To me it is dumbing down in the sense that it limits the creative space / possibilities for role playing. I called it dumbing down... guess you could call it whatever you want.

Dumbing down in a way that you actually have to prepare for things when you are near civilization or at least useable equipment, not just make more healing potions when it's convenient?

So at some points when they make the game easier it is dumbing down, but when they make it more challenging it is also dumbing down? MAKE UP YOUR MINDS PEOPLE!

How the hell is it dumbing it down? Explain that to me.

It's definitely a double edge sword but that's only if we can't use a mortar outside of those stations. If it's like Fallout 3's workbench, oh boy I can see the Rage coming.

I hope this is not true. I like the idea of being out in the wilderness and creating potions from the source of the ingredients. This will really disappoint me if it is restricted to just stations.

I see a lot of the design decisions from ES to Fallout, making it into Sky. Not looking good at all.

Is it confirmed that there's no portable mortar and pestle? And if those design decisions are good, how is that a bad thing? Especially if there's both?

Well, it dose add to the realism of the game. Wile not convenient it is realistic and I like it for that reason. Totally not realistic to be able to carry around with you a 500 lb. smithing set! :wink_smile: And, you will need to make sure your prepared before you embark on a journey. I played Aion for about 7 months and the crafting system was something that you needed stations for. I really didnt mind that at all. From the sounds of it there will be stations scattered all over the place so really its not a biggy! ^^

I go by Beths history.

You didn't understand what I meant. Dumbing down, as I was using it, has nothing to do with "challenge" it has to do with the amount of possible actions the player can do. Say for example, a role player will have more difficulty to play a traveling druid that uses his mortar, pestle, calcinator, etc. in the woods or in his cave (assuming that there is no portable alchemy, which all evidence points to). The player is being FORCED to use the alchemical items in certain exact locations.

As for how realistic it is... we have players who carry 3 swords, 1 mace, 2 cuirasses, a shield, boots, 20 potions, 5 carrots (well those are weightless), and 4 fish. How in the hell is that realistic? REALISM does not exist in TES, or in 99% of games for that matter, because it would be a damn hard game to survive and most likely would be quite frustrating.



You should truly read a thread before posting... considering I explained what I meant a few posts above yours...... Geez!

You can role play just the same with both options. Nobody's stopping you.

I actually dont mind this mainly because it is such a pain in the [censored] to have to carry around mortar and pestle, alembic etc. Now my character wont be wayed down by that stuff..besides i rarely ever use the potions i make, i just either store them away or sell them.

Dumbing down = they changed something and I don't like it, even if it increases complexity.
Gimmick = new feature I dislike.
Roleplaying = doing what I want with no consequences or feedback from the world.

I expect the"stations" will grant bonuses for crafting at them while in the "field" crafting has a higher chance of failure

Yep, because one guy found an alchemy station somewhere that is less than 1% of the game world, we must not have portable alchemy equipment. /sarcasm

I think it's better! Reminds me a bit of The Witcher! How the hell is that immersive if in the middle of a Boss Fight you just pause and make a million health potions?

This gives it the nice feeling of a D&D type of game where you need to be ready before going out to the mission, so if you're going for a stealth mission, you'll go to the station and make some chameleon potions etc., if you will need your health you'll create more fortify health and so on there, and not in the middle of the boss fight..
This way you have a more of a Trial and Error gameplay rather than just the easy gameplay where you can make potions on the spot!

So I approve of Alchemy stations!

Do not want.

I find the idea inconvenient. I wouldnt mind say having a fixed place that boosted by alchemy (like wizard tower) but I can do it on the move and sacrafice that bonus.

Nobody has confirmed no portable mortar and pestle. It's very possible we might have both options.

hate this, at LEAST make it so that you can carry a more basic mortar that doesn't make potions as effective, and then also have the station where you can make more advanced potions.

I agree witchcraft, it would be a pain for my huntsman to have to go into town every time he wants to make a potion. I am sure mods would fix this right away anyway, but still.

If that was really what Beth was trying to get away from, they could have just shut off potion making while in combat.

Very few people in this thread have actually complained about not being able to make potions in combat. If you pay attention, they're complaining about the fact that alchemy has less options. For one thing, you can't move the equipment around. For another thing, it appears that the equipment quality will no longer have an effect on the end result. Thirdly, it appears that there's a single apparatus (no calcinator, retort, etc).


You can have the best of BOTH worlds without stationary alchemy tables. All Beth had to do was make alchemy an out-of-combat-only activity.

You don't have to call that 'dumbing down' if you don't want to, but its certainly feature shrinkage.

Agreed. Also, there is a precedent in Oblivion in the Wizard's Tower DLC.

However, there should still be portable apparatuses, but maybe slightly gimped.

I actually got an alchemy lab mod in OB

cause carrying all that equipment around was annoying