Combat felt odd to me in FONV for some reason until I realized I was using VATS far less often than I did in FO3. So I made this little survey here to evaluate VATS usage across the board for frequency, distance of use, and weapon types used

After you complete the survey I'd like to ask you two questions

1) Please elaborate on the above choices to explain in what situations you make use of VATS if at all
2) Why do you suppose your VATS usage has changed from FO3 to FONV if at all

As for my answers: I usually only use VATS in FONV for in-your-face fights for any shooting weapon or when I want to kill a single enemy when surrounded by many others in close/medium range fights but beyond that I hardly use it. When I'm meleeing I will usually use VATS in every fight. I use VATS waaaaay less often than I did in FO3 and my best guess as to why would be because FO3 had more indoor fights, such as tunnels and sewers, and a different sneak attack mechanic as far as how you were detetcted when using non-silenced weapons which together meant I was sneak attacking everything all the time with all kinds of weapons from melee to assault rifles. With FONV not only is it much harder to get multiple sneak attacks on multiple enemies without a silenced weapon, most of your fights are outdoors in the open making sneaking and sniping more of a challenge

which kinda stinks as I missed VATS, but don't get me wrong: FONV has destroyed any and all urge to play FO3 ever again for me. I just wish FONV had more dank and dark indoor places for me to skulk around and kill things in

Usually when I encounter a group I use VATS to headshot a few and take them out of the equation mostly close range. I use VATS a lot less than in Fallout 3 as well, missed far more in New Vegas that's the reason.

You can't really 'snipe' with VATS........

About the same usage as in Fallout 3, when something gets so close i don't have time to properly aim and shoot the enemy, with all types of weapon. Except explosives :hehe: Also i use it for increased accuracy when throwing grenades.

However when mods are taken into account, i've replaced VATS usage almost completely with Project Nevada's "Bullet Time" (slows down time while consuming AP), which is also extremely handy when sniping, unlike VATS.

sure you can. Just because you're not physically aiming down the scope doesn't mean it isn't sniping

whether it's worth it or not? YMMV

The more I play, I find that I'm using VATS less. I don't have a bias against it because it's certainly saved me or my companions on many occasions but I think I'm getting better at shooting without it. The last option I would have liked to select would have been that I'll use VATS with anything, whenever necessary. Last night in Vault 34, it was definitely for up-close encounters but if I'm using a weapon I'm not yet qualified for, it helps a lot to use VATS...like with a Deathclaw because I don't want to miss!

I always use it when I'm using the Ballistic Fist against a strong enemy because it seems to be much more powerful in VATS. I free-aim almost exclusively when I'm using guns except when I'm in a really tight situation.

I used it a lot more in FO3. That was because of MMM's increased spawns, though.

SURVEY!

I really only use it when a small and/or fast enemy is in close or an enemy is near one of my companions and I don't want to hit them. Compare that to Fallout 3 where I used V.A.T.S. almost all the time.

Aside from long distance shots, I use vats a lot. It is about 1000 times sweeter in slow motion than just mowing stuff down in real time.

Also, when you are a low level, or when you face hostiles that can take many hits, vats is the semi turned based deal it was meant to be, because they are shooting you while you are in vats, and I think stats fully come into play in vats.

Mainly I use it because it looks awesome.

OT I turned that death cam thing off, because you can get killed from some where else when it is showing the death cam, if multiple targets are around.

I don't use VATS in FNV as much as I did in FO3. I guess the difference is that in FO3 you were forced to learn how to do it when you kill a radroach in the shooting range. In FNV, you only get a tutorial once you activate for the first time.

I don't know, I find it easier to test my aim when shooting. I find myself doing that better aim thing. Where you use the little scope/aimer. I don't know, it's just fun.

Never
Didn't play FO3
Don't use Vats
Don't use Vats


That said I have used VATS for the occasional video effect shot. These days if I want some slo-mo effect for videos, I mainly use the bullet-time mod where I can control how much slow-mo I want.

