I don't think this post contains any spoilers but just incase I will post here and not in general forum.

I want to explore a different path , you know try to actually put some real RPG moments into this ACTION orientated game.

So rather than pay a bribe or whatever I want to try steal an item or even better murder the holder and loot their corpse.

But i go into sneak mode enter a room close the door (standard thief procedure) then start looting all of a sudden a guard or other NPC will burst in and start shooting me!

Why was i spotted if so how with xray vision ?

How do I successfully steal and sneak?

Detected doesn't seem to be any use as detected pops up all time even in the wasteland so i presume it means my companion see me.

Is thieving something you need to s3end your companion away to do successfully?

Your companion(s) also belong to crime factions, so if they see you committing crimes, they'll report it. Some companions shouldn't care. I haven't checked each one out yet, but to be totally safe, steal without companions while remaining undetected. That said, stealing with companions could be bugged.

For me, its clear. Fallout 3 and 4 are actions, not even a Action/RPG, you just run and shoot , no other options at all. If it was a RPG you should ending the game , without shooting a single bullet. Dialogs (and your decisions) affect none, not the story , not the characters, not the world. A simple dialog system of "yes" and "no", it would be the same as the 100.000 of text lines that they advertise. Of course spending points and make a decision at the end , it could be done and in a .... platform game.

I've stolen a crap ton of stuff from virtually every domicile and structure in Diamond City. Agility 5, sneak is now 4 but I was stealing a lot when it was about 3, maybe even 2. I literally stole every last piece of junk in the Mayor's office, pickpocketed him his secretary and the guard! First perk I took was Sneak, and I took Sneak 2 _as soon as I could, and same with 3 and 4. I also didn't expect to be very successful until I had at least 2 and ideally 3. Now that I have 4, if anything stealth feels easy. I can literally sneak up on sleeping Deathclaws with Sneak 4 Agility about 5 _AND_ while wearing Power Armor!

There is a gigantic line of text in the upper middle of the screen that tells if you are hidden or not, and a whole section in the Help in game that describes what the brackets mean (the move in and out).

You could easily play this game and never shoot anyone. You might have to get others to shoot FOR you, else blow them up or otherwise get them out of the way through violence . . . actually though, now that I think about it, you might even be able to get past a large fraction of enemies using the various Charisma perks (the one that allows you to Intimidate, etc.).

At Sneak 5 and high Agility and with the right gear, you might even be able to infiltrate deep into enemy strongholds, slipping past dozens of guards, retrieve items, kill bosses, release hostages, etc. (although the latter would obviously be difficult to sneak your way back out without a fight).

The idea that you can "only" play the game one way (run and gun) is absurd.

It is FUN to play it that way, and it is the most obvious way, but as far as I can tell, a hacker, sneaker, smooth-talker type playthrough should be very possible; at least as possible as it was in NV or FO3, and probably moreso than in FO2.