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There are several NPCs you can recruit relatively early that will make it less crucial to develop certain skills until the mid game. These include:
Brute Force/Weaponsmithing (will leave at the Canyon of Titan)
First Aid/Surgery/Computer OR Perception/Outdoorsman/Animal Whisperer (you must choose one)
Demolitions (will need to kill a lot of Honey Badgers to recruit)
Toaster Repair (easy to recruit, fairly early, character is low level and easy to configure)
So for stats, remember that in this game Combat Initiative is king. Coordination helps you to not miss so its good for Snipers. Prepare at least 1 character (preferably 2) with at least 6-8 INT who can gain at least 4 skill points per level up. Combat speed is important for characters who use melee or short ranged weaponry as it helps them move quickly. Charisma gives extra XP for non-combat awards and thus should be pumped on people with skills that grant XP for successful uses. Action points are always welcome but are also not as useful as Combat Initiative so don't sacrifice the latter for the former.
"Treasure Chest" skills (Lockpicking, Safecracking, Alarm Disarming) give some XP per successful use so I recommend that you place them on your charismatic skill monkey. These can also help you bypass certain areas.
Computer Science and Animal Whisperer allow you to "convert" robots/turrets and animals to your side respectively. The former also allows you to hack computers and is far more useful as robots are much, much deadlier in general than animals.
Trap skills (Demolitions and Perception) prevent you from being blown up so take a low level of them at least, especially if you plan to recruit the NPCs with high levels of these skills later. Demolitons also is necessary for the use of grenades and other such weapons which can be useful if a fight is getting too hairy.
Brute Force/Weaponsmithing are useful skills but your first NPC has both skills so they can be learned later. Outdoorsman helps you avoid encounters which can save a lot of ammo and time so its certainly convenient if nothing else. Bargain is also a convenience and honestly not really worth it.
"Speech skills" (Kiss Ass, Smart Ass, Hard Ass) are frequently necessary for the optimum solution to many a quest so are a worthwhile investment. Leadership as well if you plan to recruit NPCs otherwise there is a good chance that they'll get their fool self killed. Put this skill on your Ranger with the highest charisma as that attribute determines the effective radius of leadership.
As for weapons, assault rifles are powerful, accurate and have good range. However early on it can be hard for you to kit everyone with one. Sniper Rifles have obscene range so you should have at least one for starting combat. Shotguns, handguns and SMGs are pretty much secondary weapons due to their lack of range and/or stopping power. Heavy Weapons jam a lot, slow you down in combat and eat ammo ravenously. Still having one can be useful when you have someone who needs to die NOW. Put it on a front line combatant with some strength, demolitions and have that person be your heavy artillery if you so desire. Energy weapons are crucial for late game but kinda meh earlier on. Best as a secondary weapon.
Hope this helps!
3 or 4 of your team members should be effective in combat.
That depends on initiative and action points more than it does anything else.
All of the non-combat elements (skills) need to be covered as the game goes on. The same person doesn't have to have perception and demolitions, but if you don't have both, you're going to step on mines and lockpick/safecracking will blow you up too.
Some skills a nearly useless, like Barter or Animal handling. Others are required, like Weaponsmithing.
If you don't want to take diplomacy options, you could ignore the conversatoin skills, or ignore them and give one person the trait/quirk that gives them 10 points in Hard Ass.
Many skills have trinkets to improve them. (+3 to a skill, +2 to multiple skills.) You don't have to rank up to 10 in a skill like repair by the end of the game. You might only go up to 6 and keep that trinket around for the hard tests.
Leadership gives an aura that improves accuracy. Instead of having 4 people reach level 10 in their weapon skill, they could top out at 6-8 and one person could invest a fraction of those skillpoints in leadership for the same effect.
At first, 1 point in a weapon skill is enough. Choose a melee and a ranged skill - blunt or bladed and assault or sniper. Early weapons are terrible, so rely on melee skills. Later on, better weapons and mods will make it worth bringing your ranged skill beyond rank 3, or even your melee skill if you find yourself devoted to melee.
