Somehow, even though all the survivors are supposedly late teens/adults, none of them (save for the Biker) can drive adequately. They also cannot DUCT TAPE A SPIKE ONTO SOMETHING, nor can they sew a rag onto a shirt without damaging it despite being able to create adequate bandanas and frickin' metal spears with almost no practice.
I feel that characters should start with level 1 in everything, and that you could decrease your skill to 0 for a point.
first: some of the things you can ductape together in the game are just silly. Cars, for example. Sure, everyone has seen a car with a ductaped window or body pannel, but these are STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS that are being held together with tape, in the game.
second: i'm not sure the competency balance is really all that far off.
Your bandanna example: I can use a piece of cloth as a bandanna or shemagh, no problem. But I dont think I could sew a rag to a shirt to use as a patch, without fucking something up. Probably making it worse. Once I practiced a few times, I could probably get it. But out of the gate? it would be a fumbling disaster.
Your spear example: I have no doubt that I could bang a point onto a metal pipe or a section or RMC or something, and then use it to threaten some creature who's brain does not grasp the subtleties of lateral motion. On the other hand, I'm pretty sure any effort I made to permanently affix a spike to something to something with duct tape would end in tears. mine.
Not only is duct tape (or any tape) not intended for this job, but it is really hard to solidly attach something and then expect it to take a lot of physical trauma. Spikes are generally bolted onto surfaces from behind, and even then might work themselves loose from vibrations or from the simple force of being used.
Well.. I'm over analyzing this. It's just a game, I think the skill balance stuff is fun enough as it is. Except the grindy parts. I wish they were less grindy.