My personal favorite strategy for making a lasting character is taking
BAD
Jittery(I dont see much downside -4dex on drugs is not that bad)
Glass jaw (Don’t plan on getting hit)
Wool allergy
Hp ignorant (I got use to it and think its makes it more fun OCD’ing on having perfect max health)
Truth Teller (I like to shoot NPC’s not do a death sentence quest)
Ugly (I’m handsome on the inside)
GOOD
Fleet footed
Quick
Animal Empathy (Just their to spend an extra point)
Nightvision (Mostly for shooting turrets in labs and great if you plan on mutating to full nightvision)
Parkour Expert or Robust Genetics depending on if I plan on mutating a lot.
(mix around to your preference I just like this as my default setup)
Str 10 Dex 10 Int 11 Per 9 Nice high value stats. 11Int just so I can read more advance books without getting addicted to drugs
(Often takes 2-3 world gens to get an optimal one)
Get a backpack and find a vehicle should be first priority’s, they make surviving much simpler.
Run around the nearby town and focus on military surplus stores, gun stores, and pharmacy’s (Take adderal once zombies start to spawn)
Hit up libraries only if you have a car, books will just weigh a character down.
I prefer to have a strong pistol and shotgun with slugs, take a 22 pistol or rifle with tons of ammo and store in a car
Gather plenty of food and if lucky a crowbar and binoculars
One you think you have enough food just drive out of the city, don’t take time to kill zombies just run.
Drive untill you find, preferably a forest house and unload all junk and Sit on your bed smoke a joint put on some tunes and read away (First aid, mechanics, computers should be priority on which books to read first)
If you took a 22 rifle or pistol (I prefer rifles) Just fire them into a wall once you xp builds up near 800 untill its back down to zero.
If you repeat this read and shoot method in a few days your rifle/pistol skill should be high enough to start adventuring into the world
Thats just what I like to do anything I do after that depends on what my surroundings are.
Avoid walking shrooms, plants, and towns in the day and only use that shotgun in dire situations and things may turn out fine.