Magical Cooking Idea

[Killion]

Hi Guys,

I had this idea for a set of server scripts I could write. The thinking is to add value to a skill that is not used much on Excelsior - i.e. cooking. There would be a cookbook which acts as an infinite use tool to craft magical food. This food grants temporary stat bonuses etc. Basic stats are definitely possible (i.e. str, int, dex) and I imagine stuff like Mana Regen, skills etc. is also possible but I havent tried that yet. The book would be available to buy for tokens or EDs - up to the GMs. I have already started the script set and have a basic crafting tool working that creates a food that buffs strength by 1 for 5 minutes through a standard crafting gump so it won't be much more work to get the whole thing working. I want to make it totally configurable so that if these scripts were adopted it would be a matter of editing a table for GMs to define what foods were available and what they did. The scripts will involve very minimal alterations to the existing scripts - in fact as they stand at the moment there would be no editing at all, except to add the cookbook to the relevant ED/Token stone.

What do you all think of this idea?

Thanks,
Killion.

[Cyric]

I'd be totally up for this idea. I played on an old POL shard that revamped cooking, and it was great. The harder a food item was to craft the better the boost it gave. I believe what they did was to add ingredients to the recipes to make them more challenging. For instance, the player would have to add player grown or store bought veggies to a recipe to achieve a short duration health boost.

What doesn't work is forcing players to eat. I've played on a shard like that. Granted, it does add some realism to the game, but who wants to be forced to eat and drink every half hour or so.

I've always felt that cooking was an under developed skill just waiting for some creative folks to spice it up. hehe

-Malakai, The formerly young but now not so much

[Killion]

I agree about forcing players to eat - that was never the intention - just a short term buff to certain stats. Different recipes could buff different stats and the skill required to make each recipe and the quantity of ingredients could determine the size of the buff.

[Cyric]

Almost totally agree with your Killion, my one sticking point is forcing the players to use EDs or tokens to purchase the cookbooks. Since cooking is a "classic" skill, i.e. not one added by the shard, I don't think it's necessary to make the books so difficult for younger players to acquire. One of my gripes with not only UOEX but also with UO in general is there isn't enough for young to mid-level to do. If the ingredients are more difficult though not impossible to find, therein lies the challenge and a boost to the economy as players scramble to either find or purchase the needed items. The economy gets a second boost as players purchase food items from player-run vendors.

-Malakai, The formerly young but now, not so much

[Killion]

OK fair enough but how would you acquire the book? Add it as an inscription craftable? Sell it for gold from cook npcs? When I say buy it for EDs/tokens I was thinking pretty cheaply but that wouldn't be up to me. The only reason I was thinking that is because it's easy to code. Adding it as an inscription craftable or to sell from NPCs would be slightly more difficult for Colibri to integrate into the codebase thereby making it less likely to get added by him.

[Cyric]

I'm ok with tokens as long as it's reasonably priced and not something only a handful can afford.

[Killion]

I agree.

[Aghorra]

I like the idea, so long as it's added benefit to what exists now; not gimping us, then requiring something new for us to have to deal with. I'm here to have fun, and really don't want real life to creep in too awful much. That's my take.

[Killion]

Absolutely - the idea is not to take away - just to add cool stuff. You would have the option of an added buff plus a new crafting avenue to go down and make money etc. If this feature were implemented you could completely ignore it and be no worse off at all

[Killion]

OK, I'm stopping work on this since I can't get a response from an admin as to whether it would ever be added to the game.

[Efanchenko_MM]

What if the food gave only players under their stat cap the boost, and then sold cheap. This way it is aimed towards young players, and is something I am sure will be used by many.

[Nunja]

Please make the buffs last for about 5-10 minutes. Nothing worse than filling your backpack with items to get a 30 second boost... (see fishing magical fish...nobody uses them)
Also please make eating another lot of the same food reset the duration timer... nothing worse than having to wait for time out before reapplying

Can also do temporary buffs to a non-crafting skills ... +10 resist spells for 5 minutes would be worth using.

perhaps can only have one type of food active will mean this wont be used to become overpowered (eating another replaces previous effect)

[krothu]

The cooking idea would be good for special items like enchanted apple or whatever else it can be used for, However to boost stuff like Strength, dex, agility..thats what the potions are for and not just for beekeeping.

[Cyric]

The cooking idea would be good for special items like enchanted apple or whatever else it can be used for, However to boost stuff like Strength, dex, agility..thats what the potions are for and not just for beekeeping.

Very true, and therein lies the problem. Not only is cooking useless but so is alchemy. If it is time restraining to overhaul cooking, perhaps the staff could look into boosting the effectiveness of potions. Personally, I'd love to see both skills retooled. Maybe Excelsior isn't the style of shard where the skills are needed. I know there are shards that have reworked many of the skills we don't use here. These shards don't level weapons or breed pets so the advantages are needed in skill/stat boost foods and potions. The players can't rely on a pack of mules or nobles to assist them in hard fights.

-Malakai, he who grows stronger by the day

[krothu]

Perhaps Im a bit old school in this shard but I still carry cure,heal,and refresh pots when Im out and about. I use those for a fast cure or heal when im in a tough spot. I personally find potions still very useful in this shard..And I do make my own. The cooking I would like to see the chance to make your own special type food. I dont know if its already being done and if not is it possible? In vendors Ive seen player named food items but not real sure if players made it or if it had GM help. I have a whole menu full of Orcish Treats I'd like to make