Key stats for characters

[Apper]

Ever since I started to play Rimworld I found out some character stats are more important than others, especialy on the start of a new settlement. What I think, the social skill is the most important. To have a good converting chances of prisoners as well as better prices is crucial for me. This helps get more resources as well as more manpower. In the second row are skills like growing or mining, as those are helping get things done faster. Research, especialy now in alpha3 is good untill all researches are done and then it's no longer needed. Shooting can be trained but at least some eagerness is good as it's training faster. Melee - I never used that skill in scale I'd need highly trained person. Crafting is good for stone bricks only as far as I know. Lately I started to like a cook in the base as those fine meals are great for keeping colonists from mental breakdown little bit longer.
What are your experiences and which stats do you prefer in your gamestyle?

[SSS]

High social and high cooking colonists are highly sought after by me. After that, I like excellent constructors and shooters. Third tier would probably be miners and growers.

The colonists who aren't particularly good at anything tend to get relegated to menial duties such as cleaning, hauling, and plant cutting. However, having at least one full-time cleaner is important after you have several colonists, I think.

[a89a89]

High social and high cooking colonists are highly sought after by me. After that, I like excellent constructors and shooters. Third tier would probably be miners and growers.

The colonists who aren't particularly good at anything tend to get relegated to menial duties such as cleaning, hauling, and plant cutting. However, having at least one full-time cleaner is important after you have several colonists, I think.

Agreed

[Apper]

High social and high cooking colonists are highly sought after by me. After that, I like excellent constructors and shooters. Third tier would probably be miners and growers.

The colonists who aren't particularly good at anything tend to get relegated to menial duties such as cleaning, hauling, and plant cutting. However, having at least one full-time cleaner is important after you have several colonists, I think.

Agreed

Do you guys preffer to give to good shooters better weapons to make them the most efficient killers or the opposite - better weapons to less experienced shooters to balance efficienci into whole group?

[a89a89]

Better weapons

[BattleFate]

One of my starting colonists must be at least Level 12 grower with a burning desire to learn it. Anything else he has (like building, combat, etc) is just a bonus. My second colonist must be a good miner (as I usually like to build my base in rocks), with construction as a close second (at least 10 mining and 8 construction, with at least mining as a burning desire). Finally my last colonist needs to be good at social (as high as I can get with a burning desire without rerolling a million times), AND be a proficient cook (if he cooks better than he is social, I might accept that too, if I've been rerolling a bunch without luck).

Good shooting or melee stats are nice to have, but not critical. Like Crafting and research.

[SSS]

Do you guys preffer to give to good shooters better weapons to make them the most efficient killers or the opposite - better weapons to less experienced shooters to balance efficienci into whole group?

I've noticed that the more powerful burst weapons, even in mods, tend to be less accurate anyway, so it works out giving them to the best shooters. Of course, you do have powerful single-shots like the M-24, but I tend to give those to whomever since it's rather accurate.

[Thunder Rahja]

Eh, I just skip past the starting colonists screen. Like the occasional raider you incapacitate, you get what you get. Nothing lasts forever.

Unless of course I'm working on a challenge, such as a female-only colony, in which case I randomize only until I get the first match for criteria.

[Apper]

Eh, I just skip past the starting colonists screen. Like the occasional raider you incapacitate, you get what you get. Nothing lasts forever.

Unless of course I'm working on a challenge, such as a female-only colony, in which case I randomize only until I get the first match for criteria.

Looks like a good example of different gameplay experience. I think I'll try this one next time too 

[OnyxShadow]

Having a good mix of skill sets seems ideal to me.

I usually try to get at least one colonist who has good social, one with cooking, and one with double flame research. Beyond that, I go for as much mining, construction, growing, and shooting skill as I can get.

I avoid manual dumb colonists like the plague. If I can save someone who crash landed but is manual dumb I let them die. Same pretty much goes for any colonists with too many dead skills.

[UrbanBourbon]

I go for double-flame Social first. Absolutely crucial.
Next, double-flame Construction. Critical in the early stages.
Third, a Cook, with at least a single flame. To hell with the nutrient paste!

Beyond that, nothing. Mining and Growing can be compensated with the loose metal and food laying around, and with trading. I move all the loose food indoors ASAP so animals won't eat it. In the beginning, two guys haul stuff while the constructor does some speed-building. As for guns, range is the accuracy-killer, so the guys with highest Shooting get the guns with highest range and lowest rate of fire. Guys with low Shooting get the guns with highest rate of fire, so that they'll receive maximum training = maximum repetitions = maximum skill increase.

If you get someone with the Runner perk, that guy's a hauler.
If you get someone with the Tough perk, that guy gets to melee, unless he especially sucks at it.
Someone "incapable of violence"? Sold to slavers. On the other hand, even these colonists DEFEND themselves in melee.
Incapable of ManualDumb? Better be a good Grower or a Cook. Otherwise: to slavers.

Depending on your mod selection, high Crafting can make a huge difference. Even without mods, being able to conjure up stone wall early can make you almost untouchable.