2. Choice over starting characters would make the game easier.
There are already different difficulty settings, and nobody (sane) has a problem with that. Choosing an easier starting group is just another way of choosing an easier difficulty level. So no, not everyone would choose to do that, for the same reason not everyone plays every game on the easiest difficulty. But if someone wants to play the game on “easy” mode, why should anyone care?
This is what it all boils down to, min-maxing takes away from the game, everyone will pick all the strong traits for the founding members and dominate. But if there was a point system or crowns for traits and starting equipment it’ll limit how much you can min-max. Making one amazing founding member will result in 2 really sickly weak greedy gluttonous etc members with poor starting backgrounds who will die easily. That’s min-maxing, and I would definitely do it, just to see the longeivity and heroic victories of that one supersoldier. But I also have other ideas, Farmer Sons, a pitchfork and torch wielding gang of stocky farmhands. Or the fragile and sickly yet vicious outcasts/murderers/refugees. I have played a couple of playthroughs where I purposefully handicapped myself in order to stick to a narrative. A grave robber nicknamed “Grave Garment” who only uses equipment from won battles and sports a skeleton hero shield to boot. Customization opens a range of stories for your company. Without have to reroll which is what I do.
