I made a topic about this in the Fallout 3 section but I decided to do it on New Vegas and rework the rules. This is the first time I have role-played and I'm actually enjoying it. I've spent a little time exploring the outskirts of goodsprings as far as the old emergency train yard place. I've set up camp in the abandoned shed near Yangtze memorial. These are my rules;
-hardcoe mode
-No HUD or Background music
-100 weight
-use binoculars to scout an area first
-Avoid big groups or people at all
-neutral
-1 Rifle, 1 Pistol, 3 explosives of one type,machete and binoculars.
-5 Drinks, 5 natural foods, 5 man made foods
-35 stims
-10 Drugs of any sort (mainly steady)
-Only go in to town to trade
-Probably won't go near the Vegas strip at all

Is there anything else I could do or tips you could give? Thanks

I've been roleplaying no stimps just food and drink to heal. I've been playing with only a 22. Silenced and Varmit Rifle with all mods. Stay away from robots and super mutants as they are devastating to my character. Thinking about adding explosives and using satchel charges. Which rifle are you thinking about using?

I'd suggest a fully modded Hunting Rifle. It's the most accurate rifle in the game and is fairly easy to get early on.

Plus it's recoil makes you feel bad-ass... Seriously, the Anti-Material Rifle hasn't got [censored] on getting a head-shot from 200m with the HR. Sounds good, Owain, I play a similar style.

Though I must admit that I'm getting fairly addicted to the Sniper Rifles silencer.

Aye, silencers are awesome, I always carry at least one silenced gun. My main guns are the Survivalist's Rifle and a fully modded .45 Auto... Worked out pretty awesome so far.

There are so many options to roleplay a sniper. I've played wearing the ranger scarf outfit with using a modded Trail Carbine and 44. magnum. I've played using Chinese Stealth and Modded Sniper rifle. I've used Assassin armor and Marksman and Assault Carbines. This playthrough im playing myself so the fact I know little about guns I've gone fully modded Laser Rifle, and I'm really enjoying it. I'm also only wearing the wanderer outfit because I only wear hoodies and it has a hoody. The hunting rifle has an awesome scope so for

I just travelled from Good-springs to the south of Nipton through the east of the map always sticking to the hills and then moving around the south of Nipton I went to the animal husbandry farm and then to camp searchlight. From there I went to Novac, stopping along the way at a camp and always trying to stay off the roads. Then from Novac proceeded towards 188 hub. In the middle of it I ambushed the raiders near the el Dorado gas station and acquired a hunting rifle and reinforced leather armour. Then I finally ended up at the 188. Now that journey took me nearly 2 hours in real life because I was going really slow and cautious and sticking to the hills. If I had been playing my normal account, I probably would have done that in 10 minutes. I'm really enjoying this and the fact that I have turned off all music and turned up footsteps and playing hardcoe for the first time really adds to the atmosphere.

@ OP,

Have you considered picking up the Gobi Campaign Sniper Rifle?
It's my favorite, it's basically just the standard sniper rifle but with a new paint job and better stats. Can't remember if you can mod it with silencer, but it's still a great rifle.

I'm curios, are you following quests/story? Or are you making up your own quests? It's pretty fun when you make your own. Like going to scout out a raider camp to find the a-hole who shot your dog.

One thing I should mention about the Hunting Rifle is that it needs a scope to be effective as a sniper's weapon. The iron sights on it are slightly crooked which don't affect short to mid range accuracy too much, but long range can be a crap shoot. Alexander at the 188 should sell one for not too steep a price.

Become vilifieed by every faction.

I had no clue that there was a scope for the HR.
As soon as I get out of The Big MT I'm headn straight for the 188.

This. If you really want to add to it, start assassinating officials.