(Later enemies have many ranged/movement options and there's no melee version of the cover mechanics, so ranged has a definite advantage.)
The first three ranks in any skill are cheap, but if you choose BOTH blunt and bladed or BOTH assault and sniper don't do (assault 3, sniper 3.) leave it at 1/1 until you know what weapon you want to use with that person. Then bring them to 1 and 3, then 1 and 5 and so on.
Last and most important:
If you want to do everything, choose an easy difficulty level.
The higher the difficulty, the more resources you have to spend on combat and sooner.
Here is my guide for Ranger difficulty (that's what worked good for me).
3 combat oriented rangers smart enough to learn skills though - atribitutes (2-1-4-4-8-8-1)
Gives you quite good combat stats for them (9 AP, 13 CI and 2,6 speed) while you also get 4 skill points every level what allows to learn several skills (4-5 skills) by each of them
Primary weapon skill for all those 3 rangers: Assault rifels (this skill you should max by the middle of the game already)
Secondary weapon skill for them: Blunt, or handguns, or SMG (don't invest too much skill points in this weapon - keeping it at lvl 3 or 4 would be enough - it's your secondary weapon for close combat only)
Other skills that you should distribute between those 3 rangers depends on what companions you will recruit later (you can see companions and there skills here SPOILER https://forums.inxile-entertainment.com/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=8733 ).
Critical skills that you should have in your team as early as possible are:
Perception
Lockpick
Safecracking
Demolitions
Computer Science
Field Medic
Surgeon
Weaponsmithing
Repair
Other skills are not so important
Perks: Take a perk that gives you +1 armor penetration for assault rifels, take a perk that gives you + 1 armor, take a perk that gives you +1 AP while you use light armor. Use light armor.
The last 1 ranger with good charisma as a leader (not as good in combat as first 3) - make him a sniper, give him a smart ass skill and perk that doubles his charisma for recruiting new companions
Atributes for a leader 2-1-3-4-4-8-6 (8AP, 10 CI, 2,1 speed)
Skiills for a leader: Sniper rifels, handguns, smart ass, leadership
While you will be getting new atribute points for you rangers durring the game put them in awareness to boost combat iniciative. Combat iniciative is critically important.
I also used delayed gratification for my quirk on everyone. The high skill points and eventual 10 leadership gives everyone high to-hit, so they hardly ever miss. I'm thinking I over did it though, since by level 20, I have most of the skills at levels 8-10 that I need to, with books and trinkets.
Been playing ranger difficulty, and it's been pretty easy.
In that context there are skills and weapons that are more versatile at party creation because they will adapt better to the set of first recruits available during first parts, and some skills that can be delayed until you discovered first available recruits, and some skills that are really useful for softer first steps.
I also understand that OP doesn't want enter in details so I'll try keep it simple.
For PARTY CREATION:
- For each character choose only one weapon skill, avoid choose the same weapon skill for 2 characters.
- For the most versatile approach adapted to first parts of the game and strong enough from a global point of view choose only among those weapons: Sniper, AR, SMG, Energy Weapon, Heavy Gun, Handgun, Shotgun. No close combat because you'll have many choices among the recruits.
- Other skills better for character creation and best versatility: Those skills level 2: Medic Field, Lockpick, Demolitions, Safecracking. It's fine to give each to a different character. And delay 4 SKP unused for each character. Delay your decisions until you have met first companion in start area and the second more logical companion depending of a first key choice between Highpool and AgroCenter. If you can't resist temptation of some skill check it's ok to spend then some of the SKP left in a new or an existing skill it won't break your party.
- No Quirk, they are a bit complicated to understand and exploit well.
A bit more directive for character creation to simplify party creation and keep the idea of some versatility of the party and a solid enough party:
- Leader (future) Charisma 6 he will have support Leadership skill (to keep control of recruits during combats). The character will have an aura improving chance to hit so he is best with mid range weapon or where your party will be more numerous depending of your general tactical choice, front or back.
