Training

Template:UC There are various methods to train your colonists various skills. Below are a few of the many ways possible.

Artistic training

Ensure a colonist is constantly set to create art. This boosts the skill quickly, especially if the colonist is interested in Art. The colonist will start by making low quality sculptures but will begin making very valuable masterworks before you know it.

You can sell the artwork for silver, or place them around the base for beauty. If the art is of a very low quality however, it's best to deconstruct and try again.

Construction training

The act of construction and repair produces lots of XP all on its own. Construction can be quickly raised by repeatedly building and rebuilding furniture, which is itself useful for scoring higher quality furniture for the colony. Note that this will require a healthy supply of wood or cotton. Dismantling gives XP as well, so you are earning while building or scrapping.

Combined Construction and Shooting Training

This method trains the Construction and Shooting skills simultaneously. This image demonstrates the combined Construction and Shooting training.

When using this method, keep in mind the possibility of friendly fire. It the shortest path from point A to point B goes through the live side of the firing range, one of your colonists may be hit. An easy solution to this problem is to isolate the firing range from the rest of your base and never use orders in the region without holding fire.

Helpful Tips:

1. Do not make either room smaller than three tiles to prevent the "cramped environment" debuff.
2. Use Stone Walls for their superior durability.
3. Designate the colonists you intend to train so that they can only repair.
4. Increasing the number of shooters increases the rate at which the walls are damaged. It is important to have a balance of shooters and repairers.
5. Watch the shooter's morale, if they are drafted too long a mental break becomes likely.
6. Giving the repairer a Personal Shield will help catch any 'stray' shots (Yes, they can and will shoot through a wall).

Cooking training

The cook skill level is increased over time from colonists using the butchering table and stoves. The higher the level of cooking skill a colonist has the less likely chance the food will poison anyone. Higher cooking skill also allows them to unlock the fine meal or lavish meal recipes.

Crafting training

Crafting skill increases steadily with work time. Crafting is a pretty common task in mid-late game so there's lots of opportunities to train.

Growing training

XP is given at a steady pace for both planting seeds and harvesting crops. Simply giving a colonist lots of time to farm will increase their skill. Give your farmers extra time to work by having non farmers haul the harvest.

Medicine training

Repeated surgery such as adding and removing bionic limbs can boost a colonist's Medicine skill at the cost of medical supplies. Simply treating frequent wounds from battle, prisoners and animals will increase skill quickly. If that proves insufficient it is simple to deliberately inflict wounds (such as punching someone) then treat them. More injuries means more chances to heal. You monster.

Attach Artificial or Bionic limb to pawn (~2000 skill @ Interested)

Operations: Remove Part (~2000 skill points)

This will leave the pawn bleeding, and you can patch them up (~200 skill). Note that for organs the victim receives a -30 mood penalty unless you're amputating a diseased part.

Operation: Reattach Part (~2000 skill points)

Barring a catastrophic failure, it can be repeated as needed.

Melee training

Fighting anything with a melee weapon will level melee. Work such as Hunting can level any combat skill. (With melee hunting animals will always attack back so be warned.)

Mining training

Mining skill steadily increases with time. It is sufficient to choose a dedicated mining colonist or two and they will master the skill over time.

Alpha 15 introduced Deep Drilling technology. Once the required technologies have been researched, any valid area determined by the Ground-penetrating scanner can be mined using a Deep drill. A colonist is needed to operate a deep drill and is given mining experience.

Research training

Research skill steadily increases with time, so a dedicated researcher should give the best results. Research skill is rendered useless as soon as the research topics are over.

Shooting training

By drafting a colonist and ordering him to attack something indestructible, you can train their shooting skill outside of the regular "training" they receive when the colony is under attack.

Combined Shooting and Construction training

See Construction for more information.

Other Methods & Mods

^0.2.363 Sleeping spot can still be targeted, use this feature before it's patched again. This feature is confirmed for the current version

^0.6.532 Use Target Practise mod, which adds custom indestructible block called Target.

Methods for Previous Versions

Growing area (removed from game in Alpha 2)

Dumping area (removed from game in Alpha 1)

Social training

Each social chat with a colonist gives 4 social xp per per speech balloon at 1x skill modifier and 0 mood modifier. Having a friendly chat with a prisoner in order to convince him/her to join the colony gives roughly 50 social xp at 1x modifier per speech balloon. If you are recruiting prisoners, be sure that the one whose social skill you want to train is the warden. Keeping a prisoner you don't want to recruit, or who would be difficult to recruit at "friendly chat" will allow the Warden to keep having conversations indefinitely, allowing skill training.