Create the required Technician first, then prioritize the Scientist as your first optional Alter. The Scientist is a strong early choice because a research requirement is coming soon that needs this specialist. After that, choose for the problem you need to solve, rather than following a fixed roster order.
Which Alter should you make first?
Technician: your required first Alter
The Technician is the first Alter unlocked in the campaign, so this is not an optional opening choice. The game’s different specialties let you assign crew members to distinct needs around the base.
Scientist: the first optional pick to prioritize
Once the game offers an optional Alter, favor the Scientist. Shacknews recommends this early choice because a forthcoming research requirement needs the specialist. That makes the Scientist a progression-minded pick, not an objectively best choice for every playstyle or version of the game.
How to choose the next Alter
After the Scientist, let your current operational bottleneck guide the choice. Consider which task is slowing you down, whether a specialist can address it, and whether you want to take on another crew relationship alongside the practical benefit.
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- Resource gathering: Consider a specialist suited to the resource task you need handled. Epic’s guide discusses delegating work such as mining.
- Food production: If food is the immediate constraint, prioritize a specialist who can help with that need.
- Crew health: GameSpot’s guide says only the Doctor can be assigned to the Infirmary to speed healing, making the Doctor a conditional choice when recovery is a concern.
These are examples of how to respond to your situation, not a universal second-, third-, or fourth-pick sequence. Later usefulness depends on what your base needs and which roles you value.
Remember that each Alter is also part of the story
An Alter is not just a job assignment. The official game description explains that each Alter’s personality is shaped by one of Jan’s different life paths, and official materials emphasize the relationships within the crew. Choosing one therefore adds both a specialist and a distinct personality to manage.
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This guide stays spoiler-light: it focuses on early role selection without revealing personal quest outcomes or later story branches. If you are choosing for a first playthrough, weigh the role’s immediate usefulness against your interest in bringing another version of Jan into the crew.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is there a universally best roster order?
No fixed full-roster order is established across difficulty settings, updates, and story choices. The clearest early guidance is to create the Technician, then prioritize the Scientist for the upcoming research need. From there, match your picks to your current constraint and your preferences for crew management.
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