on this, it's the best I'll get.

Here it is @frogblast-the-ventcore, my redesigned Scorpion.

The scale is off, the lines are jank, and I only have the side view; but it's here. Let me tell you what I changed.

It's now a Light Tank, not an MBT. Thew UNSC Marines seem to favor mobility over protection in all there other vehicles, so a lot was done to enhance that.

Size, she's much smaller now; 13 feet wide (less than half of the original), 10 feet tall, 25 feet long. Much easier to transport, via pelican or starship.

Crew (green zone), now 2 a driver and a gunner, both fully enclosed in the middle of the tank. Provided with thicker hatches (with an emergency backup release), advanced optics and sensors, and climate control.

Engine (Purple zone), 1000 hp unit in a slide out power pack design.

Weight, lowered to under 20 tons

Armor, similar to the M820 (they were able to shave off HALF the weight from the M808 to the M820 with out compromising on armor, they reduce it by 15 tons on a vehicle less the half the size here)

Main Gun (orange Zone), a 100mm Combustion Light Gas (CLG) gun, gasses in multiple self-sealing canisters with redundant blowout panels. Allows Sabot, Programmable Multi-Purpose (think XM 1147 AMP) and Rocket-propelled Guided rounds to be fired at vastly different velocities for increased effectiveness.

Ammo racks, Sabot held in internal carousel rack, RPG and PMP in rear turret racks with blowout panels

[yangxiaolongstan]

ok on my previous blog i did a few posts about fixing the things i didn't like about Fallout 4. not because i hate it but because i love it and want a better version. this time, weapon and armor tweaks.

first off, the problem children: power armor and heavy weapons. the real issues are that power armor is too all purpose and easy to access, and heavy weapons are too niche and situational. the minigun is practically useless after you kill the deathclaw in concord because you will never have enough ammo for it. on the other hand the power armor you pick up in the same quest is way too strong and there's absolutely no reason to ever not use it. if you know what you're doing you're not likely to run out of fusion cores past the super early game and there's no skill locking it off. the fix for power armor is super simple, reintroduce the idea that you need special training to use power armor and reduce the number of fusion cores in the world substantially. this will gate power armor off and make it a mostly late game item that you need to be careful with. the minigun should have somewhat higher damage, slightly lower fire rate, and also should not be present in concord at the start. maybe replace it and the power armor with a grenade launcher and some nice combat armor in a locked chest in the airship or something like that. and make them optional to the quest of saving the Minutemen. most of the explosive heavy weapons are pretty good but it's weird that there's no grenade launchers or anything like that. the gatling laser is fine if a bit op but i think there should also be other heavy energy weapons like tesla canons and plasma casters to complement it. the fat man is ridiculously strong but given that it takes either cheats, an absurd number of caps, or a long time to get one it's fine. the junk jet is great and i will hear no arguments.

for unarmed weapons there needs to be a greater variety and more to separate them than just damage. maybe damage type can vary more. the deathclaw gauntlet is super under powered compared to the powerfist so amp its damage and maybe give it a dangerous bleed effect. and let the player either incorporate unarmed weapons into their power armor or use them while wearing it.

energy weapons need their rifles and pistols separated at minimum. why can i turn a tiny laser pistol into a huge sniper rifle? the institute models should be sleeker and less boxy. don't let them take up a third of the screen. they should be as powerful as the standard laser weapons plus an effect unique to institute weapons, maybe they drain power armor or shut down robots with enough shots. and institute plasma weapons should probably reduce armor condition more than standard plasma. gamma guns are great as is.

speaking of armor condition, bring back equipment durability. it's such a good mechanic and it would fit great with Fallout 4's expanded crafting system.

single piece armors need to be stronger to match the multi piece sets. particularly for faction soldiers. it's absurd that coursers have worse armor than the gen 1s they fight with. Combat armor and Synth armor need more to differentiate themselves and Synth armor needs a complete redesign to not look like absolute shit (except the helmets, those kick ass) the Marine armor also doesn't look great and it's way way too heavy to be useful but it's very effective and could be good with a slight redesign so it didn't clip like crazy and slightly lower weight.

for melee weapons the fast swing speed group needs a significant expansion and a damage boost so they aren't completely irrelevant, the medium needs to have at least 1 proper energy blade, the slow is mostly ok but my god why the hell can you just make a rocket sledge? it makes the standard super sledge completely redundant. more variety in legendary effects too. they'll have their own section but for now, it's weird that pickman's blade is just a weaker throatslicer, Kremv's tooth looks awesome but the effect is terrible, Atom's judgement on the other hand is just incredible 10/10 no notes.

for guns, i want a better variety and a larger ammo variety. i don't necessarily have a problem with rifles using .45 ammo but it's weird that it's so common whereas the only pistols that use it are pipe weapons. maybe the combat rifle could use 5.56 or 5mm instead and we could have a combat pistol that used .45. combat pistols could have a similar skin to the deliverer only larger and silver instead of black. in fact, make the deliverer one of these. the hunting rifle needs a damage boost to function as the game's go to ballistic sniper, and should start off with a stock. the shotguns are really good but there should be 20 and 12 gauge versions. ive never been able to make myself give a single fuck about the assault rifle but it definitely needs a different model and some way to differentiate itself. maybe slightly higher rate of fire than the combat rifle but slightly lower damage and it automatically comes with a reflex sight like New Vegas' marksman carbine. i think giving it a model similar to the radium rifle would be good, but without all the weird extra bits slapped on. that way we can tell the radium rifle was made by altering the assault rifle. the handmade rifle needs a new name but otherwise i like it, especially the fact that depending on how good you are with bashing, automatic weapons, and non auto rifles you get different upgrades.