Other than that, I don't use it. VATS feels too much like a win button (even tho it's buggy at times) and I'm just used to and prefer real-time. Real-time is more "exciting" to me I guess.

I used VATS all the time in FO3
but in FONV I hardly ever use it at all (probably b/c of iron sights)

Anytime I do use it its only when an enemy is right next to me.
Tha last situation I can recall using it was making a close range headshot on a ghoul trooper who was about to kill Boone,
I didn't wanna reload my last save if Boone died and the weapon I was using was a plasma rifle (not the best close range weapon) so I went ahead and used VATS

I use VATS in the following situations:

1) When using shot-per-click weapons (semi-auto, Hunting shotguns, handguns etc.) at close-to-medium range
2) Close quarters or indoors fights vs. multiple opponents.
3) Medium-long range sniping at fast-moving targets such as Cazadors and Bloatflies
4)Medium-long range sniping at opponents partially obscured by obstacles (Legionnaires behind barricades during the final battle etc.)

In my experience, VATS combines great with the following weapons:

Guns:

1) Semi-auto rifles- Service Rifle (post-patch), Marksman Carbine, All-American, possibly This Machine (although it's AP cost is slightly high)
2) Handguns- Lucky, 9mm pistol, 10mm pistol, That Gun, 12.7mm pistol
3) 9mm SMG
4) Riot Shotgun
5) Low-AP automatic guns- Assauly carbine, LMG

EW:

1) All energy pistols except Pew Pew and Plasma Pistol
2) Laser rifle (including AER14), Recharger Rifle
3) Laser RCW

Explosives are generally not VATS-friendly except maybe the thrown kind.

I have little experience with melee and unarmed weapons, but Knock Knock strikes me as the most VATS-friendly top tier weapon in its category, and Love and Hate or the Mantis Gauntlet is the most VATS-friendly of the Unarmed.

I use it as little as possible thanks to iron sights and the fact it makes the game way too easy. FO3 got really boring because I had Grim Reaper's Sprint and just VATS killed everyone. I had no challenge and I just got way too bored.

I use it and use it mostly when I get surprised or there's a big group of enemies. Otherwise I snipe from far away with a rifled scope, picking off their heads.

If you can use VATS than it is only about 60' or so......if you insist that is sniping........

I for sure use it less than in Fallout 3. I was more of a medium-short range fighter in F3, in NV I'm a sniper through and through. I haven't really found something I like as much as the Combat Shotgun. although I've never really given the Hunting Shotgun a fair shake. Of course mI use VATS to scour the terrain for foes I can't immediately see but during combat, VATS doesn't work well while sniping from distance.

I CAN run out in the middle of a busy highway during rush hour, that doesn't mean that I SHOULD do it. Sniping with VATS is not as effective as looking into the scope and pulling the trigger.

Try the Riot Gun, it's like the CS but better (at least IMO). Need to be at least L16 to buy one from the Vendortron or get one as a drop from the White Legs in Honest Hearts.

I didn't use VATS all that much in FO3 beyond my first few characters, because I had an EW user who had GRS and A3-21's Plasma Rifle and was ridiculously OP as a result. I haven't used it at all in F:NV aside from the one time in the tutorial for sighting purposes, although I have occasionally been tempted to in order to see how different it is from the FO3 version.

While I do sometimes miss having my character's skill be the determining factor when rolling to hit, since that's something that's rather important to me, I prefer having some challenge in my battles so I use free-fire mode at close-medium range.

Now that we have iron sights, I dont use it as much.That, and the range of vats has been limited big time.Now I onlu use it when Im playing on hard/D.I.D, and am in a tight spot.

I like doing finished touches in Vats, but I refuse to snipe with it. Vats sniping=bad.Unless I want to see bullet travel. That's always fun if I land the shot!

VATs is a lot less useful in NV - only use it if targets are right in my face and are too hard to track.

I pretty much use VATS when I want an "Epic" kill with cinematic. Unless I have a character that is heavily based on plasma weapons, I don't use it that much.

the reason i use less vats is because they added iron sights which really helped aiming and shooting down the guys.