Firstly some background, I have been playing games since the 80's, played all the TES games including Arena at release, played Fallout 3 for hundreds if not Thousands of hours, and been around these forums for 13 years or more looking at help threads like these

So far Im level 10, already have a suit of Power Armor and joined the Brotherhood of Steel where I am up to the 3rd or 4th mission. Now I have died at least 30-40 times already, by everything, I am talking about pretty much EVERYTHING other than standard ghouls or hounds? This is on Standard Difficulty? Power Armor I have modded but since I am only finding a limited supply of power cores I can't use it very often? I find myself sneaking around the wilderness just waiting for something to sting me, kill me, Super Mutants whack me once with their boards and I die instantly? When my Power Armor is off I am using modded Armor picked up from dead Brotherhood Of Steel members etc but I am still finding I die with frequency?

I am all up for difficult games, maybe I am taking on quests that I shouldn't be at level 10 but I am dying just walking through the wilderness by those Sting Wings, or RadScorpians, or Those confounded Bots! I understand when it shows that little skull next to their name it is too difficult for my level, I am finding them everywhere, but even running doesn't save me very often?

I am also finding that I run out of ammo and Health VERY quickly because often I am trying to kill these Powerful Beings much stronger than I am and using up all my Stimpaks and Ammo in the process

I love this game don't get me wrong, but even I am getting a little tired of looking at the re-load screen Any hints or suggestions for an old-school gamer?

Thanks

Level 10 is probably a bit too soon doing the BoS quests. The area it is in, is more like level 12+

This Reddit post has download links to two Fallout 4 maps, which depicts the level roughly based on the area. One of the maps also depicts various points of interest regarding bobbleheads etc. So if you don't want spoilers, only download the one without hints.

https://www.reddit.com/r/fo4/comments/3tkmog/i_made_a_map/cx7a752

Use some time in the lower level areas, and get some gear and levels.

If ya,running into a lot of skull foes, yeah a,sign ya running around in to hard areas, try and stick to the North West/central North areas for a while, cover is ya friend and so is grenades at lower levels, they pack a mean punch.

Also its wise to use weapon and armour moding to improve your gear, even if ya dont really plan to invest perk points in the crafting perks. Speaking of perks, if ya haven't already, start putting perks points in one that fits your style, a very important source of dmg.

I die a decent amount. I always assumed it was because my strength is at 3 and I don't wear armour. I usually stay a pretty decent distance away from enemies, especially if there is more than 2. Mod your guns, keep a close eye; VERY close eye, on your health, and don't rush into battle.

These are probably the worst tips ever, sorry for that. Good luck out there man!

You're right about trying to go too far into areas over your level based on the common "skull" warning you.

There is a splash screen noting that the Commonwealth Wasteland gets progressively more dangerous the farther south you go. They mean it.

You might want to consider building at least one or two settlement bases as a "central command center" before doing any more quests, missions, etc. You gain XP every time you create anything at all, so this helps with both having a safe haven as well as gaining XP without combat (i.e., gaining perks and HP without combat).

Keep in mind that health regen stacks. Purified Water, Stimpacks, and various food both raw and cooked (and prepackaged, of course) stack their health gains on top of each other because they are different sources of health. Use them... and again, cooking raw food not only gains XP but alsoi removes radiation from the ingredients.

Yeah, do a bunch of Minuteman missions before doing BoS stuff. I made the same mistake and encountered the police station early and OMG was I out of my depth... so I took several steps back and it helped. Doing the basic missions helps you collect the junk you need to upgrade your stuff too.

I found it hard around level 10 too. You just have to push though and my advice is to unlock scrounger levels to get get the stuff you need. Ammo is pretty darn scarce in the early game as well. Building up a stock of that and stimpaks is essential. Oh and making a base adhesive farm (automate so you get tatos, mutfruit and purified water and you will get all the adhesive you will need from a campfire... vegetable starch).

The early levels are mainly to help build the stocks you need for when you hit level 20+.

You could always drop the difficulty setting if you haven't already. Like others have said it seems you're exploring into higher level areas. You can pick the scrounger perk to help find more ammo. And most of my loot in the early game goes to trading for rad away and stimpacks.

Well there is always the normal to very easy difficulty for scrubs.

Yeah, I don't think I'd even made it down to the BoS police station until I was in my mid-teens. I've definitely never run into skull-level enemies commonly - I'll see one or two here and there, but that's it.

(I also wonder if your weapons are kept modded up as well as you can manage, and if you've also grabbed the matching +damage perks.)

