Fallout 4 is just around the corner and with the recent leaks we got access to the full perks list. Before we start talking about the specific perks (in this post we will look at the Perception perks), I want to give a short summary on how the leveling system works. There is no level cap in Fallout 4 and each level you get to choose either a new perk, a higher tier in an existing perk or a SPECIAL point. In this post, I will give my opinion about the Fallout 4 perks in the Perception category. Sometimes not all ranks of the perk are useful even if some of the ranks are, I will let you know in the rating! I will use * to *** stars to rate the perks, you will have to keep in mind your character build and playstyle to see if it will benefit your own character though.
I’m curious what you think about the Perception Perks, so let me know in the comments!
Pickpocket**
I. Your quick hands and sticky fingers make picking pockets 25% easier.
II. Picking pockets is now 50% easier. You can place a live grenade in a person’s inventory. (Requirement: Level 6)
III. Picking pockets is now 75% easier, and you can steal equipped weapons. (Requirement: Level 17)
IV. Picking pockets is now twice as easy, and you can steal equipped items. (Requirement: Level 31)
Rating: Pickpocket seems more like a fun perk than something you really need. There are many other ways to obtain items from other characters in the game, but it sure as hell can be fun to put a live grenade in someone’s pocket or steal their equipped weapons before you start a fight!
Rifleman***
I. Keep your distance long and your kill count high. Attacks with non-automatic rifles do 20% more damage.
II. Attacks with non-automatic rifles do 40% more damage and ignore 15% of a target’s armor. (Requirement: Level 8)
III. Attacks with non-automatic rifles do 60% more damage and ignore 20% of a target’s armor. (Requirement: Level 28)
IV. Attacks with non-automatic rifles do 80% more damage and ignore 25% of a target’s armor. They also have a slight chance of crippling a limb. (Requirement: Level 38)
V. Attacks with non-automatic rifles do double damage and ignore 30% of a target’s armor. They also have a slightly higher chance of crippling a limb. (Requirement: Level 46)
Rating: If you are a non-automatic rifle user, this is a definite must-have. Even the starting 20% extra damage is huge and it only gets better!
Awareness**
I. To defeat your enemies, know their weaknesses! You can view a target’s specific damage resistances in V.A.T.S.
Rating: This perk is really hard to rate because many factors are unsure. This could be very beneficial if it’s easy to obtain different ammunition for the weapon you use, like incendiary ammo for your guns. It will be less useful if you need 5 or more different weapons for this perk to work. Carry weight is almost always an obstacle in Fallout games, especially if you are a hoarder!
Locksmith**
I. Your nimble fingers allow you to pick Advanced locks.
II. You can pick Expert locks. (Requirement: Level 7)
III. You can pick Master locks. (Requirement: Level 18)
IV. Your bobby pins never break during lockpicking. (Requirement: Level 41)
Rating: The first three ranks of this perk are a must-have unless you have the ability to hack terminals maxed. Having either of these perks will allow you to reach all ‘important’ areas in the game, but if you wanna open every door you will need to get both to rank III. Rank IV is absolutely useless.
Demolition Expert***
I. The bigger the boom, the better! Your explosives do 25% more damage, and you can craft explosives at any Chemistry Station.
II. Your explosives do 50% more damage, and grenades gain a throwing arc. (Requirement: Level 10)
III. Your explosives do 75% more damage and affect a larger area. (Requirement: Level 22)
IV. Your explosives now do double damage. Mines and grenades shot in V.A.T.S explode for double damage, too. (Requirement: Level 34)
Rating: This is another example of a must-have perk if you are into explosives. My experience with previous Fallout games is that you can’t use this as your only weapon group, but it can be a great support for your main weapon.
Night Person*
I. You are a creature of the night! Gain +2 to Intelligence and Perception between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
II. You now have +3 to Intelligence and Perception between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., and night vision when sneaking. (Requirement: Level 25)
Rating: I find this perk quite useless, the effects are good, but the fact it’s not always available does not make it worth your while. The only reason to take it is if you wanna roleplay some nightly stalker person.
Refractor*
I. You must be part mirror! Instantly gain +10 Energy Resistance.
II. You now have +20 Energy Resistance. (Requirement: Level 11)
III. You now have +30 Energy Resistance. (Requirement: Level 21)
IV. You now have +40 Energy Resistance. (Requirement: Level 35)
V. You now have +50 Energy Resistance. (Requirement: Level 42)
Rating: This perk is nice, but definitely not a must-have. I would advise you to take armor with Energy Resistance if you go up against a lot of enemies with energy weapons. You could take it if you maxed all your must-haves.
Sniper**
I. It’s all about focus. You have improved control and can hold your breath longer when aiming with scopes.
II. Non-automatic, scoped rifles have a chance of knocking down your target. (Requirement: Level 13)
III. Non-automatic, scoped rifles gain +25% accuracy to headshot in V.A.T.S. (Requirement: Level 26)
Rating: Unfortunately this perk isn’t a must-have for a sniper… I really wanted this to be needed to snipe properly, but you can do without this perk. I’m not sure yet how hard it will be to aim with sniper on consoles, so for that it might be useful and if it’s hard the V.A.T.S. headshot rank will good too. I will take this perk in my first playthrough because I love scoped rifles!
Penetrator**
I. There’s no place to hide! In V.A.T.S you can target an enemy’s body parts that are blocked by cover with a decrease in accuracy.
II. In V.A.T.S when you target an enemy’s body parts that are blocked by cover. There is no decrease in accuracy. (Requirement: Level 28)
Rating: When you are using a V.A.T.S. playstyle this perk could be awesome, but it really depends on how the AI will turn out. If they don’t use cover as often, it will have less of an impact.
Reading the description it looks like there is no decrease in damage which is really nice.
Concentrated Fire*
I. Stay Focused! In V.A.T.S every attack on the same body part gains +10% accuracy.
II. In V.A.T.S every attack on the same body part gains +15% accuracy. (Requirement: Level 26)
III. In V.A.T.S every attack on the same body part gains +20% accuracy and does 20% more damage. (Requirement: Level 50)
Rating: The Concentrated Fire perk is nice, but it’s not worth taking Perception to level 10. Its usefulness will heavily depend on the toughness of the opponents, it might come in handy if you need to cripple a strong boss to improve your chances of survival, but otherwise I don’t recommend taking this perk.