- Other characters with charisma 1 (will provide you more points for other attributes).
- Skillman with INT 10. This character will allow the party to support more skills.
- Other characters with INT 4 (will provide you more points for other attributes).
- All character with Luck 1 (will provide you more points for other attributes).
- All character with Strength 2 (will provide you more points for other attributes, recruits will be the mules). You could try a character with STR 6 for a front role, able to wear heavier armor and a mule other than recruits. But this character shouldn't be the Leader nor the Skillman.
- All characters with Speed 2. DC unbalanced a bit that attribute by providing a much higher combat speed base so making character more mobiles but also minimizing the importance of that skill. But you can try anyway a character with Speed 6 or 4, that attribute is contributing also to initiative and Action Points. Quote a character with closer range weapon will benefit much more a such higher speed. Also a higher speed is cool for the Medic character (Surgeon and/or Field Medic).
Then create your 4 characters with that base knowledge:
- In bottom left of character creation screen there are the statistics coming from attributes, changes them and quote what are the change in statistics, tooltips of attributes provide you a base information on that.
- Some statistics are more important: Initiative, Action Points, Skill points per level but INT advices previously mentioned already setup this statistic, Combat Speed, Bonus to chance to hit.
- Action Points = 3 + (Coordination/2 rounded down) + ((Strength + Intelligence + Speed)/4 rounded down)
Some values advices for party creation:
- Initiative : 12 - 15, 13 is solid.
- Action Points : 8 - 10, 9 is solid.
- Skill points per level : 3 - 5, 3 is solid.
With that party you can start the game, and have a very versatile party and powerful enough. The SKP unused at party creation reflect the most versatile approach for spending SKP, delay their use and spend them when you have more information, particularly about the first recruits. But one thing to keep in mind when you play is you won't be able support well all skills so you'll have choices to do.
In that point of view, but it's not anymore party creation and versatility, but for play and when knowing first recruits, there's a list of skills that are more important and the list is quite longer than for party creation, quote that some recruits could support well some of those skills:
You can consider them mandatory (recruits can support some) :
Field Medic
Surgeon
Perception
Outdoorman
Leadership
Lockpick
Demolitions
Safecracking
Repair
Weaponsmith
Less mandatory but still frustrating to not have (recruits can support some) :
Computer Science
Toaster Repair
Brute Force
One or more Dialog Skills.
Some skills less important to maximize or increase fast, in general (can be quite efficient to increase some fast but it's nothing mandatory) :
Perception
Weaponsmith
Field Medic
Surgeon
Outdoorman
Leadership
Repair
Brute Force
For me the simpler for a first play and to support many skills and discover the game would be to have a character to take the Badazz quirk and party give up on other dialog skills. But that's a lot a matter of preferences, some players could prefer have more open options for dialogs skills and endure not be able support some more useful or more greedy skills.
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=534503997 if you want to ever add me
OP or any one else feel free to do so and ill offer up any help with the game that i can. 44 hours(just in D.C. fyi) into this and i cant turn around now!
WastelandSavage that party won't work, you have to think in how much points you have.
With 4 INT you can max 3 skills and 1 a little (3 points x 50 levels= 150) That party have a lot of points in different skills.
Here you go, this is a example of a balanced custom party: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=542698444
But if you follow this guide you'll need to pick Rose, because she is my technician (Alarm Disarming and Computer Science) so you must save AG center to have this companion.
Still follow the rule to support 1 skill per SKP gained per level up is a good rule. that can be tempered by having skills you raise less. I listed skills that fit better that approach but you can as well choose some of the more core skills.
The truth is no skill is mandatory but in my opinion Outdoorman to not suffer random counters harassment, and Demolitions to manage some traps cases. Otherwise it's a matter of managing frustration and a bit about managing drops. For example you could give up on Safecracking and Computer Science, less drops and some less choices for few quests, and managing the frustration to not be able open multiple containers. But quite playable anyway even without those "core" skills.
http://wasteland.gamepedia.com/Desert_Ranger_ranks_(Wasteland_2)
<4 = 2 skill points per level
4-7 = 3 skill points per level
8-9 = 4 skill points per level
10 = 5 skill points per level
For the most part you want your intelligence to be 1, 4 or 10. 8 is okay, but really for 2 more attribute points you can get an extra skillpoint.
