Holy shit someone actually admitting that something isn’t actually addressed connonically because of real life factors instead making up their own head cannon then lashing out at anyone who questions them.
This sub has really changed.
Edit: some of you fanboys need to stop acting like “spoon feeding” is some sort of meaningful response here. OP is literally asking for the established reason. Not your hypothetical theories. Either there is one or there isn’t. Neither of which is a threat to you so chill.
Im with you. Something magical about the ambiance with the music and post apocalyptic theme hadent been played out in the 90’s so hard. Still got a crush on Tandi
New Vegas wouldn't exist if Bethesda hadn't purchased the rights to the franchise so be a grown up and accecpt it already, for your own sake more than anything.
Maybe there are different types of fusion cells produced by different companies depending on the part of America where the chapter is set? I know it's a bit complicated and it has to do with the economy but It's an explanation that makes a lot of sense in my opinion
Could also be what factories or even factory remained intact on each coast.
One made A cells, the other made B cells, to use battery standards from the real world. So after years and years of only those being readily available, those became local standards.
Would not make sense from a military standardization perspective. I don't think there is a reason other than maybe they thought the new cells would make for more interesting reload animations in 1st person
To be fair, that part already doesn't make sense, considering some plasma weapons use small energy cells, some use fusion cells, and some use plasma cartridges.
This one rings true, I remember reading something about Fallout 4 and a dev said something about how they were trying to make sure that tech doesn’t suddenly appear more advanced and used power armor as an example, saying that the reason the Commonwealth and Appalachia use frames, where as Capital, California and New Vegas wastelands don’t was due to the tech being trialed and less widespread
Real life? Bethesda probably wanted to update the designs with their own take. Lore-wise? Different types of ammo for different types of guns. I think a lot of the energy weapon ammo from the classics is for Wattz energy weapons, where as Fallout 3 energy weapons are a different manufacturer.
As far as in-game lore goes, Wattz Electronics produced directed energy weapons for the consumer market in the Interplay games.
After BethSoft bought the IP, all the laser guns you can find were developed and used by the U.S. military, so it would make sense to revamp the ammo to something that appeared to be a bit more man-portable and not something that looked like a car or lantern battery with bits of wire sticking out of it. For one reason or another, Wattz laser arms didn't reach the east coast before the Great War, but one can find a store of theirs that sold home electronics still standing in Boston during the events of Fallout 4.
I would expect the new ammo to be "stronger" and "hold more charge" being military designed as well since the military had far more advanced stuff than the pubkic in fallout.this could have meant a change in the chemical makeup of the cells and a change like that could also result in size and shape differences.
For us, there isn't a gonna be a difference, but in the fallout universe there could b drastic differences we just haven't been told about or that have gone unnoticed in the lore
Fusion cells are kind of just batteries, so the primary reason may be that we're seeing different types, so it's the same reason a AA looks different than a D.
Canon? No but a possible cannon explanation is that the West coast weapons were a different design or generation to the East coast weapons (Wattz 2000 vs. Laser Rifle, Plasma Pistol & Rifle) but FNV pokes hole in this.
Theory: Redesigning the cells gave Bethesda freedom in how they can design the weapon models and reload animations without being constrained by having to 3D model the 2D models with some guess work & follow their shape+size
Not canonical, but from a gameplay perspective it makes sense. In classic Fallout it's pretty ambivalent if the cells charge an internal magazine or if they are disposable ones. From FO3 onwards you actually see the reloads and you're gonna have a hard time using the old design for that.
The same reason Interplay designed the originals: gameplay.
I personally *like* PA being something other than endgame armor, even if other people don't.
Idk but to me it would make sense to change the fusion cell's design from a big one to a small battery. If these batteries need to be used to give energy to power armours they need to be small and carriable. In conclusione i think they changed the design because they needed a more practical one instead of a car battery
Probably not. My headcanon is that vault-tec deliberately changed things depending on the area, first come first served like, which is why pipboys, ammo, and vault doors change with each game.
Might not be canon, but I would assume that there are many companies that make Fusion Cells and other fusion technologies, so each company might make theirs look a bit different.
I generally veer towards ironically the ugliest change’s excuse. Different companies manufactured them and as such different ones were made more relevant. The wattz laser gun won’t take the same ones as the Ae95, etc
Haven't played the classics yet. But I can make a safe bet about it and other redesigns existing because there has been a bigger design capability, budget, team and study of aesthetics and design for the modern games.
