I didn't realize that VATS used up fusion cores as I do not use VATS whatsoever, but I do get peeved that using the Alt key to hold breath does use fusion core power, I think anything that uses AP while in power armor uses fusion core power, which is kinda lame imo. If anything holding breath in scope should use less power of anything, you can actually use the weight and immobility of the suit to steady your aim.

As far as FPS w/o VATS, I'm trying to steadily put gameplay up on my youtube channel if you want to see some examples.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8CcCnSxrXJXPWc2QbaNZxQ

No VATS,
No dam/resis perks,
No crosshair,
No problem! xD

I think I'll practice on Marcy instead. Funny that none of the other settlers turn hostile when I accidentally shoot her on this playthrough. She must really get on their nerves too. And all Jun does is apologize for her being such a b****. It's her way of coping. Sheesh

That's a great idea! It is set default to about 1/3rd of the bar. Maybe 2/3rds will be better. I usually set it in most of my games to relatively high, so I wonder why I haven't done it here. Weird. Thank you!

I agree that VATS is the most efficient way of combat in F4. Absolutely. I have used it since F3 extensively and love it and have used it on all three of my previous playthroughs and on my current main, but, this alt is using PA exclusively and has joined the BoS (who I still can't stand btw. What a bunch of jarheads).

As VATS uses up juice on my cores and I have yet to either find more than about 10 of them and have not taken the physicist perks yet, I want to make sure to conserve my energy as much as possible. That and, since I've always been a big one on VATS (oddly, F4 has gotten me much more in to scope and sniper work - it simply works better at distance than VATS, that and grenades not being VATS component anymore), this alt playthrough is exclusively non-VATS work. Something different and challenging. I am only playing this on Normal at this point as I am so unused to this sort of play (I am definitely not an FPSer).

All the suggestions have been great and have really helped! Thank you all!

Thank you! I will definitely watch.

There are many ambushes and other scripted "gotchas" for which you need either good FPS skills or VATS (or both). As I said earlier, you can wear your power armor on and off. Wear it en route to a location. Once you get there, take it off and explore the locale, and even fight some enemies. Not all enemies you need your PA to fight. Park your PA nearby should you need to go to it at any time. Your Pip-Boy map shows your PA's location so you won't lose it. When you're done with the location, put the PA back on and off you go. The point is to give yourself some opportunities to use VATS.

As I said. I agree with you. I know that PA is not needed most of the time and I never use it on any other character. This one is just an excuse to use it all the time and act like a BoS JackA**.

My main and all my priors never use PA and use a combo of scoped/snipe work and VATS without an issue.

heh, i thought this was funny

now I can see why some people complain the game is too easy

here is dude clearing building on normal difficulty (i'm guessing) and i'm guessing with either damage or damage resis perks with VATS, no PA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaVU7bGP-Ow

here is me clearing the same building on survival difficulty, no VATS or dam/resis perks w/PA...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afljV7VtAyQ

quite the difference if you ask me xD

Get a pipe rifle and spam the attack button, do the same with a pistol. Save shotgun bullets for when the enemy is directly in front of you. Use your companion as tankers to keep the enemy in 1 spot. If you are fighting feral ghouls I think throwing explosives will help you more. A good recoil will help you shoot more times faster to a point where it feels like you had an automatic weapon, so when you mod weapons look for that.

My suggestions from another person bad at FPS and shooting overall in the game without VATS.

Thank you! Good idea. I have so much .38 (I think it's 38) in inventory now and I NEVER use pipe weapons. I actually have an auto pipe-rifle in inventory now with 2 recoil mods on it, but I haven't used it.

You're right about the explosives though. Grenades and Molotovs have been my friends thus far.

Oh I wasnt suggesting to use the automatic ones, since you mentioned shotguns I thought you were using just normal rifles. I think automatic weapons waste too many bullets and they are also incredibly weak. A weapon with good recoil can shoot really fast at the same spot and they are really strong too. I was saving that pipe rifle for sniping lower enemies but later I started to use it to kill radroaches and the such without even aiming at all because I had too many bullets. It turned out to be more effective for me that way.

I like to give grenades to my companions. They are pinpoint accurate with them. Im sure eventually itll get me killed but it hasnt yet

Radroches, dogs, little mirelurk babies and the bloatflies all die to a swift bayonet stab, quite well.

At the moment, level 44 ish, the Assault Rifle is the best weapon out there. Modded up to 70 odd a hit, with all the recoil suppresion and a medium scope it's killer from real close, to a surprisingly long distance. Can put a lot on target real fast. Only drawback, no bayonet.

The first perk in Explosives gives you a green arc than shows where the nade will go. It makes a huge difference. You can thread nades into many places you might not have thought possible. I have all 4 in Explosives, it's a crafting perk.

Well not in survival I am sure. But doesn't that consume AP? I thought the idea was to save Fusion Core charges.

I don't use VATS myself so I don't know about that consumption, but my T60e runs and that uses it yp wholesale. Still I have never really had a problem with Cores. I do buy em' if I need em'. Oh, I do only play on Survival. The game killed me yesterday for the first time in quite a while. Trapped by a Suicider, could not run, after quite a fight. I did laugh.

A tip: they will pay the same for a Fusion Core with 1% left, as they will for a full one, I guess the cases is what they want. So if you intelligently manage them, you can arrive at the vendor with a few at very low levels of charge, and trade for a full one. It's about 3/1 for me.

Never thought about that or never noticed because I normally save my charges a lot, I have 30 cores currently and I still play trying not to waste them. That's why I never use the bash either. And if I feel patient enough I even go walking.

I don't like the idea of paying for FC. But now that I know this I might change my mind, thanks.

Too bad the easiest route is just "go in guns blazing and murder everything in a second", I mean, that's what happens when you have a 152 damage Deathclaw Gauntlet while you only have one rank in the Unarmed perk: You just go around and everything dies, meanwhile you're fast enough to avoid any traps and tanky enough to not care. Yay?