finally legendary weapons and armor. not gonna sugarcoat it, these SUCK. ive played over 2,600 hours of Fallout 4 and ive found maybe 4 good random legendaries across all my playthroughs. and all 4 were completely broken. most legendary effects are either borderline useless like ghoul slayers or exterminators, or absolutely absurd like explosive, instigating, and 2 shot. and even the best effects are entirely dependent on the weapon you find them on. explosive and never ending are probably the best examples. explosive turns an otherwise terrible weapon like the submachine gun into an alright weapon like the spray and pray, a great weapon like the radium rifle into a fantastic one with the kiloton radium rifle, and a pretty good weapon like the combat shotgun into a completely game breaking meat grinder. it's way too powerful. Never Ending is the opposite problem, with one glaring exception. for most weapons, Never Ending just makes you never have to reload. this is ok for early low capacity weapons like the double barreled shotgun, but completely useless on anything with a decent clip size or high damage, which is literally everything after the super early game, and on one weapon in particular it's completely broken. because of a weird glitch Never Ending gives the Gatling laser *literally infinite ammo* and since the gatling laser is already one of the most potentially powerful weapons in the game, this combination is also completely game breaking. I'll be honest, I don't really know how to fix legendaries, other than to remove the glitches and make at least some of them removable and craftable.

[purplekoop]

So today's big new idea is for Harmony's weapon. The original idea was for her to have some kind of vague sound blaster that shot slow but big projectiles, like Lucio's gun but with only a single shot per click, and a charge shot alt fire that used more ammo to release a piercing slash of sound. This felt too aimless but was on the right track in theory. Later on I changed it to a boombox hammer, which was a fun mental visual but felt too polarizing to limit her to a primarily melee character. She'd still have the charge slash as the alt fire, which would in theory not make her totally limited at a distance, but it still didn't feel right.

So third try is more similar to the first, but with something to make it stand out and make her kit less polarized than melee-only but still limited in range. This idea being:

The Amp Cannon.

This loudspeaker-like firearm blasts out conical sound waves that damage all enemies in its range. Enemies closer to the center of the blast take more damage, and the blast has a hard finite range. "Shotgun" is the best word for how it'd feel to use, but doesn't exactly explain how it functions. It does have a standard ammo capacity of 4, 6, or 8 shots that are reloaded all at once., not exactly sure what number for reasons that'll make more sense soon.

The defining feature of the weapon is its firing rate and the unique mechanic it comes with. After firing a shot, the gun takes a moment to recharge, similar to Illari's. You can fire it again early, but doing so results in less damage. These partial shots have their uses, like for finishing off an enemy you just barely didn't finish off with your last shot, but the spam shot DPS would be comparable to or worse than waiting for full charge shots, with the downside of needing to reload much more. However, there's a sweetspot where you fire almost instantly as the shot is fully charged for maximum damage, and minimizing your downtime and firing these shots at just the perfect time will have a subtle bonus effect:

Rhythm, baby

The weapon's sounds are made so that perfectly timing your shots has an audible rhythm to it. Getting a good rhythm has a minor but handy bonus effect, where after firing a full clip of shots with good enough rhythm, you reload your next clip almost instantly for uninterrupted firing.

Worth noting that Harmony's existing Feedback lifesteal mechanic is still in tact with this weapon, making good use of it directly beneficial to her survival. The rest of her kit is also largely unchanged, except for the fact that her Null Wave projectile-deletion ability is now this weapon's alt fire rather than separately based on her Accessory of choice. Felt it made sense to make the sound blasts come from the same thing. The big difference now is that it also does damage to enemies it passes through in addition to deleting projectiles, letting it act as Harmony's longest ranged attack. This does however leave her without an Accessory slot now, which I'm currently lacking any great ideas for. She already has two attacks and two defensive options, so not sure what she's lacking that wouldn't make her feel too overbearing. Eh, I'll think of something eventually.

Also naturally already got some vague cool ideas for alt weapon concepts that play further with both the rhythm mechanic and the alt fire's utility, but alt weapons are always easiest for me to figure out when I can freely write in my design doc, so they'll have to wait.

Also considering other touch-ups to older characters soon, either visually or mechanically. Formann still needs his whole kit reevaluated, but some characters like Yanno could use some heavy work on the design front. In his case specifically "heavy" is a double meaning, since I feel like him being sort of a little guy is redundant with some other designs and doesn't fit his current kit and stats as a guy who can take some explosions to the face... or feet.

Until then though!

[deadspace2411]

Surviving the Horrors of Dead Space

The original creators of Dead Space, like Glen Schofield, were super into sci-fi flicks like Alien and Event Horizon, and horror games like Resident Evil 4, which is why revisiting this remake has me itching to delve into and buy Xbox games that capture that same intense atmosphere. Schofield, who’s now behind the chilling Callisto Protocol, which dropped in December, gave major props to EA’s Motive team for totally nailing the Dead Space Remake. It was some serious praise, and I'm totally feeling it too. This game totally freaked me out on so many levels, sometimes just by leaving me solo in the dark with my heart racing. Basic sounds like hummin' engines and screeching trams can totally spook you when everything suddenly shuts down, and then BAM, a monstrous roar. From tiny creepy-crawlers to huge bosses with arms like a freakin' octopus, Dead Space throws every type of horror at you. At the start, it's all about the mystery. You've got no clue why these beasties, the Necromorphs, are wiping out everyone aboard this mining spaceship. Isaac Clarke isn’t some superhero from the get-go. He's just a regular mining dude in deep space who’s stressed about his girlfriend on the USG Ishimura mining ship. His crew hops onto this wrecked "planet cracker" to figure out why it went quiet in some far-off star system. There are things lurkin' in the shadows aboard that ship, and all you've got to see 'em is a flashlight with a super narrow beam.

