I'm finally done with Fallout 1 and I've moved on to Fallout 2. I feel like the combat is so much...harder. I'm at Modoc and so far, pretty much every fight I've come across, I haven't been able to win. Is there something that I'm missing when it comes to fighting in Fallout 2?

Nope. Fallout 2 is a lot harder than Fallout 1. I ran from most of the battles at the beginning of the game and leveled up by doing quests and passing speech checks.

Eghh depends, you can complete fo1 easily without combat (well during the endgame) but in fallout 2 you can get access to power armour extremely early.

Did you read the manuals?
They explain the combat rules in detail.

For instance, they explain how to line up shots with burst weapons so that more than one target can get hit.
Also, most people seem to miss that you don't have to spend all your APs each attack, and that any APs not spent afford a higher defense potential; meaning the PC's armorclass gets a boost [point for point], making it harder for enemies to hit them. In the early game I often only do one [cheap] attack per turn because it puts several point into the PC's armorclass [them defending against attacks]; making it harder for enemies to land a hit.

Fallout 1 & 2 (unlike the recent ones) plays fair with rules, and the player can deduce what the enemies limits are; and where they might be at the end of their turn.
I've dropped live dynamite next to enemies rounding a corner, and blown them up; or emptied an opponent's gun while they were unconscious on the ground; if it's empty, they have to reload, and they spend APs to do it; meaning they might not be able to make the shot that round.

(Planting a bomb in their inventory during combat is usually too expensive I'd think). Also, don't discount using your PC's APs to actively heal your NPCs with stimpacks during the fight, instead of just after it.

^Also learn to use the drag down menu to apply those stimpaks rather than opening your inventory and putting them in one of your slots thus wasting AP.

Power armor huh. Where would you find that exactly, if you wanted to get it early.

The cases I got didn't come with a manual.

Also do you know what the amount of

Drag down menu?

AP you start at is (I've been starting at 7 I think.)? I know its based on your agility but how much does that account for?

I knew it seemed harder. I actually had to start over because I picked the fast shot perk, so I didn't have an aimed shot option. I never knew it could be so hard without that aimed shot.

Navarro(south east-ish) but to warn you it will make you an unstoppable beast until you get to the end of the game.Also for some easy caps go to san fransisco and when you enter through the big entrance thing go to your right with the little buildings and pickpocket a guy that kinda looks like tycho in fo1 for a lot of money.

Dollars not caps my bad, got my currencies mixed up.

Oh thanks for the tips. Im running really low on money.

They should be on the CD's, but if you don't have them...

FO2 manual: http://www.nma-fallout.com/forum/dload.php?action=file&file_id=65

FO1 manual: http://www.nma-fallout.com/forum/dload.php?action=file&file_id=33
The original was quite noteworthy as it came as a fully spiral bound booklet that every vault citizen would have received ~complete with censorship & comments by the overseer.

I'm thinking about buying the Fallout 1 manual. More for a collectible then anything else, but it would always be nice for reference to. Thanks for the links as well.