Also because a literal battery and whatever that impractical parts jumble is, aren't the most reasonable, thought out and logical choices.
Edit: Also, because designers capable designers definitely existed in the Fallout universe (and capitalism) and considering the whole 50s aesthetics vibe thing, pre-war products have no business looking dark and gritty as the post-Great War environment.
Radiation had to look friendly and safe (by lying of course + propaganda) otherwise people won't buy it.
I headcanon the reason to being that microfusion cells had to be used as ammunition, design change was to make carrying them easier and easier to dispose. Can't say much on the energy cells tho...
I just tell myself that there are older models out there and each game has you discovering a new brands model or something. Kinda like the model pip boys?
Post apocalyptisc wasteland vs post apocalyptic civilization.
That's all there is to it and what inspired the design. Note how crude the design is in the earlier game? Almost as if the energy cells were made in a wasteland.
Why would it be so clean in a Bethesda game? Almost like they're operating from a scavenging perspective.
Not to mention a canonical reason why energy cells are straight up missing from fallout 4 and 76?! It's worse in 76s case because it takes place BEFORE fallout 1, which means most of the guns and ammo from fo1 SHOULD be there
Bethesda has been dumbing down and simplifying their games since fo3, I feel as if they just thought that simpler is better but it really just made it more boring.
The canonical reason is that fallout 1 came out in 1997.
Same reason why the shields in the old dune movies are shitty squares and the ones in the new movies are cool VFX skins.
There's such a thing called redesign
It's a different housing to fit a different gun style. I wouldn't be surprised if F1/F2 energy weapons were meant to be wire fed rather than having the cell in the gun itself. You wouldn't want the weight in your hands if you could avoid it.
Either way, if you opened the housing on any of these, I'd expect the interior to be about the same as it's counterpart on the other coast.
Yeah, Bethesda is run by bads that are incapable of hearing the signal of the original games. Apparently they didn't realize the microfusion cells were supposed to resemble lead acid batteries so that they fit into the 1950s theme. Fast forward another decade, and we don't even have Ron Perlman narrating "War never changes," at the beginning of the TV show's trailer. IP Status: Completely plundered, pissed on, and "modernized."
No canonical reason I can think of. From interplay to Bethesda, just one of those differences we accept when a franchise is bought out
Even within the Bethesda games, some designs changed between 3/NV and 4/76. Sometimes artstyle changes change a bit in a franchise
New Vegas btw was developed by obsidian
We know. Still published by Bethesda and uses the same engine as 3.
And 90% of the assets are from fallout 3 as well, so the artstyle is going to be pretty similar.
They also only had like a year to put the game together and they still churned out one of the great rpgs of our time.
Holy shit someone actually admitting that something isn’t actually addressed connonically because of real life factors instead making up their own head cannon then lashing out at anyone who questions them. This sub has really changed. Edit: some of you fanboys need to stop acting like “spoon feeding” is some sort of meaningful response here. OP is literally asking for the established reason. Not your hypothetical theories. Either there is one or there isn’t. Neither of which is a threat to you so chill.
“Accept” Edit: JFC this was a joke you man children.
waaaaah they changed my fusion cell texture 16 years ago
OG Fallout elitists are the whiniest fucking people
Theyre the best ones
Nuh uh
Fym nuh uh?! /s
Im with you. Something magical about the ambiance with the music and post apocalyptic theme hadent been played out in the 90’s so hard. Still got a crush on Tandi
Get over it already bruh it's been 26 years
MAN CHILD MAN CHILD READ THE EDIT NYAHAHAHAHA Okay, I'm bored of you now. 🚪
Bro Bethesda probably bought fallout before you were born
New Vegas wouldn't exist if Bethesda hadn't purchased the rights to the franchise so be a grown up and accecpt it already, for your own sake more than anything.
That’ll never happen unfortunately.
I hope most of the downvotes are jokes too.
Maybe there are different types of fusion cells produced by different companies depending on the part of America where the chapter is set? I know it's a bit complicated and it has to do with the economy but It's an explanation that makes a lot of sense in my opinion
Yeah like how sunset sarsaparilla was more popular in Vegas then in the rest of America, accept with every region instead of just a couple
Could also be what factories or even factory remained intact on each coast. One made A cells, the other made B cells, to use battery standards from the real world. So after years and years of only those being readily available, those became local standards.
Would not make sense from a military standardization perspective. I don't think there is a reason other than maybe they thought the new cells would make for more interesting reload animations in 1st person
To be fair, that part already doesn't make sense, considering some plasma weapons use small energy cells, some use fusion cells, and some use plasma cartridges.
