well VATS is awesome but FO3 was easy because of the too many skill points, too many perks, too many SPECIAL points and not enough high firepower weilding enemies, even at level 20 or 30 raiders still had lead pipes and not enough other enemies had high firepower, VATS wasn't the reason FO3 was easy. but as far using VATS, it all depends, sometimes i use it sometimes i don't, sometimes not using it is more efficient and sometimes using it is more efficient it just depends on the weapon and situation etc.

Oh, well I suppose that would be understandable. I still wish it had the F3 FPS aim, that was mainly my combat use, but at the same time, I have never played an FPS, aside from Bioshock, so Ironsights might be a problem for me. But, I learned to use F3s aiming Flawlessly. If Ironsights is the only way to fine aim, I'll just have to learn to use that too.

Myself, I have trouble with the fast-paced action-y bits during Fallout 3's combat (and chances are that's not going to change anytime soon.) Something about trying to keep an enemy in my cross-hairs long enough to shoot something and hit, while also trying to avoid enemy fire, and still be even moderately tactical about the whole thing - generally means that all I'm really doing is standing still and pumping lead as fast as I can.

Just not my cup of tea. :shrug:

So VATS is something I kind of make heavy use of in these new Fallout games. I'm rather glad they have it. Because otherwise I'd be kind of crippled in a game like this - without at the very least something akin to how Mass Effect let you pause the game at will, and at least catch your breath and figure out what's going on.

I think it's a relatively new game mechanic, that takes the Bullet Time concept in a new direction - and like most new ideas, there's plenty of room for refinement. But if anything, I think any problems with VATS the way we know it thus far point to reasons to improve and build upon the existing concept; and not necessarily scrap the whole thing altogether.