Human pawn market value calculation

[fritzgryphon]

I was curious about what traits affected a pawn's market value.  I couldn't find another thread that explains, so here it is.  Some of this is probably wrong.

A human has a base value of $1750.  This is multiplied by a "quality factor" (that you can read on a pawn's info page).  Finally, the value of bionics is added.  You can consider weapons and clothing to be added as well, though they don't show up in the info page.

The "quality factor" is 1 multiplied by each of the following elements:

-The current health percentage of the pawn (range of 0.2 - 1)
-The average of physical capacities, like sight, manipulation, movement, etc (minimum 0.5). 
-The average skill level of the pawn, with a 5.5 average being a value of 1 and a 20 average being a value of 3 (range of 0.2 - 3).
-A multiplier for the current life stage (There are defs for babies and teenagers, but no def for elderly.  I think this value is always 1 for humans)
-Traits that affect market value.  (1 + the following modifiers)

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Annoying voice:  -0.15
Creepy breathing: -0.1
Pyromaniac: -0.2
Wimp: -0.15
Abrasive: -0.15
Slowpoke to jogger: -0.2 to 0.4
Chem int and fasc : -0.1 and -0.15
Stag. ugly to beautiful:  -0.4 - 0.4

Psychological, work speed, shooting and immunity traits have no value.  The final value looks something like this:

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1750 * health_percent (minimum 0.1) * average_capacities (minimum 0.5) * avg_skill * (1+trait_values) + weapon_clothing_bionics

(The total value can be no less than $175)


This suggests a lot if you want to keep your wealth low.  When using cryptosleep, a pawn with no capacities is still worth a lot, because the capacities multiplier floors at 0.5, while clothing, weapons and bionics values are still applied.  Injured pawns are much less valuable, but again, equipment is added on top.  Weapon and bionics values are the same no matter who has them, so they are best used where you get good benefit (ie. don't give bionic legs to a non-violent sculptor, even if you can afford it).  Beauty is huge, given that beautiful pawns don't fight any better than other pawns.  You definitely don't want negative traits like depressive, volatile or hypersensitive as they are not compensated at all.  Sickly gives a +4 to medical skill in stat generation, but this becomes irrelevant once you train a good doctor.  In the early game, most of a pawns value is based on it's health and traits, but in the late game, it's mostly from clothing, weapon and bionics.  Bad-trait pawns shouldn't carry expensive equipment.  Average skill is a pretty big modifier, so you can keep their value down by specializing them in the fewest number of jobs (but it bears repeating, equipment value is way more significant). 

In fact, bionics and equipment value is so huge that I understand why some players go for big-population colonies with crummy gear.  A single Archotech leg is $2800, which is the same value of two mediocre-skilled humans.  A single terminator with bionics and high quality gear can be worth 5-10 low value colonists (!).

Contrary to my expectation, bad-trait pawns might be great as workers and meat shields, so long as you give them the cheapest possible stuff.  An ugly slowpoke with an annoying voice, bad skills and mild disability is only worth $200.  From now on I would accept just about anyone who isn't a physical danger (but consider them expendable).

The most wealth-efficient colonist might be a naked, ugly, brawler, nudist, super-immune, sanguine cannibal with a 5% club.

[Thane]

Quite interesting. I've come to this conclusion as well. Lots of pawns with low quality gear for the best DPS without Cheese.