Every incarnation of Fallout alloys you to create a different character. After that you can take a ton of different directions.
You want a brute then up your strength and endurance to last in close combat.
A wasteland thief, then stealth, lock picking, agility and luck are your buddies.
A gun bunny means a lot of agility.
A sniper then add to your perception.
The detective means a lot of intelligence and perception.
The diplomat has a ton of charisma and intelligence.
These are just sample ideas off the top of my noodle. There is no wrong way to play your character at all. Even better is the choices for builds are just insane.
I usually fall into a mix of sniper and gun bunny. I love me some long range shooting or being able to unleash a torrent of doom at midrange on anyone who makes it close to me. The long rife and the combat shotgun have always been my friends. It has always been shoot first, second, third and then there are no questions to ask later. Who has time to gab?
Enter my guy Post Apoc Pete.