V.A.T.S. is (almost) useless

Sn1p3r187

Sn1p3r187

Carolinian Shaolin Monk
Im doing another cowboy build this playthrough and i think im gonna forgo any VATS related perks. Instead ill put strength into the area cowboy weapons need- Mainly Agility with ehanced critical chance. I acknowledge cowboys weapons are cheap in VATS cost. But theyre damn nearly always missing their shots even when you take notable perks to increase accuracy (Gunslinger, Commando, etc.) and that's bringing Fast Shot trait into the equation. And weirdly enough, I think the same can apply to Shotgun builds as well considering those builds are like sister builds- Similar traits, attributes, perks and leveling needed. In fact- so similar people normally multiclass cowboy with shotgun builds. Ill subplant any VATS related perks with Implant GRX, Chemist, and maybe Them's Good Eatin.
I only ses VATS as really being necessary if youre using an Automatic weapons build, and possibly melee and unarmed but I even bring that into question with melee and unarmed because even they do benefit from Implant GRX as much as cowboy does. Plus- it's easy to aim for a limb with melee and unarmed. VATS related perks like Math Wrath, Nerves of Steel, Grim Reapers Sprint, and both ranks of Action Boy/Girl works well with a Grunt character that has Trigger Discipline as a trait and uses Concentrated Fire and perks like Bloody Mess and Thought You Died to their absolute benefit. And that's not even counting Center of Mass or Hobbler when accounting for concentrating fire or using bursts on waves of enemies or specific parts to kick em out of the fight.
I even thought of VATS for an explosives build but Area of Effect damage is very dangerous in VATS, by the time theyre in range you're probably gonna be eating your own bombs. Any thoughts to this revelation in New Vegas?
 
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About the only times I use V.A.T.S. are if I'm using throwing spears and axes or aiming for specific areas of a target's body without sniping. And I often multiclass melee/unarmed with shotguns or energy weapons.
 
WeissYohji said:
About the only times I use V.A.T.S. are if I'm using throwing spears and axes or aiming for specific areas of a target's body without sniping. And I often multiclass melee/unarmed with shotguns or energy weapons.
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I only really use VATS for automatic weapons. Sometimes i might do one handed melee and just use implant grx
 
Sn1p3r187 said:
I always wonder what a great two handed energy weapon build wpuld look like and what itd benefit from
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If I'm using two-handed energy weapons, it depends on my whim at the moment. Sometimes I use the holorifle (and I start Dead Money early on for that purpose), sometimes Tesla cannons. Sometimes other weapons that I modded in. As for melee, I downloaded and installed a plasma sword mod that adds a two-handed plasma sword into the game.

In any case, I'd go with at least the Commando and Meltdown perks. I also dump skill points into the melee and unarmed skills for the perks. And I build the explosives skill just enough to take Heave, Ho! if I'm using thrown weapons such as grenades and throwing spears/axes. I also take Vigilant Recycler as soon as I can. Energy weapons are already broken enough but Vigilant Recycler breaks that weapon class even more so. If you have that perk, you only need three spent cells of any energy ammo type to make one new cell of that type. And except for flamer fuel, all energy ammo types are interchangeable by crafting at a workbench or having ED-E or Veronica in your party. It becomes trivial to buy all of a vendor's energy ammo and convert whatever ammo you don't need into the type you do need. Much simpler than crafting bullets and shotgun shells at a reloading bench, where you have to juggle different types of primers, powders, and shell casings (the only thing you can recover by firing regular guns).
 
Vats is useful to an extent, still a poor choice to turn based.

If you can pull off multiple headshots with a high damage per shot weapon it can be useful for ending legion assassian squads before they fire the first shot if you see them coming, but especially in the lategame or mods that add large swarms, its utility dwindles and you need to use it more strategically.
 
V.A.T.S tends to work best with energy weapons like the LAER & a high crit chance build, in my personal experience. For melee, wouldn't bother using V.A.T.S so much. DPS for melee outside of V.A.T.S will kill enemies quicker than what you'll get from even special attacks like "Unlabored Flawlessness" with the katana.
PsychoSniper said:
If you can pull off multiple headshots with a high damage per shot weapon it can be useful for ending legion assassian squads before they fire the first shot if you see them coming
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Right. Granted that your chance of hitting from a long distance is high, V.A.T.S can be convenient.
 
Multiple perks are tied directly to VATS combat. The system itself is a bit dated and mostly geared towards playing on a console. However, no better alternative exists for what it tries to accomplish. The combat is quite quirky and fun if you can suspend your disbelief. If you are roleplaying your character correctly then it shouldn't be a problem regardless of skills and stats.
 
Rotoprince said:
Shooting unarmored people in the face point blank multiple times and them not even flinching?
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Alas, that's not the fault of VATS—per se. Bethesda's VATS is a naive imitation of aimed shots from Fallout 1 & 2. It's also vestigial RPG baggage in a game that really doesn't want to be one. The problem is (Just as you say) that it's because they painted themselves into a corner with having to show point blank attacks in first person, using an abstraction (VATS) that can indicate missed attacks, that this lunacy happens. There was a video showing an enemy get shot in the face 32 times—then keel over; absurdity.

However the VATS system is what should have been the ONLY combat option, because it aims by character skill rather than player skill... just like the rest of the series does, and is supposed to do.

My own disbelief is that they shipped the game with the very likely event of the PC drinking from toilets by accident—even in vault 101. Another peeve is that the PC can ask their dad for a box of BBs then shoot all of them at the dad's face—then ask him for another box with no consequence or animosity from the dad. He gives it to them! The player can compensate for lack of PC weapon accuracy (with guns), and routinely make shots that their character is not skilled enough to accomplish. That breaks the RPG aspect of the game just by itself; not to mention the same goes for the Brotherhood gate guards...The PC can shoot them, then later ask to join the Brotherhood.

In Megaton, the PC can attack the bomb in front of its worshipers, and they do nothing about it; they don't even notice it.

In Megaton (and everywhere else), the PC can have roused the ire of an entire town into a seething hornet's nest of attackers, and then use a stealth-boy, and instantaneously the entire mob forgets about them, and switches to gossip and small talk amongst themselves.
 
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