Stupid character stat question

[Sudz28]

I have glanced through the Users Manual and unless I missed it, it doesn't really explain stats such as "Armor rating" or "To Hit" as an absolute number. Is a higher number or a lower number better for these things? In a classic D&D type RPG, Armor Class is generally understood to be "lower is better"... so an Armor Class rating of "2" is better than an Armor Class rating of "4" (for instance). This doesn't appear to be the case with Eschalon (it looks like a higher number is 'better', although it's hard to tell from simply putting on and taking off armor due to the unskilled penalty thing), and figured I'd better ask and look like an idiot than end up with a needlessly dead character.
Thanks!

[Vroqren]

Besides - you're no more of an idiot than any of us when we started. We're here to help, there aren't many dumb questions.

[deathknight1728]

Ive got a question about shops. Do the shops in eschalon book 1 restock every week or so? I want to know as i am out of arrows

[Kreador Freeaxe]

Ive got a question about shops. Do the shops in eschalon book 1 restock every week or so? I want to know as i am out of arrows

Yes, every 7 days.

[deathknight1728]

Man i gotta say, i used to think that shields were useful in book 1. I just reloaded after pouring 3 points into shielding only to give no bonus whatsoever to my armor class. I figured that with shields it would have a bonus other than being able to just use them.

[Kreador Freeaxe]

Man i gotta say, i used to think that shields were useful in book 1. I just reloaded after pouring 3 points into shielding only to give no bonus whatsoever to my armor class. I figured that with shields it would have a bonus other than being able to just use them.

At the moment I don't recall if it's the same in book I, but in Book II, shields also have a chance to deflect any ranged attack (2%/level, if I recall correctly).

[Dragonlady]

Is a higher number or a lower number better for these things?

Higher is better.

Yes, and if you pop up your 'character info' button while looking at 'inventory' stuff along with character figure on screen, you can put items on and watch what goes up or down. Up is better. '+' on armor is good. +3 is all you can add yourself using alchemy skill, but you can find some +4 items - very rarely though.