Console The Best Laid Plans: An Apology, a Promise, and the “Additions” Update

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505Games

Publisher/Developer
Staff member
505 Games
Terraria_20150604121627.jpg


Hello console and mobile Terrarians! We have some exciting news to share with you today. Before we get to that, we would like to share a short story; if you can indulge us for a few minutes. If you really cannot wait to read the news, click HERE to go straight there.


Shakespeare once wrote “the course of true love never did run smooth” and although it’s admittedly a fairly obtuse reference, the same can often be said of videogame development and publishing. Well, maybe less often said, of course, but equally true nonetheless! So where’s all this going, you might ask? In the course of any great work, it’s important to take stock of your journey to this point, your current location, and the paths ahead toward your desired destination. A large part of that self-reflection is taking stock of areas of success – and places where you could stand to perform better. As we enter the next phase of console/mobile developments, today felt like a perfect opportunity to share some of that with you.


505 Games and Re-Logic have been partnering on the expansion of Terraria “beyond PC” for a few years now, and throughout that time we’ve been delighted by the way the fanbase has grown and expanded to take in new platforms, new territories, and -most importantly - excited new fans. From the outset we’ve been driven to expand the reach of the fantastic gaming experience that is Terraria to an ever-wider group of gamers and thereafter delivering as much of the ever-evolving PC content to the console and mobile fanbase as quickly and completely as possible. In addition, we felt it important to embrace the philosophy that Re-Logic follows on the PC side of Terraria – and so we have and will always keep these updates free of charge. This is the fantastic and successful side of our work to-date: expanding the Terraria universe while staying true to the spirit and culture it stands for.


That said, things haven’t always gone according to plan. It’s important for us to recognize that - despite our best intentions - there have been hurdles and pitfalls along the way. We’re not seeking to languish in the past or dredge up old wounds, but we know that there have been issues and instances which have frustrated and upset our fans. Whether it was the state of the initial launch of the 1.2 console update or – more recently – the mobile crash issues, we know that things have not always been as they should for you guys. We also understand that we may not have been as open and communicative in the past as we should be – and that this likely exacerbated any negative feelings or confusion you may have had.

Well, simply put: we are sincerely sorry for where mistakes have been made. That said, we want to do far more than apologize; we want to make amends and improve our performance. Allow us to share some of what that entails.


Terraria has grown from strength to strength since its first PC outing a little over four years ago, and we’re proud to have been part of that expansion. Although with that that growth there have been growing pains, and with those growing pains painful lessons. However as well as accepting our mistakes it’s equally important to note that we’ve learned from those mistakes. Not only are we working more smartly now, but we are also ‘doubling down’ on our investments of time and money in order to underline our commitment to delivering the very best for the franchise and – most importantly – its community of loyal fans.

kdcROYP.png

In terms of specifics, let’s cover a handful of areas where we will be stepping up our game:

Quality Assurance: We’ve completely overhauled the way we QA Terraria.
  • More stable, dedicated testing teams – people that truly know the game vs the “standard” technical-only approach to console testing. Terraria simply isn’t a game that fits the mold – and testing needs to follow suit.
  • More direct engagement/partnering with Re-Logic on prioritization of content, catching bugs/issues earlier, etc.
  • Focusing on smaller and faster updates – this allows for a tighter “window” of content to test (and fix as necessary) vs something as massive as, say, 1.2 was.
  • On Mobile, you will have seen some of the results of this already over the past several weeks. This is an ongoing process, and we have a handful of additional fixes coming – so stay tuned there!
divider.png

Customer Service & Community Engagement
  • We are applying the same approach – leveraging more experienced people that know the game and the community – in how we will be answering customer inquiries/issues and in how we interact with the community across places like TCF and social media.
  • We are also becoming more closely integrated with Re-Logic in order to enhance our understanding of the needs of the community, and to gain better foresight on the PC content coming down the pipeline.
  • Our plan is to be more open with our communication of “coming events” as well.
  • Our hope is that this will result in a more engaging and streamlined experience, and to aid in the quality and efficiency of future development on Console & Mobile.
  • This is still very much in process, so stay tuned and keep providing your invaluable feedback to help guide us here!

