and it's pretty frustrating because I can beat world at war on veteran mode
any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

I don't know dude I can give things a mean look on very easy and they die, what does your build look like? And what kind of weapons and armor are you using, what areas are you exploring, etc etc?

um, i spread the points around pretty egually. I am using leather armor, its the only one I have found, it's upgraded to 6 DT, i dont really have a specialty, energy weapons but I cant find any cells. I got pretty far, the NCRCF building and those guys totally annihilated me. I mean, I understand the game is supposed to be a challenge but I can't seem to understand how I'm supposed to kill like 10 guys that are shooting at me with uzi's

Save a lot. Maybe go in to check something out and if you take a lot of damage than load back and you will know what to expect. And spend all your money on stimpacks

Cheers and good luck

Don't spread your points around equally. Favor the skills that will help you kill better and survive, first. Guns, Energy Weapons, whichever- pick one and put more points in that, right off. Don't try to go attack the NCRCF prison if you're still low level, go get some more levels and better weapons and higher skills, then go back later and clean them up when you understand how the game works a bit better. Taking on a lot of enemies at once like that when you are a lowbie, is death. Avoid it for now. Follow the quests, level up, get better. You don't start right out as a leet killer god like you do in most shooter games, you start out pretty wimpy, and have to do a lot of hiding and sneaking and sniping and avoiding and learning and so forth, until you eventually get the levels, skillups, perks, weapons and personal experience with the game to finally take on a bunch of baddies at once and win.

This game is less about shooting straight once the fight begins & more about preparing before the fight even happens. First off: pick a weapon specialty & get it to like, 75 or 80. You less need to be able to use any weapon you find than you need to be really good with one type of weapon. If you can't find something floating around the Wasteland, talk to the merchants you know. If your specialty is Energy Weapons, Chet usually stocks Bulk SEC. If your specialty is Guns, Chet does stock most early game ammunition. Sell the weapons & ammunition you don't use, and buy what you do use. Pick up anything you find, even if it doesn't look useful. It probably can be sold. If it's weightless, always pick it up no matter what.

For actual tactics...you're going to have to discover what works for you. But in general: the game is less about shooting, and more about preparing. Med-X, Psycho, & Jet(and their variants) can turn most characters into unstoppable killing machines.

As for leveling....stay away from locations that just scream "danger" until about Lvl 10(usually). Go hunt some geckos, do some quests, explore some less dangerous places. Like Primm, Lone Wolf Radio, Goodsprings Cave & Hidden Valley. First a weapon skill, then the two primary non-combat skills you want your character to have, the next three skills, and so on as long as you have the points & skills under about 75.

-Nukeknockout

Medicine and survival are good skills too, they increase the effect of chems(?) and Stimpacks(Medicine) and then of food and drinks (survival).
I don't use chems on my character though, as an RP choice.

Also dressing in powder ganger armour can help you get farther into their base before they attack.

But like they said before invest most of your points into your weapon of choice.

If you can get there I recommend you head around Vegas towards Red Rock Canyon and go to Bonnie Springs. Clear out the Viper gangers and one of the leaders will have special spiked knuckles called Love and Hate. Get this and go around punching stuff, it is very powerful early on and doesn't need ammo. When I first started New Vegas I didn't have a clue what the hell to do and I happened to find these and it helped me to get into higher levels. Just stay away from Cazadores and Deathclaws and you should do fine.

You, sir, have talent.

First off, plan ahead with your character development. Pick ONE combat skill and invest into it. Guns is the easiest for a beginner, because two VERY decent starting weapons- a 9mm SMG and a Varmint rifle- are available from the very beginning. Crank up your auxiliary skills like Speech, Lockpicks, Repair and Science, too; in fact, you can get away with relatively low levels of your combat skill until mid-game.

Second, do not hurry to alienate people who aren't shooting you on sight, even the obvious baddies like the Powder Gangers. You'll settle your score with them later on, when you're battle-hardened and well equipped.

Third, plan your battles. Use terrain to your advantage, snipe from long range when you can, run away when necessary. A silenced .22 pistol from Chet's store will allow you to clear out most of the Powder Gangers in the NCRCF (everyone except Eddie's bodyguards) without even turning them hostile.

Finally, use VATS. It may offend your FPS pride, but it is is the great advantage of the Fallout gameplay.

Thank you everyone for the wonderful advice! Especially nukeknockout and Golem for the expert strategies and tips. You guys are awesome!
I decided to leave the prison for now, I can always go back. Last night I was walking around, and this humongous blue radscorpion came out of nowhere and killed me in two hits. haha!!!! this game keeps getting better and better. Thanks again for the tips guys!

i concur with the suggestions in the forum and your current idea as well.
if its too difficult, move on to something a bit easier and level up a bit to gain better skills and weapons of your choice, then go back to what was previously difficult.
as for "Dead Wind Cavern", i do know you will want to save just before entering in the event you enter and dont have enough time to turn around and get out before dying or it becomes too difficult.
additionally, saving after each kill in dead wind cavern, will gain you the benefit of not having to start from the very beginning (if you have save on travel turned on) in the event you die.

