I'm getting super frustrated with this game because I have a very clear image in my head of how I want to play, and the game is telling me to go screw myself.

I want to play a ranged stealth character. How can I possibly do that without a silenced weapon? They appear to be extremely rare in the world, and you can't craft a sniper suppressor until level 25. Who thought it was a good idea to lock away something vital to an entire play style for half the game? Before launch I saw a lot of discussion about how viable stealth was going to be... and now I want to just delete my save because it doesn't seem possible at all. Any help? Am I missing something obvious?

I found a silenced weapon at level 7, tho you can't count on that obviously. Have you tried stealthing with melee weapons?

Otherwise TES has always had far stronger stealth gameplay than Fallout, so you might be out of luck.

I very much don't want to play melee. I saw so many people talking about doing a stealth sniper build before release and that's kind of what I got excited for. Doesn't seem doable at all.

It's just not fallout anymore. Makes me sad.

I got a .45 Pipe Revolver in Corvega (dunno if you'll get the same). Worked together enough parts to make a medium scope and a silencer. Could just try something similar, scope something , modify the receiver for high damage, good range, and stick a silencer on it.
Using vats is up to you, but I've had pretty good luck just aiming down the scope.
A short-term solution until you find your golden egg (silenced sniper rifle).
Oh, and said revolver can be converted to . 308 rounds.

The 10mm pistol also has a suppressor option. Not amazing range, but I did get a solid one shot stealth kill with my 10mm using VATS. That shot was a good 30 feet away.

I'd still have to get to level 13 before being able to silence it. Better than nothing I suppose but it still seems like a ranged stealth build is just a terrible idea for the first half of the game.

My current rifle uses .308 ammo and I can never use it as I can never find ammo for it. So far I've found one vendor who had a whopping 16 bullets for 160 caps. Good ammo is just way too scarce in this game. I'm currently stuck just running and gunning with my 10mm cuz it's the only thing I have ammo for. I can't carry more guns cuz carry weight is such an issue with my build... Just ugh. This game is not for me. Which is weird cuz I loved FO3 and new Vegas.

Same here. That's what I was using before I found the revolver pipe gun thing.

Don't forget about scrounger perk.

i have 1 luck so... Yeah. Maybe I'll just make a new character and play the way the game wants me to play. Or maybe I'll just shelf this for awhile.

You'll be alright. Or you can just play Rise of the Tomb Raider or something.

I don't really see what the big deal is. Every time I enter an area, I go into sneak mode and murder almost everything. Mind you, I invested literally NOTHING in agility. I only have 1 point. The trick is to keep a distance, snipe the enemy, then run like hell to a new position. If the enemies follow you, wait around a corner for them, and blast them with a shotgun. So, yes, technically every time you fire, they'll start shooting at you, and it does get tedious. But it definitely doesn't block out stealth for players. Literally any build can get away with it, even if they only have one agility.

Im sure a mod will drop sniper weapons for you. Also its part of set of mods Im working on

a Buggout bag in your house with starting kit

100 rounds of ammo for each weapon (Scoped hunting rifle, handgun, shotgun)

+ Stimpacks / food items + Machett old world money.

Exactly. That's how I've been playing my Stealth build. Managed to take out a whole camp of Super Mutants at Level 6.

I'll add that you can use the environment against enemies. Stealth to computers and hack turrets. Place traps like frag mines. Snipe 1 enemy in the head from cover, then move quickly to a new location. Wait for the CAUTION to end and repeat. I have a Str 1 and Endurance 1 character, and I've been having loads of fun with the Stealth. Take the Sneak perk, remember to turn off auto-run, and take Ninja when you get a chance for a better chance at insta-killing enemies from stealth.

And is the OP really complaining that you can't immediately be an undetectable stealth killing machine? Stealth in Fallout 3 and Skyrim felt broken because it wasn't earned. In Fallout 4, you slowly build to the undetectable ninja sniper of death. Enjoy the journey.

No that's not my complaint at all. I just don't see why you have to wait til lol 25 to access sniper suppressor so when that's the entire play style that I find desirable.

My issue is not that I CANT progress. It's that I'm not enjoying how I'm being forced to progress. Turrets, mines, that's all good and fun but only being able to shoot once before being detected is tedious.

Caution can often be your friend as it make the enemies come towards you searching.

My main issue is that the scopes are too slow to use here while most of the other sights are to inaccurate for optimal range.

Stealth this time around is actually better than it was for F3 and FNV. (Obviously it's because of the engine.)

Think Skyrim rules. They even ignore you after only 5 seconds of not getting shot.

You're going to have to rely on VATS in firefights if you didn't spec into Endurance, so just a heads-up.

You'll have to level.. In the old fallouts you leveled really fast, so If you were playing a stealth character and concentrated on stealth you could max it out pretty fast. This game you can't. You'll actually have to work on becoming good at stealth.

MILD FACTION STORY SPOILERS

...that weapon is a unique silenced pistol - good damage, and takes 10mm.

Something I've noticed I like - your weapons can be silenced, but enemy heads exploding aren't subtle. If you used a silenced weapon, they won't know where to look for you - but if they see (or hear) their ally die, they're still be on the lookout.

I like that. FO4 has done a lot to make the Raiders seem more like actual people to they don't feel so meaningless to fight. I even found one mourning over a grave (left him alone), and often hear them telling each other stories and such.

Ding ding ding. This guy has the truth of it, and i love it so far. I am level 20 now and its starting to get very good and powerful now, but its not unbalanced either. Stealth was broken in FO3, New Vegas and Skyrim, it has finally been fixed. Have patience, try to find mods or weapons that fit the stealth type playthrough and invest some perks in it.

I've been playing a Scout-Sniper fine and dandy. It's understanding that such a build only works outdoors, and having other options for dealing with inside buildings or tight corridors.

I managed to get on top of a building overlooking a Raider encampment and clearing the whole place from there. Silencers would be useful, but it's hardly critical right now. Plus, it keeps me on my toes. I like the fact that I can make Johnny's head explode and his friend Jimmy actually reacts in a manner consistent with someone who just watched his buddy get his head popped like a melon.