So, in short: by more closely partnering with Re-Logic, engaging community and game experts, and listening to you…we will raise our game across the board and deliver the best possible Terraria experience possible on Console & Mobile.

kdcROYP.png


Terraria Console & Mobile News!

So that’s our promise to you…but that’s not all! We come bearing news as well.

MOBILE - On top of the ongoing suite of fixes across the board, we will be announcing new content for Terraria mobile at E3 in a couple of weeks. So keep your eyes peeled there!

divider.png

CONSOLE - Later today we’ll be pushing our ‘Additions Update’ live across all console platforms, with a bunch of new content to play and enjoy!!! This should essentially bring Console Terraria up to the 1.2.3 PC version. For details on what will be contained within this update, check out the changelog below:

Additions update
================
- Increased npc name net message size
- Created separate textures for solid and non-solid tiles
- Add swap option for all consoles except PSVita between L1R1/L2R2 or LTRT/LBRB
- Renumbered console exclusive armor head, body and leg ids
- Ice Queen projectile does not affect destructible tiles (Frostmoon loot bug and Queen Bee spawning)
- Replaced “Drop” function with “Quick Buff” in the controller map


Mechanics:
- Ability to change platforms into stairs with a hammer
- Update music box graphics (each music box has its unique style)
- Add Music Notes animation for Music boxes
- Update Robe graphics
- Update graphics for Cobalt Shield, Obsidian Shield, Paladin’s Shield
- Add Cactus variations
- Add biome-specific stalactites
- Add sounds for waterfalls and lavafalls
- Add sounds for critters
- Increase bird spawns during the morning
- Add various song sfx for birds
- Add upside-down slopes (for hammer, and in world-gen)
- Allow the placing of coins to create coin stacks
- Destroyer boss drops loot from segment closest to the player
- All non-event bosses can drop a Boss Mask (see items)
- Dyes stackable
- Turn rain red during a Blood Moon
- Add Shark Statue
- Add the catching of critters and making cages for them
- Add Underground Crimson music


New Critters:
- Duck
- Mallard Duck
- Worm


New NPC:
- Travelling merchant


New Items (and ID):
2158 Bubble Wallpaper
2159 Copper Pipe wallpaper
2160 Ducky Wallpaper
2008 Fancy Grey Wallpaper
2009 Ice Floe wallpaper
2010 Music wallpaper
2011 Purple Rain wallpaper
2012 Rainbow wallpaper
2013 Sparkle Stone wallpaper
2014 Starlit heaven wallpaper
1991 Bug Net
2177 Ammo Box
2214 Brick Layer
2215 Extendo Grip
2216 Paint Sprayer
2217 Portable Cement Mixer
2219 Celestial Magnet
2266 Sake
2272 Water Gun
2279 Gypsy Robe
2274 Ultrabright Torch
2268 Pho
2267 Pad Thai
2258 Chalice
2270 Gatligator
2223 Pulse Bow
2271 Arcane Rune Wall
2277 Gi
2275 Magic Hat
2242 Fancy Dishes
2243 Glass Bowl
2278 Kimono
1988 Fez
2273 Katana
2269 Revolver
2260 Dynasty Wood
2261 Red Dynasty Shingles
2262 Blue Dynasty Shingles
2283 Zebra Skin
2282 Leopard Skin
2281 Tiger Skin
2493 King Slime Mask
2112 Eye of Cthulhu Mask
2104 Brain of Cthulhu Mask
2111 Eater of Worlds Mask
2108 Queen Bee Mask
1281 Skeletron Mask
2105 Wall of Flesh Mask
2113 Destroyer Mask
2792 Horned God Robe
2106 Twin Mask
2794 Horned God Boots
2107 Skeletron Prime Mask
2793 Horned God Headpiece
2791 Ocram Mask
2109 Plantera Mask
2110 Golem Mask
2218 Beetle Husks
2199 Beetle Helmet
2200 Beetle Scale Mail
2201 Beetle Shell
2202 Beetle Leggings
2280 Beetle Wings
2229 Dynasty Work Bench
2263 White Dynasty Wall
2264 Blue Dynasty Wall
2265 Dynasty Door
2228 Dynasty Chair
2230 Dynasty Chest
2259 Dynasty Table
2226 Dynasty Lantern
2224 Large Dynasty Lantern
2236 Dynasty Candle
2227 Large Dynasty Candle
2225 Dynasty Lamp
2235 Dynasty Bowl
2234 Dynasty Cup
2231 Dynasty Bed
2237 Dynasty Clock
2233 Dynasty Bookcase
2232 Dynasty Bathtub
2244 Wine Glass
2208 Terrarium
2162 Bunny Cage
2163 Squirrel Cage
2206 Penguin Cage
2166 Bird Cage
2167 Blue Jay Cage
2168 Cardinal Cage
2191 Mouse Cage
2207 Worm Cage
0250 Fishbowl
2019 Bunny
2018 Squirrel
2205 Penguin
2105 Bird
2016 Blue Jay
2017 Cardinal
2003 Mouse
2002 Worm


