Stevedog13: Did you pick the Fast Shot trait? This will disable the ability to target individual body parts in combat.

The best none spoilery help I can give is that the most successful characters have a focus or theme. Trying to raise every skill to 100% isn't going to happen. My very first playthrough I tried to spend my skill points evenly across all the skills. Concentrating on one primary combat skill and 3-4 others will get you much farther. Unlike just about every other RPG ever made, Fallout doesn't really have useless skills or attributes. They may not all suit your playstyle but they all have a definite place in the game. This leads to a lot of replayability. Most quests have multiple solutions, but you aren't going to create one character that can access all of them.

Beyond that, just the usual RPG advice of:
- Talk to everyone
- Save often and in different slots
- Don't underestimate the Speech skill

elus89: I'd say the first aid and doctor skills are pretty useless, at least above 30 or so. You can only use them successfully three times a day, so all you have to do is roll until successful, as the time lost isn't a big deal. You can also boost them with kits, if you're really pressed not to waste time in a spot (but then just use stimpacks if so-- they're fairly plentiful). The skill is really only useful on early levels to boost exp., as in later levels the limited number of uses and amount of healing won't be as helpful anymore.

@Rodney Be sure to right click (or two-finger tap) on your equipped weapon to switch modes, if you haven't tried that yet.

Stevedog13: Again it is related to your playstyle. Personally I'd rather earn XP than spend caps. I used to feel the same as you about First Aid and Doctor, but I have since changed my tactics. I only use stimpacks during battle, once I am in the clear all my healing comes from First Aid/Doctor. Sure you can only use them successfully 3 times a day each, but they are worth 25xp and 50xp respectively. Thats 225xp instead of using 2 stimpacks. If I am not fully healed I rest for just enough time that I get back that first use of Doctor and I heal all over again. When I am playing with a large group of companions, usually 4-6, I can earn 1500xp-2000xp after a big battle. That's on top of the combat xp. It helps get you to the next level faster, which is important early in the game when you are weak and also later in the game when you want another perk and all the big quest xp has already been awarded.

Some of my best playthroughs have been from creating a character that is completely different from how I played before. In one of my favorites I had tagged Unarmed, Doctor and Outdoorsman.

rodney112: Makes sense! I am going to make a new hero then. I think that If I lack the option to choose body parts in the tactical mode it can suck later on. As for now. My plan is to get out of the vault. Get that guy at Shady Sands and promise him share of my loot. We shall depart for the water chip to that other vault far to the east. Then if he will be into stealing my precious treasures I will probably kill him. Mutants did it right? LOL.

Do you think that if I choose small guns = power guns later on? I have played Fallout 3 GOTY and it contained couple plasma guns. I would stick to plasma guns. They are sexy.

Thanks for the heads up by the way!

Oirish_Martin: I've always played as a gunslinger type rather than melee.

I've personally managed just fine tagging one of the late-game gun skills (Big/Energy) for later use while gradually topping up Small Guns in the early game. It can make it a bit tougher, but by the end of the game you're mowing down everything in your path.

Speech is worth tagging if you want the best choices in dialogue trees (need some intelligence/charisma too). Barter and one of the fixing-up/gaining access skills like Lockpick/Repair/Science are other good choices. The other skills I don't use so much.

If you want to be a good shot and have more moves in combat, try and drop a point or two extra into perception and agility.

Keep an eye out for perks that reduce your action point costs.

Keep an eye out for a geiger counter - there isn't one on the Pip-boy by default unlike in the FPS Fallout games. It also has to be put into one of your inventory slots and actively powered on. You won't find radiation as much as you do in the FPS games, but there are a few areas where it can creep up on you nonetheless. Also, unlike in the FPS games, you can fast travel with certain status effects - like irradiation - that means you instantly die once you arrive. If you think you're going to be affected, take antidotes like Rad-X/Rad-Away with you (and they're quite expensive too) and use them before fast travelling away.

Chems don't work in quite the same way - addictions are temporary, but using chems also gives you a small stat reduction "downer" once they wear off.

Try and memorise action point costs - even seemingly basic things like opening your inventory to use a stimpak in combat uses up your action points. If you're only using the one weapon, stick one stimpak/item in your spare slot and you can save a couple of action points in a round.

Do NOT give your companions weapons with autofire. Or if you do, stay well away from them.

Hoard as much stuff as you can carry away from fights with lots of enemies (leather armours, for example) - it can get you some better gear much earlier on once you hit places with more traders.

Let us know how you get on :)

pnkwag: My advice: don't go to gamefaqs.

UniversalWolf: This is really good advice, and I'll add this: don't listen to anyone giving you advice here, either. In fact stop reading this thread and don't come back until you've finished the game.

Just play. Playing Fallout for the first time is a fantastic, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Don't ruin it by asking other people what to do. There will be plenty of time for that later, believe me.