Combat Tactics Against Necromorphs

Motive has added some sick gameplay features. It amps up the intensity on the fly if it feels like you need more action, which really enhances the overall immersion. It's the kind of innovation that makes me eager to buy PS5 games and explore what else is possible in gaming. And there's this peeling system where when you hack up the Necromorphs, you don't just get a messy pile of goo. You see layers of flesh, tendons, and bones that actually break apart. You might blast off a chunk and find there's still more to strip away. Imagine creatively slicing off a limb and then skewering the Necromorph to the wall with a spike. The game sticks with the main mechanic of strategic dismemberment. If you don't chop off their legs to slow them down, these beasts will trap you in a corner. These Necromorphs aren't always slow either, so it’s smart to use either the cutting tools or Stasis beams to put them in slo-mo. They’re so ugly and loud that your first instinct is to freak out, but that’s not the move. You wanna stay calm, take aim, and one-shot blast off a limb. It’s the ammo-savvy way and kinda like an art form for Dead Space pros.

Advanced Weaponry and Strategic Upgrades

In space, there’s no solid ground to tread on, and Dead Space really messes with your head with its 3D puzzles. You’ve gotta stay on top of your direction using landmarks or adjusting your orientation, but I often thought I was going the right way, only to get spun around and end up totally off course. There are also puzzles to crack inside the ship. Sometimes, a door’s stuck or blocked by junk. You peek through a window, use telekinesis, or shoot a fuse to pop it open. Plus, you’re constantly rewiring stuff or plugging in batteries to get things moving. When it comes to combat, you start off with just a mining tool. The plasma cutter shoots lasers that can slice through targets, but I’m not the best shot, so it took me a few tries to chop up the Necromorphs, so they’d stop coming at me or swiping with their massive spikes. You can twist your gun to blast off limbs, but that takes focus. Usually, I’d just keep shooting and end up low on ammo. Once you cleverly slice up an enemy, you can close in for a melee attack to save bullets. Or better yet, grab something with telekinesis and jab it right through them. As you progress, you snag better guns. The pulse rifle sprays rounds fast, perfect for unloading on these bigger, scarier Necromorphs. The Contact Beam eventually became my go-to—it dishes out major damage when you keep blasting. The Ripper was awesome too, sawing through legs as these creatures charged with spikes. Watching them fall was oddly satisfying. And setting traps with the Line Gun was sick; they'd walk right into those laser beams. Upgrading these babies at the Bench? So satisfying, man.

Intense Sound Design and Terrifying Encounters

The graphics upgrade in Dead Space totally amps up the creepy vibe. Picture Isaac floating in zero-G, surrounded by tons of tiny debris floating and spinning, with crazy lighting and shadows making everything eerie. I took a breather in a room filling up with decontamination smoke—it’s nerve-wracking 'cause you can’t see where the baddies are creeping in from. The sound is insane; all that bending and grinding metal messes with your head. Whether it’s screeching metal, Necromorphs jumping out at you, or terrifying horror music blaring, it’s all super intense. The crew’s infected, and even the ship’s captain turns into these freaky, powerful enemies. Even those little acid-tossing baby imps are a pain, especially when you’re low on ammo.

Strategic Weapon Upgrades in the Dead Space Remake

Even though I’ve played Dead Space before, this remake is way more fun. They made a bunch of small tweaks that really add up to a big improvement. The game keeps you on edge 'cause one wrong move or missed shot and you’re toast. It stays true to the original but the story’s even better now. You really get into Isaac’s head, seeing his mental health spiral and his complicated relationship with Nicole, 'cause now they can actually talk and interact, moving the story forward. Plus, you’ve got tons of control. You pick which guns to beef up, how much health and ammo to lug around, and where to pump those crucial upgrades into your weapons. It’s a prime example of taking a clean slate, polishing up all the graphics and gameplay, and ending up with a way better product than the original. This remake of a classic proves why video games just keep improving over time.

[trinityauctiongallery]

FFL Dealer Online Auction

AMP FFL Dealer Online Auction register now and bid The next online auction of sporting goods, firearms, rifles, pistols, ammo, and accessories has started. We are still taking consignments for this auction. Have items to add? Let us know right away. To find sold prices for gun auctions, look at our past auctions on the catalog pages. You can view pricing to compare with auctions near me. Here…

[doom-nerdo-666]

What could be an ideal Doom 64 sequel?

I see people refer to 2016 or even TDA as a sequel to D64 but with videogames, i always think a game sequel is more than just story.

Like how Eternal builds up on most of 2016's gameplay mechanics or how D2 is literally D1 but with more.

And there's also stuff like the new levels in the D64 release or that cancelled multiplayer only sequel, but i had some ideas on what a closer D64 sequel could be.

