Gender and age are largely irrelevant unless you plan on seducing lots of NPC's or make money through prostitution.

Primary statistics:

• ST 4 (+4 Advanced Power Armor, +1 Chip - Vault 8, +1 Perk)
  
• PE 7 (+1 Chip - Mariposa Military Base, +1 Perk)
  
• EN 5 ( +1 Perk)
  
• CH 5 (+1 Chip - Navarro, +1 Perk, +1 when you have sunglasses - Mason form Salvatores have those or dig them from the grave in the Golgotha)
  
• IN 7 (+1 Chip - Sierra Army Depot, +1 Perk)
  
• AG 8 (+1 Perk) Restoration Project req: +1 AG - EPA syringe
  
• LK 4 (+2 Zeta scan in Vault City, +2 when You kill Pharias dog from special random encounter, +1 Perk)

If you like to play without companions invest in EN instead of CH.

Traits:

• !!! Gifted !!! (+1 to all SPECIAL stats / -10% to all skills, 5 less skill points per level) - Must have for almost any build because the pros outweigh the cons in the late game
  
• Finesse (+10% Critical chance / -30% total damage) - Lots of Critz!
  note: with high LK and a few Perks you can increase your crit chance up to 25%
  
• or Small frame (+1 AG / Carry Weight = 25 + (15 x your Strength)) - 1 extra AG point but less carry weight
  note: if you gonna pick Small frame then you need at least 1 Companion to carry your stuff or a Car.
  
• or Fast Shot (All Throwing and firearm attacks cost 1 less AP but you Cannot make aimed shots) - Useful if you don't plan to use precision attacks, which can add complexity in some situations
  
• or Good Natured (+15% to First Aid, Doctor, Speech, and Barter / -10% to Big Guns, Small Guns, Energy Weapons, Throwing, Melee Weapons, and Unarmed) - Will be very difficult at the early game
  note: at least 1-2 Companions recommended to fight for you at the early stages.

Skills:

• Small Guns (increase it via Books until you reach 91% - useful at all stages of the game)
  
• or Energy Weapons (must have for the late game and useful at the mid game)
  
• or Big Guns (makes sense only at late game and low ammo economy)
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• Speech (additional options in dialogues)
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• Lockpick (the game has plenty of closed doors and storage rooms with things of varying degrees of usefulness)
  
• or Doctor (useful for chemical free self-healing and a small bonus in experience, for some quests and a few late perks)
  
• or Science (increase it via Books until you reach 91% - situational usefulness in certain areas in the late game when leveling over 100+)
  
• or Gambling (easy money in mid-late game if you purposefully upgrade this skill 120+ and play through luck 8+)

Don`t invest in First Aid, Science, Repair, and Outdoorsman skills because you can increase those via certain Books (Comprehension perk highly recomended) up to a maximum of 91% skill value. Some skills can be improved while having certain items equipped. Equipping a Pick set would improve Lockpicking skill, Motion sensor improves Outdoorsman skill and the Tool improves Repair skill. Also not recommended to invest in Unarmed because there is plethora of ways to increase Unarmed skill

A useful tactic for Temple of Trials with high action points - hit Insects and run back to the remaining 3 AP, 5 AP if around them.
Shift - for highlighting objects on the ground.