In http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1537764-best-perk-to-get-first/ when I said I was considering getting http://orcz.com/Fallout_4:_VANS first (Intelligence 1 on the http://orcz.com/Fallout_4:_Perk_Chart), a lot of people said they hated that Perk and won't take it at all because for example it ruins exploration and they want to discover stuff on their own, etc.

Why so much hate for that Perk? Cant you still explore all you want, but if you want to see the shortest route, just use the V.A.N.S.? Nothing is stopping you from roaming around or using a route not suggested by V.A.N.S.

or did Bethesda waste time on making a perk that not many are going to take?

Some people believe that having a trail that leads you to your objective is too much like hand holding. Personally I would welcome a return to the Morrowind style of getting directions to where you need to go from locals but I realize not everybody enjoys being lost in the wilderness for hours trying to find a semi-camouflaged cavern entrance or forgotten, underwater ruin.

Honestly, one of the things I liked about being able to see the direct path in games like Mass Effect 3 or Bioshock Infinite was that I could tell where not to go. It's that whole RPG mindset of "The path on the right continues the story, the path on the left is something different - let's take the path on the left."

Plus it'll be convenient for me on the first playthrough if I ever do need a little direction, which doesn't happen often in Bethesda games post-Morrowind. Maybe it'll be more desirable in this game, though - I did always feel like Fallout's locations were better than TES at being nonlinear. Plus, if it's really like the Clairvoyance spell in Skyrim, it uses the same logic as NPC pathfinding, which can be handy sometimes.

All in all it's probably a perk I'll enjoy, at least the first time I play the game.

I generally like the markers because I'll head straight for the marker but end up spending hours being distracted by unexplored points of interest that pop up on the compass. Then I'll eventually go "What was I doing again?" Then head toward the marker again. The problem I found with systems like Morrowind were that they were so vague that they were often misleading. Instead of pointing out landmarks like mountains, rivers, creeks, scorched areas, etc. they'd tell you to "head East and you'll find it somewhere in Morrowind". Then you discover that it was almost due North with a small trek in an easterly direction around a distinct and unique rocky outcrop.

This perk will be amazing on the first playthroughs. Vertical places are almost impossible to navigate until you remember them. In fallout nv I was stuck in that darn plant vault trying to find things for hours... Also repcon.

Playthrough 2 and on it won't be as essential for me.

Pretty much a wasted perk if you take it for the in-game marker...you still have the map marker while the pip-boy (menus) is activated. You can probably highlight them on you compass, fo3, fonv and skyrim had that. It is a im lazy perk if taken for the in-game markers

Edit: there must be another use for that perk...unless....no they wouldnt do a 'you have to actually listen to the mission giver to know where to go in-game' ...only frustration come from those kind of games... /sarcastic...i really wish they would do that but they wont. The average buyer is way to entitled to listen and understand a conversation.

I, personally, just don't see the point of it and consider it a useless perk. You already have a marker telling you where to go, an actual trail isn't really needed.

No one said they hated it. Some people said they wouldn't take it, or that they didn't use the (presumably) equivalent in Skyrim.

I dunno, I can think of a lot of locations in New Vegas where I wish I knew where the hell I was going, like Vault 34, or 11... or basically any of the vaults.

I wish my Daggerfall character had the VANS perk. That would be downright over-powered in Daggerfall.

I could have done with this V.A.N.S perk just trying to find my way out of Rivet city or navigating Megaton. Somehow I just ended up going around in annoying circles, my character never did have a great sense of direction.

Personally, I feel that the map/compass marker is more than enough. I like to find my own path and explore everything on the way. Never used Clairvoyant in Skyrim, and I doubt I'll ever use VANS in Fallout 4. It's fine for people that want that level of direction from the game, but it's not for me.

The issue people have with the VAS perk is that any sort of direction is apparently interpreted as a direct insult to the player's intelligence. I actually came across a post on the Neoseeker forums back when I was playing Oblivion where the poster basically said that the Map Marker system made the game too easy, and the devs needed to stop assuming that their player base consisted entirely of idiots.

Personally, if it only needs 1 Charisma, I'll probably take the perk early on in my first few playthroughs, since I will still be getting the lay of the land and figuring what terrain I can and can't go over. Eventually, though, I will stop taking it in favor of other, more beneficial perks.

We'll need to see how it's implemented.

I'm sure we've all headed in a direction only to try to climb an impassable cliff when there was a nice path just out of eyesight.

I don't know ... it sounds rather useful to me, especially on a first play through the game.

I assume Fallout 4 will still have the quest arrow so I don't really see the problem, just don't take that perk if you don't want the extra hand holding.

I think that some people were hoping for C.A.R.S. or even B.I.K.E.S.

On a serious note, I'm sure this one will be very useful if we're in a large building, or an underground tunnel, where the nearest exit may not be so obvious. Also, it only require a single rank and can be obtained by anyone right from the start of the game.

I'll probably just use the map marker on the compass like I have thousands of times before. I don't think I've ever gotten lost longer than 5-10 minutes anyways.

Never used that spell it skyrim either. Don't see the point of either of them.

I might take it. I always get lost in vaults.

I remember a vault in Fallout 3 that I constantly got lost in. Not sure the vault number, but it was confusing to me and it would have been nice to have a path marker. I ended up dropping a few things at critical intersections pointing the way out so that I could find my way. I dealt with it, and I'm sure I could deal with it again, but a perk might be helpful too. I may or may not take it, depends on how good my Pipboy marker is, and how confusing some areas are to navigate.

I don't mind it, might actually save my bum when I find myself in a twisty maze of an ancient Vault and I can't find my way out. This system will actually say, "Go this way, moron!" rather than the quest marker saying, "It's to the north somewhere, but I'm not going to be of use helping you to get out of here."

It is another option that is there if you want or need it. Many don't and it shouldn't hurt them if somebody else does. If it makes the game more enjoyable for those who want and/or need it it grows the fan base without hurting those who don't want or need it.

Growing the fan base is good for ensuring future installments of the game, a possibly more resources to make them better, and maybe get them sooner.

I'd say it's just really, really, really low on my list of perks to pick. If I find myself getting lost all the time because the quest marker on the pipboy svcks, I may have to start considering it.

I would also prefer Morrowinds way of doing it also, going just by NPC instructions. The only issue with that is you need good journal notes and it seems games are getting away from that. Skyrim's notes were completely useless as the game just expected you to rely on the quest marker.

I can see it potentially being useful when you finally get a mod that turns off map markers. I may try it then, but only then.

I prefer to wander around rather than beeline directly for the next objective. I don't mind getting lost in locations so much, it encourages me to actually get to know and understand where I am. That's also why I prefer Fallout's radar to the corner mini-map in other games; I tend to watch the map to plan a route instead of enjoying the scenery and learning to find my way in the actual world. I can see why VANS would appeal to some people, but I can safely say it's not on my shopping list.

Personally, I'm smart enough to find my way around without a line drawn on the ground to show me where to go.