Or for people who just enjoy the game for reasons other than challenging combat. It's a single-player game, so I don't understand all this e-peening about difficulty levels when experienced players have different playstyles.

I found that I was using V.A.T.S. a lot more to begin with than I did with FO3 and FO:NV. Now that I'm used to how enemies move I only use it in dire situations. I'm not the best player in the world but I can manage without Power Armour. I use Shadowed Studded Leather and have found the right balance between stealth, gun and run as well as occasional use of V.A.T.S. Try to use cover as often as you can too. Even if it means stand behind a tree. Try to avoid cars and trucks though.

Edit: Sorry, that's with my level 11 character. I plan to move up to Heavy Combat armour when I can.

If the foe is too hard, run away! That's what that sprint button is for. I sneak everywhere in early game, sniping enemies to level up and put perks into weapons and armor improvement. Having a companion helps. Put the stempack on quick access menu.

Seriously, if you don't like dying, try sneaking, sniping, and if that failed just run away and come back when you have better stats and weapons.

I didn't have that problem at all on my first game where I went where the story told me to go during those low levels. On another playthrough though, I wandered way off and the enemies were very difficult and I died and had to get creative. You probably just wandered into an area that was too high level. You can tell if an enemy has a red skull next to its' name that it will be strong.

Yeah, keeping the perks matched to the weapons makes a big difference, also just leveling up before going south on the map is a good idea. So are advanced or powerful receivers. I'm lvl 26 and just rescued Nick.

Hmm... I wish this was in the spoilers forum. Oh well.

You can easily turn Sanctuary into a water farm. It sells rather well, so use this to stockpile caps and ammo.

In the beginning, put a splitter and up the crank on the laser musket, and learn to kite with it at a minimum distance. Basically, you have a slow laser shotgun. put a focuser and scope for a long distance rifle if you prefer.

Don't discount the pipeguns and 10mm pistol. I'm lv 30+ atm and they still do the brunt of my work. They make fantastic machine guns with little investment.

Make sure to slap a heavy bayonet on your primary weapon. It is devastating in the earlier areas, and a good finisher in the mid levels.

Pile on the heaviest armor you can get, and only mod it for more armor in the beginning.

Use drugs (IN GAME! NOT OUT OF GAME WITHOUT A DOCTORS PRESCRIPTION!) Buffout and jet can turn fights your way faster than a mini nuke most times.

Finally, learn how to break down gear in settlements. Do it, and build whatever you can. Good xp that way. (only thing I sell is explosives and water)

Hope this helps.

One last thing: Always be tapping that vats button. Best way to spot baddies and get the drop on them. Even if you aren't big on using vats, think of it as your own personal spidey sense.

Get Paladin Danse as a follower. He's great.

Not high-jacking this! What do you mean by 'water farm'?

Don't do that. Calling people scrubs or anything else because of their play style being different than your own is not allowed here. In fact I play on easy because I don't play the game for the combat. Combat is just something I must do as part of the game and where it gone all together I'm not sure I'd be bothered. Can I play on difficult? Yes but I don't enjoy it so why.

So, be nice.

So its not so much the quests I am doing its the areas that I am running into that those quests are located in? Hmmmm Maybe I should go and do a few of the Main Quests first then move onto the BOS quests?

Yeah I have been wondering why I am seeing so many skulls, maybe its just a higher level area? I might leave those quests for a bit and go and do some of the beginner quests..

Nah they are pretty useful actually, I do tend to just rush in to battle with my guns ablazing like Rambo lol I should use my sniper rifle at range then move in slowly and use Mines more too...

I got lucky once where 3 Super Mutants were being attacked by a bunch of Molerats and I lobbed a Frag. Grenade into the middle of them. The placement was spot on and it made short work of them all.

Thanks for your reply So I should stick to the Northern areas first? Just curious can you build your bases anywhere ?? I haven't made a base yet maybe I should? Thanks

Yeah I am going to do some minuteman quests now, Ive totally abandoned the BOS quest for the moment, my problem is I like to explore in Bethesda's games especially, I was on the way to a City when I ran into the distress signal and then I ended up at the Police station... I get distracted too easily like a kid with a new Toy, Im like Whats over there I wonder! lol

You made it farther than me OP. 14+ hours in and I'm still in Sanctuary Hills at level 4. I tried doing Prestons first quest but got killed by a horde of Feral Ghouls. So after multiple failed attempts I went back to Sanctuary. I then tried heading south and barely survived a pack of hounds after meeting Carla the vendor. I made it as far as the diner, then went back to Sanctuary after being one-shotted multiple times. I'm trying to do all the settlement quests for Sturges now and am lvl 5.