Some notes, tips and ramblings.

The good news is that the companions don't get hungry, poisoned by toxins or radiation. I don't know if they can get addicted. They don't use food to heal up as far as I can tell so any pills (Kasparamids) and stimulants are advised to pass to them and keep the food for the PC. However food can only be used out of combat so I guess I'll always keep some healing item in the inventory just in case.

The effects of consumables stack, but maybe only twice from the same source. For example some types of booze give Luck +1. Drink two Vodkas and two Moonshines to get Luck +4. Perfume/cologne and joint stacks the same in case of Personality.

Fighting is mandatory and unavoidable as fat as I can tell. The bad news that the game is imbalanced and can't specialize in weapon skills as you wish.
Melee is a must in the beginning due to ammo scarcity.
But doesn't worth overdoing it, because pistols are reachable fairly quickly and by the time you swim in ammo for that you need something with more punch.
This means a rifle, but a good rifle eats more APs than optimal (with aimed shots, and for crits you need aimed shots) so in the end you will want an assault rifle, which beside aimed shots (with crits and double damage with the specialization on the end of the rifle/Sniper branch) also can shoot bursts.
Shotguns theoretically can do lots of damage but most real enemies negate that with armor. Slugs are rare.

10 AP isn't that much. Less is horrible.