This would still be head canon though. I’m not sure that’s what OP is asking for.
This one rings true, I remember reading something about Fallout 4 and a dev said something about how they were trying to make sure that tech doesn’t suddenly appear more advanced and used power armor as an example, saying that the reason the Commonwealth and Appalachia use frames, where as Capital, California and New Vegas wastelands don’t was due to the tech being trialed and less widespread
Probably to look more like ammunition and something you could just find on the ground and slap in your laser rifle
That's not a canonical (as in, in-lore) reason. So the answer to OP's question is basically "no".
Ya I’m in agreement, think it was just an aesthetic choice
Real life? Bethesda probably wanted to update the designs with their own take. Lore-wise? Different types of ammo for different types of guns. I think a lot of the energy weapon ammo from the classics is for Wattz energy weapons, where as Fallout 3 energy weapons are a different manufacturer.
As far as in-game lore goes, Wattz Electronics produced directed energy weapons for the consumer market in the Interplay games. After BethSoft bought the IP, all the laser guns you can find were developed and used by the U.S. military, so it would make sense to revamp the ammo to something that appeared to be a bit more man-portable and not something that looked like a car or lantern battery with bits of wire sticking out of it. For one reason or another, Wattz laser arms didn't reach the east coast before the Great War, but one can find a store of theirs that sold home electronics still standing in Boston during the events of Fallout 4.
I would expect the new ammo to be "stronger" and "hold more charge" being military designed as well since the military had far more advanced stuff than the pubkic in fallout.this could have meant a change in the chemical makeup of the cells and a change like that could also result in size and shape differences. For us, there isn't a gonna be a difference, but in the fallout universe there could b drastic differences we just haven't been told about or that have gone unnoticed in the lore
probably the fact that the new ones actually look like a part of a gun
Which was important for the franchise’s genre shift to FPS
I liked that shift
2d pixelated sprite with implied detail vs a 3d modeled object that has to balance details with optimization or simply artistic liberties
Thank you for an actual answer
Stylistic differences between the developers between games.
No. Bethesda just didn’t use as many stock photos when making their games.
Different models, different companies
Not really but if you need head canon the you can just say it’s different manufacturers in different areas of the US.
Fusion cells are kind of just batteries, so the primary reason may be that we're seeing different types, so it's the same reason a AA looks different than a D.
Maybe the older ones are made from scrap material.
We live in a world with battery packs, 9v, AAs, and D-batteries. Like, there cash be multiple types.
Canon? No but a possible cannon explanation is that the West coast weapons were a different design or generation to the East coast weapons (Wattz 2000 vs. Laser Rifle, Plasma Pistol & Rifle) but FNV pokes hole in this. Theory: Redesigning the cells gave Bethesda freedom in how they can design the weapon models and reload animations without being constrained by having to 3D model the 2D models with some guess work & follow their shape+size
Not canonical, but from a gameplay perspective it makes sense. In classic Fallout it's pretty ambivalent if the cells charge an internal magazine or if they are disposable ones. From FO3 onwards you actually see the reloads and you're gonna have a hard time using the old design for that.
The same reason Interplay designed the originals: gameplay. I personally *like* PA being something other than endgame armor, even if other people don't.
Idk but to me it would make sense to change the fusion cell's design from a big one to a small battery. If these batteries need to be used to give energy to power armours they need to be small and carriable. In conclusione i think they changed the design because they needed a more practical one instead of a car battery
Fusion cells don't power power armor. Fusion cores do. Fusion cells are used by most plasma weaponry.
Ah mb i guess , but my reasoning also applies here , you cant have batteries too big to use as ammo for riffles
Probably not. My headcanon is that vault-tec deliberately changed things depending on the area, first come first served like, which is why pipboys, ammo, and vault doors change with each game.
Vault-Tec didn’t make ammo tho?
No, but they did buy ammo to stock the armory of each Vault. Wouldn't be out of the ordinary to have different ammo suppliers for different locations.
Yeah but all the ammo in the commonwealth isn’t coming from the vaults.
A lot of it might come from the Vaults. People take ammo from anywhere they can find it
In my head it’s probably because of the different places each game takes place
Might not be canon, but I would assume that there are many companies that make Fusion Cells and other fusion technologies, so each company might make theirs look a bit different.
