Brewing

Brewing, much like its cousin Smithing, is a skill-based crafting system that rewards practice, focus, and skill. I refer to both brewing and smithing as “Bar Managers,” because the core objective is to watch and optimize multiple separate changing bar values in order to craft the best possible final item.

The Basics Are Easy

While brewing, there is a “Base” bar in the top right. To craft a basic potion, the only requirement is to fill the “Base” bar completely. To do that, manipulate the heat of the cauldron until the heat level is sitting within the current green zone.

Heat values 1 and 2 lower the heat, value 3 keeps the heat stable, and 4 and 5 raise the heat.

Mastery Is Difficult

At the same time that you’re filling the “Base” bar, there are three other “Features” bars that move as your cooking progresses. These are the acid level, the thickness, and the quality. In order to craft higher quality potions, you’ll need to move these bars to be sitting in the target areas when you finish the brew and “decant” your potion. To move these bars, you interact with six options on the right that each move the bars in a unique way. Be careful, though, because the bars evolve on their own over time. These bars move more quickly when the cauldron is hot.

Every potion has a maximum number of “actions” you can take as the player, so make intentional choices.

Accessories and Further Tools

Certain accessories available in the world can increase the target area of each of the quality bars. Other accessories may give you a chance to “double craft”, which results in two potions rather than one. Other accessories may increase your brewing XP gain, meaning you can increase your general skill and unlock level rewards.

I intend to further flesh out this system with some important, useful additional tools that will allow you to further develop your skill and dial in on the highest quality potions possible. These include 1-off consumables that alter the behavior of certain bars, or slow or reverse their progress.