How is 'character quality' calculated?

Question

In Rimworld, prisoners have their 'character quality' shown when hovering the mouse on the 'slave price' entry in the 'Prisoner' tab.

I am curious about what affects 'character quality'. By observation, I have concluded two patterns so far:

1. Health conditions would affect 'character quality'. People with worse health condition would have smaller 'character quality'.
2. Pawn trait would affect 'character quality'. People with trait 'Inventor' would have larger 'character quality'.

I want to to find more detailed information about how is 'character quality' calculated, but I didn't succeed. I have read the 'Prisoners' page in the wiki, but it didn't mention 'character quality'.

I think the DLCs might affect the calculation, but I am not sure, since I am only on the base version, without any mods and DLCs.

Answer 1

The short answer:

It's complicated

The wiki page with most of the info you're looking for is actually at Market Value

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The simple formula for Pawns is:

Base Value x Quality Multiplier + Price offset

Base Value

This is simple -- for humans, it's $1750.

Quality Multiplier

This is the most complicated factor. It covers both health (e.g. a pawn with a damaged arm is worth less than a pawn with a working arm), skill (e.g. a pawn with 0 in Plants is worth less than one with 20 in Plants), and capability (e.g. a pawn on luciferium is worth more, because their Manipulation and Consciousness stats are higher).

Traits are included in this, as well as beauty (which some traits effect). The full list, as far as I know, is:

• Staggeringly Ugly / Ugly / Pretty / Beautiful (Indirectly, from Beauty)
• Chemical Interest / Chemical Fascination
• Abrasive
• Wimp
• Annoying Voice
• Pyromaniac

Price Offset

The simplest way to think of this part is "weapons + clothing" -- essentially anything the Pawn has equipped, though this also includes removable parts, both natural organs (Lungs, Heart, etc.), and Bionics.