It's always fun to see folk who are used to games scaling to the player level.
Someone should warn darwyn not to tangle with a deathclaw.

Yeah, this isn't Oblivion, where you could beat anything you came across. Many things WILL KILL YOU. Watch out.

I'd recommend taking at least one companion along before taking on a crowd like the gang at the NCCF. I'd also recommend staying well clear of Deathclaws until you are level 20ish and have an Anti Material Rifle :whistling:

I think your best bet would be to focus on the main storyline on your first playthrough. That way, you can get used to the game, pick up some decent armor and weapons, bump up your skills, all that good stuff, and you dont wander into too dangerous of areas, and dont get 1HKO. You can easily find out a location, then just fast travel back later.

Pick up ONE of the weapon traits. I dont suggest you go with Melee/Unarmed combat until later playthroughs (Or Explosives, for that matter), but definitely want to try them out.

Guns is easier to start with due to the availability of ammo and weapons early on, and in the game as a whole when compared to Energy Weapons. Though you CAN get a Laser Pistol in the first five minutes.

Dont focus on Speech/Repair/Survival/Science and etc just yet. You wont need Survival as much on your first runthrough anyway. Focus on your Guns/Energy Weapons and Medicine, and Lockpick. Of course, you can do whatever you want, just a suggestion to a first time player..

Stay away from anything your unsure of, will most of the time save your ass. If you still want to press on, after the 15th death, get the message and STAY AWAY XD.

Dont randomly attack NPCs unless

1. Your sure it wont harm you later on in the game or affect anything you care about.

2. They arent part of a faction you plan on working with later. This means dont attack an NCR Trooper if you want to use any of their shops, or do their route..

3. You just dont give a crap

As for making caps early on, Casions, casions, CASINOS. On ANY character I always get at least 7 Luck (Usually more). Casinos are an easy way to make LOADS of caps (I believe 50-80k caps.... In total). After that, scavenge. Nearly any thing you do will net you some equipment, which will you net you caps. Check the value. I usually dont pick up anything under 1000 caps, just cause its usually only 700 caps if I sell it.

Hope I could help some. Most of the game is you figure out on your own though. And believe me, a few deaths isnt a big thing. After a few playthroughs, youll get a much better understanding for the game. I wish I was still on my first playthrough.. Everything was so fresh, so new... XD

EDIT: On companions, you can pick up two VERY early on, and those two are one of the best combinations. Especially for a Sniper build. ED-E you can pick up at Primm, and fix up with a decent Science skill (I think you can >_<, its either 35 or 50 Science) or some parts with a Repair skills (Still not sure on specifics..).

Boone you can pick up at Novac, roughly two hours or so into the game, depending on how much you like sightseeing.

Another quick thing: Check EVERYTHING. Even though a room looks like nothing.. It usually has some kind of loot. Or has a piece of a story in it... Something.

I dont use Chems often, unless im in a tight spot. Id stay away from alchohol unless you use Cass and her Whiskey Rose perk (Youll find out later on). Chems are useful, but easy to get addicted to. Use them wisely.

Attack the NCRCF with a melee char in sneak mode, get sneak kills all the way into Eddie's office and then you have like 5 guys to take out with all the dynamite from the PGs out side

obviously without a companion as they blow your cover every time, even with sneak @ 100.

Unless your companion is the Nightkin lady, who has high sneak and uses a stealth boy

Welcome to the forums! Enjoy the best CRPG out there! :celebration:
Some basic tips for your first playthrough:
1. Go guns - guns are cheap, ammo is common, and there enough guns that you won't get bored like you would using the same laser rifle for 20 hours. A silenced/scoped varmit rifle can clear the entire NCRCF. :gun:
2. Stick to the roads - for the early part your playthrough stick to the main roads, faction patrols and caravans wander the major routes and keep them clear. High level creatures spawn away from roads (for the most part)
3. Follow the golden road - don't expect to get to New Vegas anytime soon, following the highway north from Goodsprings only leads you to one of the deadliest places in the game. Follow the main quest, looping down through Primm around Nipton to Novac then New Vegas, you will spare you're self a lot of grief.
4. When you get to Primm go in the Mojave Express building, there is something that will make your life a lot easier
5. Side with the New California Republic - the NCR are the "good guys" of New Vegas, and if you start killing them they can make your life hell since 70% of the game world is NCR territory. Not to mention they have the most quests and will get the most out of your first playthrough.
6. Beware of Ceaser's Legion - just because they wear skirts doesn't mean they are wimps.
7. $$$ - if you're low on money sneak kill respawning NPCs for loot [DISCLAIMER: I take no responsability for when you get killing trying to sneak kill a NCR Veteran Ranger with a silenced .22 pistol] :whistling:
8. This ain't your average FPS - this isn't Call of Duty, and you're not demi-god. Runnin' and gunnin' will only get you so far, some times your wits - or a block of tactically placed C-4 - will be the only thing standing between you and certain death
9. DEATHCLAWS - if you see one, don't even try to fight. Just turn around and run like hell. Even a on very easy a deathclaw will kill you in two or three hits wait until you have an anti-materiel rifle (the Fallout version of the Barret .50 cal) before getting within a mile of it.
10. Have fun! Fallout is one of the best games ever! :fallout:

I disagree with most of what you say :s. Dont mean to be a troll XD.

