Not a big fan of this idea.

First, since only positive spells can be brewed, labelling something "A tiny crystal vial of flamestrike" basically instantly is recognizable as a deceitful brewing.

Second, identify can already tell you exactly what's on consumables. So can lore, in the case of storebought scrolls and vials.

Third, this basically just seems aimed at making it a nuisance after PK to sort through the spoils of war.

Why should looting someone be easy?

Because usually, unless you're talking about people who don't have even a small grasp of mechanics and they aren't going to be carrying a lot of consumables in the first place, killing them is not easy.

I don't see this idea adding anything significant to RP in the game as a whole, either, and given that it would require code support I think there are other RP-oriented ideas that could and should take precendence.

This wouldn't add anything exciting to the game, in my opinion. It would just introduce another time sink, which is the last thing that a text-based MUD competing with console games and MMOs needs.

It would especially be a PITA for classes that don't have identify. The drawbacks of this change would exceed any benefits.

You are talking about something that requires code to function. Given that there is only one coder for this game, yes, you are talking about the priority this should be given in the grand scheme of things. Given that the time taken to implement this could be far, far, far better used to implement other, more impactful RP-oriented code modules, it's important to make the argument that the actual gain vs cost of this particular idea is an extremely poor ratio vs other options that also fall under the "RP-oriented code" heading. Temote, to provide even a single example. The two conversations are not separated; they are inextricably intertwined.

You specifically asked why looting someone should be easy, and I provided an answer. That answer happens to be directly related to the ease or lack thereof of killing someone. So yes, we are talking about that. Again, the two conversations are intertwined on a fundamental level.

Again, and really what should be the final arbiter on the merit of this idea, the gain vs cost of effort that goes into this idea is not worth it. There are plenty of other things that will increase RP and quality of RP in the game as a whole that have been suggested over a number of threads in the last few months that are much better foci for coding time than this idea.

It's not that it will not generate RP; it's that it will not generate enough quality RP for the time invested. I'm sorry you don't seem to like to hear that, but that's just the way it is.