From the various things I've read about F3, there's one thing that keeps coming up; how difficult it can be to play the game using only big guns.

Issues keep coming up, like they don't work properly with VATS, there isn't ever enough ammo, and the guns are too rare in many cases to fix.

So I was after your views on this. I was planning on making a character specialising in big guns, probably with repair and science as the other tagged skills. I'd also intend to bring explosives up to the max level - because they're always useful, and big guns just seems to fit with it - but I'm not going to use any small guns or laser weapons.

I'm interested in all thoughts, strategies, comments etc. This is all very new to me...

Thanks.

I am currently playing a Big Guns/Unarmed character. In the early part of the game, you will get owned a lot. This is normal. I used small guns for the first couple levels until I got my hands on a flamer. I roll with Eugene (unique minigun). The trick is to NOT use (at least the minigun) in VATS. Come to think of it, I don't use VATS for any big gun. I manually aim and fire. More control. If you are using the minigun, there is a brief pause while you spool up. You can eliminate the pause by tapping the trigger constantly while in battle. Not necessarily shooting, just keeping the gun ready to go. I tend to hose down areas, pretty satisfying with 240 rounds. Vengeance is nice too (unique Gatling Laser), very accurate, but falls into disrepair really fast.

Although I recommend checking yourself out in VATS with the minigun, as it looks pretty fricking cool. I don't use the Fatman, as I tend to blow myself up and misjudge the projectile arc. If you do use VATS, your Agility will need to be at 9, to get three bursts in VATS. Also, the Heavy Incinerator.... pretty sweet. Use VATS with one burst, to find your range, then walk the fire into your enemy manually. When enemies get up close and personal, I switch to my trusty spiked knuckles and deal death that way. Hope this helps a bit.

Flamer + Fat Boy + Rocket Launcher = Auto win.

You can do this ENTIRE game with just a flamer. The range and damage on it is insaaane.

The only "hard" part is getting big guns from the start (not to hard since 5 minutes out of the vault you can get a flamer) then sell stuff to buy flamer ammo.

It's interesting you should say that about the Flamer; I was convinced I had to use this skill after getting all my skin burned off during Anchorage. Usually I'd get cross and re-load, but in this instance I thought it was so cool

I also have the unofficial patch, so the Burnmaster is properly affected by the Pyro perk - as was intended.

I do worry slightly about ammo; is the Scrounger perk worthwhile for this - will it actually make a difference? And I was also planning to do the Pitt fairly early on to get access to the ammo press - for the minigun.

One other thing; with small guns you use something like a shotgun for close-quarters combat. Super mutant comes round the corner, and bamm - its head flies off. What's the best big gun to use for that sort of thing - possibly involving some VATS usage?

it is entirely possible to use big guns as your weapon class of choice. My most powerful character was a big guns wielder. It is tough for the first few levels. I recommend using melee or unarmed until you get a big gun. Also I never use VATS. Because of this I put my agility at 1 since all it is good for is 2 AP per point and getting some perks that you don't need with a big guns user.

Scrounger and fortune finder are both useful as extra ammo is always good, and extra caps buys more ammo. You also need to go for the best armor you can get and get any perk that ups your DR. This build is not a sneak and snipe. You run in guns blazing with this style.

The ammo press is incredibly useful for making 5mm ammo. After I did the pitt and converted all my ammo I had 40,000 5mm rounds lol.

The flamer is the strongest big gun short of a fat man once you get the pyromaniac perk. It also is the best gun for close range.

Vengeance is awesome but hard to repair unless you do mothership zeta and get a lot of alien epoxy.

Thanks so much for the extra info. I was trying not to use melee or unarmed, but thinking about it it's probably useful to have a back-up.

I'm taking repair as a given tagged skill, but what about the third. I was thinking Science purely because I know there's some stuff I'll want to do that involves hacking early on. Any suggestions welcome. I'm also thinking of putting Endurance and Strength on 9, and using up all of my Intelligence and extra points to do it. Again, tips welcome.

Here is a quote from another thread where someone was wondering about the same stuff.

My guy has an Intelligence of 5. Endurance is 7, Strength is 8. I wouldn't use all my points from Int.

The only reason I was leaning that way was to keep the skill increase points to a minimum. Particularly with Broken Steel installed, it's just too easy to get points for everything, and I what my character to have weakpoints in his skills. I think it can make it a bit more interesting.

Agreed. I don't take Educated or Comprehension, as well as a slew of other self-imposed rules, to become an effective big guns character, and yet be vulnerable in other areas. Different, than the usual "I can own anything with a heartbeat with my hands tied behind my back" tends to be more fun.

Personally I love the Flamer for CC. It just raqes everything. Onlytime you use anything else is for long long long range.

If you want to do Big Guns and like the minigun, make sure you get to Underworld and check out Reilly at the back of the Underworld clinic; she gives you a quest that results in you getting the possibility to obtain a unique minigun.