I need some advice on how to operate and use these batteries. I have collected a lot of them and I still don't know how to utilize it. Please help me out here.

From what I have heard in the past and what I believed, they are used only if you have played Wiz 7 and have a stungun/phaser or cobaltine powerglove. This is why they are found around the helazoid ship debris.

I remember finding a " mystery ray " or something like that once. I only found it once, while i was trying to get the lightsword. I always figured the packs would work on it but i never tried it out, guess it could be for a gadget of some sort too.

In Wiz7, the mystery ray didn't need ammo, but some other higardy weapons did.
In Wiz8, you can recharge the Frontier phaser with them, but it still works when at 0 charges.

I have the mystery ray from importing from wiz 7. no batterys required. The batterys do work in the frontier phaser (makes it a lot more powerful than using it without batterys)
spoiler
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Jan-ette will drop the frontier phaser if you keep trying long enough.

Wow, i feel stupid now. I have had the frontier phaser a few times yet i have never tried the packs with it. I figured it would just make it work, never thought it would give it more power. Thanks, awsome post.

I just tested the frontier phaser with my gadgeteer. He's currently at 82 in Ranged Combat and 78 in Modern Weapons.
The Results are:
Without Batteries: ave. 12-18 damage, 4 shots per round of combat.
With Batteries: ave. 30-45 damage, 4 shots per round of combat.
NOTE: Test was performed on swarming wasps. Monsters with higher resistances are not likely to take as much damage.

Can anybody confirm these numbers?

I just found the Frontier Phaser with my current party, which happenes to have a gadgeteer too. I tested the damage without and with ammo (well, as long as my powerpacks lasted). I even went to Trynton and found some swarming wasps to fight.

My result: in all battles, the average damage (of the hits) was 14 - 17.5. Whether i used ammo or not didn't matter (in fact, the lowest number was in a battle with ammo, and the highest one without ammo, but it isn't a statistically significant difference). And all damage was in the 5-27 range, no damage beyond 30.

Note: Resistances don't affect the damage of missile weapons. Only damage resistance (one fight without ammo was against anthracite golems, which took only half damage)

Just a note: the min/max damage may be determined by strength, ranged skill, etc. Never got into modern weapons much, did try them.

I can't confirm the numbers, but have no reason to doubt them, either.

Ziggurat, Modern Weapons are the only ones not affected by Strength. I'm not certain whether the Eagle Eye penetration applies to them, but I know of no reason why not, neither logically nor from reading game descriptions of the skills.

[ 08-26-2003, 06:31 PM: Message edited by: EEWorzelle ]