VATS Accuracy is Garbage

[Anankos4e]

After playing FO3 as a max STR/END character with a Power Fist, I decided to go for a PER/AG glasscanon sniper. It is quite fun sniping guys from 200 meters away, but VATS is so frustrating to use. My last 15-20 deaths went like this:
-target enemy in vats
-select head as target
-95% chance to hit
-first shot misses, whatever
-second shot misses, come on, man!
-third shot misses??
-fourth shot misses??????
-gets discovered and oneshoted

No, I am not shooting at railings, pillars or the like and i am also not using my sniper rifle at point blank.

Does this happen to anyone else?

[Melbana]

yes

[buttawise]

dunno if i go sniper i just use the crosshairs and hit them everytime. Vats I usually use for only melee or close range pistols or multiple targets in close/med range.

[Zekiran]

Your level will also play into this, as will your perks.

If vats isn't working for your sniping you know you CAN just hold breath and carefully aim manually.

[UsernameTaken666]

maybe.

[Anankos4e]

Originally posted by Zekiran:

Your level will also play into this, as will your perks.

If vats isn't working for your sniping you know you CAN just hold breath and carefully aim manually.

Most of the time I snipe manually when enemies are really far away, but since my sniper has the scope with the highest magnification and i dont have gun nut to craft a lesser one, once enemies come to close, VATS is my only method of getting rid of them. in regards to my perks, I am currently at Lv. 36 with 9 in Perception and the Sniper perk maxed out. Which makes this really wierd, since according to VATS, my chance for a headshot always hangs around 85% to 95% but in actuality is more like... 25%-30%.

[Zekiran]

Originally posted by Anankos4e:

Most of the time I snipe manually when enemies are really far away, but since my sniper has the scope with the highest magnification and i dont have gun nut to craft a lesser one, once enemies come to close, VATS is my only method of getting rid of them. in regards to my perks, I am currently at Lv. 36 with 9 in Perception and the Sniper perk maxed out. Which makes this really wierd, since according to VATS, my chance for a headshot always hangs around 85% to 95% but in actuality is more like... 25%-30%.

Then dedicate some perk points to your actual build? The perks are there for exactly this reason, to help you with weapon skills and all that...

[Emmental]

I think I ran into some kind of bug on my latest playthrough. All was fine, then at some point all the vats shots started missing even at 95%. It's almost like the target has a magnetic field that makes the shots fly off target. Not sure what's caused it, but it might be linked to sniper, penetrator and awareness or a combination, as since I invested in those this started to happen.

[Anankos4e]

Originally posted by Zekiran:

Originally posted by Anankos4e:

Most of the time I snipe manually when enemies are really far away, but since my sniper has the scope with the highest magnification and i dont have gun nut to craft a lesser one, once enemies come to close, VATS is my only method of getting rid of them. in regards to my perks, I am currently at Lv. 36 with 9 in Perception and the Sniper perk maxed out. Which makes this really wierd, since according to VATS, my chance for a headshot always hangs around 85% to 95% but in actuality is more like... 25%-30%.

Then dedicate some perk points to your actual build? The perks are there for exactly this reason, to help you with weapon skills and all that...

I literally told you with the exact post you were quoting that i was heavily investing into Perception (You know, the stat responsible for WEAPON ACCURACY in VATS) as well as the dedicated perks for my build. I know that I am missing concentrated fire, but one perk can hardly be the dealbreaker for one entire playstyle.

[Anankos4e]

Originally posted by Emmental:

I think I ran into some kind of bug on my latest playthrough. All was fine, then at some point all the vats shots started missing even at 95%. It's almost like the target has a magnetic field that makes the shots fly off target. Not sure what's caused it, but it might be linked to sniper, penetrator and awareness or a combination, as since I invested in those this started to happen.

Interesting, i have Sniper and Penetrator. You might be onto something.

[The Inept European]

A lot of people missing the point here. 95% reported accuracy and missing multiple times in a row. Forget your workarounds, this is still a major issue.

I HAVE seen this repeatedly since the update. I am wondering if it's to do with the frame rate changes affecting the physics.

There is definitely something wrong with VATS post update.

[The Inept European]

Ah wait this is a known next gen bug reported on Reddit to do with Penetrator.

And there is also a general problem with VATS accuracy in my opinion (I never take Penetrator).

[NecroMaster]

Your accuracy is capped at the maximum limit and you’re still missing like every other shot.

This game doesn’t know how math or percentages work.

“Oh fallout four is a perfect game that has absolutely no problems”

[The Inept European]

Also OP are you using a hitscan weapon like ballistic or a weapon with a moving projectile in VATS like plasma or Gauss? These two are notorious for missing in VATS.

But I am seeing issues after next Gen even with ballistic weapons with no Penetrator perk or other sniper/PER perks other than Rifleman.

[The Inept European]

It's worth noting that "VATS accuracy" actually is a garbage number. The game does NOT roll against this number to see if you hit. It's just a computed estimate. It's a comparison between the angular size of the error cone at that distance, vs the angular area presented by the target body part at that distance, minus hard cover. That's what it's attempting to show - and it often gets that wrong, particularly in regard to cover. The game then randomises the projectile into the error cone and what happens, happens.

(I have no idea if it takes into account recoil and recoil-control on subsequent shots. It should, don't know if it does.)

However I am seeing the issue om 95% chances in the open when cover is not a factor.

[Anankos4e]

Originally posted by The Inept European:

Also OP are you using a hitscan weapon like ballistic or a weapon with a moving projectile in VATS like plasma or Gauss? These two are notorious for missing in VATS.

But I am seeing issues after next Gen even with ballistic weapons with no Penetrator perk or other sniper/PER perks other than Rifleman.

I am using a 50.cal Sniper Rifle, upgraded from a legendary hunting rifle I found, no explosives, radiation, energy or whatnot.

Since you are the second person to tell me that penetrator is buggy, perhaps I will use console commands to remove those two perk points and add them somewhere else.