Focus

Focus is your ability to concentrate on the task at hand, and ability to draw experience form it. In other words focus is responsible for ensuring you can learn skills effectively. Focus mechanic is directly linked to Morale mechanic.

How focus works

• Your focus level is a measure of how effectively you can learn skills.
• Your experience gained from training skills is multiplied by the percentage value derived from focus (100 focus = 100%, 50 focus = 50%, etc), modified by traits such as Slow Learner and Fast Learner, and Enhanced Memory Banks bionic.
• Its starting level is 100, which indicates normal learning potential (100%).
• Higher or lower focus levels make it easier or harder to learn from practical experience.
• Your focus level has a natural set point that it converges towards, called focus equilibrium.
• Base focus change rate is 1 point per minute. When your focus is much lower - or higher - than focus equilibrium it tends towards, it may change faster.

Focus equilibrium

• In the morale menu you can see what is your focus go-to value at present conditions. This is the focus equilibrium. Your current focus will slowly go up or down towards that value.
• In some display options the sidebar will show the present focus trend (rising/falling)
• There are two main factors that defines the focus equilibrium:
  • High morale will raise the focus equilibrium, and low morale will lower the focus equilibrium.
  • Pain is deducted from morale when calculating focus equilibrium - it's harder to learn when you're in pain. Unless you are a Cenobite.
• Training your skills by reading books gives a significant penalty to the focus equilibrium, thus in most cases setting a downfall trend for the actual focus during that activity.

Focus caps

Focus is capped by Fatigue, but the cap actually applies to focus equilibrium, so cap trigger doesn't instantly drop your focus, but instead turns the trend down, if your current focus is above the cap. Caps are as follows:

• tired caps focus at 80
• dead tired caps focus at 60
• exhausted caps focus at 40
• extremely exhausted caps focus at 20

Focus consumption

Your focus is consumed by certain activities.

• Training your skills through real-world practice gradually consumes your focus. Chance of that decrease reduces as focus trends to zero, so with low focus it's less probable that gaining an experience will trigger the drop, but there is also reduced chance you will get the experience.
• You can disable a skill in the Player Info Menu (press <press_player_data>) if you don't want to practice it, and it will prevent focus drain while performing relevant action, but you will not progress in that skill while it's disabled.
• Certain addictions can consume your focus as you can't stop thinking about the thing you crave.
• Hallucinogenic effects of Datura seeds may consume your focus.
• Being cramped in a tight vehicle can consume focus. You need to be of significant size for that to happen.
• Albino and a person not wearing sunglasses (or other eye protection from glare like Anti-Glare Compensators bionic) will suffer from irritation to skin or eyes (respectively) in the bright sun, and this will consume focus.

Other interactions

• Focus is a penalty or a bonus when installing weapon modifications.
• Apex Predator will not lose focus on learning combat skills.