Generally patches don't affect saves, but there's no guarantee with Bethesda.
Fallout is usually pretty build friendly. It's got a range of different activities, so rather than getting a single build, it's usually better to consider what you want to do in the game, then pick portions of a build based on that. Stats themselves aren't nearly as important as the perks the stats give you access to.
Familiarize yourself with this if you're new to the series. Now, as to gameplay elements:
Exploring?
Building? (the game has a rudimentary 'city management' mechanic with fairly elaborate base building that some love, but others don't care about.)
Crafting (you're likely going to be doing some crafting to optimize your gear, like improving your weapons and armor, so it's more of a question of how heavily you'll be doing it.)
Fighting? Well, obviously fighting.
If you're going to be building, you'll want to invest a bit in Charisma - at least 6 for Local Leader, plus you'll want some Science to give you access to certain options (you'll need Science 4 for the best generators, but 1 is a must and 3 gives you heavy laser turrets.) You'll likely also want 1 or 2 (or more) in Gun Nut, Cap Collector 2 (for shops), and Medic 1 (for clinics.) For building,
this is a partial build. If you just want a little building, I'd say Local Leader 2, Science 1, and Gun Nut 1 would be enough, but you wouldn't have access to a lot of the more advanced structures.
For fighting, it's a good idea to pick a style. Shortly put, these are the options:
Melee weapons (everything from baseball bats to chainsaw knives)
Unarmed (melee with no weapon, although there are a few, like the deathclaw gauntlet and power fist that are considered unarmed.)
Pistols
Shotguns
Rifles, automatic
Rifles, semi-automatic (other rifles, sniping)
Explosives (mines, bombs, grenades, etc)
Heavy weapons (gatling guns, gatling lasers, launchers, flamers, junk jets, etc.)
Each weapon type has perks related to them (commando for automatic rifles, rifleman for semi-automatic, demolition expert for explosives, etc.) Pick your preferred weapons and find the perks that support that weapon type. Some have a couple. My recommendation is to pick a couple of weapon types to specialize in, although you can still carry - and even invest some points into - others. Any are viable, although you'll have a harder time finding energy weapons and ammo early on, or finding and feeding heavy weapons until the midgame. If you want these weapon types, plan a second type for support until they become more available. Energy weapons are no longer a separate type of skill - laser pistols are just pistols, etc, although there are some other things that specify one or the other (energy weapons, ballistic weapons.) But make sure you check out the crafting section below - improving energy weapons and ballistic weapons uses different skills, so you may still want to specialize.
Other decisions:
Armor type (power armor vs non-power-armor) (If you want to use power armor for more than the occasional boss fight, you need to put some points into it, especially Nuclear Physicist in the Intelligence branch, which requires a significant investment.) Note: Power armor sets your strength to 10. If you're planning on being in power armor most of the time, having a high strength can be a waste.
VATS or no VATS (how often you want to use the auto-targeting feature/critical hits.) VATS can be very, very powerful, allowing you to hit a button that sends you into a slow-mo targeting system in which you can target individual body parts. Everyone will want to use it occasionally (Fallout 3/4's shooting mechanics are mediocre at best), but if you want to use it a lot, look at Action Boy/Girl and other perks that affect VATS and action points (action points are your timer/meter for VATS.) Also,
anything related to critical hits applies only to VATS. If you're not using it, stay away from crit perks.
Chems or no chems (whether you're a
very big bucket of drugs.) If you want to hit the Jet for fights and Mentats for hacking (and so on) more than occasionally, it's worth looking for perks that boost chems - and reduce the effects of addiction.
Lockpicking or hacking You should have one or the other, and invest somewhat in it, but both usually aren't necessary. I'd pick this last - see which stats you want for other stuff, then get one that you already have the stat for (Int for hacking, Per for lockpicking)
Charismatic or non-charismatic (you can go all-in on a build that is all about persuasion, manipulation, and control - either finding your way around combat, or forcing your enemies to fight for you.)
If you're going this route, you probably want to go deep into it - although a point or two in Cap Collector, Attack Dog, Lone Wanderer (if you don't want companions at all) will help anyone.
Crafting This is the process for making items, but also for modifying and improving your gear. Find a laser pistol. Modify it with a stock - now it's a laser rifle. Modify it with a scope, and now it's a laser sniper rifle. Up the damage, or the rate of fire, or accuracy - you get the idea. Make your own bombs. Make your armor tougher, lighter, or more resistant to radiation. I'm listing this last, as you can't really decide what you need until you decide what you're going to be using. Pick the appropriate perks (armorer for armor, blacksmith for melee, gun nut for ballistic weapons, science for energy weapons, chemist for chems, maybe some others.) At the very least you'll probably want a couple of points into armorer and the skill related to your primary weapon type.
So, pick what you want to be doing in the game first, then go to that link I gave earlier and choose the perks that best fit your needs for those choices. Those perks will determine where you need your stats.
Part of coming up with a build is finding some synchronicity in your skills. You'll note, for instance, that a chem-addicted, energy weapon using, city building, power armor-wearing vault dweller will find skills for all four in Intelligence. That means that he has more points available for other things.
SPECIALS (ie - stats): You can also increase your stats as you level up, and multiple ways. Bobbleheads will give them +1 each, and you can always invest points later. It is not necessary to get a stat up to the level you'll need for perks related to things you won't be doing until later (like heavy weapons) just as you start - if you think you'll need an 8 strength late in the game, you can start out at 6, find the strength bobblehead, and invest a point before you get to that part of the game. Note: Unless you're specifically doing something that's related to luck (like a critical hit build), you're better off keeping it low. If you don't need high luck, you don't need much luck at all.