If I had to rate the non-combat skills in decreasing order of usefulness:
Field Medic
Weaponsmithing
Perception
Demolition
Surgeon
Computer Science
Outdoorsman
Safecraking
Lockpicking
Hard Ass
Smart Ass
Kiss Ass
Mechanical Repair
Toaster Repair
Brute Force
Alarm Disarming
Animal Whisperer
Barter
You don't want to spread your skills too thin. I find that to beat most of the non-combat skill checks you need:
Rank 1 skills for Highpool and the AG centre (you should be able to get the skills up to 3 by the time by the time you finish with the two areas)
Rank 4 skills for the Prison and Rail Nomad
Rank 6 skills for the Canyon of Titan
Rank 8 skills once you hit California
Rank 10 by Angel Oracle
You can use books and trinkets to hit Rank 10 and I suggest you save skill books to use them on a character with a rank 9 skill.
For the combat skills I find they have 4 tiers:
Sniper Rifles and Assault Rifles (Good Damage, good range, can take 4 mods)
Handguns and Submachine Guns (Good Damage, middling range, can take 3 mods)
Blunt, Bladed, Brawling and Heavy Weapons (Good damage, but you're going to waste a lot of AP either moving around or unjamming them)
Shotguns and Energy Weapons (Not really viable as a primary weapon, but okay as a backup)
When making a character, the old rule was you wanted to get enough AP (action points) to use your weapon with a head shot and then max CI (combat initiative). In the Director's cut it's a bit different since Precision Strikes don't cost AP and you have perks and quirks that can boost AP. While you can still make a 20 CI 7 AP AR user, you can also make a 19 CI 14 AP AR user which is going to do a lot more damage. The sweet spot for most weapons is 12 AP (3 or 4 pistol shots per turn, 2 sniper shots, a 4 round and 7 round SMG burst, etc.), for the AR it's 14 AP. However, you can carry 2 AP over from one round to the next, so for most weapons 2 less than optimum is an okay target to aim for. A character gets a number of AP equal to:
3
+(Intelligence+Speed+Strength)/4
+Coordination/2
After you select your AP, you want to increase your CI. Your character's CI is:
5
+Awareness
+Intelligence/2
For the most part luck is useless. Charisma determines the radius of the leadership combat bonus and helps you to recruit companions, but you can leave it low for any character other than your leadership character. I prefer to give one character a leadership or 4 or 5 to reduce companion break chance and have a companion with a good charisma max the skill for the hit chance bonus. It is possible to recruit all the companions with 4 Rangers that have 1 charisma, but you need to meta-game with dog collars, melons and companion choices.
That should be enough information for you to make your own characters, but I will suggest a sniper that will contribute well on any difficulty level:
Attributes (CLASSIC): 2 1 4 2 8 10 1
Quirk: Brittle Bones
Startiing Skills: Sniper Rifle 3, Weaponsmithing 2 and any one of the other 3 skills you want the character to increase at 1
You want the character to pick up the tinkerer perk at level 4 and increase Awareness every 10 levels.
The character has 11 AP (12 with tinkerer) and a 13 CI that increases to 17 at level 40 and 18 at level 50. It has 5 skill points per level so it can cover 4 non-combat skills for you and with the Deadeye perk it can fire twice per turn.
A single point in a combat skill is enough to make them effective at the beginning of the game, without that, they're near useless.
Beyond that, do as you will. Its very difficult to ruin your build, though not impossible.
EDIT: I mean read last post and you have the real answer. Apart if DC changed this a lot, don't expect much more than level 40 even with many random encounters. Go past that would require an intensive grinding that most players won't bear, apart if DC change this.