Wells Primer Update Player Feedback and Q&A

[Aegis]

wiki/index.php?title=Category:WIP_Wells_Primer

Staff has completed their feedback of the updated Wells Primer above. Because of the scale of this change, I'm moving this to player feedback for a while before this update goes live. What I am looking for is any and all feedback and questions to the Primer or any of the wells within. All of this feedback should go in here. We're specifically looking for readability and ease of understanding of the Primer.

Questions for Ensorcelling or Dustforge do not belong here.

I'm also creating a couple of threads here, 1 for Grandfathering in old wells (mainly double checking their status. No wells will be removed from players), and 1 for submissions of new wells or energies.

[Joran]

A well struck by a chisel one day might cause a flash of lightning to arc off it, and the next day cause the chisel melt.

I recommend changing this to "... cause the chisel to melt."

!	Message from: Aegis
	Edited per suggestion

Finally, Fragmented wells are the pieces leftover, too small for their full power, but still keeping some aspects.

Maybe don't capitalize "fragmented," since it doesn't seem to be a proper noun in this case? That happens with "Divine wells" and other groups as well, though, so I wasn't sure. Also, I recommend changing "leftover" to "left over," or changing the phrase from "pieces leftover" to "leftover pieces." Either would make it flow better in my opinion.

!	Message from: Aegis
	Edited per suggestion

Looking at "What is a Well?" and "Acquiring Wells," maybe you should add sub-headings for each of the main types of wells? Right now they read like a story rather than a reference wiki. Fun to read, hard to use for finding specific information. A structure a little like this:

• What is a Well?
  • Types of Wells
  • Well Uses
• Acquiring Wells
  • Finding Wells
  • Creating Wells

!	Message from: Aegis
	Could you perhaps clarify this a bit more? I've tossed in a bit more structure headings and such on the existing format, and while your proposed change looks solid, it doesn't, to me, appear to include the entirety of information in the article. I'm open to an adjustment if you can clarify.

Also, is there any way to make a distinction between the classes of wells found (Divine, Spirit, etc.) and the things that can be done to them (fragmented, raw, refined)? It would let you structure the write-up such that it's obvious that one set of types is based on the well's nature and the other is based on what people do to them.

!	Message from: Aegis
	What sort of distinction? Like "Class 1, 2, 3" wells? Right now you'd get a well, it would be fully labeled as Raw Dreamstone (an Emea type well by name). This indicates both the type of well it is, as well as what state it is. If you cut it down to core, then you get the Core Dreamstone and Fragment Dreamstones. Not sure exactly what it is you're looking for.

As an extra note: I don't know if you just haven't gotten around to it yet, but adding wiki links to the "big idea" words used in the article (like Emea, Fractures, the Beneath, etc.) really helps increase readability and accessibility, especially for people like me who haven't read through everything yet.

!	Message from: Aegis
	Yeah I'll go ahead and add those in now. I usually do that in the "Final" product when it goes live.

[Hina]

Don't threads with major fractures require moderation? Yet gathering wells from them looks to be self moderated (for some well types). I think it's contradictory or I'm not understanding something. Is the intention to get moderator approval beforehand and then self mod the thread?

!	Message from: Aegis
	There are now starting to be written up locations for Major Fractures. These specific fractures don't require moderator approval to access. However, making up a Major Fracture for your own story, instead of using an established location, still requires permission. So there are times when you can access a Major Fracture without needing mod permission first.

[Alistair]

Hello!

I have some comments that are actually just questions, haha. These may be answered somewhere but I couldn't find them on the main article (or I'm just blind)

1. So - wells, do they not increase ether casting efficiency or anything like that? Basically, the mage just flays them for ether now? Does that sound about right?

!	Message from: Aegis
	Correct. This may change with Ensorcelling or with later wells added, but from a basic standpoint, wells can be flayed as "magic batteries" and then also store spells (under Aspects).

