But the incinerator and flamethrower doesn't explode.

Doesn't matter, explosives needs to be improved.

I have 100 points in energy weapons and 100 points in guns.

All of my guns have stronger base damage than all of my energy weapons. BUT I find that when I get a critical strike with a laser or a plasma weapon, it's usually a one shot kill.

Now, if you've ever visited the Silver Rush you know that there's some really amazing energy weapons like the Tri-Beam Laser.

These guns how massive amounts of damage even though they were in VERY poor condition ( I'm not kidding I saw a Tri-Beam Laser there that does freaking 45 damage per shot with only 20% condition, imagine if it was up to 75% condition omg! ).

It doesn't have enough already?

Wow, sounds like Energy Weapons aren't worth using when they just devour ammo pointlessly. Good note, I'll remember never to bother using them and I'll stick with Guns.

Energy Weapon Criticals can be mean.

9 Luck
5 Finesse
5 1st Recon Beret
10 Laser Commander

Critical chance 29% per projectile. Even accounting for a lower luck score you're only down to 25% at the default 5.

Match it with Tri beam Laser Rifle for three chances at a critical per shot.

I also have a soft spot for the Gauss rifle and Archimedes

Plus, finish the right side quest line and you have a supply of free energy ammo that respawns every day. My energy weapon ammo is starting to eclipse my bullet stockpiles.

The Energy weapons skill is a cruel mistress. You really have to put some effort into making it workable.

Guns are much easier. Just max out guns and you'll be doing decent damage as long as you load the right bullets.

Melee and unarmed seem pretty nice, I know this because I used them in lieu of using energy weapons until about level 12 because all I could find were dinky laser rifles that just made enemies mad.

With VATS in Fallout 3, the Metal Blaster and Tri-Beam Laser can only do one critical, instead of 9 or 3 respectively when outside of VATS. Has that been fixed in New Vegas?

Explosives are nice, but a bit hard to come by.

Fire is combustion, so it could kind of fit. To be honest, I agree with him. Explosives seem like they need more variation. I'm starting my first explosives character though, so maybe my opinion will change once I've had more experience with it.

Instead of creating a new thread which overlaps this one, I thought I might post here in hope of some replies -

Considering I will not be going down the Unarmed or Melee route - what is the most effective way to distribute points and level up my Guns, EW (Maybe even big guns...?) etc.
Or should I not level EW at all? I probably will eventually dedicate points to EW considering some of the later energy-based weapons are the best in the game but how do you go about it?

Advice is greatly appreciated.