Traits determine a character's efficiency in the game. Characters can change traits depending on certain gameplay events. When creating a character, players have the option to choose one positive trait (traits do change character stats). After creation, each character is randomly assigned a negative trait as well.
A good tactic is to keep restarting your save, until you get the desired/preferred negative traits (which you can turn into positive traits) on your characters. Also, if you allow the trauma bar to be completely filled on a character, any positive trait will be changed to the negative version (Proactive turns into Lazy, and so on).
Traits
| Positive | Negative | Effects | How to Change (to Positive) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Courageous | Cowardice | First two attacks in an "attack to kill" are guaranteed to hit/miss | Win fights |
| Proactive | Lazy | Move faster/slower in the shelter and whilst exploring | Go on expeditions |
| Optimistic | Pessimistic | Gains stress slower/faster | Return from expeditions with loot
(as the party leader) |
| Hands-on | Hands-off | Craft and fix faster/slower | Craft and fix things at the shelter |
| Resourceful | Wasteful | Higher/lower chance of recovering items when deconstructing objects | Deconstruct at least 20 items at the shelter
(may require more items, it's very random) |
| Hygienic | Unhygienic | Dirtiness increases at a slower/faster rate | Get food poisoning |
| Deep Sleeper | Light Sleeper | Tiredness stat decreases faster/slower when sleeping | Don't sleep
(maintain sleep deprivation) |
| Small Eater | Big Eater | Food rations relieve more/less hunger | Don't eat
(may require First Aid Kits for health) |
Tips
- Courageous generally goes well with the "Troubled" & "Violent" stat sets.
- Proactive generally goes well with the "Street Smart" stat set.
- Hands-on generally goes well with the "Athletic" stat set.
- Optimistic is good to have late game but early on serves little to no purpose.
- Resourceful is good to have late game but early on serves little to no purpose.