2. Magic storage. Let's take Emetyte as an example; does that mean you can store 1 master, 2 expert, 3 comp and 4 novice simultaneously? Or is it one or the other? Also, does this not vary based on the power/ether cost of the ability in question? As an example, a Rune of Rebound is extremely cheap, whereas the creation of a Beacon is extremely not. So are they judged equally in this respect?

!

Message from: Aegis

Within the individual well writeup, such as Emetyte, it species the math and process of how it can store multiple aspects of different levels. So you can store say, 1 expert and 1 novice (or whatever the individual article indicates). And no, it is not based upon ether cost but rather the competency tier because quite frankly, it is easier that way and I'm not about to open a can of worms of dictating and adding numbers to ether costs. So yes, all things at Expert in all magics are judged equally.

3. Can you not collect powerful wells from Fracture walls anymore? Is it just Nightmare Beast corpses?

!	Message from: Aegis
	You can collect them from anywhere in the Fracture just as before AND from Nightmare Beast corpses (based on the specific well)

4. This is more like 3a. Foyers in Fractures (the center where you're truly 50/50 in Idalos and Emea, and any further are mostly in Emea) are typically more dangerous but have more wells along the walls. Do these still exist, and in place of walls is it simply that they have more Nightmare Beasts to kill and therefore more wells?

!	Message from: Aegis
	These still exist. The Fractures Primer is nearly done on its update to correspond with this. Squirrel can answer this better, though not much is changing in the Fractures Primer. Just cleaning up language. You'll have to check that/ask him for a more clear answer.

5. I noted this on the Obstymite page:

"These wells require moderator permission to obtain. Contact a moderator before requesting these as a reward in a review. The moderator that gives permission can either do the review themselves, or leave a Mod Note in the review request stating that the player may receive it." Does that mean one can write out a fracture thread where they receive an Obstymite well, and then request a moderator's approval via PM before submitting it? Or would you prefer all Obstymite to be pre-approved in the PSF?

!	Message from: Aegis
	This should be handled by a local moderator via PM before submitting.

6. What is the well type of a well that is being used to power a thrall or artifact? Raw?

!	Message from: Aegis
	Raw or Core wells can be used to power them permanently. Fragments can still be used, but will deplete and be destroyed.

7. With Emetyte wells, it says that if you fall asleep within 2 meters of one, you will be initiated into Dreamwalking. Does this still occur if the well is embedded into an item or thrall?

!	Message from: Aegis
	Yes, this occurs through all uses of this well, so long as it remains in the Raw state where the effect is present.

Sorry, I actually don't really have much feedback because I really like the primer -- just wondered a few things, is all, very technical questions (sorry haha). Thank you and great job, looks wonderful.



Final note: I was super happy to see this on Essenthyte: "There's only ever been one documented use of it, in the Kingdom of Sheor." Yesssss!

[Aegis]

All feedback has been addressed up to this point.

[Praetorum]

Just to clarify, does a core well have to be refined to get the core effects? Or can you have both the core and raw effects by cutting the well down without refining it.



What happens if you refine a well in Idolas? Does it just not get a location effect?



Why is splinterstone mod permission only? It doesn't seem that much more powerful than some of the self mod ones to me.



Only a domain mage can use a domain aspect normally, but do you need to have the same kind of spark too?



Finally, in the first paragraph under aspects it still says "All wells can only store one aspect at a time" RIP
Also splinterstone is listed as being "Uncommon in Major Fractures, Common in Major Fractures"

[Praetorum]

If you store an aspect in a well, then go into a fracture and use that aspect, is that more, less, or equally dangerous as just using that same magic in the fracture directly?

[Praetorum]

"if the well is capable of a higher tier than the flaying mage, Flaying will rebound on the mage"

Is this "if the well is capable of a higher tier than all of the flaying mage's sparks" or "if this well is capable of a higher tier than any of the flaying mage's sparks"

Essentially, if you have one magic at novice and one at master will flaying a comp tier well drain you?