don't mean to piss people off but if you don't want fast travel simply don't use it
My problem with the implementation of fast travel in OB was that it replaced all other methods of travel. I used silt striders, boats and teleporters all the time in MW. I hate OB's fast travel, but like fast travel, so long as it conforms to the games lore.
So basically, I want to use fast travel, but I also want to role play.
My solution to this was that I created in my head an imaginary fast travel system, so when I was standing outside a city gate I would allow myself to fast travel to another city, but no where else. I hate that the game forces me to do this.
The next TES can include an OB sytle fast travel system, so long as they also include a system role players can use.
EDIT:
Pygmy Lepper, have you read The Infernal City yet? There might be some ideas for you in there.
*snip*
Two offerings:
First, each effect should have a potency. While ANY two foods pretty much restore fatigue, perhaps Bread does better than Wheat Grain? Or a Pear does better than Lettuce? Well, a Minotaur Horn is probably also much more potent for its primary effects than a foodstuff.
Second, add gear that allows the player and character to distill bulky potions to reduce their weight... eventually. It need not be terribly effective initially. It would just be a good way to justify "watermelon + pumpkin"= small potion. Otherwise, the way weight is calculated needs a massive overhaul...
First, yes I have read the Infernal City, I just forgot about it while writing the post. But since this idea is in official cannon I have high hopes for the hoodoo voodoo being in the next game.
The "watermelon + pumpkin"= small potion effect could be excused by the two ingredients making multiple weaker potions, or of the same strength, and balance this by making those ingredients suitably rarer or more expensive.
Potency of ingredients could be incorporated extremely easily. Each effect on an ingredient needs a value, and then the potency of the potion is a result of ingredient A and B's values by the values of the quality of the alchemistical equipment. To add to this (or take away, depending on how you feel about adding complexity to a system) each ingredient could have a different value depending on how long you’ve had it, so freshly picked fruit will be potent, but once you’ve kept it in your pack for 2 weeks it's potency value reduces.
The potency idea could also add depth to ingredient searching; in the current system the strength of a damage health potion is dependent on your alchemy equipment alone. When different ingredients have different potencies then you may want to go find the legendary rare flower for an extremely strong poison for a particularly special target.
p.s. Since I tend to assasins or thiefs who depend on their poisons for combat a better and deeper would be much apreciated.
EDIT2: I dont want to add another post straight after this, so i'll just keep appending to it until i stop coming up with aditional ideas.
About the potency values. Maybe ingredients could also duration values. Like maybe if you mix two healing ingridients with long duration value, then you would get a potion that slowly heals. Or maybe you mix an ingredient which lasts a long time with a quick strong ingridient, you could get a a quick weak heal, or medium duration medium heal potion, or a long strong heal depending on your skill.