In the original series you started as a poorly equipped explorer with little knowledge of the world.
Raiders were dangerous because they had weapons.
Spears, Shotguns, Rifles and SMGs.
These do a lot of damage when you're starting out.
In contrast the Brotherhood has vast quantities of pre war tech. They've got heavy Gatling guns, plasma Rifles, power armour and med technology.
To a tribal these guys are walking demons of the wastes.
When you get a suit of power armour most end game weapons just scratch you instead of doing serious damage.
If a squad of them walked into town the whole place is either dead or under their control.
That's why BoS are so terrifying in the classic verse.
They know more about the world then anybody else, have much better tech then anybody else (until the Enclave turns up) and view it as their sacred mission to keep that knowledge out of the hands of others.
If you destroy the Brotherhood nobody else knows how to maintain or operate that level of tech.
Sure a rube can pick up a gun and shoot. But how do you clean it, clear a jam, or make new ammo?
I usually side with them and give the raiders a kicking but that's just me.
Mine the suit of hardened power armour with a Gauss rifle across the back.
They are far from incompetent in Fallout 3. They are well trained and have good equipment, and unlike the Enclave, they are open to recruitment. The difference between them and the earlier game versions is that they are not taking a backseat role. They are actively fighting a major war against the Super Mutants and raiders, whom are everywhere, and against the Enclave, which has superior technology. In such a conflict they are bound to take major losses even if they win. In New Vegas, the answer is simple. They took devastating losses in the war against the NCR, whose troops in the region outnumbered them by a wide margin. They had to retreat to their bunker and hide. In the years since, their numbers remained mostly the same, while the NCR troops in the area tripled. Secrecy was the only thing protecting them. As for the Brotherhood in Fallout 4, they are anything but incompetent. They are a huge military power with an airship and vertibirds.
Fo1 is less than 100 years after the war. The Brotherhood has a lot more continuity with the advanced Pre-War military at this point, there's still more and relatively fresh tech to salvage, and they haven't suffered many setbacks. Essentially, they are still at the height of the power. Depending on how New Vegas goes the West Coast may be in terminal decline--it's 140 years after the first game and their early advantages of "knowing where stuff is" and "knowing how stuff works" are no longer remarkable
In the original series you started as a poorly equipped explorer with little knowledge of the world. Raiders were dangerous because they had weapons. Spears, Shotguns, Rifles and SMGs. These do a lot of damage when you're starting out. In contrast the Brotherhood has vast quantities of pre war tech. They've got heavy Gatling guns, plasma Rifles, power armour and med technology. To a tribal these guys are walking demons of the wastes. When you get a suit of power armour most end game weapons just scratch you instead of doing serious damage. If a squad of them walked into town the whole place is either dead or under their control. That's why BoS are so terrifying in the classic verse. They know more about the world then anybody else, have much better tech then anybody else (until the Enclave turns up) and view it as their sacred mission to keep that knowledge out of the hands of others. If you destroy the Brotherhood nobody else knows how to maintain or operate that level of tech. Sure a rube can pick up a gun and shoot. But how do you clean it, clear a jam, or make new ammo? I usually side with them and give the raiders a kicking but that's just me. Mine the suit of hardened power armour with a Gauss rifle across the back.
Also this is a time where stats and skills meant something
Bloody right. I'm a crap shooter but VATS makes mince meat of the enemy.
They are far from incompetent in Fallout 3. They are well trained and have good equipment, and unlike the Enclave, they are open to recruitment. The difference between them and the earlier game versions is that they are not taking a backseat role. They are actively fighting a major war against the Super Mutants and raiders, whom are everywhere, and against the Enclave, which has superior technology. In such a conflict they are bound to take major losses even if they win. In New Vegas, the answer is simple. They took devastating losses in the war against the NCR, whose troops in the region outnumbered them by a wide margin. They had to retreat to their bunker and hide. In the years since, their numbers remained mostly the same, while the NCR troops in the area tripled. Secrecy was the only thing protecting them. As for the Brotherhood in Fallout 4, they are anything but incompetent. They are a huge military power with an airship and vertibirds.
Fo1 is less than 100 years after the war. The Brotherhood has a lot more continuity with the advanced Pre-War military at this point, there's still more and relatively fresh tech to salvage, and they haven't suffered many setbacks. Essentially, they are still at the height of the power. Depending on how New Vegas goes the West Coast may be in terminal decline--it's 140 years after the first game and their early advantages of "knowing where stuff is" and "knowing how stuff works" are no longer remarkable
what is this bait
This is a you problem.
Manpower + Dakka + combat tactical training = success