I've rebalance it myself for my liking. Just for feedback, yeah.
Melee - also use it. You get it right i think. May be just a bad luck. However, may be not. I've remember now that it's not rare situation for me. I play on level 4 difficulty. Warrior or something. English not my language. )
At last run both encounters with that zombies was in Jen quests.
Crafting:
I'm not so "tester", just my opinion\intuiton.
I think in some ways you hit the spot, but some recipes is to pricey. Like a cobblestone and blocks of it. ( I just haven't go further).
Repair Kit maybe. I liked that it's more expesive. At first i VERY liked that i need different one for every tool, but at the end of a day it is just boring and takes to much space of inventory. ( in my rebalance, i've keep original, make it more expensive, and get rid of unique kits.)
Food and farming.
For 13 day i have only 2-4 blocks of farm. I'ts not enough. And i tryhard to make more. I'ts just to expensive and time consuming.
Yeah, i know about cunned food, but it's running out fast and i need more higher tier foods.
Afterall, i don't know why i writing this. ))) May be Your mod closest to what i want to see.