First of all, I absolutely love the game and think you did an amazing job Bethesda. Some background info just so you know where I come from, I play the fallout series since FO1 (1997) and every release sofar beside FO:NV. Also I play on PC.
To make the game more challenging I started day 1 on "harder" difficulty and switched to "Survival mode" at level 15, Since 1 - 15 felt quite easy I set some rules for my playthrough to make it more challenging; pistols only, no aid items like drugs, alcohol, stealthboy's, power armor, Nuka Cola Quantum, mirelurk cakes, no defence increase perks no explosives and no use of the known exploits. However I still feel like breeze through and have the feeling the game is too easy. I can not set the game any higher then survival mode so I tweaked what I could, with mods to increase detection by enemies, I made the game darker, lowered the world lighting with 25% so I dont see the NPC's 16 miles away at night and in dark buildings if there is no light source (removed ambient cell lighting so I only have lights that are from actual sources) Increased radiation values. made Radaway and stimpacks gains and decreases slower then default.
I know ofc that the game was made for a broad audience including console players who are penalized by playing a shooter without mouse and keyboard but imo Survival mode should be well :/ Survival. A struggle, edge of the seat stuff barely hanging on a thread of life managing to hit that 1 impossible shot and survive and it just isnt . @ survival I can 1 shot a mirelurk queen with a sneak attack with a pipe pistol (non sneak it is about 6 shots, and when I get detected by super mutants it takes 1 or 2 10mm hits in the head to kill them
So I guess this is a request to add a hardcoe survival mode. For us old school players who love the teeth grinding challenge. Lower the player armor efficiency by say 25-30%, lower the player damage output of weapons by 10-15% Up the damage of enemies 10-20% or/and increase their detection settings and weapon accuracy.
Please +1 this if you want this too