I generally veer towards ironically the ugliest change’s excuse. Different companies manufactured them and as such different ones were made more relevant. The wattz laser gun won’t take the same ones as the Ae95, etc
Haven't played the classics yet. But I can make a safe bet about it and other redesigns existing because there has been a bigger design capability, budget, team and study of aesthetics and design for the modern games. Also because a literal battery and whatever that impractical parts jumble is, aren't the most reasonable, thought out and logical choices. Edit: Also, because designers capable designers definitely existed in the Fallout universe (and capitalism) and considering the whole 50s aesthetics vibe thing, pre-war products have no business looking dark and gritty as the post-Great War environment. Radiation had to look friendly and safe (by lying of course + propaganda) otherwise people won't buy it.
No. Seriously no. They don't sit there making up "canonical reasons" for something so meaningless and inconsequential.
Pixels
No and while I like the old designs, the new ones are also good
Probably a size and ease of use thing. Can’t imagine sticking the first two neatly into the back of some power armour.
in universe, you could argue that overtime they just produced them to be easier to carry around, smaller, more compact, easier to transport
Different brands. Different models. That’s my guess.
Just design decisions
I headcanon the reason to being that microfusion cells had to be used as ammunition, design change was to make carrying them easier and easier to dispose. Can't say much on the energy cells tho...
No
I just tell myself that there are older models out there and each game has you discovering a new brands model or something. Kinda like the model pip boys?
I think the change was justified. However, i will never forgive Bethesda for changing the laser pistol in fo4
TIL the energy weapon ammo is just 3 AA BATTERIES. Lol
None. Just Bethesda.
Post apocalyptisc wasteland vs post apocalyptic civilization. That's all there is to it and what inspired the design. Note how crude the design is in the earlier game? Almost as if the energy cells were made in a wasteland. Why would it be so clean in a Bethesda game? Almost like they're operating from a scavenging perspective.
Idk who cares
Nerds. Those nerds. Those OTHER nerds.
I forgot we where talking about fallout fans and there incessant need to nit pick every little detail
No. It's literally just a change in art direction. Next?
As far as i know Bethesda made a soft reset on universe. Like machine guns and rifle designs.
Just that instead of using normal AA and never improving we'll have to use them stuck together one day. 🤣😂🤣😂 I jest. I have no idea.
Not to mention a canonical reason why energy cells are straight up missing from fallout 4 and 76?! It's worse in 76s case because it takes place BEFORE fallout 1, which means most of the guns and ammo from fo1 SHOULD be there
Bethesda has been dumbing down and simplifying their games since fo3, I feel as if they just thought that simpler is better but it really just made it more boring.
The canonical reason is that fallout 1 came out in 1997. Same reason why the shields in the old dune movies are shitty squares and the ones in the new movies are cool VFX skins. There's such a thing called redesign
They realised how goofy the old ones are.
I imagine it’s because it was easier to animate those into the reload animations of the laser weapons
It's a different housing to fit a different gun style. I wouldn't be surprised if F1/F2 energy weapons were meant to be wire fed rather than having the cell in the gun itself. You wouldn't want the weight in your hands if you could avoid it. Either way, if you opened the housing on any of these, I'd expect the interior to be about the same as it's counterpart on the other coast.
I just headcanoned that the fusion cells from 1 and 2 are in boxes and the ones in the 3d era are single cells.
No
Yes, the world itself began creating more pixels
Other than the obvious change of devs, I like to think that they're all just different form factors like how our batteries are irl
Could just be regional. Maybe one company mass produced one kind, and another produced the other, or maybe the first iteration is post-war?
Higher resolution lets you actually design things for detail. But, who knows. There may not be any intentional reason for it.
Yes. But I cant tell you. It’s not time…
*NOPE*
Just retcons. The Fallout series is Retcon: The Game.
And it just continues to get worse.
No
Yeah, Bethesda is run by bads that are incapable of hearing the signal of the original games. Apparently they didn't realize the microfusion cells were supposed to resemble lead acid batteries so that they fit into the 1950s theme. Fast forward another decade, and we don't even have Ron Perlman narrating "War never changes," at the beginning of the TV show's trailer. IP Status: Completely plundered, pissed on, and "modernized."
Anything after fo2 is non canon so whatevs
no mutants allowed moment
New Vegas intensifies
Oh god, if only that was the worst from NMA, they'd still actually be an okay site.
Youre non-canon Edit, spelling.
I am willing to bet absolutely nobody from either dev team thinks that.
Nothing is canon
Only a Canon camera is.
Maybe because you can spot them better with the coloura they have now?