[Puke]

Xenophobes are mainly there for the AI. normally, the computer will capitulate when you reach 10x (i think) its score. If the computer is xenophobic, it wont give up until you have 60x its score (if i remember correctly).

but to answer the question of if people pick traits for the point value given, or to get high ranking attributes: a little of column A, a little of column B.

if you truely dont care about combat bonuses, because you dont like shooting things or you're confident in your superior technology and numbers, then taking Berzerker wont help you. you are going to minimize your combat scores anyway, and you might as well pick a trait that gives you some points in something you do care about. On the other hand, you might pick some tree-hugger trait with further penalties to combat, because it gives you points in another place (that you can in turn lower and respend elsewhere).