I'm trying REALLY hard to like fallout 2

Firstly, the game was a pain in the butt to set up and get working in a resolution I'd like. I spent hours tinkering with FO1 and had the same issue with fallout 2 upon startup. The only way I could get it to work at a tolerable framerate was with the restoration project, so playing vanilla isn't an option.

I loved FO1, it felt straightforward and my objective was very clear throughout the whole game but it rarely held my hand. Sometimes I needed a pointer of what to do but 95% of the time I got through the game with just exploring an open world.

Fallout 2 I really don't know what the fuck I am doing. The plot to begin with feels so vague but I guess that is just down to personal preference. I have no desire to hurry in saving these people as I know there are no consequences for taking your time. I don't have any connection to these people, I simply do not care for them. I felt the same about the FO1 intro really, but at least it felt like I needed to get a move on for the first half of the game.

I'm like an hour at most into the game. I cannot lockpick Vic's door for whatever reason, I had already used dynamite and my strength wasn't high enough for the crowbar to be used on the door. So already my first main objective was tarnished as I just did not know a workaround, I guess I just, made my character wrong..

I restarted, rushed to the same point and got through the door with a lockpick, awesome. Not a lot in there but this time I have a pipe rifle, I can finally kill those rats!

I cannot kill those rats. I have tried for what feels like 15 times now. I cannot kill this rat. Each hit with the rifle is about 60% but feels like 10% at best. My spear (sharpened too!) simply doesn't do anything to him, he out-damages me. I have tried lowering the difficulty which I was really really hoping not to do and it hasn't changed a thing it feels like.

Not only that but each turn takes like a good 20 seconds it feels just shooting, then reloading, then moving two hexes away, then the rat king attacks me for 8 damage, then another 8 while knocking me over. I get this really isn't taking too long, but after retrying for the 5th time or so I just got sick of it.

Seriously, what the hell do I do in this game. Like I *have* to be doing something wrong. I couldn't put the first one down as soon as I picked it up but this one I find myself just getting annoyed after playing it for 30 mins then doing something else. I am playing through every main series fallout game back to front and this game has enticed me for a while but I never got to picking it up. Just the intro alone makes me really want to love it. But after my initial experiences with this game I just find it absurdly annoying and tedious to play. I like to feel directionless in games, able to explore where I want when I want, and I may get my ass beat but that's just a lesson learned. Not here, I am not learning anything.

Can a die-hard FO2 fan PLEASE just convince me to keep trying. Drop some tips, write me something that will actually make me feel immersed and involved in the game.

P.S, I will not be using the guide as the most in-depth guide you could possibly imagine basically says 'if this is your first time just experience the game' which I agree with.