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Alchemy Storage Helper v2.0
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created by scruggs.
utilizing freshFish's MWScript Extender

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About the Plugin
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This is a simple update on a simple plugin. The original version was released over a year ago, and was designed to assist herb-gathering characters in managing their inventories. Dedicated alchemists know that those little bundles of saltrice and marshmerrow not only clutter up your inventory screen, but quickly weigh your character down as well. This plugin provides the player with a single, portable satchel in which to carry all of his various ingredients. This keeps the inventory screen clutter-free, and provides you with access to all of your ingredients without fear of becoming over-encumbered. As an added convenience, it is possible to transfer the entire contents of the satchel to your own inventory with one button press, and to likewise return them to the satchel instantly when they are no longer needed.
Improvements in this version:
-The scripts now recognize ANY ingredient in your inventory, whether original to the game or added by another mod.
-The container interface has been improved. Previously the "satchel" was actually an NPC with Companion Share. Now it behaves like an ordinary container.
-The new scripts are streamlined to run much faster.
-The satchel is now fully portable.
This plugin REQUIRES MWScript Extender. This is an amazing tool, which was created by freshFish and greatly expanded upon by cdcooley. Without the enhanced scripting functions it provides, the features of this plugin could not have been implemented. You will need version 0.9.2 or higher; older versions don't support the new scripting functions used by this mod.
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Installing the Plugin
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To install, just extract the plugin archive into your Morrowind\Data Files folder. All files will be placed in their proper folders.
IMPORTANT: Because MWSE is required, you will need to run MWSE.exe, not Morrowind itself, in order to play the game. Once MWSE starts, you'll be greeted with the familiar Morrowind Launcher and can continue normally. Consult the MWSE documentation for exact information on installation and use.
If you currently have a previous version of Alchemy Storage Helper installed, you should probably remove it before installing this version. You won't experience conflicts, but you'll probably become confused since the icons for the satchels are identical in both versions. To uninstall the previous version, load up your current savegame and remove any ingredients from the ingredient box and/or satchel and save your game. Restart Morrowind, check the box next to this version, and uncheck the old version. Any warnings about missing objects may be safely ignored.
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Playing the Plugin
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As soon as you enter the game, you will find an Ingredient Satchel in your inventory. There are no quests to perform or items to be purchased before you can get started. The satchel can be used in two ways:
- Equip it on your character portrait: This will give you a choice of two options. You can transfer all of the ingredients currently in your inventory to the satchel. This effectively hides them from your inventory screen and removes their weight from your encumbrance. The other option is simply the reverse: Transfer all ingredients from the satchel to your inventory, allowing you to use them in potions, sell them, or do whatever else you like with them. This is the most convenient way to use the satchel, and the one you'll probably use most often, either to quickly add recently-found ingredients to the satchel, or to empty the satchel out in preparation for potion brewing.
- Drop the satchel on the ground: This allows you to interact with the satchel as a normal container. It will appear on the ground where you dropped it. Once you have finished adding or removing individual items from the container, just close it and it will be returned to your inventory. You'll find this useful if you need only a certain ingredient, such as a quest item, or if you just want to check the contents of the satchel.
The satchel has a virtually unlimited capacity - it can hold quite a lot of ingredients. However, it will NOT accept any other types of items, so don't bother trying to use it as a cheat for storing all of your loot. On the other hand, for those who think having immediate access to an unlimited supply of weightless ingredients already qualifies as a cheat, you always have the option of only using the satchel at your home, or wherever it is that you do your potion-making.
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Technical Notes
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This mod should be compatible with just about any other plugin out there (excluding the original Alchemy Storage Helper). It alters no existing objects, scripts, cells, or game settings. Everything added by the mod is marked with the prefix "ASH_".
You should never be able to lose your satchel. If you do, it is because you either sold it or dropped it somewhere. Should you need a replacement, open the console by pressing the tilde key (~) and type the following:
Player->addItem ASH_Inv 1
Please don't use this command to give yourself more than one satchel. One is all you need, and having more than one can result in problems.
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Other Mods for Alchemists
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Alchemically-inclined players might want to check out Alchemist's Arsenal, which allows you to brew your own offensive potions like Cherry Bombs and Fairy Dust. These have debilitating effects which are scaled to your own Alchemy skill and can be used as thrown weapons in combat. Who said that alchemists have to be nature-loving pacifists?
Sri's Alchemy (Bloodmoon Edition), created by Sri Kandi, is the most complete and balanced ingredient mod I've come across. It adds dozens of new ingredients to the game, and does an excellent job of balancing their effects.
K_Potion_Upgrade, created by J.Knez (aka schwaa), replaces all of the standard potion meshes and icons in the game. Not only are they nicer to look at (some even have bubbles!), they are also sorted according to quality and school of magic, making it much easier to find a particular potion in your inventory. I liked them enough to use them for the offensive potions in Alchemist's Arsenal.
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Credit where credit is due
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MWScriptExtender was created by freshFish and improved upon by cdcooley.
Mighty Joe Young created the satchel icon, and released it with bunga dunga's Better Portable Containers plugin. Permission given.
Scripts were edited and compiled using Dave Humphrey's MWEdit.
GhanBuriGhan compiled all accumulated knowledge of the Morrowind scripting universe in the modder's bible, Morrowind Scripting For Dummies.
Contact me by sending a personal message on the Official Elder Scrolls Forums (elderscrolls.com/forums). My handle there is scruggsywuggsytheferret.