ACCEPTED Complete Alchemy and Cooking Overhaul (by kryptopyr)

[darkside 99]

Discussion thread:

Complete Alchemy and Cooking Overhaul by kryptopyr

Wiki Link

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Long awaited mod at least for me.

 

Alchemy is perhaps the most complex skill system in Skyrim and has the potential to be a beautifully nuanced crafting system. Unfortunately, it is also plagued by inconsistencies, imbalances, and poor design choices that often reduce the skill to little more than an easy way to make a quick pile of gold. This mod seeks to change that, to both balance and enhance the inherent complexity of this system and bring greater versatility and enjoyment to the Alchemist's craft.

 

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Mod Testing

• Install the mod in a STEP:Extended Profile
• Install CACO Patches optional file and merge it.
• Open the mod by doubling clicking it and go to the Optional ESPs tab.
• Move the following up to the top pane:
  • CACO_ETaC_Patch.esp
  • CACO_GrayCowl_Patch.esp
  • CACO_MightyMagick_Patch.esp
  • CACO_RND_DestBottles_Patch.esp
  • CACO_RND_Patch.esp
  • CACO_SkyrimImmersiveCreatures+DLC2_Patch.esp
  • CACO_SkyrimImmersiveCreatures_Patch.esp
  • CACO_UniqueBooze_Patch.esp
  • CACO_USKP_Patch.esp
  • CACO_Wyrmstooth_Patch.esp.
• Place this mod directly below Even Better Quest Objectives in your mod list.
• Install Wiseman303's Flora Fixes. Place this mod directly above Wiseman303's Trap Fixes in your mod list.
• Disable Ragdoll Paralysis (this mod replaces it)
• Disable 101BugsHD (this mod replaces it)
• Disable Radiant and Unique Potions and Poisons HD (this mod is meant to replace it)
• Disable Claims Drop Pearls (this mod replaces it)
• Run LOOT and make sure these "Load After" meta rules are in placed or added to the main plugin from this mod: Clothing & Clutter Fixes.esp and Complete Crafting Overhaul_Remade.esp. Now sort and apply.
• Re-create your Bashed Patch
• Play the game with the mod installed, testing the various aspects it includes

[sheershaw 4]

Oh man, this looks amazing.

 

But I think I'll wait to install. I just installed a new game, for one, and I want to keep it stable this time.

 

I'm also gonna wait until some patches for Hunterborn, Ordinator, iNeed, and possibly Frostfall come out.

Edited October 1, 2015 by sheershaw

[darkside 99]

It is compatible with iNeed.

[Greg 30]

From the mod's description:
 

All food items are fully integrated for compatibility with iNeed, and recipes that require water will recognize iNeed's waterskins.

[SparrowPrince 169]

Edit: Onion TACO!

Edited October 2, 2015 by SparrowPrince

[Crimson13 7]

Ah man, looks fantastic. I'm pumped to try this out, that said I do have questions about it. It seems like you can disable Harvest Overhaul when using this but it doesn't include all of its options, I like the choice of changing around the little sacks of gold. You can make them seem more worthwhile with the options you get. I'm also curious as to what's added to the Hearthfire planters, I use this.

(What is up with linking text? I had to make a new line just to escape everything being highlighted and linked. Pressing the unlink icon after making a space unlinks everything, what the Hell?). Kryptopyr didn't mention what was added to the planters so I hesitate using this mod to replace the one I'm currently using.

 

Overall this looks awesome though and those are my only complaints/questions.

[Octopuss 29]

I am not sure I am ready for this

 

Little worried about Hunterborn too, btw. Also, 101bugs is history I guess.

Edited October 2, 2015 by Octopuss

[Darth_mathias 230]

does anyone know of this mod plays well with Ordinator perks of skyrim?

[Ocean 0]

does anyone know of this mod plays well with Ordinator perks of skyrim?

Quoting EnaiSiaion :

 

 

Just let it overwrite Ordinator. They won't be covered by the respec feature but MAY be covered by Dragonborn respecs if he did his homework.

You CAN nab any Ordinator perks you want and you'll keep them after replacing the tree, but who knows about balance.

 

Edited October 2, 2015 by Ocean

[TechAngel85 14]

I'm looking into this. I'll most likely be advocating it for STEP...most likely Extended. Core would be a bit of a stretch for this one due to all that it does.

 

So far it would most likely replace:

• 101Bugs
• PondFish and Salmon Replacer (not 100% positive on this one)

 

I'm still reading the description, but wanted to post my thoughts. An overhaul to the alchemy system is something we've been waiting for, for a very long time and this sounds like it's the one. Any compatibility issues with STEP would be handled by the STEP Patches, of course, though I don't see any issues thus far. I'll know more once I dig in a bit deeper.

