How do I set my S.P.E.C.I.A.L. attributes?
What skills to TAG?
What 'traits' should I select?

Ever wonder how many options you have? Well I did. I'm not a mathematics professor but I did some number crunching.

I couldn't come up with a formula for counting the SPECIAL options so I wrote a simple program setting each attribute from 1 thru 9 and only counting those adding up to 40, I came up with 213,402 possibilities. (any math professor out there wanna check this ... I'd appreciate it!)

To find the 'tag' options I used the 'combination formula' of nCr (n choose r) or 'How many different selections of 3 skills can be chosen out of 13 options'.
Which is (13x12x11) / (3x2x1) or 1716 / 6 = 286

Now 'traits' ... you can chose none (that's one) or one (that's ten more) or any 2 of 10 (using the 'combination formula' again = 45)
So the 'traits' options are 1 + 10 + 45 = 56

Now multiply the options: 213,402 x 286 x 56 = 3,417,846,432

That's "3 billion, 417 million, 846 thousand, 432" options just in Doc Mitchell's office alone!

So ... wanna tell me which one of those options is the 'best' ?

Let me add that my question is rhetorical in nature. My point is that there is "no best way" to play the game. The 'best' thing about the game IS the endless ways to play.

Woah, that's gave me a headache at this time in the morning before i've even got to work

Did you just learn about combinations and permutations in your algebra class? Isn't learning fun? I don't know why else you would randomly decide to do this.

To answer your question, there is no "Best" option. Obsidian made sure of that. It really depends on your playstyle. You choose how you want to play and choose SPECIAL/Skills that compliment that playstyle. In FO3 however, the best character build has 100 in all skills and 10 in all SPECIAL stats and has every perk that increases damage and DR. At least that was my character anyways.

Step 1. Disregard the math (that stuff will get you killed)
Step 2. Decide how you want to play
Step 3. After you've considered how you want to play build your character around that. Different character types require different skills. As far as the "perfect combination" of skills/attributes pick what you feel is best and just have fun.