MM probably already has this fleshed out, but here is a personal thought.
On the other side couldn't just the cooking skill increase as you cook, and have the buffs
or bonuses applied as it progresses. Then also have a proximity, of the campfire for the check.
Like LCB perimeter, or active chunk, or any other distance. Pots could then be reassigned to
crafting and they would only account for the speed of an attempt.
For the cooking having it initially burn food often, rendering the lowest quality of the food,
or un-useable food, and potentially lose resources, until the player gets better at cooking. So even
if it is spam crafted, a ton of resources would need to be gathered to progress. Which invites exploration
trader interactivity and purchase, or investing in a farm, which also invites exploration. At a specific level
certain recipes would no longer yield better quality. Until an entire tier is complete, then higher
tier unlocks could either be un-lockable, or have a low chance of success. Meat has to be hunted. If you want to
potentially throw a monkey wrench, adjust the qty of meat yielded from hunted game, and quantity of meat needed
for higher recipes. Or TFP can call on an old favorite, and separate the types of meat like before. I would
not have an aversion to rabbit on a stick myself. Or a picture of some drumsticks. A ton of recipes could be
added to validate extend and make cooking more detailed or preferential per player.
For drinks, like the simplest clean drinkable water, would have 3 potentials, clean water, returned stagnant
water or lose the water. That could then more detailed drinks, rendering a good drink, a low yield drink,
regular water, or Nada. Progression would render higher success as you progress through the game.
Spam crafting would give both more chances of success and more chances of failure until progression is at
a viable level. Leaving the other mechanics intact should it become overwhelming for a player, either temporarily
or permanently.
If grouped using the same progression already in place like for Tier 1 that you put cooking points into now. Top
recipe is coffee.
Lowering the cookbook spawn and applying just cooking exp points instead, the reading each cookbook
helps accelerate learning, but does not skip progression, individual recipe books can be added.
All they are in reality are icons, So if you find a JavaMammaForDumb■■■■s coffee book it could prematurely allow
you to "attempt" to make coffee. But with a lower chance of not screwing it up depending on how far you have already
progressed in that tier. It would give a purpose for all the coffee I find early on, or I could still wait until I
am at a level of understanding, then take the plunge.
So cookbook itself would be exp toward, progressing through cooking, and each specific recipes for Dumb■■■■s
Like JavaMammaForDumb■■■■s, would be to unlock the potential of success for that recipe, upon success you
get exp toward the whole. If RNG be good that play through, and you get a beef stew, and succeed then you get
a higher percentage of exp toward cooking. But only 1 success per book found. So no spam crafting a higher
tier recipe, to bypass the process. This invites exploration, or trader interaction, and progresses with game play.
The same premise could be used in any of the LBD hybid to make it all feel organic and cohesive through a play through.
The longer the game the more you get or discover. Short play would render the basic necessities, for that time period.
