Pistols vs Rifles?

[MeltedLemonade]

So i'm assuming rifles have a higher focus on combat and pistols (AKA the default type multitools and such) have a higher focus on mining and harvesting, but is any of this actually true because I can't find if there's a legitimate difference

[Geldric™]

This hasn't been updated for 4.0 (source 3.81): https://nomanssky.fandom.com/wiki/Multi-Tool#Multi-Tool_Catalogues but I doubt anything changed

For max damage neither of those a BIC for pure damage, an Alien MT takes that spot.

Have you used an Experimental or Alien MT yet?

[Jaggid Edje]

I verified all the multi-tool bonuses listed on the wiki page a few weeks ago by comparing to the game exml file. They are still accurate, as @Geldric linked.

[Krash Megiddo]

I see Exotic or Experimental on the MT comparison screen. Do some MTs also indicate Pistol or Rifle? Obviously, this topic confuses me. MT category is one of those areas where HG is clear as mud on what is going on under the hood.

Thanks to JE for looking under the hood!

[Jaggid Edje]

Pistol and Rifle are the two 'ordinary' multi tool types. The difference being very apparent visually. They have different bonus classifications and slot totals. The distinction does not apply for the other types of multi tools (alien, experimental, royal).

That said, as I believe you know, alien multi tools do come in pistol and rifle variants as far as the community is concerned. And, visually, so do royal and experimental. The only difference there though is in how many slots it starts with. Under the hood, they are the same, have the same range of available bonuses, and with upgrades can eventually have the same number of slots. (i.e. There's no distinction between them in the tables that control max slots nor bonuses)

[Teratus]

Pistols best for mining resources, only tool type with high mining bonus.

Rifles better damage and more slots than pistols but inferior to Royal and Experimental Tools.

Royal and Experimental are equal in damage to Rifles but better in mining and scanning, they have the best Scanning bonus of all the tools but are inferior to Pistols in mining.

Alien is outright the best damage tool you can get and is equal to Royal and Experimental in Mining and equal to Pistol in scanning.

The Multitool you start with is the worst one in the game and gives no bonuses what so ever, literally every multiool even damaged ones are better than the starter multitool so upgrade it asap.

My personal preference is using a Royal or Experimental tool for general play, casual scanning and mining etc while I run about and swapping to an Alien tool whenever i'm in a combat situation.
I find this to be a very efficient way to play NMS

[Jaggid Edje]

Originally posted by Teratus:

My personal preference is using a Royal or Experimental tool for general play, casual scanning and mining etc while I run about and swapping to an Alien tool whenever i'm in a combat situation.
I find this to be a very efficient way to play NMS

I agree 1000%.

[indigo]

My preference is for whatever multi-tool I think looks best.
After that, if it's a combat multi-tool, it's getting plasma grenades added. Not that it isn't a pretty simple matter to take apart a Sentinel Walker with a bolt-caster and a personal shield, but it's so much more efficient to simply powder them with a few grenades. For the little floating junk sentinels, a single grenade can clear an entire wave with a well-placed shot.

[Zwartholte]

Back when you could only have one multi-tool and before all types could be upgraded to the max slots, the Rifle was the most desirable one because of the highest capacity of 24 slots. That was also the only advantage it had, with no high stat bonus while the rest all excell at one stat, making it actually the most useless one nowadays. Oh how the mighty has fallen..

They should really buff it some way, no idea how though.

[taniwhat]

Long range (only) weapon that'll one shot sentinels. Get a clean kill, no alarm ....

[Foxglovez]

And you will want a third multitool for going through galaxy cores where everything in it will break. So keep that starter junk gun and label it junk and use it only then until you get a better junk gun. You can have a total of 6 multitools.