ACCEPTED Complete Alchemy and Cooking Overhaul (by kryptopyr)

[Exoclyps]

Maybe I should try it out after all then. And since I'm not using iNeed I suppose I'll automatically be void of most issues.

[Van555]

Maybe I should try it out after all then. And since I'm not using iNeed I suppose I'll automatically be void of most issues.

Do it it's pretty cool.

[JimBobMcKrakken]

I've used CACO for about 20 levels of play, and have really had no issue. I'm also running iNeed, Campfire, and Frostfall, without any apparent conflict. (I did need to take out some of the STEP scripted mods like DSR, and deselect some of Wet and Cold's options, but these mostly just fought with Camp/Frost and bogged me down.) I've found CACO to be quite good: better sorting, more interesting potions and ingredients--so much so, that I'm considering an "Alchemist" character. The cooking aspect is nice too, gaining skills, buffs instead of a 25 course meal during combat, and it complements the immersion of iNeed nicely (although I can't wait to try Chesko's Last Seed when it comes out).

 

The one thing that freaked me out was taking cure disease off of the shrines (no...I don't want to be a vampire and I can't find a vendor with a potion or the right ingredients), but I calmed down when I found that any priest can cure disease for a little coin.

 

I'd highly recommend CACO. I used this Step pack to help me get it installed: https://wiki.step-project.com/Pack:Dovahkiin_Reborn

[TechAngel85]

It's installed for my upcoming playthrough, so I'll be fully testing it out as well. Just waiting on my SSD to get here so I can get started.

[Miderre]

CACO has been pretty good for me so far. Cooking has been much more interesting for me. I was actually excited to find rare food ingredients in my travels, and I enjoyed trying out more complex recipes. Trying to use a cooking pot sometimes causes a crash though. In my playthrough I haven't done a ton of alchemy, but the alternate sorting names optional file has been amazing. I have two concerns on this side though. First, the mod adds a number of chemical effects and ingredients, but the added ingredients seem to be pretty rare. This has resulted in making some types of potions difficult because it is harder to find two ingredients now with the same effect. For example, I am having a hard time finding "damage health" ingredients at the lower alchemy levels. The second concern is pretty minor, but my self-made potions often don't stack properly in my inventory.

[Shadriss]

For your second issue, Mid, that is a noted issue on the Mod's page... However, it also posted a solution, IE, the next time your game loads, all player-made potions stack properly (the ones in your inventory when you reload.) Not sure what the technical reason is, but it's a minor problem that is easily ignored.

[kryptopyr]

Another option, if this is something that really bothers you, is to turn off the option to rename the player-made potions.  This will remove the issue altogether since it's the renaming script that introduces the issue.

 

If you're interested (I know how much people around here love the technical details ;) ), the reason for the non-stacking potions is that the script that renames the player-made potions renames the individual references, not the base potion: using SetDisplayName() instead of SetName().  This allows the new names to persist when you save and reload your game.  Unfortunately, it also means that the game initially treats each reference as a separate item. 

 

Originally, I was using SetName() which renames the base potion and allows the potions to immediately stack in the inventory.  Unfortunately, that change does not persist across saves, and would require a tedious and resource-intensive maintenance script to run each and every time the player loads their game.

 

It's a lesser-of-two-evils type of situation.  I've tried a few work-arounds to force the game to stack the potions without reloading, but so far everything I've tried has been unsuccessful. 

[Exoclyps]

So this is why all my new enchanted weapons doesn't stack until after I reload my save.

[Shadriss]

Quite possibly - I'd never thought about it WRT enchanted weapons before.... I usually sell duplicates long before I do any restart of the game, so I never noticed before.

[boycad]

this mod replaces three mods now so it would be worth it, imo. I'm also thinking that it might be best to drop Radiant and Unique Potions, if this is added. Else, we would need a compare of every texture conflict found in xEdit to determine which one we would want to keep. 

Seems like there are helpers out there.  If it hasnt already been done, I introduce you to the  CACOSTEP Multipatch... https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/71222 

 

That would make install order: CACO and the other stuff needed for CACOSTEP installed before the STEP Extended installer, and after CCOR; and then the CACOSTEP installer run after SMIM and the STEP Extended installer, I'd say.

Edited March 5, 2016 by boycad

[boycad]

I mean, you do realize I have a patch for exactly this on the Nexus already, right? I hand-picked many of the models to fill in the gaps between the two mods. The desc page delves into the finer details of the patch.

oh there you are.  I just mentioned your patch.  The instructions seem clear enough, and I love anything that ties together different but parallel works.  I'll be testing it in, ahem, probably about a month from now when I'm ready to start playing.  

Edited March 5, 2016 by boycad

[TechAngel85]

I have that patch installed for testing.

[TechAngel85]

Apparently, this mod adds in a new tree in which you can harvest nuts from. I was not expecting this. It looks a bit out of place with the surrounding textures of the other flora. Bark is good. Leaves...don't really fit in.

[Shadriss]

You sure? Where is this tree? I've never noticed anything new in that regard. I mean, I know you're just about a Modding God, but are you absolutely certain it's from this?

[Neovalen]

You sure? Where is this tree? I've never noticed anything new in that regard. I mean, I know you're just about a Modding God, but are you absolutely certain it's from this?

Yeah it is. There are some outside Riverwood.