I'm doing a sniper play through and find I get WAY better results outside vats for scoped weapons. I use vats extensively for close-in work though. Pistols and shotties.

I know this is kinda a tip, but vats is good to find landmines. Also if you are sneaking just spam the vats key and if you have the awareness perk you can see what level and armor of the target.

Oh btw has anyone ran into like 30 landmines just laying in the middle of the road? It sent me to the moon. not nice bethesda.

playing on PC I hardly use VATS now. Playing on XBox I use it *every freeking time I shoot* cos I can't use a controller for the life of me lmao

I use free shooting while using a sniper scope and vats for everything else.

Tried VATS in FO3 when I first got the game, did not like at all, as said already a sniper rifle or for me any thing that can have a scope fitted is the way to go. VATS although it is from the original Fallout games reminds me too much of a MechWarrior Targeting System and feels weird using it as a real person? Add to that the strange box crosshair? which is awful compared to both of the previous Fallout (Beth involved) games and I find it totally breaks immersion and interferes more than anything compared to a normal basic crosshair. Luckily the way I prefer to play as a sniper where possible makes some of that irrelevant and FO4's over generous weapon mod creation allows me to get a scope onto most weapons pretty quickly, maybe too quickly?

I used VATS practically in every combat in FO3 and NV, but in FO4 I don't find it very useful. I think there are several reasons. First, now the enemies keep moving, even if slowly. Although the mechanics is still essentially the same, that kind of makes you feel all disoriented and that you can't plan the attack as you would want. The other is that many enemies now rush you and slide right to your ankles (and out of the screen), which makes you have to move backwards or sideways in order just to get them back on screen, this favors firing from the hip as they keep trying to get on your flanks or rear (and keep sliding out of the screen).

Another thing I don't like from the new VATS is that you can't use grenades, or scoped weapons. I loved how grenades landed exactly between the enemy's feet in previous games! If you try to lob a grenade in VATS, the character fires the gun he has selected instead; and with scoped weapons, the character gets out of scoped before entering VATS- Basically, using VATS but firing from the hip. It defeats the whole purpose and it's much better to make a "manually" aimed shot. It all boils down to the fact that combat in FO4 is more "shooter"-like, and rewards use of VATS less.

I rely on VATS quite frequently. I play on a modified difficulty, so most things kill me in less than 3 hits, especially melee. I need it to survive close encounters as enemy movement is so much faster this time around.

The accuracy svcks at range, though. Even with maxed out Perception, only rifles are accurate enough in VATS for anything past close-range. I use Focused Fire, so often I only need to worry if there's more than one enemy with a decent health pool.

I rarely use VATS. Only for bloatbugs or other small creatures that I need not waste ammo on.

I mostly use VATS but use the sights for snipers rifles. and I use the sights for no action point situations. I'm much better at aiming from the hip or over the sights then I used to be. I'm pretty hopeless as a gamer. Most games I'd be classified more as a target than a player. I really like VATS.

I use it mostly against very small targets or when I need a critical hit on a boss in close range, but thanks to the MacCready perk bug, VATS is ruined in my playthrough.

I had a quick look at it in both 3 and now 4 but apart from that, never use it. It detracts from the immersion for me.

Huh, whats that bug about?

I use it a lot. I've created a very weak but very stealthy character. A few hits and I'm dead so if something surprises me while I'm out running about I really need Vats. I also don't play shooters so I probably just have lousy twitch aiming. I do however love free aiming sniper shots. I have plenty of time to line up good shots so there's no real reason to use vats when I'm sniping. However, if I miss that first shot.. I definitely switch into vats so I can take them out before they can pinpoint my position.

I use it more when multiple enemies are at close range and/or continuously moving or moving fast.

I used it for about an hour in FO 3, and never since. It was just a bridge mechanism for the FO 1/2 fans and completely irrelevant to actual gameplay.

Turn off crosshairs and see how that works. I'm a big fan of glowsights at the moment.

I guess it depends on how how high your agility is. The character I am playing at the momoent has 10 Agility so I naturally use VATs all the time.

I prefer to manually snipe as well as use melee weapons while switching to V.A.T.S when surrounded at medium range by 3+ enemies at once.

VATS just kills all the fun... and besides, how long would take some scenario like that with vats? xD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4DzB2YOjkE

*Hits "v" for vats*

@#$%@!!!! Not again! Will I ever learn they changed the freaking binding!!??

Unless there's special takedowns, what's really the point? Only worth it if you can do uppercuts.

^{I tried it once for giggles, other then that once. Nope, it's for girls....}

I only use VATS to check for mines and to find enemy locations.

Its useful early game, but when you have the ammo to burn I'd prefer not using it outside of important quests.

I really like the new addition to Jet, but I don't do drugs tehe.

I've found that I am much more accurate outside of VATS than in it. The shooting mechanics in 4 are so much better than the last 2 games, so I don't feel like VATS has nearly as much usefulness this time around.