[quote=@JesseJ]
 Really this game could be a playground for builds that typically don't do so well in the games, particularly the later fps dominant games.
[/quote]

Wanted to just comment on this, because why not; as a long-term Fallout fan since the first game; I've never found many builds to be bad in almost any of the games in the series: Some are more difficult, but most methods of playing the game are manageable without a lot of frustration. (Fallout 1 & 2 are a bit more guilty of making things difficult because of a lovely thing known as [b][i]random fucking crits,[/i][/b] but aside from those, the game is pretty fair as long as you aren't dumb)

Fallout 3 I can understand how some builds clearly don't live up to the first two games; Melee is a good example. Melee in Fallout 3, as well as Unarmed, are down right awful. Between slow swing speeds, and most melee/unarmed weapons being generally bad even above 50% condition, it can make the game pretty difficult because there aren't many melee-benefit perks that are actually helpful. But with decent armor most enemies are still able to be managed, even in groups; The early game is the painful part, but sooner or later, you'll get to a point where you'll be using corners to your advantage and sneak crits to get a headstart on bashing that super mutant's head in; Making life much more simple.

Otherwise in Fallout 3, a majority of builds still work: Speech and unlocking skills can get you through the majority of the game if you choose to not fight, explosives are fairly effective in the game as well. And of course, there's good ol' guns and energy weapons. Guns are great. Energy weapons are great. End of that story.

The only issue for speech characters is that everything is based on a percentage and therefor makes it difficult to actually pass speech checks without being lucky with the randomness. This also means any character can potentially pass any speech check, however; Making words a very viable option all throughout the game.

Fallout New Vegas has all the good things about 3 and makes everything else work better, as well; With stat checks being reintroduced, speech is actually a great full-investment, and melee is one of the best ways of playing New Vegas on the hardest difficulties because it has so much perk support. (Slayer is a devastating perk, and when it's put together with other melee perks, can make you just short of unstoppable). Explosives also got buffed, and plenty of good perks as well; And there's even more pacifist ways to solve quests in New Vegas, making it the best of the first-person Fallout's as it gives you just about as much freedom and adapts to your character just as good as Fallout 2 did. And that's probably because it was made by a majority of the same people who made the originals!

Fallout 4 is kind of a mess. You said above you hadn't got to play it; And while I admit my playthrough was enjoyable, I have to say it's my least favorite fallout game of all because it truly doesn't give you many options for how quests can go down. The game is very focused on killing, and that's something I dislike as a high-karma character. Even the main quest is riddled with it; Even in places where it could have had options. Also Karma doesn't exist in the game anyways, so most of your choices don't have any effect on your character. No faction assassins coming after you, or lawmen chasing you down. Just... More fodder with nothing behind it. It's the most fitting to what you said above; About builds that don't really work. It relies heavily on combat, to the point investment is necessary unless you want to sink dozens of rounds into sponges called 'enemies'. 

Annnyways, I dunno. Just felt like chatting about Fallout a little; Don't know many fans of the series.