Machine Gun Turrets

[Dixon Sider]

Ok so this REEEAAAALLLLY bugs me. I want to know why in the hell are we using vacuum tubes in machine gun turrets in 2077? (the year the world "ended") Isnt that a little too far with the "future steampunk"? Anyone that knows about military weaponry want to enlighten me as to why on earth we would use a vacuum tube over transistors? transistors are certainly a thing in the Fallout universe because the computers are too small even for their insane limited functionality for them to be using vacuum tubes.

[Docsprock]

Actually, in the 'lore' I do not believe transistors were invented.

[Dixon Sider]

Originally posted by Docsprock:

Actually, in the 'lore' I do not believe transistors were invented.

whaaat? I know asking for the source would be a lot. But if you know where, let me know. That makes sense for why turrets are using vacuum tubes for their logic, but how on earth are the computers so small then >.< lol

[Win2000Fan]

You need to understand that Fallout 4 takes place in an alternate universe on the planet earth. Just looking at the cars and TV's should give you a hint. They stayed locked in the 60's but advanced to nuclear technologies faster than we did. Our universe is not the only one and that is a true theory.

Sorry Docsprok, I disagree with you about transistors example, look at all the circuit boards you can pick up in this game. Tubes are still being used because unlike us, they kept them knowing tubes are still better than transistors in some applications. My opinion.

[Dixon Sider]

Originally posted by shellback84:

You need to understand that Fallout 4 takes place in an alternate universe on the planet earth. Just looking at the cars and TV's should give you a hint. They stayed locked in the 60's but advanced to nuclear technologies faster than we did. Our universe is not the only one and that is a true theory.

Sorry Docsprok, I disagree with you about transistors example, look at all the circuit boards you can pick up in this game. Tubes are still being used because unlike us, they kept them knowing tubes are still better than transistors in some applications. My opinion.

I am going to look at a PCB now to see lol. But vacuum tubes are not really something you can fit on a PCB. It would also be difficult to find applications where vacuum tubes are better than transistors however.

[Dixon Sider]

So on the front and back there are actual physical wires for the connections on the PCB, and there certainly looks like vacuum tubes on there as well. No way those are all capacitors. Those look like vacuum tubes. Im guessing the capacitors are the red cylinders

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1858106875

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1858106804

The fact that they dont use transistors ons something as fundamental as a PCB (I see 0 chips) tells me they havent invented transistors yet, but the size of a lot of their electronics adds question to this theory

[Win2000Fan]

Dixon Sider: Those old, in game, vacuum tube televisions are without question using vacuum tubes inside the set and yes vacuum tubes can be used on a circuit board. Example, there are still many electric guitar player purest (Eric Clapton comes to mind) using tube amps, which by today's standards the tubes are mounted on a circuit board with the transistors. The tubes give the amp a warmer sound than the transistors can. Expensive high end home stereo tube amplifiers do the same thing to your in home music system, if you can afford one.

One of Fallout 4's game writers knew exactly what they were doing when they wrote tubes into the game and yes it can be done.

[Dixon Sider]

Originally posted by shellback84:

Dixon Sider: Those old, in game, vacuum tube televisions are without question using vacuum tubes inside the set and yes vacuum tubes can be used on a circuit board. Example, there are still many electric guitar player purest (Eric Clapton comes to mind) using tube amps, which by today's standards the tubes are mounted on a circuit board with the transistors. The tubes give the amp a warmer sound than the transistors can. Expensive high end home stereo tube amplifiers do the same thing to your in home music system, if you can afford one.

One of Fallout 4's game writers knew exactly what they were doing when they wrote tubes into the game and yes it can be done.

Im not saying it cant, I know it can. Its just waaaaay less efficient. I looked at this pic of the PCB used for targetting, and I dont see any chips on this one either. I think they dont use transistors at all. I believe Docsproc on that one.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1858121787

[Win2000Fan]

Originally posted by Dixon Sider:

So on the front and back there are actual physical wires for the connections on the PCB, and there certainly looks like vacuum tubes on there as well. No way those are all capacitors. Those look like vacuum tubes. Im guessing the capacitors are the red cylinders

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1858106875

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1858106804

The fact that they dont use transistors ons something as fundamental as a PCB (I see 0 chips) tells me they havent invented transistors yet, but the size of a lot of their electronics adds question to this theory

I

I did not say they had not invented the transistor yet. I said that they are mixing the two together. And yes that can be done. I collect old tube and early transistor radios both, so I know it can be done.

[Dixon Sider]

Originally posted by shellback84:

I did not say they had not invented the transistor yet. I said that they are mixing the two together. And yes that can be done. I collect old tube and early transistor radios both, so I know it can be done.

If they invented transistors it was probably very very new tech to them. They werent even in military technology at the time of the bombing. Military/medical applications usually gets the tech first. The 2 PCBs I posted are both military tech

[Win2000Fan]

The circuit board was invented because of the transistor and you collect circuit boards all over this game and yes in my humble opinion they do use transistors and transistor technology.

[Dixon Sider]

Originally posted by shellback84:

The circuit board was invented because of the transistor and you collect circuit boards all over this game and yes in my humble opinion they do use transistors and transistor technology.

I am determined to get to the bottom of this!!! One would ask, what is even the point of making the targetting chip if there is no logic being handled within it? Maybe the silicon is embedded in the PCB somewhere.

[Win2000Fan]

One last point, how do you run any of the advanced T and X series armor in this game with radio tubes? You can't because you would brake them as you moved around. Next time you mod any advanced armor look at what is being used for the mod, circuitry from the scraped parts, not tubes. Tubes are only good for scraping for raw material.

[jynx]

The advantage of vacumn tubes is they don't fry from the EMP from a nuke going off. That's why MIG 25s still had them when F16s were all fly by wire. The lore started back in the 90s, and under a previous owner. You should make allowances for minor gaffes from Bethesda after 20+ years.

[EolSunder]

that would be if vacuum tubes were made of glass, im guessing with advanced technology and learning in fallout world, they are able to make vacuum tubes from clear plastic or compound that wouldn't break if you dropped it. Come on now, its a fantasy world, stop trying to pick this and that to complain about.

[Dixon Sider]

Originally posted by EolSunder:

that would be if vacuum tubes were made of glass, im guessing with advanced technology and learning in fallout world, they are able to make vacuum tubes from clear plastic or compound that wouldn't break if you dropped it. Come on now, its a fantasy world, stop trying to pick this and that to complain about.

Its a fantasy world, but the inclusion of thee vacuum tubes was intentional. There is a reason they exist. No one thought "oh this word sounds sciencey, we will add some of these". Its something interesting to me. The person who added them knows what they are and why they are used opposed to transistors in the game. Its a cool little easter egg that I want to know the origin of