Or maybe a supplemental potion that removes the potions drinking animation? ;p

It would be really interesting if this mechanic went beyond simple numbers as well. Maybe with certain combinations you can get totally unique effects, like character animations speed up, or slow down but attacks become more powerful, or you can bullrush enemies and move them out of the way to get out of being surrounded.

Oh, this is a good one. Or one that enables you to dodge-roll when unarmed, or increase the AOE of your Igni... the possibilities are endless.

I think it would be interesting to see certain combinations of potions give extra effects - such as swallow and gadwell together gives an effect similar to the toxic blood in TW1 where when enmies hit you they take damage (because so much mutagens in your blood) or rook + virga + tawny owl all together increase vitality but force walking speed only (like a golem etc), or petri's + stammelford's philtre increases max vigor but disables ability to block (like a magic frenzy).

To me when it's thematic or internally consistent with current effects like this it becomes more interesting :) would have to be some way of controlling it though I guess, maybe the additional affect lasts only for 2 mins then it's potions as normal?

It sounds ok OP but i still liked the secondary extracts and how one could make a potion with the desired secondary effects by using ingredients with the same secondary extract. It might be a simpler idea to use yours as opposed to adding the secondary extracts to every ingredient from strictly an "ease of design standpoint", i just think that alchemy worked better in TW as opposd to TW2. I do miss the flexibility and the details oriented game play collecting ingredients and using them added.

In so many ways this new alchemy model really negates itself, with meditation, no secondaries, and a limit of suitable alternatives to potion making that having a second extract allowed for. I am not sure if it is fixable but anything that restores some of the player choice, and usefullness of alchemy would be welcome.

Asai

The secondary ingredients with their addittional effects where probably removed in order to simplify alchemy, not because it was a bad feature. My idea basically is a way to re-implement the same feature in a way that suits the way alchemy works in The Witcher 2, and that doesn't make alchemy more complicated.

I agree that the interface and the unnecessarily long animation needed to meditate and drink potion discourages use of potions. However alchemy is still very useful the way it is, especially when you invest in the Catalysis skill.

never said it was a bad feature, but I think you hit it on the head when you wrote they wanted to simplify alchemy :p they even went ahead and removed liquid requirements like water/alcohol :P

those design choices should answer your questions. I frankly like the potions the way they are. the tier 2 potions have enough positive and negative affects already.