Starting Colonists

[Drahkon]

I've done it.
Randomize.
For me it depends on my goal for the game, am I looking for a long play or a quick round. I'd rather not have my planned long game doomed from the start and will try for a fair spread of skills and avoid anyone too... unreliable. For a quick play anyone not likely to self destruct within the first week is fine as long as they don't all have some incapability in common (IE all assassins)

[Aenir]

I keep randomizing until I get something I like.  I usually try to have it so that every task can be done efficiently by someone.

[Lechai]

I keep randomizing until I get something I like.  I usually try to have it so that every task can be done efficiently by someone.

^
this

[Aethelric]

I hope to see a "starting points" system where the characters are randomized and you can "buy" a better chance for good/reliable colonists by sacrificing some starting resources. As it stands, I have to force myself to not just reroll endlessly, and just focus on having a reasonably viable starting crew. I hope, at the least, that eventually character and biome selection will have a nice "random" option for people who want it.

[keylocke]

I keep randomizing until I get something I like.  I usually try to have it so that every task can be done efficiently by someone.

yea. ^ this + people who don't go on mental breaks easily (psychic drones, curse you!) + young people (you don't want people getting cataracts and prone to diseases as your starters). + at least one person with a very high social skill (to make recruitment easier).

i think there was a mod that allows customization of characters for alpha 6. is it out yet for alpha 7?

[Drahkon]

Don't think I'll use that mod myself, might use one that gave you a choice of several individuals though.

"You three, come with me if you want to live."

[Shinzy]

I really like to just go with the three you're given right off the bat
I still rename them all to fit their stuff

Though I randomized myself a really good doctor this time (didn't make it very far yet though!)
And now I kinda wanan start a new game after reading what I just wrote on the first sentence

[Veneke]

I have a two criteria for my starting colonists:
- Cannot have negative morale traits.
- Cannot be incapable at mining, growing, constructing, or violence.

I typically don't even bother looking at the stats if they have negative morale traits. You're on a knife's edge at game start, even with the new colony optimism boost I find it can be too much of a risk to bring someone like that along.

However, I'm usually flexible with the second criteria. If he's a fantastic shooter/negotiator/scientist/ (and now with A7) doctor, and the other two are strong enough I'll run with him. Otherwise he gets randomized.

My first game in A7 I did randomize someone who was weak but not useless. The group didn't have a decent doctor, and I knew I was going for the Jungle biome. It's just as well I did too, my three guys all caught malaria very early on and one almost died. I'm not sure if the doctor actually helped all that much, but I certainly felt better having him around.

[christhekiller]

I keep randomizing until I get something I like.  I usually try to have it so that every task can be done efficiently by someone.

This.

I usually try to go for:
1. A good Warden/ Doctor who will at the begining primarily be a person who moves materials to and fro. I've had starts where everyone has a vital job at the begining but no one ended up hauling anything and my colonists ended up having to go every which way to get resources they needed. And it's always good to have a good Doctor and Warden to increase colony growth. And ideally they'd be my primary shooter too
2. A good miner, or constructor (depending on colony focus). Ideally they'd be great at one and at least a little decent in the other.
3. A good grower, for obvious reasons. I try to make sure their other stats are rounded out nicely so that they can do a decent job when they're not managing crops.

And they all need to be capable of violence

[DarkMyau]

In the old days of pre alpha. I had a set 3.

The guy/girl with growing 13
The guy/girl with mining 12
The guy/girl with Research 15

They always got me off to a great start. I think they are still around, but I can't be bothered rolling for them.

Now days. I look for "nothing" under incapable and no real negative trait. Everything else I wear.

[EarthyTurtle]

I always try and have at least 1 person who is an exceptional medic, and 1 who is an exceptional warden. 3rd person is usually a good all rounder. Or my character if I run into him in the 'randomise'.

[daft73]

Generally I try to fill 3 basic needs. 8+ on Growing, building, Sci. Typically named Cheech, Bob, and Data.

[Zulgaines]

I hit random until Incapable is (none) for everyone, then start.


Random, but not too limiting.

[nverbe]

I like random colonists. 

I guess I like each playthrough to be unique and tell a different story.  I enjoy the sandbox element and don't mind my colony failing, as long as I get a few laughs out of it.

[jack020]

you can build your own by editing the save file, and that's what i do. Otherwise i would just spam random till i achieved almost the same, so tbf this is then faster. Currently thinking of not editing there skills/traits anymore though and just go with some randoms that just don't have any negative trait or are incapable of something. But like i said, currently i am editing there skills to what i want them to have.

though i have some rules :

2 minors and 1 mayor Talent, skill points: 1x 8, 4x 6, all other 3.

here are 2 samples of colonists appearances that i have listed in a word document, that are not my mains but eventually give to newcomers (you just need to copy and replace this info for the exact same info that's already within a excisting colonist and done)

//
            <name.first>Sofia</name.first>
            <name.last>Berger</name.last>
            <name.nick>Sofia</name.nick>
            <childhood>ScoutScout1337530160</childhood>
            <adulthood>MilitaryCommissarCommissar1851222804</adulthood>
            <skinColor>RGBA(1.000, 0.937, 0.835, 1.000)</skinColor>
            <hairColor>RGBA(0.353, 0.227, 0.125, 1.000)</hairColor>
            <crownType>Narrow</crownType>
            <headGraphicPath>Things/Pawn/Humanoid/Heads/Female/Female_Narrow_Pointy</headGraphicPath>
            <hairDef>Spikes</hairDef>
            <traits>
               <allTraits>
                  <li Class="Trait">
                     <def>Nerves</def>
                     <degree>1</degree>
                  </li>
               </allTraits>
            </traits>
         </story>
         <sex>Female</sex>
\\
            <name.first>Martin</name.first>
            <name.last>Manhillen</name.last>
            <name.nick>Martin</name.nick>
            <childhood>FrontierMarshalMarshal-101805059</childhood>
            <adulthood>ColonySettlerSettler548680132</adulthood>
            <skinColor>RGBA(1.000, 0.937, 0.741, 1.000)</skinColor>
            <hairColor>RGBA(0.200, 0.200, 0.200, 1.000)</hairColor>
            <crownType>Narrow</crownType>
            <headGraphicPath>Things/Pawn/Humanoid/Heads/Male/Male_Narrow_Wide</headGraphicPath>
            <hairDef>Mop</hairDef>
            <traits>
               <allTraits>
                  <li Class="Trait">
                     <def>Nerves</def>
                     <degree>1</degree>
                  </li>
                  <li Class="Trait">
                     <def>SpeedOffset</def>
                     <degree>2</degree>                  </li>
               </allTraits>
            </traits>
         </story>
         <apparel>
//

age and birthday can be found at :      

         <ageTracker>
            <age>27</age>
            <dateOfBirthDay>14</dateOfBirthDay>
            <dateOfBirthMonth>5</dateOfBirthMonth>
         </ageTracker>

skills can be found at and underneath <def>Construction</def>

also removing injuries/missingparts/diseases can be done by removing everything in between    
<healthDiffs> and </healthDiffs>


for any1 interested.