Not only do you get ‘Additions’, but we are also releasing a mobile Companion App for the PS4 and XBox ONE versions of Terraria, for both iOS and Android devices. The Companion App will operate as a ‘World Map’ live-steaming your in-game location, allowing you to see what’s around you to either to either go and explore or fight, and all without ever having to bring up a menu or having to pause your game.

We look forward to bringing you further content later in the year.


kdcROYP.png

In closing, we hope you have enjoyed what we have brought to the Terraria experience to-date and that you will accept our apologies for the places where things have gone awry. We can and will do better. Moving forward, we are confident that you will enjoy the content we’re bringing to the mobile and console platforms, and we hope that are as excited for the future of the franchise as we are.

~505 Games
 
Last edited by a moderator:
So much good stuff there!

Appreciate 505 stepping up to own the past and dedicate themselves to the future. We certainly look forward to partnering with them there.

Love the fixes to Mobile of late - its come so far pretty fast. Still some fixing to do...and the tease of more content after that is quite nice.

Topping it off with a new console content update and that clever mobile app (which I guess acts like a "dual screen" world map would functionally?) is even better.


Am I the only one that wants to throw a party for the demise of the "Drop Button"? No more randomly dropping important stuff into lava...
 
While I'm not a particularly big fan of the Mobile version (although I do own all three: PC, PSVita and Android) - glad to see that work is being done to improve everything! Plus, that companion app looks pretty sweet, although I'm not too sure how useful it'd be given that as a PSVita user, I can just pull up the map without interrupting other same-console players anyway. (As the PSVita lacks splitscreen)

Also, Quick Buff instead of Drop? Yussssss. Never once have I found the "Drop" button useful (not even in PC) - if I wanted to drop an item, I'd drop it straight from the inventory menu itself. (Or, with PC, just right click the item off the inventory.)
 
Glad to see it! I have a lot of friends that will be happy to hear this news.

...still, I hope the possibility of cross-save functionality for Xbox 1 hasn't been ditched.
 
I don't really have condole, but this looks cool if I ever decided to play the PS4 version that I bought on a whim a while ago.

Continue, 505Games.
 
View attachment 55410

Hello console and mobile Terrarians! We have some exciting news to share with you today. Before we get to that, we would like to share a short story; if you can indulge us for a few minutes. If you really cannot wait to read the news, click HERE to go straight there.


Shakespeare once wrote “the course of true love never did run smooth” and although it’s admittedly a fairly obtuse reference, the same can often be said of videogame development and publishing. Well, maybe less often said, of course, but equally true nonetheless! So where’s all this going, you might ask? In the course of any great work, it’s important to take stock of your journey to this point, your current location, and the paths ahead toward your desired destination. A large part of that self-reflection is taking stock of areas of success – and places where you could stand to perform better. As we enter the next phase of console/mobile developments, today felt like a perfect opportunity to share some of that with you.


