I beat the game on hardcoe/normal on Saturday, and late in the game, I noticed STR requirements on guns that I was using. I had STR 1, but I was still very accurate and very deadly with my rifles and sniper rifle and AMR. What does the STR requirement even do? It doesn't stop you from using the weapon, and it doesn't really make the weapon ineffective, either.

It's supposed to lower the effectiveness of the weapon. Maybe it won't make it ineffective if you have high skill, but it's supposed to lower it somewhat. I've done no testing on it to see how it works, though.

Been wondering the same thing.

Though I've noticed that guns I don't meet STR requirement for seem louder and seem to have more kickback.
No idea what not meeting the strength requirement would do to melee weapons though.

Due to the lack of Energy Weapon ammo early in the game, I used Guns with a skill of 15 and had no problems. I guess attribute requirements and skill level don't affect the damage of weapons as much as one would think.

There is no exclusion in using a weapon that has a STR REQ> Character STR, there are only penalties associated with them most likely in combat.

Reno

The biggest issue is kickback/spread or scope-sway.

Use a 10mm SMG with really low STR; bullets everywhere

Try to hit a far off target with a hunting pistol at very low STR. Your cross hair will be doing a little jig.

I never thought the shaky crosshair was anything to do with STR 1. Don't all long range sniping guns have that effect in FPS games? If that's all it does, I don't think I'll ever make a high strength gunner character.

Meeting the strength requirement and optimal skill levels reduces the weapon sway/spread to the lowest possible level. Trying to fire a hunting rifle with ironsights at someone 100m away when you don't meet the strength requirement was nigh impossible, but I could easily hit them with the varmint rifle, because I met the requirement and my skill level obviously was good enough to use the rifle effectively.

Perfect timing for this thread, I was just wondering about the STR requirements as well. Does it affect accuracy in VATS?