So anyway, what i think could work for an ideal D64 2, even if most of this is just restoring cut stuff but:

Box art

Finally use that one with Doomguy fighting demons, specially because i want the "double" Cybie to be used.

Levels (themes)

They had ideas of exploring different themes and cultural versions of Hell, hence the screenshots of the Mayan level(s?) and some video footage of a seemingly Egypt themed level.

Level features

One thing is using more of the moving floors that were used a few times, another is if they took some things from games like Heretic, Hexen or Strife.

Like if there's an ice level and slippery ice floors were a thing.

Or even an attempt at jump pads or hazards like out of ROTT.

Weapons

The earlier sprites of the "laser gun" (in that one magazine screenshot and some prototype released) make it look like a flamethrower (both the first person sprite and pickup sprite).

So that could be new and treated like a simple flamethrower, on pair with the ones we see in ROTT and Strife, compared to the more specific Flame Belch from Eternal.

I guess this could mean fuel as ammo and a "burning" effect on demons.

Enemies

One thing is the missing D2 enemies, another is the new ones planned for D64

Hellhound? I always saw them as being faster but less health than Pinkies. I think BD64 gave them a flamethrower attack? An idea for an abilitiy would be the Hellhound feeding off enemy corpses to get some buff like more health or i guess speed.

Double Cybie? Basically, combine the classic Mancubus firing pattern with the classic Cybie rockets. Please, don't increase its health. Maybe when it dies, it does explodes in a way that harms anyone.

HR Giger lady? Maybe do make her the Arch-vile but with some differences. For example, the iconic fire pillar doesn't explode on you but instead, it creates these flames on the floor as you move and then said flames (Could be like 4/5 of them at a time) start continuously exploding for a whole second before they vanish (Yes, using Supercharge/MetaDoom here).

Also, maybe totally new types like a blue armored Zombieman with Plasma Rifle or a Gargoyle (middleground between Imp and Caco) whose design is based off one of the Gargoygle statues from D64

Power ups?

One thing is the Light Amp Visor being rarely used.

But i wonder if one could give it a new power up.

Boss?

I guess the potential IOS would need a new design and maybe a different type of level puzzle fight, using some new-ish features to set it apart from D2 and be less unfun.

At least i can see the Mother Demon being used more than once.

Anyway, these are just some ideas for an alternate timeline.

[linuxgamenews]

RIPOUT Update brings New Content and Upgrades for the Co-op Horror FPS

RIPOUT monstrous update unleashed for the online co-op horror FPS game on Linux and Steam Deck via Proton with Windows PC. Thanks to the skilled team at Pet Project Games for their ongoing effort. Available via Steam Early Access and Humble Store. Pet Project and 3D Realms just dropped their monstrous update for RIPOUT, their sci-fi co-op horror FPS. This update is huge and it's packed with new content and upgrades that are sure to amp up your experience. Even on Linux and Steam Deck via Proton. First off, this monstrous update delivers a new menace in RIPOUT - the Bulwark. This enemy is a real challenge, acting as a shield for other nasties while it marches towards you. It’s invincible until it starts firing its minigun, so timing is key to taking it down. To help with this, the update introduces the Buckshot, a new sidearm that’s perfect for close encounters. Its damage increases the closer you are to your target, making it a high-stakes choice for those daring enough to get up close. Another addition is a fresh mission type, the recycle bin mission. Here, you’ve got to clear bio canisters heading for the main recycle bin. Miss too many, and boom – the recycler explodes, and it’s game over. With the Monstrous update this new mission type adds a unique twist to your strategy and play style in RIPOUT.

RIPOUT - Monstrous Update

RIPOUT is all about navigating through abandoned, mutant-infested spaceships with your living Pet Gun. The mutants are unpredictable, constantly evolving by fusing with smaller ones. Your goal? Find survivors and uncover the mystery of Sanctuary, a mythical haven whose location or even existence is a big question mark. The RIPOUT Monstrous update isn’t just about new enemies and missions. There are a bunch of enhancements too:

System and feature optimizations for smoother play

Better sound quality

New animations for weapon firing

Two new pet buffs: Ammo feed and Module Scrap

A destructible station terminal

And of course, there are major bug fixes in the Monstrous update like resolving crashes during co-op sessions, fixing infinite enemy loops, and ensuring smoother RIPOUT gameplay for those joining ongoing sessions. The update also tweaks the tech and bio scans, improves enemy behavior, and addresses issues with terrain collisions. Plus, there are leaderboards now for some friendly competition with pals or rivals. The Monstrous update for RIPOUT brings new challenges and refinements that are sure to enhance your playing experience. If you’re into co-op horror shooters, now's the perfect time to dive in or revisit the game with all the fresh features and fixes on Linux and Steam Deck via Proton with Windows PC. Available on both Steam Early Access priced at $18.74 USD / £15.74 / 18,74€ with a 25% discount. And on Humble Store, priced at $24.99 USD / £19.99 / 24,99€.

[jcmarchi]

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora Preview - A Hands-On Breakdown Of Our Trek Through Kinglor Forest - Game Informer

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/avatar-frontiers-of-pandora-preview-a-hands-on-breakdown-of-our-trek-through-kinglor-forest-game-informer/

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora Preview - A Hands-On Breakdown Of Our Trek Through Kinglor Forest - Game Informer

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is the next canonical chapter of the Avatar mythos. Set during the one-year gap in Avatar: The Way of Water on the other side of Pandora in a new area called the Western Frontier, players control a Na’vi raised and trained by the Resources Development Administration (RDA) who finds themselves taking the fight to the corporation. That requires, quite literally, getting back to their roots as they reconnect with Eywa while learning what it means to be a Na’vi by ingratiating themselves with the game’s three new clans. 

