I would like to be able to transmute corpses as a way to get some essence. Especially if it was based on the corpse in question. Burnt zombies give fire, Lumberjacks give ice, and animals give a generic one that can be used for anything.
I think this would be very interesting to do because most people hide behind fortresses during sieges so you wouldn't be able to easily restock your supplies when the zombies are there on the 7th day unless you know how to make defenses for that purpose. Which is, in and of itself, another twist this mod brings. Do I make the fortress so that I can harvest as we go, or do I set it up so that the majority of the gunslinging crew has the advantage and I just make do?
By having animals be a great source of essence, you essentailly have to chose between eating them and taking them apart for crafting, or using them to fuel your magic.
I don't like knocking down the essense tree with an axe. Especially because I know that a chainsaw can be used instead and I feel like that somehow detaches from the whole feel of it. I would rather see the tree transform into an essence tree, and then turn into pure essence later. Or, you can activate it to directly extract the essence to your inventory. (please do the later) By doing it this way, you again have to choose between using resources (in this case trees) for their traditional purposes or fueling your magic. It would certainly make farming more interesting.
Speaking of, if it is at all possible, I'd like to see some of the vanilla farm ingredients be used as well. Much like the fully grown trees in the wild. It fits thee magical theme becausue "alchemy" and also gives new uses to old items. Cars could be another great source of essence. Maybe "shock"?
The last thing I could suggest, and I have no idea if this is possible or not, but make the vomit an essence as well. If you can grab it out of the air by activating it, you can turn it into something. I think it would make for a great defensive move, as well as give new ways to farm zombies. I wouldn't turn it into anything powerful. Perhaps turn it directly into HP? Don't even bottle it or people will stock up on them en masse, unless these "healing potionis" have a balanced downside. Then, by all means.
But essentially, (ha) the game already grindy enough in places. Objectively speaking. I wouldn't want an additional "chore" on top of it. I want essence gathering to be natural. Something I can do as I go, and not another farm/mine/etc. that I need to juggle. It it's slowing me down from blowing stuff up, I won't use it.
Please, and thank you.
