# Balance: pneumatic weapons

**URL:** https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/balance-pneumatic-weapons/14488
**Category:** The Drawing Board
**Created:** [November 17, 2017, 10:14pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/balance-pneumatic-weapons/14488 "2017-11-17T22:14:51Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 5

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### Author: ![kevin.granade](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/kevin.granade/32/1316_2.png) [@kevin.granade](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/kevin.granade)
#### Post date: [May 9, 2018, 1:52am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/balance-pneumatic-weapons/14488/81 "2018-05-09T01:52:15Z")

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The quick fix is outlined [here](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/balance-pneumatic-weapons/14488/35?u=kevin.granade).  
tl:dr: Increase reload time (per round) to one minute on the pneumatic bolt driver, possibly require a seperate pump item. I didn’t math at the pneumatic assault rifle, do something similar to it.  
More involved fixes would be to limit damage output of these multi-shot weapons and reserve near-firearm performance for a single-shot pneumatic gun that takes upwards of 2 minutes to reload.

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### Author: ![kevin.granade](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/kevin.granade/32/1316_2.png) [@kevin.granade](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/kevin.granade)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2018, 7:08pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/balance-pneumatic-weapons/14488/82 "2018-12-07T19:08:49Z")

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Partial fix

> <https://github.com/CleverRaven/Cataclysm-DDA/pull/26980>

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### Author: ![Trigon](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/trigon/32/2668_2.png) [@Trigon](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Trigon)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2018, 8:42pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/balance-pneumatic-weapons/14488/83 "2018-12-07T20:42:25Z")

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Good first step. Makes sense too.

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### Author: ![Erk](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/erk/32/3871_2.png) [@Erk](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Erk)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2018, 9:01pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/balance-pneumatic-weapons/14488/84 "2018-12-07T21:01:50Z")

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What noise level are these currently making? I see above that they’re silent, and given that my pellet gun makes a significant “pop”, I’d assume another balance issue could be giving them more noise than a bow and less than a chemical rifle

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### Author: ![Midas](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/midas/32/1348_2.png) [@Midas](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Midas)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2018, 7:02am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/balance-pneumatic-weapons/14488/85 "2018-12-08T07:02:37Z")

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I used to spearfish before. A spear gun is essentially a pneumatic rifle, and I can say you have to pump it only once. You don’t pump it again when you reload the spear before the next shot.  
The pressurized air is not shot out or expelled, it just stays inside the gun and pushes the piston. The only case you’ll need to pump it again (not counting possible rare leaks) is the rifle wasn’t used for a few months.

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### Author: ![dissociativity](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/dissociativity/32/4967_2.png) [@dissociativity](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/dissociativity)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2018, 8:26am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/balance-pneumatic-weapons/14488/86 "2018-12-08T08:26:35Z")

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The problem here at the moment is that we don’t have a dual ammo system for both counting air AND the ammo  
So this is the only fair compromise for NOW

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### Author: ![Midas](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/midas/32/1348_2.png) [@Midas](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Midas)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2018, 9:17am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/balance-pneumatic-weapons/14488/87 "2018-12-08T09:17:32Z")

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But there’s no need to count air as ammo. Air is not wasted at shot at all, it could only leak out very slowly due to the worn out sealing or construction flaws.  
I think there could be a status flag “pressurized” for a freshly-pumped pneumatic gun, turning into “slightly pressurized” after the long time and dozens and dozens of shots, requiring to be pumped again.

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### Author: ![dissociativity](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/dissociativity/32/4967_2.png) [@dissociativity](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/dissociativity)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2018, 11:07am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/balance-pneumatic-weapons/14488/88 "2018-12-08T11:07:09Z")

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Well, dual ammo in the sense of pressure, the second ammo: Air counts as pressure, more = more damage/range?

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### Author: ![Midas](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/midas/32/1348_2.png) [@Midas](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Midas)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2018, 11:28am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/balance-pneumatic-weapons/14488/89 "2018-12-08T11:28:14Z")

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But the second ammo would not waste at all or waste VERY slowly. Yes, it would inflict damage/range in this case.

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