+ Difficulty "slider" being more than stat bloating and/or AI enhancement:
Depending on which we chose, on top of said bloating (which i think we can all agree is bad, but i can understand why it is a last resort of sorts) and AI enhancement, other gameplay elements could be enhanced, or introduced anew, ie entirely absent on easier scales:
i) Rogues will need to work for their poisons, snares and blackjacks, or blinding powders. No auto-"magic" hotkeyed ability that executes said skills. They now have to craft them (which obviously means you provide the materials in a semi-immersive way from the beginning). Same for their stealth mechanic. It is a magic ability, so naturally, 'x' or 'y' reagents or preparations need to be made for it to be performed.
Mages will need to scribe runes, collect their own reagents and so on. Maybe a casting minigame a-la Arx Fatalis?
Melee-oriented types will have some basic moves and will need to "unlock" better moves through tomes or scrolls of knoweldge (said moves being unlocked by default on "easy" for example). They need a stronger hilt (crafted) before they can bash with their weapon. And so on.
You make materials plentiful but not abounding, it instantly adds an element of extra tactics, inventory management and overall organisational skils. We kinda love those, it's why we play RPGs. You add a more severe inventory weight limitation or minigame on top of it, it adds even more to the whole.
Sounds like it adds elements of tedium and busywork. I'm not interested in needing to spend 20+ minutes preparing tons of consumables before I can venture into the wilds to slay an orc. Original Sin was perfectly playable without NEEDING to use crafting. I would be less interested in an RPG where crafting - particularly on that scale - is
required to do basic things.
That is especially true when a single decent-sized battle at the same level can take 20 minutes all on its own.
There has to be a balance between immersion, reality and fun.
