Using VATS is the only sensible way to play Fallout 4. Since Bethesda doesn’t have the experience to make a well playing shooter, VATS, their gameplay system which all but turns Fallout 4 into a turn based classic RPG, is the way to go if you don’t want to be taken out by ferocious creatures in the wasteland.
One of the issues with using VATS is that you can’t overuse it. In the interests of game balance, Bethesda tied its usage to your AP, which is basically your stamina in game. Everything you do in VATS takes up a certain amount of AP- and something as simple as running can also use AP outside of combat. What this means is, oftentimes when you want to use VATS, you can’t- there’s not enough AP left (you need to wait for the AP to charge again before you can use VATS).
A new mod fixes that problem to some level, at least on PC. The mod is called the Turn-Based Simulator mod, and it new features to the headlamp slot of the power armor and mining helmets, allowing players to use VATS as often as they’d like without having to wait for AP to regenerate. The mod also removes the 90% damage reduction in VATS, meaning you aren’t penalized for using it. You can download it by going here.
Fallout 4 is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.