My brother! <knucks>
Almost nobody talks about putting points into intelligence because you can "just find or buy" schematics or items. Since I play 95% co-op I love being the crafter and letting my playing partner specialize in brutishness or whatever it is he does. I'm able to craft anything we need when we need it, not relying on RNGeesus to provide. It is sometimes annoying to find all Motorcycle parts right after I spent two points or whatever to learn it, but whatever.
Our current game, though, he is trying the pugilist track and I am trying strength + agility. So far we have one bicycle. Normally by now I'd have built us both minibikes. But I am pretty deadly with spears, which is a change.
I dont put in intelect cause the crafting stuff, I focus intelect cause barter skill, rewards from quests, junk turrets, Physics skill and Advanced Enginering...
- Turrets are OP when moded and help very much in BM nights, they have the most cheapest ammo in the game, they can even be used as a normal gun or a stationary gun. I use 2 turrets in the start of the game, one as a weapon, another estationary, when the estationary run out of ammo, I swap with the one I am handling, so I have a turret working all the time.
- The trading skill is great too, save you Money from buying and give you more Money from selling, Money can be smelted and turned into bullet case... The more Money you have, more ammo you have.
- The Daring Adventurer skill give you great rewards, auger, chainsaw, first aid kits, dukes, weapons, books...
- With Advanced Enginering you can craft forged steel more cheap, without it you pay 30 iron and 15 clay per bar, with the skill maxed you can craft steel ingots with 20 iron and 10 clay. It is perfect to a builder like me who spent lots of steel fortifying my external walls.
- With the Physics skills my healling is more effective, In a situation I need 2 bandage to heal my HP, I can use just one with same ammount of healling and plus: more fast healling, and on top of that I can help a friend, get good exp and heal myself with just ONE item! The less healling I spent, more I will have to use.
- With Science I can craft gunpowder and fuel more cheap. Needless to say what uses there are for gunpowder and fuel.
The Intelect branch not are just for crafting purposes, it is for the economic purposes, most of it. The more you save, the more you will have and less time you will spent looting. Of course you can learn all crafting stuff by recipes, but the true economic advantages you wont get just Reading recipes.
Anyway, sorry for the grammar, hope you understand my gamestyle strategy.