In a recent preview event, I spent about two hours playing four early story missions. Here’s a breakdown of the world, combat, and exploration mechanics I sampled during my stay on Pandora. 

Combat and Stealth

My demo begins a few hours into the game in the Kinglor Forest, a rainforest-like area home to the Aranahe, one of the new clans and the first one players encounter. The Aranahe largely consists of artisans and weavers, and they rely on silk produced by large moth-like creatures called Kinglor (hence the forest’s name). However, this symbiotic relationship has been disrupted by the RDA, and it’s up to me to restore balance.

As a first-person game, controls are familiar to modern shooters. Due to their background, the customizable protagonist wields Na’vi and human weaponry. The former consists of several bows, such as ones suited for short and long-range, with various arrow types, including fire and poison. The most unique weapon is the Staff Sling. Resembling a lacrosse stick, it’s used to lob various explosives. 

The RDA weapons I used included an assault rifle, shotgun, and stun grenades. In general, Na’vi weapons are quiet and great for stealth. Arrows can also be crafted by collecting plants growing in the environment, meaning ammo was rarely an issue. Conversely, guns are more powerful but louder, and you can only replenish them by finding ammo at RDA outposts or on dead soldiers, making bullets a scarcer resource. All of the weapons have a good feel and pack a punch, though I generally favored the Na’vi tools due to my proclivity for stealth and roleplaying the fantasy of being a Na’vi. 

Though I engaged in a few skirmishes with RDA platoons patrolling the world, the most combat-heavy sequence was a mission tasking me with shutting down a large outpost. These facilities can be found all over Pandora and pollute the environment. Thus, getting rid of them is vital.

Players have the option of going loud, but I opt for sneaking. Being a 10-foot tall creature makes sneaking around somewhat odd, as human-sized barriers don’t conceal me quite as well, meaning I have to get a bit more creative and quiet. Picking off foes with my massive arrows feels good, as does performing melee attacks that send their comparatively smaller bodies flying. The base is crawling with AMPs, the walking mech suits from the films, which provide a more evenly-matched adversary due to their size, armor, and more powerful weaponry. 

Taking these down can be a struggle, but you can circumvent that by using your SID (Systems Interrogation Device), a hacking device that, after finishing a minigame where you guide nodes through an obstacle-laden maze, can temporarily disable AMPs, leaving them vulnerable to attack if you choose. 

This section was tough due to the sheer number of enemies. Alerting them sends the entire base after you, with even aerial reinforcements arriving in the form of the RDA Wyverns (those fancy helicopters from the films). I managed to complete my checklist of objectives mostly quietly, in which I had to shut down or outright sabotage multiple key points across the sprawling facility. When I was caught, the RDA maintained some form of mild alert status even after I evaded their gaze for a good while, which I appreciated as a touch of realism – they didn’t totally forget I existed.  

Platforming and Flight

Since Na’vi have superhuman agility, I have a standard jump and a more powerful vertical leap by holding down the jump button. My Na’vi senses, activated by holding the right bumper, serve as an enhanced view of the surroundings by revealing animal scent trails (great for tracking and hunting, more on that later) and highlighting targets through the thick foliage.

Platforming has elements of parkour, showcased best in a mission where I must scale the suspended islands of the rookery to tame my flying mount, the ikran. Sprinting across its massive vines, climbing up platforms, and grabbing objects such as climbing vines can all be done while running, creating an enjoyable flow of movement and momentum. The level design also feels natural; climbing points aren’t obvious, but I can still get a good sense of where I need to go. 

Along the way, I encounter the ikran of my fancy and attempt to soothe it by slowly approaching and whispering sweet reassurances. Each time it ignores my advances, it flies off, triggering another round of platforming. When I finally reach the top and earn its trust enough to perform the ceremonial bond, the ikran becomes my mate for life, meaning it becomes my permanent flying mount (and can’t be killed). I also give my ikran a name from a preset list – Carol, if you’re wondering – and outfit it with adornments such as a saddle and mask. 

Ikran can be summoned by hitting Up on the d-pad, and the perspective changes to third-person while mounted. Flying generally feels good as I’m able to boost flight speed at the expense of my mount’s energy bar. I replenish this by feeding it food, which is done on the fly via an item wheel. In addition to performing tricks like barrel roles, flight opens up fun combat opportunities. I come across several Wyverns and engage them with my bow or guns, both of which can reduce a chopper into a fiery heap. It’s generally easy to aim and shoot while steering the ikran, though the real fun comes in messing around with some creative stunts. My favorite trick is to dive off the ikran in midair, initiate a free fall, pull out my Staff Sling to lob bombs at targets on the ground, then command my ikran to catch me and take off as explosions rattle below. 

Ikrans also make for good distractions. At the RDA outpost, I called it to the area, which attracted the soldier’s attention. As they opened fire at it, it gave me a window to slip by unnoticed. As your bond with your ikran grows through the adventure as you reconnect to Eywa, you can use them to travel to the game’s other two regions – Upper Plains and Clouded Forest – once they become available through the story. 

