I like god characters. I particularly enjoy the genesis of a god character. Nobody starts out all-powerful. Me, I like playing with specific concepts until I hit about level 22 and start becoming a god (and then I keep playing because it's still fun). This thread isn't about god characters, nor is it about developing god characters. It's about limitation.

When I'm building characters, to help manage the character concept I pick perks that would fit the concept and make a character plan. Doing that earlier today, I saw a pattern in the perks I tend to choose for every character. 3 of them in particular. And I began to wonder what people would choose if they were limited to a total of 3 perks throughout the entire game. Doesn't matter if you get them all up front at level 1 or earn them when they normally come due, so long as it's 3 or less.

Me?

Rapid Reload, Travel Light, and Pack Rat. Can't seem to live without 'em.

Very nice question may i say.

Well lets see. Cowboy perhaps,Toughness, and strong back.

Huh really good question dude, actually have to think about this one.

Uhh lets just be generic and go with cowboy, jury rigging, and super slam.

Laser Commander, Solar Powered and Rad Child.
I like my laser weapon wielding mutant.

Jury Rigging, Pack Rat, Power Armor Training. Yes, I know the last one is an earned perk rather than a selected one. But I stand by it. Those three perks are the ones I go stupidly out of my way to get every single time. Well, I skipped pack rat a couple times, but the other two are absolute essentials to me.

Comprehension

Strong Back

Weapon Handling

Strong Back
Intense Training
Solar Powered
And Jury Rigging.

yeah yeah I know...3..

Black Widow (always my first perk)
Animal Friend (I'd like to include 1 and 2, but one is fine)
Daddy's Girl (SCIENCE IS FOR COOL KIDS!)

Hmmm...

Hand Loader
Jury Rigging
Bloody Mess
Weapon Handling

Strong Back
Jury Rigging
Weapon Handling

Mine would have to be:

Strong Back
Pack Rat
Toughness

I cannot imagine making a character without these. If a fourth was allowed it would be Animal Friend, I tend to build 'Survivalist'-style and it's essential for that IMO.

Toughness
Toughness
Intense Training (strength)

The other fancy perks are cool an all but if I were limited to only three I'd want to be very durable and a little stronger.

Lady Killer ( needed for a certain mod :hubbahubba: )

Toughness

Jury Rigging

Gunslinger, Laser Commander and Grim Reaper's Sprint.

I like to hit hard, fast and accurately.

Black Widow, Jury Rigging, Better Criticals.

Finesse, Silent Running, Better Criticals

It's all about delivering the mostest, biggest crits before they even know what hit 'em. And After they know, too. Most of the rest will vary quite a bit from build to build, but those 3 are mandatory gotta-haves, every time.

My playthroughs consist of two separate and distinct phases- levels 1-12, where stealth is iffy and slow and painful... and after Silent Running, when thou art liquid death itself. It's the single biggest game-changing perk there is, IMO.

I wonder why so many people chose Strong Back as a must-have? Don't they know you get two pack mules that can each haul another 200+ lbs of junk for them? Load them and you up, then fast travel to town to dump/store/sell it, then go back in the field again. Putting off that inevitable trip just for another 50 lbs of junk- what a waste of a perk(s). Unless you are getting it for hardcoe, where every ounce counts... that of course is different. I don't care about having to eat/sleep/pee/fart in FO, so I sometimes forget about that aspect.

All 3 levels of Fast Learner.

Seriously? Why? I'm always amazed and disappointed at how fast lvl 30 comes along normally... always way before I'm ready for it, it seems. Couldn't imagine it happening 30% sooner. Ugh.

Strong Back comes in really handy if you're using heavy weapons and armor, and/or do not use companions.

hardcoe mode is also a factor, since ammo has weight, and some folks go even farther and have modded some normally weightless things like Stimpacks to have weight in that mode.

You're right that we don't absolutely need it, but we feel the benefits far outweigh the opportunity cost of a perk slot. Myself, I often wonder why so many people take Finesse, since you don't need to be a crit-monster to be unstoppable in combat. Then again I'm not a fan of sneak-sniping either, so take that as you will.

I'm just kidding lol, those and 'Here and Now' are the most useless perks in the game.

I'd probably go with Better Criticals, Silent Running and Jurry Rigging.

A sneak character in medium armor, use the Sniper Rifle + Silencer + Carbon FIber parts for stealth and an Assault Carbine with AP rounds for CQC, and a .45 Auto Pistol + Silencer + HD Frame for holdout.

Better crits and Silent Running for sneak attacks and Jurry Rigging for overall comfort.

Not all of my combat is sniping, although I do like it, no doubt. But regardless of what range I'm at and what weapons I use, getting as close in as quickly as I want to and getting the first powerful hits in is pretty important to me. I approach all of my perk assignments firstly and foremostly from the the direction of "will this perk help me kill better/faster?" Once all the build-appropriate perks which do either or both of those things are chosen, then whatever slots may be left over can go to fluff that doesn't. For me, another 5% crit does a far sight more killin' than packin' another kitchen sink or two around in my pack will. Pragmatism first- just my style, though. If I was into gimping myself with hardcoe mode, extra heavy small items, and no companions, then I'm sure my viewpoint would change a mite

Hands down?

1. Animal Friend
2. Lead Belly
3. Strong Back

1. Rapid Reload
2. Hand Loader
3. Travel Light

Those three have the largest impact on my gameplay

Pack Rat, Silent Running, and... I'm really not sure. It's probably dependent on what character I'm making. However, those two are the perks that somehow manage to get into each of them.

Jury Rigging (EVERY playthrough)
Lady Killer/ Black Widow/ Confirmed Bachelor/ Cheechez la Femme (any one, all excellent)
Cannibal (so satisfying!)