Skills question

[The Velour Fog]

Hi all. Sorry for the noob question. I wanted to know how far I should increase my skills. Coming from playing fallout 3 and new vegas where the max is 100 I was a bit confused when I found you can increase them above that in this one. Initially I focussed on raising small arms to 100, now I'm wondering whether I should put points into other useful skills more now? Is 100% small guns okay for level 7?

Thanks

[Dwarfbuddy]

100%, at that level, is pretty good. However, skills are able to go up to 200% in this game, or so I believe.

[Dwarfbuddy]

And try to focus a bit into energy weapons. Small guns become less useful near the endgame.

[The Velour Fog]

I wondered about putting points into either that or big guns. I'll go for energy weapons then. thanks :)

[malfunction]

Originally posted by Dwarfbuddy:

And try to focus a bit into energy weapons. Small guns become less useful near the endgame.

I've never touched an energy weapon in my life.

[sethmage]

Originally posted by Dwarfbuddy:

100%, at that level, is pretty good. However, skills are able to go up to 200% in this game, or so I believe.

The skills go to 300%, I don't know why.

Originally posted by 0o:

Originally posted by Dwarfbuddy:

And try to focus a bit into energy weapons. Small guns become less useful near the endgame.

I've never touched an energy weapon in my life.

You can finish the game with small guns, but energy weapons do A LOT more damage

[Volcano]

i thought it was 200% in FO1 and 300% in FO2

[sethmage]

Originally posted by Healthy Harold:

i thought it was 200% in FO1 and 300% in FO2

Hmm, it might be, I know for sure FO2 is 300

[Poor Dick]

Originally posted by sethmage:

Originally posted by Healthy Harold:

i thought it was 200% in FO1 and 300% in FO2

Hmm, it might be, I know for sure FO2 is 300

I'm pretty sure its 200% in FO1, but I don't think there's any non-combat skills that really require a skill higher than 120-121%. I think there may be 1-2 'fluffy' skill checks above 120-121%, but nothing significant, iirc.

Similarly, in FO2, having much over 100% in a non-combat skill was largely useless. I think Chris Avellone basically stated this once - that it was a huge flaw in the game design and was his biggest lesson from the game (allowing people to create characters that weren't supported/effectual).

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To the OP:

Higher combat skills were almost always useful - they offset penalties for longer shots, and called shots. And you want to make that max firing distance shot to the eyes for the delicious critical damage.

Also, end-game energy weapons trump small guns hard - but, if you play through like me, you don't get any of them until basically the end of the game. If your character is mainly an Int/Cha build, I think you're going to need the plasma weapons to finish of the game. If your decently combat focused, you can probably get buy with small guns. Personally, I've found the tag perk to be worthwhile just to be able to jump from 2% Energy weapons to 120% in a few levels.