After I bought Fallout 1 here, I posted a topic about the difficulty of the game. I had a lot of problems with constantly dying. After much support from fellow gogers, I finally made a build that worked and took advantage of the game. I'm happy to say I've beaten it.
Now I'm having the same problem with Fallout 2. Not only is the combat difficult, I'm always strapped for cash. Anyone have any newbie tips to help out (without spoilers please)? Thanks!

my way for getting some cash during the beginning of the game is to sell the loot from random encounters. Some of the random encounters will surely get you killed at first (like if your still low level and you encounter a group of slavers) but you should get a few that you can handle. Once you get Sulik things will get a little easier and getting the gecko skinning perk is also a good idea

stay off drugs

Well I started a new game, and concentrated on taking my time and doing all the quests in a city before moving on. I think that was my biggest problem. Now I'm doing much better.
I also realized that gambling is a pretty easy way to make a ton of money, just save, gamble, if lose, reload... a little cheap, but oh well :)
I also paid closer attention to my SPECIAL stats this time around, so I don't suck so much in combat.

What really sucks about this first few hours of this game is that you don't have a gun. So expect to get your but kicked consistently until you find a pistol or something. I assume you are tagging Small Weapons. If not you probably should start over.
Also, explore every last nook and cranny for items. Every little bit counts, especially in the first five hours of the game.

I think i have lots of knowledge about fallout (played game more times than any other) so there are few advices
1) stick with cold weapons for start - saves you money, lots of money, get for guns after you have base fundings and skills
2) stick to sulik, if you have low charisma, then he should be your only companion till later, he is close combat killing machine (sometimes much more if you give him PA and supersledge) and uncle bone is sometimes usefull.
3) stick to speech skill, it will make your game much more interesting and "money easier" in long run, i do not want to tell you what to do, but tagging speech is quite a good idea
4) quests, quests, quests are bread and butter, in klamath you can make enought quests to start thinking about guns, for begining, in arroyo you can get sharpened spear and some sellable loot, in klamath get gecko skinning perk, good for start, i wont give you more advices on quests due to your request with spoilers ;) (you can get eventualy from temple of trials with lvl 2 and lot of things to sell)
this game is playable with any character archetype, but some of them request deep knowledge of game and mechanics.
if you want to know something specific, ask.

Two very good tips. I have followed both of these.

The easiest method of attaining high worth items for Bartering early in the game is to head to Redding, go with the caravans, and let the guards handle the bandits and raiders that attack. They usually carry Small Guns, some Big Guns (typically Flamers) and these all go for good selling prices, you can then head to NCR and trade with the merchants there to get good equipment, preferably some Combat Armor earlier on.
Don't forget the fact that most of the traders in the Den are scum, carry stock that won't be useful later on, and won't affect your Karma, nailing them won't hurt you too bad and you can take their stock for an early boost. Just don't try to kill Rebecca Dyer though.
Oh, and the kids in the Den that stand in doorways stealing your junk will no longer do so if you kill the merchant that operates inside.

Search for the Fallout ultimate walkthrough by Per Jorner. It will tell you everything you need to know about Fallout 1 and 2. And you can use it in segments, so like your first time through you just read the very beginning where he talks about good perks and character creation in general. On your next play through you can figure out everything there is to do with his town by town detailed walkthrough. It's pretty awesome

Here is the link for convenience.
[url=http://user.tninet.se/~jyg699a/fallout2.html]http://user.tninet.se/~jyg699a/fallout2.html[/url]

I'm sure something is not working right in my game.
I'm trying to lockpick the VERY first door in the Temple, but nothing happens. I don't even get a message acknowledging that I've tried to use the lockpick skill. If I use any of my other skills, I get a message in the lower left window telling me what I tried to do and the result. But with the lockpicking I get nothing in terms of game feedback - and that door is not opening, even with my lockpick skill at 33%. Am I bugged? I've restarted the game several times, but always get the same result (and yes, I've tried opening the door after using the lockpick skill, but it's still locked).

i do not remember temple of trials too well, but i will look at it when i get home, there was specific way to open each door in temple.
//edit: fist doors (those in entrance with two ants) can be opened normaly, you need lockpick skill to open second one, and third one you will destroy with explosives if i am right.

Yea, temple of trials feels more like trial and error at times. I never quite got the point of the whole temple anyway. And lockpick is totally a skill worth investing in. There are quite a few lock containers and doors that are in-between you and some sweet loot.

I got through that door in the end, but it sure was a random thing. At every other lockpickable door, I've actually been able to select my lockpicking skill and apply it to the door via the little yellow targeting icon, but that didn;t work on the Temple door. The temple door opened when I got mad and started clicking at it at random using the left and right mouse keys. A dropdown menu appeared and the door opened. Really wierd.

not weird, with RMB you change your cursor type, unlocked doors can be opened with hand, locked doors must be unlocked :) (one of the things that "new age" gamers doesn't know :-D )
BTW
1st doors are opened normaly, just RMB to see hand and open
2nd doors are picklocked, those doors can be lockpicked by any character
3rd doors must be blasted by explosives
oh, and I think that under second doors is trap