Alchemy

[Jabren]

Originally posted by Altharion
change one material into another...

Was this a response to my post, another post, or a general response to the topic of the thread? If it is a response to a spesific post it is good to quote/name the one you responed to, so that that person can know.

If it was me you responded to:

Transmutation is the art of changing one element into another, but my point was that the attempts to make valuable metals out of less valuable elements was only part of what alchemists was trying to do, and they were never really successful in that either, it would take many centuries before someone succsessfuly transmuted an element, and it is not really something one can do to earn money, its just to expensive in relation to the amount of valuable elements you can make.

They did however lay some foundation for what is now called chemistry. It is perfectly within the scope of an alchemist to make potions. Herbalists would be able to make potions too, but they would be made differently, for example by boiling the plant in water.

[Altharion]

stricting itself into only potion making is not good.

[Grindalyx]

Alchemy is already in the skill list.

It\'s probably safe to assume that the devs have devised, or are in the process of devising a use for the skill that won\'t allow for players with a high level in that skill to make millions in a short time.

Back on topic: Personally, i think that the Alchemy skill should not be limited to potions/medicines, or chemical weapons (possibly at a basic level weapons could be vials of various acids(which the player would have to learn to create) which would shatter on contact and burn the target?).

*It should also cover at the very least a minor form of metallurgy(sp?), as without that knowledge, players wanting to make their own weapons and armour, or set up a business using the weapon/armour making skills would be limited to basic iron weapons and armour, would they not?

(surely it\'s better to have the knowledge and ability to transmute materials, eg: combining iron and coal under the right circumstances to create steel.. bad example, i know)

feel free to point out any problems, or shoot my idea out of the sky

* or would that come under the blacksmith skill?

[Harkin]

alchemists never tried to make boots and chairs from elements, their main goal was to make silver, gold or platinum.. never a boot... with their research came the knowledge of potion making, they mixed different substances in their studies and began making many potions....

they never tried to take 2 iron, 3 gold and 2 coal to make a chair? besides in an alchemists mind that would be worthless , alchemy is not really a magic, but the use of metals, elements and different substances to make items into a valueable metal...

sticking to true alchemy and leaving it at turning metals into more valueable metals and the making of potions... would be best, but the first is just another way of powerleveling and making loads of money, leaving the second which adds role-playing and not a big way of making money...

i just see that several peoples views on alchemy are wrong, the creation of items(chairs, etc.) from elements is not a part of what true alchemy is...

so stop watching full metal alchemist and learn what alchemy really is...

a few good games revolving around alchemy and the philosipher\'s stone are the Zork series, i would recommend Zork: Nemisis, but you\'d never find it anywhere, it being such an old game...

also, alchemists also tried to use the four elements, earth, fire, water and wind, in their searches as well...

[NIm]

It would be really iunteresting to see the effect of wizard\'s original alchemy on a free market economy.(which planeshift doesn\'t have yet...). the result would be total economic colapse:gold would become worthless very quickly, but in the time before it did.....
the economic shock would take quite a while to sort out, and in the meantime, you have no economy, which allows takeover by foriegn powers(not that there is any major political power besides the government of Yliakum...)

I would love to see such an alchemy system implemented, perhaps later in the game, when there is a more \"natural\" economic system, just to study the collapse(anyone remember the 1930s?)

[WizardsRule]

guess alchemy2(as it will be further known) will just have to wait. Oh well.

[Foresteer]

Originally posted by druke
alchemy...the making of potions num nuts

if only you where right its actualy you who comes out dumb on this one.. alchemy is the transmutation of matter and other elemental sciences i would love to see REAL alchemy implemented in PS..

\"Potionmaking by any other name is still potion making\"
PLEASE don\'t tell me you have alchemy in a game if you really just mis-named potionmaking to sound cool i have never seen true alchemy in any game ever so

[Lutz]

why not just transmutation?

[Samoth]

I never saw a more diametrically opposed posts.

You have historical perspective of an alchemist which is a sort of spiritual pre-chemist. And you have the modern interpretation of an alchemist as a magician of transmutation and immortality.

One thing that alchemist were very involved with was the reformation of the medical professions during the renaissance.  At that time western medicine was steeped in mysticism and folklore.  Many alchemist were the first to use scientific methods to practice their craft.  They worked with minerals and plants to create a variety of restorative drinks.  Which sounds to me like a potion.

But we are talking about a game.  So let?s talk about what we would like to see come about from the alchemist skill.

Transmutation would work, but as previously posted it would have to be carefully designed so that the economy would not get all whacked.

[Efflixi Aduro]

Originally posted by Exaero_Fiero
2. I would like to stick to opinion that Alchemist is a potion-making class.

Umm then what does an Apothacary do

[dfryer]

ALthough I don\'t have any behind-the-scenes knowledge, I would think that an apothecary would deal in poisons and healing concoctions (i.e. a pharmacist), while an Alchemist is closer to what we would call a chemist, someone who focuses their efforts at manipulating the behaviour of substances.

The art of making objects out of gold would definitely be a crafting skill (metalsmith or goldsmith).  As for the value of gold, we don\'t really know what role it plays in the economy of Yliakum, do we?  It is probably not as valuable there as it is here.

[Lutz]

When I think of an Alchemist, I think of instantly turning raw ore into weapons...bronze to steel...that sorta thing...not potion making...

[Slagle]

alchemy means transmuting, wether it be a sword into a steel bar or herbs into a potions . its all alchemy. i think alchemy should be plants to potions...i dont like this ore melting stuff...if you want ore, just mine.

[Lordbug]

Firstly I would like to say that if in WizardsRule\'s idea of alchemy, gold values would come down instantly, gold would be easely made and maybe gold would worth less than 1 tria;

In 2nd place, if you check the the NPCs that sell potion they train Alchemy (hint);

In 3rd place:

1.you can buy potions just about anywhere already
2. it would be more creative than simple potion makeing
3. allows players to rely on one another more
4. this improves roleplaying
5. along with many others

1. That\'s wrong, some day there won\'t be NPC merchants, the Devs are planing to do a world governed by players, just like in RL;
2. Nope, it\'ll be the oposite of creative, everything would be turned to gold;
3. Er... dunno why... why?
4. NO it\'s arruins role playing
5.

Ok, this is just what I think... don\'t get pissed or upset WizardsRule... but that idea just doesn\'t fit

[Lutz]

the whole gold issue, why don\'t we do that whole Full Metal thing, sorta...like it takes a great deal of an item to make a little bit of gold...you know?