All right, guys, I need your assistance with something.
It's been several years since I played Fallout 1 & 2, and I was wondering if anyone can refresh my memory on how, exactly, plasma works in the Fallout universe- or if it's even explained.
I think I recall reading something about it destabilizing the molecules of a target, but like I said, it's been a while.
I'm working on some fanfiction, you see. Not to go into too great an amount of detail, but one of the plot points involves a detonating plasma mine.
I had planned on the effects being similar to someone doused with napalm (severe burns and partial melting of flesh, et cetera) but thought I'd double-check my facts before going through with it.
Trouble is, I can't find any information, anywhere.
Halp? ;3;

Well, plasma is basicly a fourth state of matter (the others being liquid solid and gas) where the electrons are more mobile, and includes things like fluorescent lights, fire, lightning and stars . I assume the stuff in plasma mines is the more destructive type, but it's hard to say. Here's a link to the wikipedia page about: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasma_(physics)

But she's asking for a Fallout version explanation of plasma.........


It basically destabilizes the molecules of the victim the energy blast is directed at, causing them to turn into liquid molecules, thus the green goop.............


super heated plasma tends to make particles move more rapidly, when water particles are just in a stationary spot, they tend to stand still, so a little hot coffee and you have yourself goop.

Thus, the heat reverts your poor insides to liquid particles.

Ah the wonders of science.

The reason for the green goop is up to the idiot who decided in the 50's that what was plasma looked like.....

Cool i want to add my own question! How does the laser work? i mean, how does it vaporize the whole body? its a directed beam so how does it spread to vaporise the whole organic object or even mechanic? (it does vaporize robots, though i dont know how.)

They never clearly explain it in-game, it's really just an excuse to have another gruesome type of death animation in F1 and 2.

My guess is that the Laser's "vaporization" effect is actually a fault of the laser not being properly serviced after 200 years or so. It's probably an "overcharge" of the beam itself, casuing the intensity of it to increase dramatically. Of course, this falls out of the laser's operational parameters, and is probably not wanted for the continued health of that laser.

Still, i understand that this is possible on organic objects (humans, ghouls, beats) but how the hell does it vaporize a metal robot? :blink:

Well, anything can burn if you heat it up enough. Except metal. And rocks. And glass. Those turn to slag. Oh, and liquids, which turn to gas.

But onto the point at-hand, Bethesda may have overlooked that robots turn to ash; in reality (following my explanation) the robot would turn to a pile of molten metal.

At any rate, why are you still able to loot goo and ash piles? Sometimes you just gotta suspend disbeleif...

yeah... well, we gotta get used to it hmm, if you think about it, it is kind of hilarious to see someone pull out a rocket launcher from a small pile of goo or ash.