Has anyone else noticed issues with using VATS at point-blank/close range? I was fighting some geckos up close with my varmint rifle, getting 95% chances to hit, and yet didn't seem to do any damage at all after firing three shots in VATS.

Is this a bug, or am I doing something wrong? (Were the little buggers so close as to be under the barrel and I was just firing over them?)

You were just firing over them.

This. Once they're right up in your grill, they're usually out of your line of fire.

Thanks! Darned speedy little buggers....

Be careful with using VATS while in partial cover too, I've fired rounds directly into walls, trees etc.

happens in FO3 too. You have to make sure you get get clearly out of cover in order to hit, and you have to go to melee as soon as they're on you.

The one problem it seems with VATS is that it calculates percentages based on player line of sight rather than weapon line of sight. And the static animations prevent minor adjustments in the weapon position from happening, too.

VATS is for long range

With the new iron sights and small tweaks that seem to have been made to gun accuracy, I would qualify that as:

Iron sights are for long-range down to medium-range
VATS is for medium range (things are getting hairy) and maybe same-room range
Open sights is for melee/close range

Anything under 5' and you're better off with open sights. Or better, shooting them in the leg, then ducking around a corner to reload and gain some distance. I've had excellent luck sniping down enemies at long range. It's just a shame that they don't react when their comrade falls dead next to them (they just keep standing there).

The varmint rifle and 9mm have excellent iron sights - the service rifle, OTOH, not so much (I've switched back to the varmint rifle).

Definitely using VATS less then I did in FO3, spending a lot more time in iron sights mode instead.

Sorry to dig up an old topic, but can anyone comment whether point blank misses is "by design"?

I never noticed point blank misses in FO3 because VATS essentially froze time, so enemies never got to point blank range against me.

In NV this is always happening because enemies retain full running speed in VATS and everything runs like a cheetah. If it's a little critter like a Goodsprings gecko then fine, but there's no way my shotgun should entirely miss a human, or a golden gecko, or anything else larger than me when I'm staring them in the face.

And by the way, there seems to be a bug with enemies using rippers in VATS. Example: I have over 200 HP as I enter VATS to shoot a legion dude, just as slo-mo death scene happens his buddy closes in and uses his ripper, VATS ends and I'm dead.

VATS doesn't reduce damage anymore.

The targets were too close, and you were shooting 'over' them.

When using Unarmed or Melee on an enemy when pressing against them, you get the same effect, they shoot at you, but they miss.