I remember someone reviewing the PC version of New Vegas and thought they said that NV has an option to allow VATS as permanent combat mode. I bought it for PS3 just for that reason because I hate action combat using a gamepad so thought I could use VATS and not have to worry about action points. But there is no such option in Very Easy, Easy or Normal modes. Was I misinformed?

Looks like you were. There's no such option to have VATS as a permanent aid to combat without action points in the Xbox version and, although I don't have a PS3, I can't see it being any different.

However, when you level your character up you can greatly lengthen your VATS time by improving various aspects of your stats. I don't remember having to use standard FPS style combat very often once I'd gone up a few levels.

OK, good to know, I have set the game mode to very easy just to make sure the combat with a gamepad does not annoy me too much but not sure if that will make other things too easy or not. I will set it back to normal mode once I get my level up, am only level 2 so far. FO1 and FO2 were both turn based combat and allowed you to target specific body parts so using VATS is more true to the original FO combat mode and also true RPGs. RPGs are supposed to be about stats and tactical skills and not the twitch factor. Action combat in RPGs is to appease the ADD generation and I just can't stand it on consoles. On a PC I do much better in action combat using a keyboard and mouse and is why I never bought Oblivion for the PS3.

Have you had your PS3 for long?

The reason I ask is because when I first got my Xbox a few years ago I was incredibly frustrated with the gamepad on FPS games, so much so that I doubted I'd ever get used to it and I resigned myself to sticking with my PC for any FPS action. But I did get used to it in time. In fact I'm now so comfortable with the gamepad that if an FPS game comes out on Xbox and PC I'll pick up the Xbox version by preference.

With Fallout even if you shoot at targets in real time without VATS the game still takes in to account your stats and predicts hits/criticals etc. It's never pure FPS in the same way that something like 'Call of Duty' is.

Well, I've been killed a few times because I wasn't quick enough lining up my shots with the gamepad. I have had the PS3 for quite some time and even have a few action games but never play them for the reasons stated. Mouse and keyboard just feels much more fluid and natural to me. Only games I really like using a gamepad on the PS3 are sports games. I had a 360 also and my console experience goes right back to Mattel Intellivision so am no noob to gamepads. They just do not work well in 3D FPS games.