Tactics and strategies in Fallout 2 combat

[Sn1p3r187]

Do you have your own personal set of tactics for dealing with multiple enemies in Fallout 1 and 2? I try to figure out some my main strategy when on lower levels was kiting. And now I'm trying utilize ways of taking cover in combat and trying to utilize it to my advantage if there is any way to do so, though it's gonna be a bit tough since enemies with small guns in F1 and F2 are notable for bum rushing your position and unloading hellfire on you. Which I think is kinda stupid in a way and they'd service themself better by getting into a better vantage point rather than trying to get too close. But then again this isn't Fallout Tactics and cover can't be as utilized in this game than that one. So if you guys have any battle tactics and strategies may you share them with me so I can keep myself from dying more often? Oh yeah this is like my 5th playthrough of Fallout 2, I'm doing this without the save editor even though it'd even the odds and make me more powerful since leveling in this game can be a bitch.

 

[mef]

There's no much tactics in Fallout 2 combat, it boils down to taking cover if you are fighting many enemies at once and taking them down individually as they're coming for you.

 

[Gizmojunk]

Tactics for Fallout 1 & 2:

Never stand in front of your party members if they have range weapons.
Try to line up opponents if you have burst weapons; to be able to hit two or more per burst.
A good kick to the groin can drop an opponent, and even see them lose a turn.

Cover is anything in between your PC and the attacker; that includes other attackers, walls, doors. Doors cost AP to open. If you close a door on an opponent, they have to spend APs to get to the door, then spend more APs to open it... They might not even be able to punch at your PC when they get it opened. If fighting in towns stand near neutral faction members; eventually one of them will get hit and the battle gets joined.

Dynamite is wonderful thing [to leave on the ground where you estimate your opponents will probably be at the end of their next turn]. This works especially well near the corners of buildings.
If you knock an opponent down [out] ~steal their weapons so they can't get up again and attack you with them. Optionally plant dynamite, and go attack another opponent some where else.
*You could shoot them; and it's not a bad idea... but you could miss.

You can spend your party member's APs out of sequence in Fallout 2, if you need them to move; either out of the way, or to get them to safety.
Crippling legs helps keep melee fighters at a distance; crippling arms or eyes hinders anyone's ability attack you. Two crippled arms and they run.

If you equip a stimpak in the offhand, you can heal animal or other companions as a combat action; this can keep Dogmeat alive; or anyone else that either can't use or doesn't have any stimpaks of their own.

 

[mef]

A good kick to the groin can drop an opponent, and even see them lose a turn.

Hitting groin is only effective against enemies in helmets when your chance to hit the eyes is too poor. Otherwise it's better to hit the eyes.

Try to line up opponents if you have burst weapons; to be able to hit two or more per burst.

Good idea when you have fancy things like bozar, but don't do that with H&K MP9 - it's better to focus on an single enemy then.

Dynamite is wonderful thing [to leave on the ground where you estimate your opponents will probably be at the end of their next turn]. This works especially well near the corners of buildings.
If you knock an opponent down (...) plant dynamite, and go attack another opponent some where else.

This is wasting dynamite. When an enemy is knocked down, it's better to hit him in the eyes or head (you usually have above 80%).

Crippling legs keeps melee fighters at a distance; crippling arms or eyes hinders anyone's ability attack you. Two crippled arms and they run.

Well, melee fighters usually are weak, so wouldn't it be better to just shoot them in the head/eyes? A head isn't much more difficult to hit than an arm.

 

[Sn1p3r187]

Also I have to ask. What's the maximum amount of Action points you guys have at the end of the game when dealing with Frank Horrigan and such? When I used a save editor the max I had was 12AP. But since I'm not using that for this playthrough it'll probably be less maybe around 10 or 11 plus Bonus move perk. I'm trying to get my level as high as possible without (se) and I also might need to know a good place to grind for exp.

 

[mef]

I always set initial agility to 10. Sometimes I take action boy perks, sometimes I don't - so it's either 10 or 12 at the end of the game.
As for grinding, you could just wander around Raiders' cave and New Reno at this point in game, there are often gang wars in this area. Navarro is also a good place to wander around when you're stronger. Still, I don't think grinding is necessary, Fallout is not really a grinding RPG.

 

[Gizmojunk]

A good kick to the groin can drop an opponent, and even see them lose a turn.

Hitting groin is only effective against enemies in helmets when your chance to hit the eyes is too poor. Otherwise it's better to hit the eyes.

Try to line up opponents if you have burst weapons; to be able to hit two or more per burst.

Good idea when you have fancy things like bozar, but don't do that with H&K MP9 - it's better to focus on an single enemy then.

Dynamite is wonderful thing [to leave on the ground where you estimate your opponents will probably be at the end of their next turn]. This works especially well near the corners of buildings.
If you knock an opponent down (...) plant dynamite, and go attack another opponent some where else.

This is wasting dynamite. When an enemy is knocked down, it's better to hit him in the eyes or head (you usually have above 80%).

Crippling legs keeps melee fighters at a distance; crippling arms or eyes hinders anyone's ability attack you. Two crippled arms and they run.

Well, melee fighters usually are weak, so wouldn't it be better to just shoot them in the head/eyes? A head isn't much more difficult to hit than an arm.

I don't play it like that; it's too much fun the other way.

 

[Sn1p3r187]

Ahh. Now here's where I wish Fallout were more like wasteland and xcom in this aspect. At least you were able to utilize cover and I think enemies were smarter not exactly tougher. Or they were both. Just wish I could get Fallout Tactics

 

[Gizmojunk]

Ahh. Now here's where I wish Fallout were more like wasteland and xcom in this aspect. At least you were able to utilize cover and I think enemies were smarter not exactly tougher. Or they were both. Just wish I could get Fallout Tactics

Obtain it?

http://store.steampowered.com/agecheck/app/38420/
http://www.amazon.com/Fallout-Tactics-Pc/dp/B000059O8B/

*I dunno about Steam, but one can buy Amazon gift cards at department stores; even corner drug stores in some cities.

 

[Slider2k]

Well, a "good tactic" against multiple enemies that I utilized in my first play-thought of FO2 is to use a Rocket Launcher with AP rounds.

Otherwise, "Divide and Conquer": try to single out enemies, preferably w/o alerting others - attacking in sneak mode and/or from a great distance. Bear in mind that if your followers also attack while you're sneaking they will alert the enemies. Also, FO2 enemies are more alert than FO1's - while in FO1 enemies can often be sneak killed in plain sight and/or very close to others w/o alerting, in FO2 enemies will often come to investigate the noise - breaking line of sight before they spot you and trying to exit combat helps in this case.

Against ranged enemies use "corner peeking" if there is a corner nearby that is - step out, shoot, step back (Bonus Move perk helps while you still have actual AP left, otherwise the turn automatically ends) - the AI would just waste turns for moving up to you, hopefully that would buy enough time to secure a kill. Also, there is an official "cover mechanic" in the game if you can call it that: trees, barrels, people and even corpses reduce shot accuracy by 10% for each instance on the line of fire. Against melee enemies, as was mentioned - kiting (Bonus Move perk helps).