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The Minecraft potion system is redundant and inconsistent. Let’s fix that

I love potions because they add wonderful color and depth to Minecraft, but the process of making them can be rather messy. The corruption mechanic, in particular, is very unintuitive and inconsistently applied. Corrupting Night Vision yields Invisibility, which is also a positive status effect. Slowness can be created by corrupting Speed or Jump Boost. Weakness potions are brewed from Water Bottles, not Awkward Potions, which is unlike every other potion in the game. Why so many inconsistencies?

This kind of convoluted system may be intended, but on the off chance it isn't, then allow me to propose a simplification of the brewing system based entirely on Water Bottle + Nether Wart + Main Ingredient + Modifier(s) = Potion.

  • The mechanic of potion corruption should be removed completely. Mundane and Thick potions should also be removed because they serve no purpose other than to waste the player's precious ingredients.
  • The main ingredient for Instant Damage should now a Red Mushroom.
  • The main ingredient for Slowness should now be a Brick.
  • The main ingredient for Invisibility should now be a Tropical Fish.
  • For consistency’s sake, Weakness potions should now require Nether Wart.
  • For consistency’s sake, level II Slowness and Weakness potions should be brewable.

Thank you very much for reading my idea!

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  • 1
    Registered User commented
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    This sounds like an interesting idea - but I don't think the corrupting mechanic should be removed. The "corrupted" potion effect is similar in power to its original effect, so I don't think different ingredients (such as a brick???) are needed.

  • 4
    Registered User commented
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    Right, so, I agree that corruption works well for some cases (Speed >>> Slowness, Healing >>> Harming) but in other cases it makes no sense (corrupting Poison gives... Harming? Why?). I think it's a really messy and confusing mechanic overall, and that's why I'd rather just have each potion have its own special ingredient - it doesn't necessarily have to be a brick XD. 

  • 5
    Registered User commented
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    A direct corruption that makes sense for instant damage would be instant health.

    I think the corruption mechanic should stay for the potions that make sense, and alternative ingredients such as the ones you proposed for the ones that are an illogical leap.  Invisibility is the one that is iffy, but maybe they could add a potion of glowing that is corrupted into invisibility?

  • 0
    Registered User commented
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    @ClayGoddessSari I still like my ideas best but yours are also reasonable and I would support their addition as well. I don't mind corruption that much as long as it is applied in a way that makes sense. It's just that my model is niiiice and linear :P

  • 0
    Registered User commented
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    I think the jump boost potion needs to be more powerful.

  • 0
    Registered User commented
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    It's just a thought, but what if the concept of a potion "corrupting" wasn't the potion changing to something else, but instead a decreased effectiveness over time? And eventually when the potion is completely "corrupted," it reverts back to an awkward potion, or else remains the same potion but becomes useless. Or maybe you could put a limit on how much it corrupts, so it always has some effectiveness.

  • 0
    Registered User commented
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    @Rue1199 Sounds cool but then there'd be no reason to brew corrupted potions in survival...

  • 0
    Registered User commented
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    Well...

    How about just remake the whole thing. It would be good to keep some concepts and most ingredients, but Mojang should just give the system a huge makeover.

    Maybe three starter type potions, each with its own effects it can make. Like pleasant potion, rashy potion ,and awkward potion. Also, new effects would be great.

    I fell this idea should be reposted, and we should have a discussion on it (maybe)?

  • 0
    Registered User commented
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    Simon Willover If you have an idea for a complete overhaul of the potion system that is obviously different from mine, you should be able to post it!

    Unless this post means that I have a monopoly on all potion ideas. Which would be kind of dumb. Either way, thank you for commenting :D

  • 0
    Registered User commented
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    How about implementing systems from other games?

    We could have each (or some) ingredients have 2 effects. One effect would be primary and 1 would be secondary.

    The primary effect would go on to awkward (or base) potions , and the secondary effect could be used to add effects to potions that already have an effect, to add it as a second effect. You could only get an extra effect if you had 1 level 1 effect.

    If you had a level 2 effect (effect) potion, you could bring it to level 3 by adding an ingredient with the same effect as a second. Also, if you had a potion 1 effect (primary) and with extra time, you could add an ingredient with same effect as a second, to give it even more time.

    So secondary effects let you get extra extra time, level 3 effects or a second effect.

  • 0
    Registered User commented
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    Also, about corruption:

    • Effect > (what should be) Corrupted Effect (and goes the other way as well)
    • Night Vision > Blindness
    • Invisibility > Glowing (like the spectral arrow)
    • Nausea > Slow vision (lowers fps, and images blur from one to another)
    • Jump Boost > Jump Shrink (-20% jump height per level, exponentially)
    • Slow Falling > Fast Falling (increases fall damage and falling speed)
    • Resistance > Vulnerability (take more damage)
    • Haste > Mining Fatigue
    • Levitation > Sinking (sink in water, fall off blocks if near the edge, and sink deeper into soulsoil/soulsand causing them to slow you more)

    What about an anti beacon, that gives negative effects, or a corruptive beacon that corrupts all effects.

    And a potion of corruption that corrupts all of your current effects. This would be too powerful as a splash potion for pvp, so maybe we should have a new effect called uncorruptability, which obviously can't be corrupted, and counters the corruption potion.

  • 3
    Registered User commented
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    Not a brick for slowness but a slimeball instead.

  • 3
    Registered User commented
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    The corruption mechanic is rather inconsistent, but I think it should be redesigned, not removed altogether.

    Poison should not be corrupted into harming.

    Leaping should not be corrupted into slowness.

    Blindness and Glowing Potions should be added.

    Night Vision corrupts into Blindness, not invisibility. 

    Glowing Potions would be brewable with glowstone dust (duh) which would corrupt into invisibility.

    And Please make potions of the turtle master be brewed with scutes. Entire Turtle shells are way too expensive.

     

  • 1
    Registered User commented
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    I don't know, I like the current potion system, though I agree thick and mundane potions should either be scrapped or given some smaller use. I think these inconsistences makes potion brewing feel more organic and realistic, instead of being always exactly what you expect.