Exploration, Hunting, Crafting, and Cooking

Kinglor forest is huge, vibrant, and teeming with life. Best of all, the map isn’t littered with icons. Frontiers of Pandora avoids this pitfall of many Ubisoft open-world games for a less-is-more approach. Only key locations are highlighted, and objectives tasked me with identifying elements of the scenery in a general area or cardinal direction (such as a stone pillar covered in willow trees in one mission)  to find my location instead of shoving a waypoint exactly where I need to be. This way, I’m able to keep my eye on the game instead of on the menu and feel better connected to the world as a result. 

Like in the films, the world feels alive thanks to the dynamic interactions with the alien plant life. Some are playful, like watching orange funnel plants shoot into the ground upon approach. Others are beneficial, such as blue flowers that release speed-boosting pollen when stepped on. Some flora are dangerous; keep an eye out for large, volatile egg bulbs that explode in close proximity. The most beneficial flower I found was the Tarsyu. This large, pink flower rewards a skill point once you connect to it. They tower above the ground and usually require traversing elevated platforms or terrain to reach them, but they’re worth stopping what you’re doing to visit if you see one. 

As I explore, I harvest some of these plants for materials used in crafting and cooking. This feature is more involved than I expected. Conditions such as time of day and weather determine the quality of the yield. A flower plucked in the afternoon may be of lower quality than if it were picked at night, as a basic example. A brief minigame accompanies harvesting as I rotate the angled stick to find a sweet spot before yanking or cutting stems. You can scan plants, animals, and other objects by clicking the right analog stick, which saves all of their information, such as location and their ideal conditions for harvesting, to a menu database. 

Hunting is similarly involved. Animals sport weak points, and targeting them will not only drop them faster but result in cleaner kills. That’s important as the quality of the meat and hides depends on how much ammo you dump into them and what type. Arrows are great for this due to their precision and power. A couple of well-placed shots can preserve the meat while hitting weak points results in a merciful kill, adding a bonus to your overall yield quality. Killing creatures with guns renders them totally unharvestable – Na’vi abhor metal, after all. Thus, when confronted by more aggressive beasts, the choice of killing them more quickly with guns and losing out on the reward is constant and adds weight to battles.

A cooking system reminiscent of the recent Zelda games lets you turn hard-earned ingredients into a variety of dishes. Combining ingredients results in unexpected combinations. Some plates bestow temporary buffs. Bad combos result in gross dishes unfit for eating. Recipes are automatically saved to a database for easy reference.  You can use harvested materials to craft new weapons and armor at a weapon bench. Armor has color-coded rarities, though are nuanced with specialized perks. 

Outside of crafting and consuming goods, one particular recurring sidequest involves donating requested goods to a tribe’s communal basket. Most villages I visited had one of these, and each requested a certain type of plant, food, or item of a specific quality or rarity. Fulfilling these requests filled portions of a spiral meter. I didn’t fill it up during my session, and the Ubisoft representative didn’t clue me in on what happens when you do when I asked. We’ll just have to wait and see how you’re rewarded for being a generous giver. 

Everything you do feeds into leveling up, which unlocks skill points to spend on five skill trees: Survivor, Warrior, Hunter, Rider, and Maker. Survivor dictates stats for health energy (basically stamina) and increases your inventory size. Warrior pertains to all things combat, letting you raise proficiency with weapons. Hunter unlocks more skills to improve your tracking and identify higher-quality materials. Rider provides skills for your ikran, such as barrel rolls or catching fish when flying close to water. Lastly, Maker improves cooking and crafting attributes. 

Overall, I largely enjoyed my time with Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. On one hand, it’s familiar in the sense that it channels games like Far Cry in its open-world combat and exploration. On the other hand, it remedies criticism of Ubisoft’s open-world design, such as getting rid of icons and letting players explore using the pretty sights. The game admirably captures the spirit and identity of the IP, especially since exploring and poking around is entertaining on its own. It remains to be seen how the storytelling holds up, but we won’t have to wait too much longer. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora launches on December 7 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC

[no-rest-for-the-doomed]

#024: Doom 2 the way id Did (2013)

Photo courtesy of the 2013 Cacowards page.

Alright, another PWAD and another day goes by that I don't finish maxxing No Rest For the Living. Time flies, days go by, it is what it is. How about a sequel to my last post?

This is MUCH better than DTWID in pretty much every way, mostly due in part to the fact that I think the vanilla D2 levels lend themselves better to creative inspiration and mimicry. Once again, it's kinda hard to tell what maps were inspired by which authors, but there is a bit more of a sense of "oh, this is a Romero map" or "this is clearly Petersen" than in the original DTWID where it was kind of a crapshoot. Like its predecessor, the maps here take the next logical step from Doom 2's maps and amp up the puzzles, amp up the difficulty a bit, amp up the abstractness and it (mostly) works. This plays more like D2 vanilla-UV on HNTR and I can't even imagine how hard it gets on UV proper. There are only a few boss monsters, yes; but imagine my bowels promptly leaving my body in MAP13 when a cyberdemon pops up where a key is in the center of the map, and the only recourse is to run around picking up ammo and the plasma gun while he turrets you from all over. That was probably the highlight of the WAD for me - the last third is probably my least favorite, and it's not even due to any major qualms or bad level design - it's just not for me. There's a map based around the idea of a lot of crushers that got me multiple times, there's a LOT of verticality in these maps, way more than D2 and a lot of the hell levels like to abuse that. Way more Pain Elementals as well. So there were some weak points for me but I just pin the blame on me not liking too much of a challenge.

