Best starting party and trait for beginner?

[Orbital Drop Spicy Taco]

OK I'm convinced to purchase this game and installed. What should be the first party and their traits? Any recommendations?

[warrgood]

All the starting groups have their ups and downs, but I like to start with the merchant guards. No archer, but just a little extra money. Used to long walks helps a touch for fatigue/frequency of feeding the crew.

[Miko]

I go with deserters. Their negative trait is arguably the nicest one to take: mercs will leave faster when unhappy. But any competent player will never let this happen. Heck, even if you're new to the game, it's difficult to fall to negative happiness unless you're just hitting a run end by running out of food/wages. Besides, you should ideally replace all four of the starting guys for higher willpower. Choose any of the five positive traits that you like; I go with the extra critical damage because I put most of my levels boosting critical hit.

[BedlamBetty]

It is not ideal to lose your four starting units. You can easily make up that aptitude point difference through free rest aptitudes.
Your four starting units can be assured of two positive traits that can never proc randomly through combat or rest and are chosen specifically for however you want to build them, with only the malus of a negative trait such as lazy, or healable drunkard. The loss of willpower is at most 2.5 levels. Bloodthirsty is one and a half levels straight up and strong or nimble are one and a half levels by a stat of 21 of either one.
for the tanks, you would need at least strong and 15 willpower to be more valuable than a thickskinned, strong tank

[Saphariel]

Long walks, hard time getting up, negative trait on everybody is lazy cuz there is rly no downsize if u take lazy