What dupes should i choose for starting with?

[Sintonir]

I can reroll three starting dupes indefinitely, so which should i choose?
Try to specialize them to get massive boost to chosen professions? Or get a broad specialisations with only +1 to each stat, but more choices which can add morale?
Of course, later i can get new dupes which would cover the weaknesses of old, but it may take time...

[Gamefever]

I think it only matters IF you have something specific you want to do in a certain frame of time.

So....If I want to ranch right away...I would need Ranching as a skill.....However IF I want that automated well now I need a 2nd Dupe that can get level 2 Operater to even build the conveyor machines that go with an auto ranch.

IF I had to build the base quickly well...
Digging is good pick but Builder is probably better....Also Operator since it gates upper level stuff like conveyor.

Researcher is ok but its not as life sustaining as say getting buildings built fast....Insulated Tiles take forever and a day to build.

Tidy and Supply are also good, but it depends on how you feel about leaving stuff on the floor or how long your willing to wait around for materials to be delivored to your new building project....If your impatient than a supplier is invaluable cause hauling 400G per tile is way more than normal dupe can haul. Normal Dupe might take 4 trips to bring Matts for a single tile when you consider I might want 20 tiles built that cycle its a big deal.

[Sintonir]

After some playing with Science 7, Digging 7 and Building 7 guys:
- Is Science 7 guy worth it? I progress in Science fast enough to have almost anything i can use, and there is finite number of technologies...
- Digging 7 and Building 7 are most likely must have to get toilet and 3 barracks by the end of the first cycle. But you can survive one cycle without beds...
In fact, maybe get Science guy as the first print? This would slow me down at the start somewhat, but frees up another dupe with skill 7.

[Gamefever]

Well if you grab a Science guy at Research 7, its cause your going to use him immediately for research.

At that point, I have to wonder why people wouldnt be real concerned about what the other two duplicants skill sets are.
Since if you dont have builder your stuff gets made slow and if you dont have supply skill or the other str bonus skill your dupes have to run more to fetch matts.

I think people probably just keep printing duplicants but that makes it easy to put the base in a death spiral...Maybe thats good for views but Im not interested in paying oxygen/caleries for more Dupe labor....So then Dupe skills get important again.

[Sintonir]

So, it would be like that:
- If you don't want to work right from the start with something which requires 2nd lvl skill, pick Builder, Digger and Supplier. Then get Science guy at the first print, untill then just use one of other dupes for Science.
- If you have some preferences like ranching or automation, get dupe with corresponding skill instead in the first three.

[Hedning]

The thing with ranching is that you can't level up the skill (well theoretically you can). Selecting them as starting dupe means you'll have a good rancher guaranteed.

But the ranching skill takes a while to unlock, and the techs aren't the first neither, so you'll have a dupe who can't do what they're best at during many cycles in the beginning.

I usually accept having a bad rancher for a while. When I get good prints I skill scrub the first.

[Sintonir]

Originally posted by Hedning:

The thing with ranching is that you can't level up the skill (well theoretically you can). Selecting them as starting dupe means you'll have a good rancher guaranteed.

But the ranching skill takes a while to unlock, and the techs aren't the first neither, so you'll have a dupe who can't do what they're best at during many cycles in the beginning.

I usually accept having a bad rancher for a while. When I get good prints I skill scrub the first.

Well, rancher skill would take some time to unblock regardless of how many dupes you print before, with one of first three or forth dupe as the rancher and if you try to learn ranching as the second tech, i think tech and skill would unlock about the same time. Maybe skill slightly later.

[Hedning]

Originally posted by Sintonir:

Well, rancher skill would take some time to unblock regardless of how many dupes you print before

Later 1 dupe being inefficient doesn't matter that much, as a proportion of total work being done. Especially since the new dupe is likely going to be the slowest in everything regardless of starting attributes.

[Cotaks]

Digger +7 with dig and building trait / diverslung is great to have as well
farmer +7 (no traits needed)
science +7 or rancher +7

Builder is not needed at the start of the game, all 3 dupes can build. you can easily build 3 beds, 3 toilets 3 sinks, reseach computer and batteries+wheel in the first day.

research farm tiles, then research the lamp. start building your farm.
put bristle berries in it. 11 under one lamp room 13 width (15 including wall, 2 tiles for farm station) 6 high (8 with wall), now you can easily support 4 dupes with food and you don't have to worry about the lamp heat, it wil never touch the berries.

meanwhile research grooming station, and build 2 ranches to hold 8 hatches each.

now your set to get to cycle 1000+ with 3 or 4 dupes, and just on coal power.

from here do whatever you like.
well that's my easy play style.

[Gamefever]

Alright so over the last few days I've thought about this topic quite a bit since restarting is something that happens in ONI.

My picks for Dupes you should start with.

#1)
Farming AND RANCHING

Reason, you dont want farming...you want Ranching, and here's why...Ranching gives you a means to gather up all those Hatches and get a jump on producing products you need a lot of in this game such as Coal, Meat, and Lime.
If you go all ham on Ranching and make loads of these, you can have Smooth Hatches before long which leads to easy Refined Metals at no heat cost which is a huge bonus considering that you get more than from a cruncher and produce no heat while making it.
The real clutch selling point is actually going to be a toss up between the following,
Eggs/Meat and Coal.
Since Geysers and Vents dont continously output your main go to for continous power supply is going to be coal, with a single Ranch of 7 to 8 Hatches you can supply a Coal Plant...Since a Rancher can easily handle about 4 Ranches you now have plenty of power to support a power plant room.
The Eggs and Meat supply +8 moral bonus...Which means getting level ups is easy...Its tough to say which is better since both of these are so clutch to advancement in this game.

Which is to say the Rancher is actually probably the best Dupe to have.

#2)
Supply and Operating

Reason, 3rd Level Operating is called Mechatronics, which requires you to also have points spent into Supply...So making sure you have a Dupe that loves both means you can get Mechatronics early rather than later.
Yes this is min/maxing.

Mechatronics is required to build anything from the Conveyor build objects line.
This is real key for automating my Ranches which then send Coal to my power plant room and meat/eggs off to my Kitchen.

This alone saves a ton of Dupe time and plays nicely with the Rancher Dupe since we need a lot of moral, power, and refined metal to make this all happen.

3)
Researching
Combination of the following as well if you like...Supply and Suit Wearing.

Since I have the above Dupes are gated behind research happening.
Rocket Suit is gated behind Researching and Supply, so if you want to rush that without having to have high moral rolling the right Dupe gets you there.
Obviously its not required and having a max research Dupe is a good thing too, but if your like me and find your Research Dupe isnt always at the Bench having them with off skills is a good thing.
Plus with Supply he doesnt take as many trips to load up the Research stations with materials needed.

The Dupe that I find I have to wait for is the Supply/Operating combo, its not fun holding back on making conveyor systems in my base and although some may think that is a late game thing, it doesnt have to be..It can make it real easy to have a base with just 8 Dupes that can handle your projects cause they have loads of free time to so.

So...Mechatronics Dupe is what to aim for in at least 1 of your Dupes at the start of the game...
That is gated behind Supply/Operator.