Now, I have played this before, but it was a while back and I don't remember much of it and I also did not play the secret levels or the MAP33 bonus level. I won't spoil much (even though it's been 10 years) but it feels a whole lot more lovingly crafted than Wolfenstein or Grosse, that's all I'll say. The bonus map takes inspiration from the Doom Xbox port bonus map, and it's one of my favorites. Just super fun, thematic, and setpiece heavy.

Bio's Verdict: D2TWID makes for a great trip down memory lane if you feel like you've played the original D2 a bit too many times, just be prepared for some extra spiciness.

[attactica]

The Types Of People That Carry .40 S&W

[mirtactical]

3 Cool Airsoft Attachments That Will Kick Realism into High Gear

Some AEGs, such as some KWA airsoft guns, take the realism of the airsoft experience to the next level by introducing features such as simulated recoil.

But there’s more to an airsoft event than the kick of the rifle. For a fully immersive experience, that pushes the envelope of fact and fiction, consider some of the following airsoft attachments.

Tack some of these onto your airsoft rifle and you will be astounded by the simulation.

Airsoft Tracer Units

An airsoft tracer unit is exactly what it sounds like.

It’s basically a muzzle device that mounts to your airsoft rifle and enables you to simulate firing tracer rounds from your AEG.

It does this by blasting the BBs with UV light as they leave the barrel. Note this: these devices need to be charged and are only compatible with special fluorescent “tracer BBs,” so you will need specific airsoft ammo.

Also, some tracer units have additional functionality. Some of them have shot counters and can measure muzzle velocity and rate of fire. The Military Intelligence Tracer Unit, from G&G, even has an integrated laser aiming module.

By the way, the cool thing about airsoft tracer units is that, unlike the other airsoft attachments mentioned here, these actually have some utility.

They’re more effective at laying down suppressive fire, as it’s not particularly effective if the other team doesn’t know they’re being shot at. With tracer rounds, they will.

Airsoft Amps

This one’s a bit more of an enigma. An airsoft amp is also a muzzle device, presumably short for “amplifier,” that kicks up sound a notch.

If what’s always been missing from MilSim or airsoft events, for you, is the lack of a convincing muzzle blast, one of these airsoft amps will add to the realism of the experience for you.

They’re also pretty affordable, too, so for just a few dollars, you can tack an airsoft amp onto your muzzle and fully immerse yourself in the airsoft experience - complete with louder simulated shot sounds.

Airsoft Barrel Extensions (Mock Suppressors)

Airsoft barrel extensions are basically mock suppressors. To be fair, these airsoft attachments really aren’t about function, but about form and appearance.

If you’re trying to make your airsoft rifle look as realistic as possible, consider tacking an airsoft barrel extension onto the end of the muzzle.

Just be aware that these will extend the length of the barrel substantially (not necessarily a good thing for CQB-optimized AEGs like G&G ARP9 platforms) which will alter the handling.

Where Can You Get These Attachments for Your Airsoft Rifle?

Interested in getting some of these attachments to trick out your airsoft rifle?

Visit MiR Tactical via the previous link. Not only do they carry plenty of different options in tracer units, barrel extensions, and airsoft amps, but they also offer the best prices in the industry.

In fact, everything they sell is covered by a price match guarantee, with no airsoft coupon code required.

Some orders even qualify for free shipping. Visit their website today or contact them at 800-581-6620 to learn more.

[vomitdodger]

First off…the doctor story never happened as the Commie in Chief has a long history of making up stories.

Second…no. Completely medically inaccurate in all ways and forms.

Third…get ready. The 2A fight is coming. If you don’t see it you haven’t been paying attention. Example: “ghost guns”. They don’t have to ban them, just make it “legally” impossible to abide by the laws or bureaucratically insurmountable to comply. Or make ammo scarce. Or use public sentiment for false flag shootings. Any of this sound familiar?

[swaps55]

What's your opinion on biotic snipers? Like if Vanguard is Soldier+Adept this would a Infiltrator+Adept.

This is another fun question, which got more fun the more I thought about it. Again, I’ll talk about it from both a game mechanics perspective and a lore perspective, because the answers are very different.

As far as game mechanics go, Thane is your first template for a biotic sniper, in that he has warp, throw, and carriers a sniper rifle. I don’t know why he has shredder ammo instead of something like tac cloak, but sure, whatever. In ME3’s multiplayer, you also have an asari “Huntress” infiltrator who has tac cloak, warp, and dark channel. Instead of tac cloak giving a bonus to sniper rifles, it gives a bonus to power damage. If you fire dark channel at a banshee from cloak, you can laugh all over the map and ignore her completely while dark channel offs her eventually without needing to fire a shot.

If you wanted to build it out for someone like Shepard, you could throw in pull to take away guardian shields and such, and stasis to encourage headshot sniping with either a pistol or a sniper rifle, though I vote for encouraging pistol use. Warp ammo would be a good one, maybe lift grenades for funsies.

From a lore standpoint, biotic snipers get more complicated. This is all my interpretation of things, so it’s basically all my headcanon, but this is how I see it. If you consider an infiltrator biotic as someone who works from range, biotics get tricky, and requires we answer some questions about dark energy when we don’t actually understand how dark energy works.

One of those questions is: How does dark energy behave? If it’s like light, then it doesn’t go through walls, and it dissipates the farther it goes, like shining a flashlight into the sky. The light still exists, but the farther out it goes, the more it scatters. If you assume the same with dark energy, the farther away the target is, the more energy you need to generate to interact with it. So, how far away from a target can a biotic be effective?

