Efficiency: What do you do with Colonist #3?

[Rokdog]

I understand not everyone starts their colonies the exact same way, but given the fact that food & shelter are two immediately pressing essentials, I would wager that most players start with:

Colonist 1: Construction (Shelter & Beds)
Colonist 2: Growing (Food & Textiles)

But what about Colonist 3? Some logical choices would be:

1) Wood Chopper
2) Miner
3) 2nd builder
4) 2nd grower
5) Hauler
6) Plant Harvesting (not very efficient due to raw food vs. packaged survival meals available at start)
7) Other?

When I first started playing I always went with Options 1 or 2 for more building materials. However, in my recent games I've been going with Option 5 and using Colonist 3 as a pure hauler to gather up all the goodies scattered around the map. The big advantage of this is that only one colonist is running all over the map for the meals instead of all 3 of them interrupting their work to do it. There's also quite a bit of metal, medicine and silver scattered around that's useful to a budding colony.

So fellow RimWorld'ers, what do you do with Colonist #3?

[Ykara]

One of my starting colonists is always a good shooter. I also like to start with a social one and / or a good doctor. Hauling is pretty useless when starting a new colony, same for plant harvesting.

[ousire]

I almost always assign the best grower as a dedicated farmer and plant cutter, the best builder as a construction worker, and then whatever's left as a miner.

[RickyMartini]

I always go for a good shooter, a good doctor and someone with good social skills.

Building shelter and planting should work ok for the beginning, but training the shooting/doctoring/social skill mostly takes a long time to master.

[Vexare]

I used to think having a high level cook was important at the start, but since your food options are few in the beginning, I've learned that skill will raise itself fairly quickly anyways since that's something they do nonstop anyways like mining and growing.

I like to choose a jack-of-all-trades as my third colonist to fill in where necessary. A healer who can double everywhere else has worked out really nicely since you only really need them when someone gets hurt.

[StorymasterQ]

As per my signature, I would suggest "early food source", but that's just me.

[Cryonist]

I always bring a high researcher. I like being able to get a bunch of techs really early .

[TheSilencedScream]

Miner/construction.
Grower/doctor.
Social/Research.

Those are my first three.

[Rokdog]

Many of you answered that you like having a good doctor, shooter, social or researcher as your 3rd colonist. But what does this colonist actually do during the first 5 days or more until you need their skills? (injured colonist, prisoner to recruit, research bench built, etc.)

One of my starting colonists is always a good shooter. I also like to start with a social one and / or a good doctor. Hauling is pretty useless when starting a new colony, same for plant harvesting.

I'm going to politely disagree completely on the Hauler being useless. There are a lot of "free" resources (metal, meals, silver) scattered all over the map at the start. One hauler saves a ton of time for the grower and builder. If someone doesn't haul those in for my two workers, I end up with all three colonists going all over the map just to eat meals and haul metal. Also, traders start coming in early and if the silver isn't in a stockpile, it doesn't count at all for trades.

[evrett33]

As per my signature, I would suggest "early food source", but that's just me.

haha

sensual massage for #1&2..honestly I start with all haulers and do 1 const 1 planter/cook and 1 tree cutter/miner

[TheSilencedScream]

Many of you answered that you like having a good doctor, shooter, social or researcher as your 3rd colonist. But what does this colonist actually do during the first 5 days or more until you need their skills? (injured colonist, prisoner to recruit, research bench built, etc.)

On the first day or two, I usually have them haul while the others begin setting the ground work. After that, if I don't have any injuries, prisoners, or anything worth researching, then it depends on his other skills. If he's got higher construction, help construct; higher mining, help mine; etc.

[ManWithNoName]

It depends on how the other two colonists appear for me, but mainly i go for a researcher/socialist this was he can do some wandering, catch the traders and it does not interfere with his researching too much. When they are not researching they become the main hauler for a bit then back to the researching while the other two construct, mine, chop and grow.

I did always use to go for a good shooter with some research points, but if you get 2/3 turrets up pretty soon their shooting isn't really needed especially if you have a browning to mow them down. Plus it can be worked on via hunting a little meat.

[skullywag]

dedicated hauler to start scouring the map for shiz, makes the early game waaaaaaaay too quick though theres usually a couple thousand of silver and steel lying around on the map.

[Coolrah]

At first back in the day I would go Miner/Shooter/Builder (And hopefully have some growing and research between the 3)

Now I need doctor/shooter/builder. Usually the I'll get a decent roll with a person who has doctor, social, and research . and I'll go for a person who has solid across the board or good in building/growing at least.

[Darth Fool]

I usually start off with everyone who can haul retrieving the survival packs before the local fauna eat them.  Usually placing them in a small ruin to which I can add a door.  Then it depends on the map I am on and who I have, but I often follow that with constructing a research bench and start a colonist researching.