2 alchemy instead of 4

I know this might be meet with a lot of criticism, but I see a lot of people debating about all the extra work to find 4 different clays, 4 different limes, 4 different waters, etc. What if we dropped it to just 2 different alchemy types? I know that it would be a lot of work for the devs to rework the system. Then we could have everything swing two ways. Just two types of trees and compost bins, etc. Would make things simpler for noobs to grasp and for hermits to accomplish. I don't usually see things from a hardcore player's perspective so I'm sure you all will explain why it may or may not be a good idea. All I ask is for respect in your postings a healthy debate. 
