VATS is fun, and adds an awesome cinematic feel to the kills. I use it quite often. I feel that it kind of distinguished F3 from other shooters out there. (I know that it isn't a "shooter" so to speak, but I was referring to a combat feature, so it was my acting word.) I never see where all the hate is at. Your character is often outnumbered, and having that little extra skill to use adds a flavor to how you fight and makes you seem a bit more awesome.

Vats gives you a temporary damage resistance of something like 90% (?). Its possible to launch a nuke, then attack someone with VATS, and survive the blast from the Nuke.
Its possible to jump into a group of opponents, attack them with VATS, pop Jet, and Quantum colas, attack them again, and all their shots hit at -90% damage. There is even a video of a guy jumping off Ten Penny Towers and attacking someone with VATS before hitting the ground and he lived.

**As to Why would the AI have a turn.... You have to understand what a turn is. A turn is not "Combat with Pause". Turn based games use the TB mechanic to allow the player to examine all aspects of the situation simultaniously (something you cannot do in real life).

Combat in Fallout is not "stop and go", it is sliced up into seconds of time. AP's == "Use of Time". Some characters can accomplish more in the time that they have than others. In Fallout everyone has AP's, and when combat starts, the first to act commits there actions for the first seconds of the fight. Its done in order of who would act fastest / first.

The player gets to see the entire conflict in it's entirety (missing nothing); This can be likened to say.. a bank robbery, where the combatants each have there own view of what they could see of the fight, but the police officer that looks over the surveillance tapes sees it all (frame at a time if need be). In Fallout (and many other games) the action is considered simultaneous (and without pause ~just like the robbery), but the player gets to decide the best possible course of action for their PC in that fight. This means weapon changing, inventory access, re-positioning the PC, interaction with items and objects, and attacking (not just attacking ~as with VATS in FO3... There was no VATS in Fallout, the Vats were a place in the military base).

Yeah, gods are really awesome. But playing as one is a real snooze fest since nothing is challenging anymore.

I like VATS it's just not that useful honestly.

I typically use it when I need to lob a grenade in a tight spot, it's generally pretty accurate when throwing them.

I'm somewhere in the middle on this debate. It does make the game too easy, but at the same time, if you set your own limitations and don't use it every time your AP gauge fills up, it's not bad. I wish they would have added an option to adjust the AP regeneration speed.

Play on a console I take it? If so I understand where your coming from. Even on its hardest setting unmodded fallout 3 was easy. Adding vats to that would make it a 'win' button.

However, if your on the pc, there are mods that make the game much more .. interesting.. from adding in weapons and etc (fook2) or adding in multiple types of monsters with increased spawns(mmm). Also, if I recall right there are mods which allow you to take damage during vats and even get rid of the time slow-down. Personally, I think the time vats time and damage reduction will be the first things I mod out of new Vegas

I'm on the 360.

Never used vats to avoid damage... I know I have avoided damage with it, but I never used it for that purpose. In some situations I understand a damage reduction as you cannot move while the slow motion takes over but 90% was too high.

Same here
I don't think I ever used it to purposely cut down on damage

The slow motion deaths get boring fast, and its pretty much a god mode button.

Only thing I would change would be the invincibility you seem to gain from it.

I like V.A.T.S. but I wish you could target the eyes and the groin. Not trying to compare games but Fable II's sub-targeting let you go for groin shots.

F3 isnt challenging period.

I like the idea of VATS, and the system as it was in Fallout 3 (which is the only Fallout game I've played, sadly).
I like that they created the Action Points system, so you aren't completely dependent on it, you actually have to do some of it yourself eventually.
however, it should only lock on to targets that you are facing in the general direction of. and maybe if you had to exit out of VATS in order to VATSify(?) enemies behind you...?

also, it needs to work with the sniper rifle.

VATS is the "I win" button due to making the PC invincible. Besides, I can aim pretty well, so I don't need it.

I enjoy the fast- paced non- VATS gameplay, but also use VATS if I can't get the right shot, or as I said in another thread, I want to see a cinematic blood bath.

Ditto - I use both. Sometimes I just want to take a breath and check out my options - and just plain enjoy the cinematics. It's not hugely different to "bullet time" in other games - just an option for when you want to line up your shots.

Agreed, I believe the people who dislike VATS are a small but vocal minority, the linked poll seems to trend in that direction.

Yes, in FO3 it could be used as a temporary "God Mode" like using a Fatman at close range with little fear of splash damage to yourself, but nobody is putting a gun to your head to use it in that way.

You can forgo AP and VATS based perks such as Action Boy and Grim Reaper Sprint and take advantage of VATS from a distance to knock out a weapon or cripple limbs. Sure you may catch a bullet or two, but those weren't going to kill you anyway.

And who knows, there may be some "tweak" in FONV that gives you -90 DR instead of +90DR while in VATS mode causing you die almost every time you try to use VATS in the middle of a crossfire. That should flip the opinion in the exact opposite direction.

OR maybe it will be balanced to say +10 DT, You never know...

I didn't know you got a 90% defence when it V.A.T.S. Hmmmph, learnt something new.

So for the people who do not like the slow-mo of V.A.T.S are you unhappy that you don't have to be in V.A.T.S. but will still have the slo-mo when you get your kills? I am not shure if this is toggable or not. I thought I read in a review that you will get the slow-mo when you do a 1st person kill.

I don't mind VATS, but I just like to not use it instead. Seems more realistic that way.

It can be switched off.

And the number of people on internet forums who respond to polls is a vanishingly small number of the people who play the game. I'd guess that most people who played it made heavy use of VATS, and they've moved on to something else long since.

Even besides GRS (which really should either drop entirely or become a short term AP regeneration speed buff after killing, rather than a full recharge) and intentionally abusing the DR, it is powerful. Nor is it really explained why the PC gets it and no one else does (magical granted ability of Pip-Boy?). Nevertheless, I like it; +1 to whoever said that there's plenty to twitch-reflex games out there, and that this makes fallout different.

I hope there's a trait that gives minor accuracy and damage increases in exchange for disabling VATs. Then all the supabads can feel special, while the rest of us can keep enjoying the game.

Just mostly old f01-2 fans who think its a gimmeck but thats cool everyone has a opinion.

I do think that it damaging limbs needs to have a greater effect, so you would want to go for leg shots first, to completely immobilize them (instead of them just limping after you, even if you killed both legs), and then go for a headshot.

Because it svcks......what? you asked