Oh man, I am LOVING these ideas!
@kellewic and @Ladyrowan I had also thought that you would have to find them in the wild first. However, I didn't want to throw out too many specific ideas because I wanted to see what people thought.
@kellewic I LOVE the idea of using them in alchemy/poison making. I hadn't even thought of that. Thanks for bringing it up!
@Ladyrowan I think it would have diminishing returns, especially on your own planet, but that might be a good reason to get it to the other planets' markets. Also, how about plants that can be used for either medicine or poison? Perhaps the most effective medicines' ingredients might be found in the most effective poisons, because the poison maker "corrupts" the life force in the plant.
@TheRippyOne I was thinking along the same lines, just not as detailed as you have there. The thing is, we HAVE to eat, so food with buffs will be more desirable than in other games. In LOTRO, for example, I would carry food around and always forget to use it, because the buff just wasn't that great or necessary. If herbs and spices add buffs in this game, they will be desirable because we have to eat food anyway.
As far as where stuff is located, I was thinking more along the lines of "Trees in Arboreus", "Other plants in Syndesia", (what plants if any in Tartaros?) when I made my suggestions. I LOVE your mention of salt. I hadn't even thought of that. Actually spices from Tartaros might need to be more along the lines of "powdered egg shells from a dangerous predatory bird", "ground bonemeal from a large, dangerous animal", etc. The devs have said that PVE will be tough and dangerous on Tartaros and that would fit right in.
@wolfkomodo46 Man, I LOVE those ideas! As I said earlier, how about the best poisons containing corrupted life force of plants from Arboreus? Gathering those plants would definitely provide one of the limited PVE goals that the devs want demons to have on Arboreus. Also, I think using poisons on blades should give you negative karma, so only evil characters and good/neutral characters wanting negative karma would use them.