Best weapons in Fallout 3?

[Kimarous]

Backstory alert! Skip to the end if you don't care.

I used to play Fallout 3 long ago, but I ended up uninstalling it after it started suffering from massive visual glitches that rendered the game unplayable. I've recently updated my graphics card, so I figure it's time to give it another shot. I was thinking of trading it in for the GOTY edition, but apparently EB doesn't trade PC games. As such, I think I'll just download the add-ons I want; that is, everything besides Operation Anchorage and Mothership Zeta (both of which strike me as "one-shot wonders" with uninteresting loot).

So, out of the main game, The Pitt, Broken Steel, and Point Lookout, what weapons do you consider the best overall?

 

[Icecoldcynic]

Best: Tesla cannon, Microwave emitter, Gauss Rifle, Backwater rifle.

Most fun: Heavy incinerator.

 

[SonicKoala]

The AR-21 Plasma rifle, Ol' Painless, the Xuanlong Assault Rifle, and the Terrible Shotgun; the wasteland is no match for me and my arsenal of awesome.

 

[Kimarous]

Oh, forgot to mention...

Favourites from my earlier playthrough include Ol' Painless, Lincoln's Repeater, and the Xuanlong Assault Rifle.

Best: Tesla cannon, Microwave emitter, Gauss Rifle, Backwater rifle.

Most fun: Heavy incinerator.

Really? The impression I got from Orcidea's video [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RHeYW5Jah0] was that it was it wasn't very good (to put it mildly).

 

[S.R.S.]

The EXPERIMENTAL MIRV!

 

[Sampler]

Operation Anchorage gets you the stealth suit - I love that suit. Gauss rifle's good too.

Most used whilst playing - gotta be the scoped magnum or lincon repeater..

 

[Icecoldcynic]

Oh, forgot to mention...

Favourites from my earlier playthrough include Ol' Painless, Lincoln's Repeater, and the Xuanlong Assault Rifle.

Best: Tesla cannon, Microwave emitter, Gauss Rifle, Backwater rifle.

Most fun: Heavy incinerator.

Really? The impression I got from Orcidea's video [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RHeYW5Jah0] was that it was it wasn't very good (to put it mildly).

Well if you use it outside of VATS it kinda sucks, and it does minimal damage to creature type enemies, but it REALLY shines against brotherhood or Enclave.

 

[Funkbucket]

Alien Ray-Gun, pain in the ass to gem ammo though

 

[Slayer_2]

Without my mod: the Hunting Rifle, simplicity is key.

With my mod: Assault Rifle (Extended Clip).

 

[Omikron009]

Point Lookout's Double Barrel Shotgun, Ol' Painless, and A3-21's Plasma Rifle.

Oh! Funny story about Ol' Painless. My friend spent a long time getting it at an early level and used it a lot. During the Reilly's Rangers quest, he collected a lot of hunting rifles and was repairing them in order to sell them. He accidentally used Ol' Painless to repair one of them, and only realized after he had saved too many times to correct his mistake. He was pretty pissed.

Edit: These aren't what I consider the best, just my favourites. Actually, I think A3-21's Plasma Rifle is probably the best, after a long debate with myself about the merits of it over Lincoln's Repeater.

 

[The_Healer]

Perhaps the search bar cannon....

Apart from that, lincolns repeater was always fun.

 

[DoctorNick]

For some reason I just love the standard old laser rifle.

I think it's mostly cause I always have my character decked out in the army combat armor, so with the laser rifle I can pretend I'm a space marine who crash-landed and is now stuck on this miserable nuclear-wasteland planet.

 

[Hellman]

The Experimental MIRV, nuff said. ^^

 

[sheogoraththemad]

the tesla cannon is badass, the gauss is king and the armor from Operation anchorage is awesome.
the MIRV is just fun ammo waste

 

[Gauntes]

I always tried to be a gentleman and tried to make sure my enemies were not mutilated in any way
so I used my dart gun and poisoned them to death.
...also it crippled them which is a bonus

but my favorite weapon was the flamer
torch them from existance

 

[GeekFury]

The Perfarator, The Victory Rifle, AR-21, Xuan Long, Tesla Cannon, Double Barreled Shotgun and Mini Gun

 

[Willwillwritehiswill]

I pretty much made my way through the game with A3-21's Plasma Rifle. that gun and me, tearing it up. good times.

 

[MattyJ]

My fists once I got my hands on the Chinese stealth Armour and two hockey masks.