Issue: The food system is not as useful post utility slots update. (Love the utility slots —good change.) Souls games have flasks. Diablo has flasks. Poe has flasks. Flasks are fimiliar. Can use the same resources scattered around the world and mix them in the flask.
Idea: Clay and sandstone or [insert materials] craft a flask. The recipes function the same as they do with food but combine to fill the flasks for x amount of uses or for x duration. A fully upgraded whisper replenishes flasks, otherwise you must re farm ingredients. Since we have healing runes, the flasks can do more interesting things [think unique flasks from Poe 1]. Now I’m excited when the boss drops a vegetable because I can finally make the chase unique flask.
Example flasks :
flask that auto pops on low hp/ low focus.
flask that triggers x rune on consumption( could help ranged gameplay by providing opportunity’s to cast more varied spells/arrows before focus fills)
A toggle flask that auto cast bombs from your inventory at enemy’s while consuming. (Flask drains when toggled on until toggled off or empty.)
chase unique endgame flask: “this flask roles two random ring affixes” could be two plagued affixes. Could be ROD affix + lifesteal ring positive. (Stackable with the ring itself)
flasks that are specific to the job system. A flask that infuses all stamina cast spells with with burn and all focus cast spells freeze. (Only if you select mage job/ class do you have access to this recipe)
So you say that flasks are better because they are more recognizable than Food?
I don’t think that’s the case, a portion of the players have trouble gathering the resources needed to craft food, if the flasks you suggest adding are still a resource that you have to craft there is no difference except names and icons
This idea could be implemented with a ring but it seems too strong to me / simplifies the game too much
There is an enchantment that provides health based on the focus spent (it’s quite similar in function I think that’s enough) even if it’s super weak and needs to be buffed
This could become an enchantment
I had a similar idea: Health flask (unique item)
Is a food item, can be used in the inventory like embers and you can hover over a food to transforming it into healing essence, the healing essence equals to the amount of food heal (other bonuses are lost in this process), the healing essence is collected inside the flask and the food is destroyed, you can accumulate an limitless amount of healing essence by converting food then you can use the Health flask when your missing health and you will be healed for the exact amount of missing health consuming the equivalent healing essence (it counts healing increases, if you have 100 missing hp and you have 50% healing increase only 50 healing essence will be consumed)
I never said flasks are better because they are more recognizable. I said food is not as useful in relation to its use pre patch and I said flasks are recognizable items. Main point being that a flask can be integrated without any confusion to a player and they are in both souls like and arpgs. Ultimately, the non healing effects I suggested seemed to just make more sense coming from a flask than food however, functionally it makes no difference like you said—just names and icons. As far as resource gathering, your point is good. Perhaps a low resource flask that casts a passive aura until death?
I was more thinking you can cast fire walk via flask resource and it will give you focus on hit. You’d balance this with amount of uses. Just nice to be able to cast a different spell with no focus in the start of an engagement vs fireball.
The rest of your critiques are very fair. All of my suggestions could be enchantments or done with food. I have a personal bias because I don’t like survival games when you have to eat food. I didn’t interact with the food system at all in this game even pre utility slot update. I simply just didn’t heal and died a bunch lol. Psychologically though, I would farm to “upgrade a flask” vs “upgrade a food item”. Lastly, maybe what’s needed is more Intresting/better enchantments first or buffing current ones like you pointed out.