Alright, let’s talk about figuring out some good ways to build your character in Fallout 4. When I first jumped into the Commonwealth, man, I was all over the place. My first character? A total mess. I put points into whatever sounded cool at the moment. A little bit of Strength, some Charisma ’cause I wanted to talk my way out of things, then maybe some Intelligence for hacking. Ended up being kinda bad at everything.
So, after stumbling through that first playthrough, I decided to get a bit more focused on my next run. I actually sat down and thought about how I wanted to play the game, instead of just reacting.
Figuring Out the Stealthy Approach
I remember thinking how cool it would be to pick off enemies from the shadows. So, I decided to try a stealth sniper build. This time, I really pumped points into Agility and Perception right from the start. Those seemed like the obvious choices, right? Perception for spotting enemies and hitting them far away, Agility for sneaking.
- I grabbed the Rifleman perk early to boost my rifle damage.
- Sneak was essential, obviously. Maxing that out makes a huge difference.
- Later on, I added Ninja and Mister Sandman for those sweet, sweet sneak attack damage bonuses, especially with silenced weapons.
- Getting a good silenced rifle became my main goal for a while. Scrounging parts, looking for mods.
Playing this way felt totally different. It was slower, more methodical. I spent a lot of time crouched, scanning areas with my scope. But taking out an entire raider camp without them even knowing where I was? Super satisfying. It took patience, though. Close-quarters fights were nerve-wracking early on until I got better gear and more sneak perks.
Then I Tried Smashing Things
After playing sneaky for so long, I wanted a change. Like, the complete opposite. So, next character? Melee time. All about getting up close and personal. This meant pouring points into Strength like there was no tomorrow. Endurance was important too, gotta be able to take a few hits if you’re running right into gunfire.
- Big Leagues (for two-handed) or Iron Fist (for punching) was the first perk I grabbed. Gotta make those swings count.
- Rooted was surprisingly good. Standing still and swinging gets you extra damage and defense.
- But the real game-changer for me was Blitz. Being able to basically teleport short distances in VATS to smack someone? Yes, please. It closes the distance instantly and makes melee feel way less clunky.
- Getting some decent armor and maybe modifying it with Padded or Dense lining helped survive explosions and bullets on the way in.
This was pure chaos and fun. Totally different vibe. Instead of carefully planning, I was just charging in, VATS-teleporting with Blitz, and sending limbs flying with a super sledge or a power fist. It felt powerful, almost reckless. You definitely use more Stimpaks this way, or at least I did.
Some Stuff I Learned Along the Way
What I really figured out through all this messing around is that you gotta commit to a style, at least early on. Spreading your SPECIAL points and perks too thin just makes the game harder than it needs to be. Focus on the stats that support your main combat perks.
Also, don’t ignore crafting! Gun Nut, Armorer, Science!, and Blacksmith might seem boring, but being able to upgrade your gear makes a massive difference, no matter your build. A basic pipe rifle sucks, but a fully modded one? Much better. Same goes for armor and melee weapons.
And don’t forget companions! Having someone like Piper or Nick can draw fire if you’re stealthy, or having a tank like Paladin Danse (if you go that route) can be great backup if you’re charging in.
So yeah, that was my process. Lots of trial and error. Started messy, then tried focusing on specific ways to play. Found out sneaking and smashing were both a blast, just in different ways. The “best” build really just depends on what you find fun. Don’t be afraid to experiment!
