Game Balance

Stat system scaling:

Minimum stat: 0 (should only happen due to penalties, instant failure in most scenarios)

Nominal stat: 8 ("average" person)

Very high stat: 14 (realistic world class human, maximum cost-effective in chargen)

Maximal stat: 20 (higher may be achievable, but we're not worried about balancing at that point.)

Skill system scaling:

Minimum skill: 0 (no training)

Maximum skill: 10 (requires regular training to maintain, "professional" level)

Monster melee skill scaling:

Minimum skill: 0 (no melee potential; turret, fungal wall)

Nominal skill: 4 (average critter; most zeds & giant insects)

Notable skill: 6 (competent/carnivore; bear, wolf, police/survivor zeds)

Very high skill: 8 (dangerous opponent; dark wyrm, vinebeast)

Maximal skill: 10 (highest for balance purposes; jabberwock, tribot, shoggoth, gracken)

Speeds:

Zombies are a bit faster than "shambling". Zombified versions of fast critters will remain fast, but in general the process slows the undead version. Further, under no circumstances should a zed be more than 50% faster than base character speed. Currently, this means "capped at 150".

Dodge System assumptions:

Dodge chance is based on attacker's melee skill and target's dex stat and dodge skill.

Successful dodges negate the attack and impose a cumulative penalty on dodges within the same turn.

Dodge Use Cases:

An individual with no skill and nominal stats in ideal circumstances against a basic opponent should occasionally be able to dodge.

An individual with no skill and nominal stats in ideal circumstances against a skilled opponent should rarely if ever be able to dodge.

An individual with world-class dodging ability, in ideal circumstances against a basic opponent should have a negligible chance of failure.

An individual with world-class dodging ability, in ideal circumstances against a skilled opponent should have a moderate chance of failure.

The effect of increasing dodge skill has a growth rate with diminishing returns that accelerates sharply at the point where you move beyond the dodge a "regular" character is likely to achieve (7 and above)

The balance of melee versus dodge should favour dodge which, after all, isn't effective against a wide variety of other types of attacks.

Even a world class dodger should not be able to dodge continuously when attacked many times a turn.

Items:

For details about balancing of weapons, see this page.

LIQUIDS:

Multi-charge items are weighed by the charge/use. If you have an item that contains 40 uses, it'll weigh 40x as much (when found in-game) as you entered in the JSON. Liquids are priced by the 250mL unit, but handled in containers. This can cause problems if you create something that comes in (say) a gallon jug (15 charges) and price it at the cost of a jug's worth: it'll be 15x as expensive as intended.

To that end, here's a list of containers with non-one volume. If you have something spawn in 'em, divide the "shelf" price by this value to arrive at the correct price to list in the JSON.

• plastic bottle: 2

• glass jar: 2

• glass bottle: 3

• plastic canteen: 6

• 3L glass jar: 12, as expected

• gallon jug: 15