Getting started

Arcane Atelier is a hybrid non-linear, featuring PvP (Player versus Player) and PvE (Player versus Environment) elements set upon the lands of Wisteria. Players explore this land freely, gently guided from place to place by the main storyline, playing at their own pace. A hybrid non-linear system combines a fixed linear main narrative (that has branching pathways, such as becoming a spire cap, a draped brim or a knight), with non-linear elements such as open world exploration, side quests and option missions ordering that allows the player to set their own pace and shape the steps they take.

What to keep in mind when you start

1. The world around you is dynamic, meaning your actions have consequences. Attacking npcs in a village will cause your reputation to drop, and that village will slowly begin to dislike you. This can be fixed, eventually, but it takes seconds to tear down a reputation, and it can take a while to rebuild one. Becoming popular in a village is extremely rewarding, you receive bonuses such as better quests, more xp, better pay, and better loot.
2. There are hundreds of thousands of spell combinations which can get overwhelming quickly. It's best to pick one element, such as fire, and learn the basics of spellcraft. You will have a spell index that contains a list of compatible modifiers (symbols which alter how a spell works) for that element, along with an npc teacher, who will show you how to cast.
3. There are two forms of casting as a witch, hidden casting, and public casting. Magic is a guarded secret, meaning that in front of unknowing npcs, you have to perform magic discretely. Hidden casting is how that is done. Hidden casting is slower, but allows you to cast next to unknowings, without the knights of Vanelona coming down, and wiping the npc's minds (which lowers your reputation with the witches, and the townsfolk). Whereas public casting is most commonly used when fighting another player, a blight infused creature, or a boss.
4. Weapon combat is just as useful as magic, don't write it off just because you can use magic. Weapon combat has no limit, unlike magic, where you have an ink meter to cast spells, once that ink meter runs out, you cannot cast until it is refilled, using either ink refill canisters, or replenishing your supply at a store - some forbidden methods exist as well, such as a medallion placed inside an ink bottle, that connects and fills up your bottle from a distant ink reservoir.

Playing on a phone

Mobile is supported. Turn draw distance down in settings if foliage-heavy areas stutter, and use hold-to-cast rather than tapping when you are trying to cast hidden.