BFG10k (Q2)

"Big, uh, freakin’ gun. This weapon redefines the word "wallpaper." Simply fire the BFG into a small room of unsuspecting Strogg and observe the new red paint job."

- The Quake II Manual

An even more powerful version of the famous BFG 9000 from the Doom series, the BFG 10k (simply called BFG in the manual) is the most powerful weapon in Quake 2. When fired, it releases a large green sphere of compact energy that travels forward until it hits a wall or other obstacle. As it's traveling, it will exert its excess energy in the form of green beams that lash out at any enemies near it, usually killing them quickly. When it hits something, the sphere will explode, taking out any enemy that is within range.

As noted above, the BFG is referred to as the "Big, uh, freakin’ gun" in the manual, and is also known as the 'Bio Force Gun' in the Doom movie(although The Rock namedrops the expletive nomanclature). In the Doom Bible, design document for the original Doom, it is explicitly referred to as the 'Big Fucking Gun'.

Its only downsides are that it uses 50 Cells per shot and it takes a while for it to fire and reload.

Damaging System
The BFG’s damaging system is quite complicated. If the player experienced the BFG 9000 from Doom 2, the principle is very similar. The BFG's splash radius on impact to solid wall and ceiling is enormous but how much damage it deals to surrounding enemy depends on the location of the enemy, point of impact and the player. If there is an unobstructed line of sight between the enemy, the point of impact, and the player, the enemy will receive the full force of the shockwave and even strong enemies that are hit by the beams beforehand can be killed or even gibbed by the splash damage alone in this manner.

Whilst this can be used to deal great amounts of damage to a lot of enemies in a room, it does have its disadvantages. Fighting enemies such as the Tanks and Gladiators requires constant moving or popping in and out of cover, taking potshots. Brains are vulnerable to BFG shots, but absorbs the BFG blasts in one hit at a time, just a few crowds. But if the player fires the BFG at a Tank Commander and takes cover before the blast hits, then the Tank Commander will receive minimal damage. If the player fires and stays in view until the blast hits, then the Tank Commander's devastating attacks could kill the player. The BFG requires skill and practice to be used at its full potential, but once comfortable with it, the player will find the BFG as the most useful tool in his/her arsenal. When it is combined with Quad Damage its power is unrivaled by anything else.



Single Player

 * In the single player, the BFG is one of the most useful weapons in the game regarding the tougher enemies. It can gib anything up to a Gladiator but anything weaker than a Gladiator can be killed with the weaker weapons to avoid overkill and wasting ammo. The BFG is best used against the tougher enemies or units with energy barriers such as Brains, Gladiator, Tank, Tank Commander.
 * One of its many uses is during Unit 9, where there are about 20 Tank Commanders throughout the Strogg Palace. Firing the BFG at a Tank Commander and then following up with a few Rail Gun shots is an easy way to bring down these titans without using too much ammo from other weapons that will be used against the weaker enemies.
 * If player can manage the ammunition, Bosses such as; Tank Guardian, Hornet, Jorg and Makron would fall to a few well aimed shots. While BFG 10k offers immense firepower that scorches everything in hindsight, its slow fire rate stands as a large backdraw. Invulnerability usually advised to be paired with BFG when dealing with any boss type enemy listed here to withstand their damage output between shots. When circumstances call for it, it's better to take cover once player witnessed the shot successfully connected to the target.
 * It is also very useful against large groups of weak enemies (e.g. Flyers, Barracuda Sharks, Technicians, and Icari). Since, spending more than one shot against such weak enemies would be a waste of ammo, player has to seek a choke position to lure them or seek a higher ground to catch the targets with limited mobility in the collateral damage.

Multiplayer

 * In MP, the BFG is still very deadly. Try to use it in rooms that have a lot of people in them. They usually don't notice the ball until it's too late, which means that you'll usually clear out the room and get a ton of frags. Because of the amount of ammo it uses and its slow reloading time, the BFG shouldn't be used against one enemy. If they do notice you with it, they'll flee - meaning that the element of surprise is required to use this beast correctly.
 * If you see somebody with it, run away and hide. When he fires it, it will very likely annihilate you if you stay, its energy ball can absorb your health very quickly. So try to be far away from it and hiding when he fires it; or at least avoid being exposed to the energy ball, because it means you are about to take damage from it. Because the BFG user will be vulnerable for a brief period after he fires, when you hear the ball explode, run out and finish him off.
 * When you get ahold of BFG in any map try to estimate where the choke points and shortcuts are by memorizing important item and weapon spawns such as Megahealth, Chain Gun, Railgun and Body Armor. Most of the player crowd will prirotize them and if you position to observe such flow of player directions, it might pay off. If you possess BFG, without any surprise factor or positioning at chokes, its slow fire rate will become a huge penalty in a hectic environment.
 * In case you need to wade into the direct combat or noticed with BFG, try to change your position for a better angle or distance. You don't have to show off your new toy just because you have it. Opportunity won't show itself right after you got it unless necessary. Once positioned to an advantageous spot, exploit weak weapons such as Machine Gun and Hand Grenades to lure players on yourself while suppressing their moves so when you array the BFG shot, it will definitely be a lethal hit.

Trivia

 * The projectile that the BFG10k shoots has the same sprite as the projectile fired from the BFG9000 from Doom - an earlier game developed by id Software.
 * The glowing light on the BFG10k is green in the Nintendo 64 port instead of blue like the Playstation port and the PC version.
 * In Doom Eternal, there is a much larger version of the BFG9000 that is called the BFG10000 in that game in a cut scene. Ironically, it also seems to both contain, as well as be powered by, a BFG9000.