Talk:Pistol/@comment-26536672-20160806052501

HOKAY! So, I decided to do some investigating into the mechanics of the City Watch Pistol versus Corvo's Pistol, specifically how their AoE "shotgun" effect works, and I managed to conclude... that it remains rather inconclusive. But, I have gathered some potentially useful information. Bend Time offers little insight, as it displays shots from both pistols as singular bullets. Indeed, in regards to the above statement that the City Watch Pistols fire buckshot, I would like to point out that:

1. Images of the bullets themselves are still clearly bullets.

2. Their behavior, aside from a short-range spread (which I address below) and the shot pattern they leave on walls, is that of a single pistol bullet. It travels in a fairly straight line and wounds equally at any distance provided it hits the target.

3. Again, Bend Time reveals that bullets fired from the CWP by both Corvo and the Officers are, indeed, bullets.

Now, on to the interesting spread effect. It appears that, game-mechanically, the CWP does indeed possess a very limited shotgun-like effect. It is limited roughly by a distance of two meters and an offset of perhaps five degrees. Upgrading it to Corvo's Pistol, however, significantly buffs the already-present spread effect by extending its range to perhaps six to eight meters and its spread to fifteen degrees off-center. The damage remains the same, however (four shots to a kill).

My hypothesis in this matter is that the ordinary CWP does not fire actual shot pellets, but rather has a REALLY intense muzzle flash, perhaps with cartridge shapnel, that provides the very short-range spread damage that is further augmented by the Corvo's Pistol upgrade.

Also, on another note, this was the first time I noticed the ejected cartridges from a shot. That was pretty kewl.