I've been playing on hard from the start too with this character. I find it much more enjoyable. On 'normal' combat didn't seem much of a challenge anywhere in the game, except perhaps when surrounded by 4 deathclaws.
The fact that I was pretty good at energy weapons and got my hands on the most powerful plasma rifle in the game at a relatively early stage probably had something to do with it, tho.
Now, combat is delightfully challenging. Regular super mutants are still a breeze with my flamer+pyromaniac perk but the Brutes and Masters are HARD. I was doing the Reilly's Rangers quest yesterday and down in the hotel lobby we ran into a pack of super mutants, one of which a Master with a minigun. At 100 big guns, 2 ranks of demolitions expert and 70% weapons condition I fired three friggin' missiles straight unto his body and he survived them.
barely, but still. Had to finish him off with a minigun. Tough cracker. I haven't met a deathclaw yet in this game but I can imagine they're gonna make me cry (as a melee char you might do so even more).
With the lower medicine skill and taking more damage, I (like Satis) spend a lot more time eating and sleeping. And using less direct tactics, and conserving ammo (the amount of ammo that goes into killing a brute or master is insane). Stimpacks are low now, I still find them but I use a lot more with less effectiveness. At the end of my previous game I had 220 (!) stimpacks. I barely ever pack more than 10 at a time this time.
More specifically about my game: playing more, and still finding new stuff. Can you believe I never made it the Capitol in my previous game? Just never occured to me. heh. Doing quests I didn't do before, and I still have to find a lot of stuff you guys mentioned. I'm thinking about dropping by Fort Constantine in a bit. Also made every DIY weapon in the game and some are really neat as backup or special purpose weapon. I like the dart gun especially. Some are just overpowered, tho. A bottlecap mine or a nuka grenade do INSANE damage.
I invested the max amount in the weapons, armor and scrap traders at Canterbury Commons. I was still a little underwhelmed by the stuff they pack but it did get a lot better. Also, their repair skills are the best in the entire game (Crazy Wolfgang has 75 repair!).
*HUGE SPOILER WARNING*
Satis, what did you think about the ending? I have mixed feelings. The assault on the Jefferson memorial with Liberty Prime leading the way is fucking glorious. Simply awesome.
The way he lobs the nukes etc...
On the flip side: you barely had to move a finger. he cleared the entire way for you...only inside the rotunda you faced some opposition and even that was a joke if you had good energy weapons skill. The ending was a bit anticlimactic, too. I just fought through downtown DC, a whole squad of Enclave soldiers in power armor and the last thing standing between the purifier and me is...a guy in a standard officer's uniform.
I headshotted him in one go. Then I refused to go into the chamber.
I was like "hell no, i'm not going in there". Neutral and self-saving...that's my character.
So Lyons sacrificed herself...poor girl.
I'm curious what will happen if you go down a different path (ie go with the president's plans). I loved how the ending somewhat stressed your cowardice btw.
Well, my cowardice.
