I won't respond to all of your post, but here are a few replies to a few
specific points:
-- The fact that a full potion does not show its dosage is not intentional,
and can be easily fixed. I'll get right on that.
-- the less useful potions already have more doses. If you want more, try
looking into recanting/decanting skills. They're good for that.
-- Why are so many potoins useless? Well, let's not forget that potions are
spells and skills considered safe and balanced for anyone to use them, without
spending exp on the skill/spell itself or even joinging the right guild.
Locate water qualifies as safe. So does magic missile, heal self, and most of
the other potions you listed. Now, as fun as it might be to have all 197
potions be as powerful as runemage spells, you know full well that's just not
going to happen. A potion of summon? Forget it. Golden arrow in a bottle? Keep
dreaming. I might be tempted from time to time to swap a few in and out, but
don't hold your breath for tiger claw brew or a six-pack of Ress Lite.
-- Organ cans are made of ice because otherwise the organs would spoil and
decay.
-- Gutblade already has a mastery. It's called "dissectoin".
-- Removing organs from a still-living creature is something that goes beyond
my RPG sensibilities.
-- Also, the "two organs per corpse" rule is there for a reason, too. Tiamat
has about 30 organs. One corpse making 30 bright red potions? That's asking
way too much.
-- "preserve corpse" spell is not area effect, because the guilds that get it
(merchies and alchies) are barely capable of killing _one_ monster at a time,
let alone a room full of them.
-- Shift blade does have a visible effect in the desc of the weapon. Tru
yusing the spell "see magic". I hear it's a potion, too. And the duration may
be short, but only one other guild has the ability to change weapon type
damage at all, and that's reavers (they can only do fire and acid, and it
doesn't last a lot longer either). Anyone who has _ever_ fought a monster that
is physresist knows the value of having a nonphys weapon.

OK maybe I will address all your points. But the big thing to remember about
potions is: you can hand them to someone else. That's the point. That's why
they're restricted the way they are, including the possible formula list.

Shinarae Lluminus