How picky are you With which colonists to join?

Started by jpinard, February 03, 2017, 02:55:27 PM

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jpinard

I haven't played enough games to know the probability of join rates (is it fixed over time or totally random?).  My current game is going quite poorly as I've accepted most of those who tried to join and the supposedly random number gods gave me 5 people in a row with the lazy trait, half of them won't do a bunch of important tasks, and all are melee, and most are brawlers.  Not exactly the kinds of people we needed.  Do you all reject anyone less than modicum?  Accept nearly everyone regardless?

I'm playing on Cassandra medium difficulty and having a pretty rough time in my current game.  Once again, the RNG has been terrible causing me to have to reload an inane number of times to keep from dying out (temperate forest zone with short winter).

Curious to hear your own play choices!

Limdood

I will not take chemical interest/fascination or pyromaniac.  I'll only take 1 jealous pawn per colony unless i can be sure of EXACT same room stats.

I won't take pawns that have ALL THREE of the following: no dumb labor, low stats, several other incapables.  Any two of those is fine.

Lastly i generally won't take (meaning i won't capture downed raiders with) more than 1 mood break detriment (volatile, neurotic, depressive, too smart).  one of those is usually fine.

Finally, no bad back or frail.  Artery blockage, cirrhosis, asthma, or missing limbs i'll take if they're otherwise good pawns and will be worth buying or harvesting the parts to fix them up (good crafters, growers if i'm planting outside, builders, cooks, shooters).

In my opinion, bodies are better than lack of bodies, and slapping an assault rifle onto a 2 skill, no passion shooter will still help fight off raids.

Goo Poni

I play  HCSK, my main criteria is half decent crafting (7-8+) and to not be too old (30s at most) because my colony is nearly 10 years old and Rimworld's vastly accelerated aging means that people live pitifully short lives that don't see them surpass 10 terran years most the time. Everyone else just gets fixed up and sent on their way.

xrumblingcdsx

I am pretty picky, I always find myself 10 years in with 6-10 colonists. But I am on sea ice, and RR Extreme, So I can't take on too many mouths to feed. Currently only have 8 colonists and 4 muffalo on year 5.

TheMeInTeam

If they can do enough to be not-idle and not cripple me, they can stay.

That's most pawns TBH. 

GiantSpaceHamster

I'll put up with almost anything but a slowpoke. I cannot deal with slowpokes. Always late to the fight.

christhekiller

I'll deal with anyone who can fight. If they're incapable of fighting then they can burn.

Shurp

I pretty much execute on the spot nearly every pawn trying to join my colony.  Especially in A16.
If you give an annoying colonist a parka before banishing him to the ice sheet you'll only get a -3 penalty instead of -5.

And don't forget that the pirates chasing a refugee are often better recruits than the refugee is.

jpinard

Yea I'm pretty unhappy with how my current game is going.  I don't want to give it up as I spent so much time planning everything so carefully.

What happens if I let several of these people die via melee accident when the next raid hits?  Will my remaining colonists be besides themselves in despair?

A Friend

Not very. I'll accept crappy colonists given that I have a niche role that they can fill up. But I draw the line on cataract, dementia, and heart problems.
"For you, the day Randy graced your colony with a game-ending raid was the most memorable part of your game. But for Cassandra, it was Tuesday"

Squiggly lines you call drawings aka "My Deviantart page"

Seeker89

I used to be very accepting. I let everyone join who would. I would have prisoners until they tried to leave and die or joined... or when I ran out food and didn't feed them...
That was until the sea ice challenge... having random pawns just join is annoying. most just strips and dies. prisoners either are harvested or if they are really good join... I feel like I'm pretty picky.
My pickiness is pretty up there. and is pretty close to Limdood..

You should make this a poll

jmababa

Quote from: Seeker89 on February 04, 2017, 12:31:25 AM
I used to be very accepting. I let everyone join who would. I would have prisoners until they tried to leave and die or joined... or when I ran out food and didn't feed them...
That was until the sea ice challenge... having random pawns just join is annoying. most just strips and dies. prisoners either are harvested or if they are really good join... I feel like I'm pretty picky.
My pickiness is pretty up there. and is pretty close to Limdood..

You should make this a poll

Me in sea ice I let everyone jon more fishermen for me = more food = more leather to sell

O Negative

My only two requirements:
- no incapabilities
- no previous injuries

Everything else is fair game and keeps the game interesting, in my opinion.

taha

Very, very, very picky.

NO
• pyro • volatile • jealous • greedy • lazy • brawler • gay • hates (m/w) • pretty / beautiful • brawler • hardworking / industrious • slowpoke • abrasive • creepy breathing • prostophobe • chem interest / fascination •

YES
too smart • prostophile • optimist / sanguine • kind • green thumb • deaf • iron willed • jogger • steadfast

Also don't need / want passion in: melee, social, animals, art.
No for any of "unable to caring / hauling / growing / skilled work / dumb work / scary / violence".
No for un-fixable injuries or scars.

Yeah, my colonies are under 10 people, is hard to find good colonists. :P

cultist

Up to 5-6 colonists I take everything. You need bodies to survive, and less than 5 is cutting it too close when you're past the very early game IMO.

It doesn't matter that they aren't good at anything, as long as they can hold a weapon they might get a lucky hit. And if not, they can still stand in front and eat bullets while my usesful pawns hide in the back with long-range weapons.

As for non-combat pawns they tend to have some other skills to make up for the fact that they can't fight. I have actually come to prefer non-combat doctors as you can keep them happy, fed and rested while the others fight and they'll be mentally and physically prepared for a long day of doctoring, hauling bodies, cleaning etc. while the others rest and heal.