I hate encounters. Breathe deep, and say it with me. You do too. You know you do.
I consider all that time spent spawning and then dashing offscreen like a post-apocalyptic Benny Hill wasted. I think, in their current form, random encounters don't enhance the game at all - they're something to be avoided, grinded or farmed.
Encounter difficulty means nothing - if I have to head over to Navarro I'll just strip down to my undies and keep running into certain death until I get there. If I encounter a patrol, I wouldn't stand a chance anyway - I'd just get shot by Enclave murdervision, respawn, and do it all again. If the enemies aren't ranged, then all you have to do is run - regardless of RT or TB.
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Edit - MY IDEA:
Let's say Encounters are divided into City/Desert/Cliffs, like it is now. Then divided into encounter levels 1-3, 4-7, 8-12, and so on. Low levels would encounter rats, ants, and a badly equipped raider or two. Mid-level would have small groups of marauders, slavers, molerats. High levels would encounter floaters and supermutants. Everybody is fighting things they should be able to handle - high levels don't have to fuck around with rats, low levels don't get destroyed by super mutant laser eyes.
I think you'd also be able to keep more of a handle on what gear people can easily obtain. If you're level 8, NPCs are wielding magnums and assault rifles and they're only gunning for you - no more NCR Army vs. Super Mutants to pick the remains.
Combined with Rat's handsome new encounter map style further down, I think we'd be onto something.