JudasIscariot: I would also advocate taking Lockpicking and taking the least worst trait, if possible. Lockpicks are really easy to make (8 small mechanical parts) AND they tend to bring in a little bit more loot than Strong does and they're quieter than Strong. Just my 2 cents, though :D
larsiusprime: Lock-picking is a GREAT skill for precisely this reason. My personal favorite version of the "power-start" strategy is:
Melee + Ranged + Trapping + Lockpicking.
I go for Melee rather than Strong because it gets you most of the same combat effectiveness (as well as the fur coat in the beginning), but without the high cost of Strength. Lockpicking gives me the loot bonus, and Ranged gives me more versatility with weapons. No negative traits required. If I wanted to be more of a specialist I'd throw in some negs so I could add more bonuses, but I like to keep it simple as I'm trying it out as an example of something to recommend to newcomers.
yep, this is certainly good to get your feet wet as you suggest. But, it feels incredibly easy at the moment using Strong, melee, tough, trapping. If you're experienced in the game, try using ranged as it's pretty awesome to be able to create good bows and arrows and just sling them away at distant targets. I like hiding and tracking too because I'm kinda the survivalist type. Being a tank, not worrying about the cold and stabbing enemies to death with little effort feels boring to me. :)