1. Yes, its probably better to stick with Guns. So I agree ^^

2. Sort of agree. You dont necessarily HAVE to stick to roads, since you might take the wrong path and end up somehow in Sloan and get 1HKO by fifty million gazillion Deathclaws before you have the time to draw your weapon or even say a prayer. Just follow the marker, and use the wiki or ask on here if you are unsure.

3. Yep. Do Goodsprings, ask around. On to Primm, help them out (Or dont). Optional to help them with a sheriff, though I suggest you do for easy XP. Then on to Nipton. Talk to the Legion real quick (Or just side step em). Progress on to Novac, ask around a bit there. I suggest you help Boone out, get him as a companion. Then straight onto Freeside. Stay there for a bit, get some caps, and head into New Vegas. Talk around a bit, play in some of the casinos, pick which faction you want to side with, and start working for them. tl;dr: Goodsprings-Primm-Nipton-Novac-Freeside-New Vegas-Faction

4. ED-E DOES make your life easier. Id pick him up, he gives a nice Perception bonus, but you dont necessarily need him just yet. Wait til you start exploring.

5. The NCR arent necessarily the good guys, or the bad guys. As I said above, get to Freeside/New Vegas, and start researching the different factions you can ally yourself with in the main quests. All four factions you can side with are: New California Republic, which is basically an imitation of old America. They are a democracy, with a Prez and blah blah. Caesars Legion: A bunch of slavers basically. Based off the Roman Empire. Mr. House: Overlord of New Vegas pretty much. Yes Man: Basically this is the independant route. You become Overlord almighty of Vegas at the end... Well, sort of. Its kinda like the House route. Research all the factions thoroughly, and pick which you like best. But DO try all of them on different playthroughs .

6. No need to beware of them unless you side with NCR or start attacking them. Their neutral to you in most places you see them unless you piss em off.

7. Casinos and scavenging is much easier, quicker, and less dangerous than this method .

8. Pretty much. Its like a tactical game.. And every decision you make comes with a price, one way or the other. Make sure you know what your getting yourself into.

9. Nope. Well, at low levels, yes. At higher levels, Deathclaws are fun . And you dont need an Anti Material rifle to kill em. I used a Cowboy Repeater at Lv. 30 and didnt do too bad. Just dont get too close... Gauss Rifles are pretty effective too. Gauss Rifles, Anti Material Rifles, some shotguns (I think), snipers are effective if you stay away from em, etc etc.

10. Agree wholeheartedly. There is no k/d on here, no need to be careful with what your doing. Sometimes its fun to make a character and just blow everyone up from afar. Or shoot em all up. Just pay attention

Sorry if it looked like I troll you bro XD. Just was giving my two cents

You can survive the biggest most longest super duper ultimate grenade spams that never ends and live to tell the tale? You sir are pretty good if you did complete that game on vet.

There are a hundred small quests and distractions to get you off the path but for a starter the best recommendation I have is to stick to the quest, "They Went That-a-way," because the difficulty is scaled for the early levels. Both Sunny Smiles and Trudy both make recommendations regarding best route to New Vegas (through Primm then eastward) and "stick to the roads" to avoid the big bad creatures that tend to dwell in the hills (away from the roads for the most part). This starting quest (They Went That-a-Way) does just that. Sticking to the roads lets you avoid the hard fights early on, later when you are tougher you can pick your battles.

Regarding energy weapons, a previous poster mentioned the bulk energy ammo, it's found in the Miscellaneous section, so always remember to check there. You will find more energy weapon ammo if you carefully loot all the lockers and ammo boxes you find, but early on it is a bit hard to find. Check that Miscellaneous section of every vendor and stock up on bulk energy ammo whenever you can. I'd also say use your good ammo first and keep the bulk for reserve because it wears your gun out faster.

And lastly, your weapon damage and accuracy are both related to your weapon skill so as previous posters said, focus on one weapon skill you'll find your combat a lot more effective. Also, early on especially, staying still and crouching really does help your accuracy, just like Sunny taught you.

To summarize: early on pay attention to your main objective and listen to the advice you get from folks like Sunny, Trudy and others. Those dialogues are part and parcel of game tutorial helps

Actually...for Guns, this is true. Surplus deals 15% more damage but degrades the gun 3 times as fast. For Energy Weapons, however...Bulk deals 15% less damage and degrades the weapon 15% less than normal ammunition but it also lacks the armor-piercing effect. Bulk should be the first cell fired for Energy Weapons, with the more powerful cells reserved for larger & tougher opponents. In my experience, at least.

-Nukeknockout

You shouldn't have a companion by the time you get there, unless you miss it but even at that you companion would likely be Boone or ED-E and they'd slaughter everyone.

And you've beaten World at War on Veteran?

So its not your gaming skill that's the problem.

Odds are you're trying to create a generalized build rather than a specialized one.

Its better to be excellent at two or three things and be abysmal everywhere else than be mediocre at everything.