I'm planning to make a cowboy-esque character (not using VATS, not my kind of thing) and I plan to take the Fast Shot perk, as it would really help with the speeds between cocking the hammer/cycling the action of the revolvers/level-actions respectfully. Does anyone know if the perk affects spread as well? Or just VATS accuracy and AP costs?

I did not see a Fast Shot over at the Fallout Vault.

However I use the Rapid Reload and Quick Draw perks and they have no effect on Spread. As they should not as the perk applies to the parts of the action that do not involve shooting.

What will speed up your shooting is Agility. High Agility results in dramatically increased shooting speed

There is a thread from a few days ago where someone did some testing on the Agility and how it effects guns.

EDIT Here it is

http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1131013-agilitys-hidden-stat/

Agh, my bad. I meant the Fast Shot trait. It states that while using guns and energy weapons, you fire 20% more quickly, but your shots are 20% less accurate. I know for sure that this does cap your accuracy in VATs around 76%, but i'm not sure about its effects outside of vats (spread being lack of accuracy outside of vats?).

It's going to impact either spread or weapon sway outside of VATS (or maybe both).

I took the opposite, Trigger Discipline, and I've pulled off some impressive non-VATS shots (one-shot kills with the Varmint rifle at a range long enough that I don't see a red tick or the enemy's health bar). It feels like the trait must be reducing spread, but I don't have much to compare it too, given that I've had the trait from the start.

Yes, forgot that it was a Trait, and I did not pick it for that very reason. Speed of shots has never been an issue for me, either in VATS or just shooting from the hip as it were. I was not willing to take the hit in Accuracy for this tradeoff.

In fact, I had a hard time picking any trait as the tradeoffs were just too much. I think I only picked one, and I forgot quite frankly what it is.

I made a no VATS sniper with fast shot and when using sniper rifles (low spread to begin with) the difference in accuracy is almost imperceptible, especially with a high skill. The difference in rate of fire between a character with Trigger Discipline and Fast Shot however, is extremely apparent. As far as cowboy weaponry goes? You might notice, still, getting those enemies aren't gonna hold still while you line up another shot, sometimes you just gotta point in the right direction and hammer away.

TBH, if you want someone to shoot fast without a penalty, then pump up Agility.*



*Ignoring the inherent trade offs in the SPECIAL system.....

For my personal style of play, I noticed fast shot or no trait worked best. I could basically hit whatever I wanted from the distances I usually fight at even with an accuracy penalty and low gun skill, but that extra speed helped a lot when things got hectic, and I could unload my lever action shotty or revolver at breakneck pace without aiming too much.

There IS such a thing as "accuracy" outside of VATS. That is what the "Run n Gun" perk affects. Fast Shot does not specify that it only hurts VATS accuracy, so it's safe to assume it hurts accuracy outside VATS as well as inside. (I don't know whether spread technically is the same thing game-wise as accuracy, though.)

That said, I have been using Fast Shot + Kamikaze and it is pretty great. I do get in close for most fights, but combined with Quick Draw and Rapid Reload, most fights are over pretty fast, with me still standing.

I started with Trigger discipline. There is a saying, "Anyone can miss fast." After I tried Fast Shot I was amazed. I couldn't see a visual difference at long ranges. I still just line my shot up and go. In mid to shot range combat Fast Shot is where it's at. I only have 6 agility, so this and quick reload is nice.

I have checked them in the GECK.

Fast Shot:
Gun Spread 1.20
To Hit 0.80
Attack Speed 1.20
Action Point Cost 0.80

If this means you cannot have >80% to hit, I would say this trait is one to avoid... like the plague.

Perhaps predicatably, Trigger Discipline:
Gun Spread 0.80
To Hit 1.20
Attack Speed 0.80
Action Point Cost 1.20

Run 'n Gun is Modify Aiming Move Speed x 2 :shrug:

What these actually do out of VATs I dont know, early in my first run through I remember having about 20 in guns and could consistantly snipe peoples heads at the engine phase-in range whilst scoped (varmint rifle + scope, PC!).