New To Rimworld? Read this!

[DaemonBlood]

Since I started playing recently, I thought i would leave some tips for players picking up this game.

1) Make sure you start with a person with the Careful Shooter trait if you can. This makes them take longer to actually fire, but they are much more accurate and unlike trigger happy they actually get a boost to shooting skill. That said trigger happy isn't awful, get them a personal shield and a minigun and a trigger happy person can do the work of a brawler.
2) Try to avoid brawler trait, it takes a lot to make it worthwhile and brawler + prosthephobe makes a person useless, as it takes prosthetics for a brawler to shine.
3) Someone with a high art skill is important if you want to make silver fast. Turning stone chunks into bricks into large sculptures, however you will need a high art skill to make things like masterworks which sell for 1,000 silver (out of marble) or Legendary for 2000 (out of marble). Jade sculptures are where the real money is but you want to cap your artist out before you make them, so that you don't proc awful - normal anymore.
4) Mountainous maps are nice because they provide protection and ample resources, however if you want a challenge you may try to stray from them.
5) Save frequently when exploring, there are many dangerous events and even some locations, like Ancient cryptotombs. If you open one of those without saving you could be in for a nasty suprise.
6) Stockpile zone for metals. Since steel, gold, silver, jade, plasteel don't deteriorate while being unroofed. feel free to store them outside, just make sure they are defensable as raiders will steal them and flee. Set it to priority critical in stockpile settings and it will be top priority to store metals there.

I hope these tips help you.

[ReZpawner]

If you want money, it's better to focus on crafting. Just make some dusters and you'll be swimming in cash in no-time. The items you can craft will rival any normal statues anyway (obviously not the ones made from silver, jade or gold), and can be sold to more traders.
As for starting traits, I'd go with medicine and crafting over any other. Careful shooter is nice for snipers, but it's not THAT good.