[kryptopyr 219]

Thanks guys!

 

CACO won't replace PondFish and Salmon Replacer.  It will overwrite the River Betty, but none of the other fish.  I'm thinking about giving the vanilla fish a makeover to something more in-line with the other CACO fish, but right now that's pretty low on my list of priorities.

[TechAngel85 14]

Thanks for the info!

 

This looks like it also replaces Clams Drop Pearls mod. This mod was integrated into the STEP Patches a long time ago, but if this is added, it looks like we can drop that from the Patches. The harvest overhaul integration is a welcomed addition. I've tried to get it into STEP before, but since the alchemy was so unbalanced, the extra ingredients made alchemy too easy and overpowered. I'm glad to see this integrated because picking a Red Mountain Flower and only receiving one flower from an entire bush irritates the crap out of my logically-geared brain!

 

I'll be installing this on my Mage playthrough to give it a whirl.

 

If a daedric dagger is equipped, then spriggan sap can be harvested from spriggans in addition to their other ingredients (a particular quest-related dagger also works).

 

Would the name of this dagger be:

 

 

Nettlebane?

 

 

If so, that would be great, because that particular dagger is basically useless after that quest. Would one simple need to have the dagger on them or does one have to use it to kill the spriggan to harvest the sap?

 

Also, how well does this play with Hearthfire Extended? This mod is being looked into for STEP inclusion as well.

[kryptopyr 219]

Would the name of this dagger be:

 

 

Nettlebane?

 

 

If so, that would be great, because that particular dagger is basically useless after that quest. Would one simple need to have the dagger on them or does one have to use it to kill the spriggan to harvest the sap?

Yep, that's it.  :)   You don't have to kill the spriggan with the dagger, but I think you need to equip it when you loot them.  If I remember correctly, I think I decided to treat this feature the same way the vanilla game treats harvesting Dragon Heartscales.

 

I haven't had a chance to look into Hearthfire Extended.  I know I have that mod bookmarked and thought it looked really interesting.  At some point, I'll take a closer look.

[TechAngel85 14]

Marked for Testing.

 

Since I'll be installing this to play around with it, I might as well mark it for testing.

[TechAngel85 14]

From a STEP perspective there are 3 areas up for debate with this mod that I gathered from the description:

•     Bombs
•     Potion Stacking
•     Needs

 

Bombs

This one is up for debate due to the lore. I haven't played much of the other Elder Scroll games so I don't know if explosives are a thing in Elder Scrolls lore. I do know that I can't recall anywhere in Skyrim where any type of explosive is used which isn't by the use of magics. I'll break it down individually for the time being.

Incendiary Bombs are beleiveable without any lore to back them up. One would simply need to know the chemical reaction (alchemy) between certain elements to create such a weapon. Many of our own real-world elements will react in such a way to cause an explosion.

Frost and Shock Bombs are harder to explain. There would need to be a basis of ingredients that would react in a way to create such effects. Whether or not these exist in Skyrim, I'm not sure, but I could see combining Ice Wrath Teeth with an explosion element might produce a frost-like explosion. The only other way, I can think of, that these would be able to be produced is via a magical means which is not what alchemy is in the Elder Scrolls world.

So these bombs come into question in regards to STEP. Should they be turned off for STEP purposes? This is up for debate.

 

Potion Stacking

In the vanilla game potion effects do stack; however, this mod has this disabled by default with the ability to turn the stacking back on. For STEP, I feel this effect should be enabled and potions allowed to stack. My reasons are the same reasons that the alcohol effects from this mod stack. This is the way things really work and this mod has included a lot of realism without that being the sole intention.

When you consume alcohol, the more you drink the more drunk you become and the longer your recovering is likely to be (and the worse hangover you'll have!). Medicines work in the same way and what is a potion other then the game's version of a form of medicine? Medicines stack in your body and I feel that potions should as well. Taking a health potion should simply increase the duration of it's effect. To counter this, a system could be added that you become "poisoned" by consuming too many potions within a certain amount of time. This is the same way medicines work. Sleeping pills are beneficial to some, but take too many and you just might not wake up! There is already a mod that does this, but I can't recall the name of it.

So, this is up for debate as well, but I feel potions should be allowed to stack.

 

Needs

This one really isn't any issue for STEP. I simply wanted to include it to say I believe this feature should be left up to the individual and that STEP would most likely not have an recommendation on it due to the feature being subjective to play styles and really nothing else.

 

EDIT:

Updated OP with boilerplate and Mod Testing notes.