Would there be any failures? Like any recipe, there's always a risk of it flopping badly or coming out better for one then the other.
I think that would be interesting to see. Like in Cooking if something goes wrong it could make you feel sick, if you made a great ale it could give you a wonderful charismic glow or if it flopped badly would give a bad effect on you for a certain time? Of course with experience comes better product, but I have never seen something like this implimented in a game. Everything (Once you "learn" the recipe) will become better and better quality as you work it, but in all honesty I think that the prospect of making an awesome or unique sword/food/drink/etc and being the ONLY one to make such a thing on your server will bring it's own rewards. (And bring a demand for people's wares. This might make people enthusiastic about tradeskilling and not just xp grinding or raiding.)
Also, with experimentation, could a person in effect add something and make a "New" product. Experimenting with food (or anything really) always brings good or bad things to light. (extra garlic in one recipe makes it great, accidently putting salt instead of sugar would make it very bad!) And What about certain racial barriers? Some herbs on one race might be fatal or intoxicating. Different Tanins could bring different effects on armor/weapons? Which could bring about class/racial only items?)
Not quite sure how the tradeskills will work, but thought I would ask.
