You encounter: an Enclave Patrol.
You were hit for 31 points of damage.
You were hit for 31 points of damage.
You were hit for 19 points of damage.
You were critically hit for 78 points of damage and killed.
more like
You encounter: an Enclave Patrol.
Enclave Patrol was critically hit for 1978 points of damage, and killed
Enclave Patrol was hit for 258 points of damage, and killed
Enclave Patrol was hit for 376 points of damage, and killed
Vindicator/Bozar insanity....and that is before taking the ridiculously overpowered Sniper perk
And once you had your own APA with its insane statistics, your only chance of being downed was a critical, and that didn't happen very often.
Fallout 2 had one hit solvers for every phase of the game. The Magnum early game, the P90/.223 Pistol combo as mid game devastator, the M72/Pulse Rifle/Bozar/Vindicator as end game doom bringers.
Perhaps I've played a different FO2, but I never found the combat to be extraordinary difficult there.