After 15 years and 323 hours, I've finally beaten Fallout: New Vegas, and this game doesn't need mods as much as you think it does

I'm a lifelong RPG reroller: I'm obsessed with restarting these things over and over until I'm sure that my first time hitting the credits will be perfect. My white whale for the past 15 years? Fallout: New Vegas, one of my very favorite games, which I finally completed for the first time after 323 hours and I don't know how many characters.

Part of my problem was New Vegas' myriad mechanical and story possibilities: Cowboy sniper, or unarmed ninja? Yes Man, or NCR? After a propulsive and...