It probably depends a lot on your implant and amp abilities. As the codex states, biotics manipulate dark energy and create mass effect fields through electrical impulses from the brain. With humans, your implant and your biotic amp plus your natural ability essentially combine to establish your relative strength. How much juice can your amp give you to amplify the amount of dark energy you need to manipulate a target at a distance?

To me, training biotics to work at range has a lot of diminishing returns. Biotics are already very taxing, so why make it more taxing just to do it at a greater distance? You’re in essence handicapping yourself, when on the battle field you want to do the opposite – give yourself every advantage you can find.

This also brings up another really fascinating question that Real Life Romance Option and I debated a while back, which is how sniper rifles fit into the lore when kinetic barriers exist. The short answer? They kind of…don’t. Here’s why:

What kinetic barriers do is deflect fast moving objects. A bullet hits your shields, which then essentially apply kinetic energy to smack the bullet out of the way. So no matter how hard or how fast it hits, one bullet is an easy thing to protect yourself from. You only run into trouble when you have multiple projectiles to worry about, because each deflection drains more of the power cells.

So really, a single shot sniper rifle will do jack shit against a target that is wearing armor and kinetic shields. Even if a bullet gets past the shields, it likely loses enough momentum that your combat armor will stop it. Realistically, you would need a rifle that has a multiple shot clip to get past shields and hit your target. So maybe guns like the Black Widow and the Valiant, which have a 3 shot clip, can be viable; the Indra and the Viper would be even better.

Essentially, within the rules of mass effect fields, whoever can fire the most bullets comes out on top. Shotguns are amazing, because they fire pellets. A single shot shotgun like Claymore can fuck up shields at close range, because if every pellet finds its target, you have a much higher chance of draining the power cell of the shield emitters.

All that said, I’m not exactly taking sniper rifles out of my own lore, because they’re cool, Garrus is awesome, and I like sniper rifles. But it’s fascinating to think about.

[soldiermom1973]

N7 Month Day 21 - struggle

You can also read it on AO3.

Just a bit of Allie fighting her clone.

. . . . . .

Allie was exhausted, sore, and running dangerously low on ammo.  Her amp was hotter than she ever remembered it being, yet her clone still kept fighting.  Even without all the training and experience Allie had, her clone was able to keep up and land a few good blows of her own.  She only hoped the clone was feeling just as worn down as she was.

Their firefight turned from guns to fists as they fought their way to the back of the shuttle bay.  Allie wanted to hold back – it was beyond surreal watching her fists land against her own visage – but she knew the clone wouldn't show the same mercy.  This was a fight to the death and if Allie lost, the rest of the galaxy would burn as the Reapers bulldozed their way through the stars.

“You know what I don't get?”  Allie asked as they circled one another.  “How did you ever think you'd really pull this off?  Sure, we look alike, but you only care about yourself.  And how would you have explained the disappearance of my crew?  Do you really think I don't have enough allies that someone wouldn't have looked into it?”

The clone launched a few quick jabs that Allie barely avoided.  “You're stupid enough to think I was actually going to stick around?” the clone laughed.  “I'm going to finish you, then take my ship and disappear.  I've got a nice little hideout already prepped.  I'll wait out the Reapers there and when I come back, no one will be around to stop me.”

“The only problem with that is you're not going to finish me,” Allie growled, launching herself at her doppleganger.  The pair grappled and fell over as the Normandy lurched to the side.  Allie managed to keep her grip on her clone and when they stopped, she sat up and landed several solid punches on the clone's face.  Then she made the mistake of trying to stand up – she wanted to haul the clone up with her, but the other her pulled her leg back and kicked Allie squarely in the chest.  Allie fell on her back, dazed, and tried to catch her breath before the clone could get the upper hand.

Just then, the Normandy lurched again, sending the pair over the side.  Allie desperately gripped wherever she could find a handhold.  She struggled to swing her leg up and over the lip of the ramp, but her exhaustion was too much.  Instead, she leaned on her forearms and tried worming her way up the ramp.

“Look at you,” spat the clone. “What makes you so damned special?  Why you and not me?”

“Shepard!”  Relief flooded Allie's body when she heard Kaidan's panicked voice and saw him and Garrus sprint down the ramp at her.  Kaidan launched himself forward while Garrus gripped his feet.  Once Kaidan pulled Allie up and to safety, she took a moment to catch her breath.

“Thanks.”  She couldn't help but laugh before turning her attention to her clone.

“What about her?” Garrus asked.

Allie only hesitated for a moment before extending her arm.  “Here, take my hand.” she offered.

“And then?” the clone asked.

“And then you live!” Allie said.

“For what?” the clone asked.  Then Allie watched, horrified as the clone not only let go, but pushed herself off the ramp.  Allie winced and turned away.

“Hey, are you ok?” Kaidan asked. The concern on his face and in his voice reminded Allie of all the things she'd been blessed with that the clone never had.

“Yeah,” she said, touching his arm. “Yeah, I am.”

[metoidionasty]

I shot a gun for the first time and it felt too fucking good, like something deep inside me was unlocked. I felt so powerful, I felt high, and aroused. It was such a rush. I had no issue with a recoil and the sound didn’t even bother me I was so amped up. It was 9mm

I’ll get photos next time I shoot, it’s my roommates gun so I need my own ammo if I wanna shoot again.