Ok so I bought this game a long time ago, I put it in, and well there were.... problems to say the least. Time has passed, patches have flown off the devs desks and into the game. I am willing to give this game 1 more shot. Now last time I had played it I didn't really know what I was doing, Im pretty sure I messed up my character some way some how. Now I wanted to prep myself before I just jump into this game again.

I have a few questions that I need answered before I begin my journey through the post apocalyptic wasteland once more.

1.) What is the max skill level for every skill in the game?
2.) Is is possible to max them out in one play through of the game?
3.) Let's say it is possible to max them out, how should I put my starting stats so that after I collect all the bobble heads and skills books I will have 100% on all my stats?
4.)Does it really matter how I put my starting stats or not so much?

My first play through I wanted to make a sort of stealth character that uses long range weapons to take out his enemy's, it didn't really work out so well, the AI would always see me no matter how stealth I was.
I'm thinking about trying to do that kinda of style again or just going for a sort of gunslinger with small arms weapons.

Any hints or advice anyone willing to provide on top of answering my questions?

Thanks!

The max skill level is 100 for all skills. I have maxed all skills save two before, and that was even before Broken Steel was released. Should be easy peasy, as a familiar ghoul might say.
You will want to have a high INT, so you can add more points per level. You want to get the Educated Perk and the Comprehension Perk as soon as possible.
Enemies see you based on your : sneak skill, light falling on you, line of sight, how much crap you're carrying. At 100 in Sneak, I have had people walk/run right past me in broad daylight... even after I shoot them. I cap my sneak skill these days at 70, to avoid becoming too powerful. Use cover more. I might see an Enclave patrol, but if I have nothing to duck behind, I will be dead soon. So I usually don't initiate contact unless there is decent cover around, and I can get a sneak shot in first. What's also nice is attacking from an elevated spot. It's like fish in a barrel. Throw a nade in the mix too, whenever they bunch up. Perforator, though not a true sniper rifle, can be wondrous out of VATS for sneaky sniper types.

1.) 100.
2.) Yes. Get Comprehension and read all skill books and find all the skill bobbleheads.
3.) Well, don't put intelligence at the minimum. I haven't done the maths, but perhaps you would run a bit low on skillpoints then.

Also, either get a mod that changes Almost Perfect into something like "Perfect if you already found the bobblehead", or wait until you are level 30 before you pick up any SPECIAL bobbleheads (since you want 10 in all your stats.)

4.) I think the game will be a bit weird if you decrease one or several stats down to the minimum. I've already mentioned intelligence; but extremely low strength would make looting to a pain, extremely low agility means a lot less action points in VATs, extremely low perception may cause you problems when you roam around in the wilderness and don't see the hostiles until you run into them, extremely low endurance may make you a bit low on hitpoints.

All this is for extremely low points in these stats.

If you put 5, 6 or 7 into your attributes doesn't really seem to matter to me.

Well thanks loads you too! I will begin my journey later today with all that in mind. Thank you again for you assistance! This time the game should be much more enjoyable.