Dungeon Dilettante
Posts: 4
Joined: Saturday, 25th February 2012, 23:43
Feature Proposal: Synthesizing potions
I doubt this is the first time this has been suggested, but I was thinking about how a "potion mixing/alchemy" component could be added to Crawl that would fit in with the general game design philosophy—i.e., a system that wasn't overly complicated or reliant on spoilers, made sense thematically, didn't encourage scumming, and added strategic value. Plus, given how hybrid and melee-based characters in particular are desperately reliant on consumables, I think that if a fair system could be worked out, it would add interesting strategic decisions for all characters, but would help even things out for characters that don't start with magic, as those (in my experience) are the ones whose viability (or rather, lack thereof) is most at the whim of the RNG.
I thought I'd post some of the ideas here to get feedback and see if any developer liked it and wanted to run with it. (Unfortunately I can't code, otherwise I'd be happy to work on it myself.)
I'm not sure how the mixing would work in terms of interface, and there would be a separate question of how a character would learn the recipes, enabling them to mix the ingredients, or if these recipes are already known both to the player and the character. I think it would make sense for the ingredients to be identified before they can be used (obviously—no mixing random pots), but I think the resultant potion shouldn't have to be identified beforehand (and, upon synthesis, will auto-ID).
Obviously, for anti-scumming purposes, pots of experience (definitely) and mutation (maybe) would have to be impossible to make. I'm also pretty sure Dex, Int, and Str gains are capped at +3, but if I am wrong about that recipe ideas #1 and # 2 below might be bad ideas. Each recipe requires three potions in order to make one, so that getting just what you want comes at a considerable price.
RECIPE IDEAS
1.) Changing Gain Foo
1 Pot Gain Dexterity OR Gain Strength + 2 Pots Brilliance = 1 Potion of Gain Intelligence
1 Pot Gain Strength OR Gain Int + 2 Pots of Agility = 1 Pot Gain Dexterity
1 Pot Gain Dex OR Gain Int + 2 Pots of Might = 1 Pot Gain Strength
2.) Making Gain Foo
1 Pot of Experience + 2 Pots of Agility OR Brilliance OR Might = 1 Pot of Gain Dex/Int/Str (respectively)
3.) Making Cure Mutation
1 Pot of Experience + 1 Pot of Restore Abilities + 1 Pot of Mutation = 1 Pot of Cure Mutation
1 Pot of Gain Foo + 1 Pot of Restore Abilities + 1 Pot of Mutation = 1 Pot of Cure Mutation
4.) Making Pots of Restore Abilities
1 Pot each of Agility, Brilliance, and Might = 1 Pot of Restore Abilities
5.) Making Pots of Resistance
1 Pot of Magic + 1 Pot of Levitation + 1 Pot of Berserk Rage = 1 Pot of Resistance
6.) Making Pots of Magic
1 Pot of Resistance + 2 Pots of Brilliance = 1 Pot of Magic
7.) Making Pots of Levitation
3 Pots of Agility = 1 Pot of Levitation
8.) Making Pots of Berserk Rage
3 Pots of Might = 1 Pot of Berserk Rage
9.) Making Pots of Agility/Might/Brilliance
1 Pot of Restore Abilities + I Pot of Might + 1 Pot of Brilliance = 1 Pot of Agility
1 Pot of Restore Abilities + I Pot of Agility + 1 Pot of Brilliance = 1 Pot of Might
1 Pot of Restore Abilities + I Pot of Might + 1 Pot of Agility = 1 Pot of Brilliance
10.) Making Potions of Curing/Heal Wounds
3 Pots of Curing = 1 Pot of Heal Wounds
3 Pots of Heal Wounds = 1 Pot of Curing