Power to the People



Power to the People is a one time use weapon upgrade vending machine. They are scattered throughout Rapture and each gives one upgrade to a weapon of the player's choice after which the station cannot be used again. Each weapon can be upgraded twice at these machines. In the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game, you can get trophies/achievements from upgrading your weapons fully at the Power to the People stations.

Overview
"A gun in every home, peace on every street" - Frank Fontaine

The first Power to the People machines were installed in 1957, created by Fontaine Futuristics. They were installed as protection for the citizens of Rapture, although they may have been built by Fontaine in a cynical attempt to spur armed conflict. They were used by the citizens of Rapture many times during the war and was a successful business venture for Fontaine Futuristics. By the time Jack finds them, there is only one use left in each.

Chemical Thrower

 * Decreased chemical consumption
 * If you plan on using the Chemical Thrower frequently, get this upgrade as soon as you can. (This cannot be your first upgrade because it is not in the first machine you come across in Neptune's Bounty.) This Chemical Thrower upgrade almost halves ammo consumption. With this upgrade, the chemical thrower can be used with a full tank of electric gel to make easy work of any Big Daddy.


 * Increased range of spray
 * The range will now extend beyond the length of most rooms. This upgrade is somewhat useless as there are virtually no points in the game that the extra range really matters; however, it is useful on Bouncers from above where they can't hit you.

Crossbow

 * Bolt breakage reduced
 * A must have for crossbow fans. This upgrade dramatically increases the likelihood that you will be able to retrieve the bolt you fired. However, this upgrade only applies to Steel Bolts and Incendiary Bolts. Trap Bolts are UNRECOVERABLE (once armed), so use sparingly.


 * Increased damage
 * Boosts the already-high crossbow damage to a new level. Unlike the other upgrade, this modification applies to all crossbow ammo; makes the crossbow the most powerful per shot weapon other than a fully upgraded (combat) wrench.

Grenade Launcher

 * Increased damage
 * As the game progresses, the Grenade Launcher will begin to be less effective against splicers. This upgrade becomes invaluable when one frag grenade will no longer kill splicers.


 * Immunity to damage from your own grenades
 * Questionably useful, this upgrade depends entirely on play style. Tossing grenades with total disregard to one's own health can become quite devastating to your enemies with this upgrade. Setting a maze of proximity mines near a rampaging Bouncer is also significantly less hazardous, for you anyway.


 * Note: Your own proximity mines are safe to walk on without this upgrade. If an enemy steps on a mine near you however, you will still take damage. This upgrade prevents said damage.

Machine Gun

 * Increased damage
 * The Machine gun is a staple of the early game, and this upgrade just makes it that much better. A solid upgrade for machine gun fans. With armor-piercing rounds, it can take a bouncer down before it is close enough to hit you, which in return is a plus.


 * Decreased kickback
 * Holding down the trigger just became a whole lot more accurate. However, trigger discipline will serve you better in the long run. The rising of the front of the machine gun due to kickback can be controlled somewhat with your thumb on the right joystick.

Pistol

 * Increased damage
 * Pistol ammo is everywhere, anti-personnel rounds are fantastic for downing splicers on harder difficulties, and armor-piercing rounds destroy bots and cameras in just a few shots. If you like the pistol, this is the first place to go.


 * Increased clip size
 * Reloading wastes valuable time, this helps you put it off a lot longer. Very useful, quadrupling clip size from six round to 24 rounds. You can pump more rounds into foes with far more damage and control than with a machine gun.

Shotgun

 * Increased damage
 * The shotgun is already quite powerful, this upgrade puts it over the top. A fully upgraded shotgun is more than enough to take down any Big Daddy on any difficulty at any point in the game.


 * Increased rate of fire
 * Removes the "pump action" from the shotgun. Increases rate-of-fire by nearly 4 times. This is very good for hitting a large number of enemies in a room, or for forcing a Big Daddy to remain stationary by hitting it quickly with Electric Buck ammo. Reloading is still a nuisance, however.

Neptune's Bounty

 * Freezer Bottom Floor - Go through Fontaine Fisheries (where Peach Wilkins asked for the 3 spider splicer pictures). As you go down the stairs from the second floor to the first you should see the machine right in front of you.

Arcadia

 * Tree Farm - On the way to the Farmer's Market, it'll be on your left.

Farmer's Market

 * Winery Cellar Bottom Floor - Take the stairs from the top floor to the bottom floor, and keep going straight once you're done descending the stairs. The machine should be right in front of you in the water.

Fort Frolic

 * Cocktail Lounge (Le Marquis D'Epoque) - Start from the Circus of Values machine in the Lower Atrium. With your back to the machine go forward (south) into the Southern Mall. Make a right at the end towards the Gene Bank, then make a left and quick right then another left and another right to go into Le Marquis D'Epoque. Go straight upon entering and go down the stairs. You'll see a U-Invent machine in front of you. Go right and make a quick left to see a room filled with cigars along with the Power to the People machine.


 * Sinclair Spirits - Once you enter the room turn left. You should see water falling from the ceiling with a door behind it. To open this door, go to the counter on the opposite side of the room, and there should be a button behind the counter. Press it to open up the door, then go downstairs and the machine should be right there. (Extra Note - Upon using this Power To The People machine, all the "statues" will come to life and attack the player. These splicers do not make sound or scream in dialogue like most splicers.  They attack you in complete silence, so keep a watchful eye, they also never stop spawning and while providing a good steady supply for items, can be deadly when exploring.)

Hephaestus

 * Hephaestus Core - Right across from the Gatherer's Garden, on the SW corner of the core.


 * Kyburz's Office - In the back of the room on the north side.

Olympus Heights

 * Mercury Suites - In the main square on the opposite side of the elevator's doors on the center pillar.


 * Sander Cohen's Apartment - This is the room where you get the achievement for entering Sander Cohen's personal quarters. *NOTE* You MUST have let Cohen live to be able to get into this room, otherwise it will be locked, and you will not be able to access the machine. If you look on the map, in the lower left you'll see Sander Cohen's Apartment, which is where the room with the station is. Basically, go into Cohen's apartment on the first floor, which is on the west side of the square. Disrupting the dancers you see there in some way will anger Cohen, and he'll come down from his private quarters, opening the door for you. Through the door, at the top of the stairs, you'll be in a room with a bunch of freaky rabbit masks with the eyes glowing red.  Turn left at the top of the stairs and you'll see the machine right there.

Apollo Square

 * Hestia 5th Floor - To get to the 5th floor, you need to go to the top of the staircase. Enter the room on the right and you should be in Atlas' Headquarters. There will be a machine in the second room.

Point Prometheus

 * Atrium - The machine is right next to the Big Daddy where you pick up the Suit Control System (south side of Atrium).


 * Optimized Eugenics - Eugenic Analysis: the machine is right next to the Gene Bank.