505 Games and Re-Logic have been partnering on the expansion of Terraria “beyond PC” for a few years now, and throughout that time we’ve been delighted by the way the fanbase has grown and expanded to take in new platforms, new territories, and -most importantly - excited new fans. From the outset we’ve been driven to expand the reach of the fantastic gaming experience that is Terraria to an ever-wider group of gamers and thereafter delivering as much of the ever-evolving PC content to the console and mobile fanbase as quickly and completely as possible. In addition, we felt it important to embrace the philosophy that Re-Logic follows on the PC side of Terraria – and so we have and will always keep these updates free of charge. This is the fantastic and successful side of our work to-date: expanding the Terraria universe while staying true to the spirit and culture it stands for.


That said, things haven’t always gone according to plan. It’s important for us to recognize that - despite our best intentions - there have been hurdles and pitfalls along the way. We’re not seeking to languish in the past or dredge up old wounds, but we know that there have been issues and instances which have frustrated and upset our fans. Whether it was the state of the initial launch of the 1.2 console update or – more recently – the mobile crash issues, we know that things have not always been as they should for you guys. We also understand that we may not have been as open and communicative in the past as we should be – and that this likely exacerbated any negative feelings or confusion you may have had.

Well, simply put: we are sincerely sorry for where mistakes have been made. That said, we want to do far more than apologize; we want to make amends and improve our performance. Allow us to share some of what that entails.


Terraria has grown from strength to strength since its first PC outing a little over four years ago, and we’re proud to have been part of that expansion. Although with that that growth there have been growing pains, and with those growing pains painful lessons. However as well as accepting our mistakes it’s equally important to note that we’ve learned from those mistakes. Not only are we working more smartly now, but we are also ‘doubling down’ on our investments of time and money in order to underline our commitment to delivering the very best for the franchise and – most importantly – its community of loyal fans.

kdcROYP.png

In terms of specifics, let’s cover a handful of areas where we will be stepping up our game:

Quality Assurance: We’ve completely overhauled the way we QA Terraria.
  • More stable, dedicated testing teams – people that truly know the game vs the “standard” technical-only approach to console testing. Terraria simply isn’t a game that fits the mold – and testing needs to follow suit.
  • More direct engagement/partnering with Re-Logic on prioritization of content, catching bugs/issues earlier, etc.
  • Focusing on smaller and faster updates – this allows for a tighter “window” of content to test (and fix as necessary) vs something as massive as, say, 1.2 was.
  • On Mobile, you will have seen some of the results of this already over the past several weeks. This is an ongoing process, and we have a handful of additional fixes coming – so stay tuned there!
divider.png

Customer Service & Community Engagement
  • We are applying the same approach – leveraging more experienced people that know the game and the community – in how we will be answering customer inquiries/issues and in how we interact with the community across places like TCF and social media.
  • We are also becoming more closely integrated with Re-Logic in order to enhance our understanding of the needs of the community, and to gain better foresight on the PC content coming down the pipeline.
  • Our plan is to be more open with our communication of “coming events” as well.
  • Our hope is that this will result in a more engaging and streamlined experience, and to aid in the quality and efficiency of future development on Console & Mobile.
  • This is still very much in process, so stay tuned and keep providing your invaluable feedback to help guide us here!

So, in short: by more closely partnering with Re-Logic, engaging community and game experts, and listening to you…we will raise our game across the board and deliver the best possible Terraria experience possible on Console & Mobile.

kdcROYP.png


Terraria Console & Mobile News!

So that’s our promise to you…but that’s not all! We come bearing news as well.

MOBILE - On top of the ongoing suite of fixes across the board, we will be announcing new content for Terraria mobile at E3 in a couple of weeks. So keep your eyes peeled there!

divider.png

CONSOLE - Later today we’ll be pushing our ‘Additions Update’ live across all console platforms, with a bunch of new content to play and enjoy!!! This should essentially bring Console Terraria up to the 1.2.3 PC version. For details on what will be contained within this update, check out the changelog below:

Additions update
================
- Increased npc name net message size
- Created separate textures for solid and non-solid tiles
- Add swap option for all consoles except PSVita between L1R1/L2R2 or LTRT/LBRB
- Renumbered console exclusive armor head, body and head ids
- Ice Queen projectile does not affect destructible tiles (Frostmoon loot bug and Queen Bee spawning)
- Replaced “Drop” function with “Quick Buff” in the controller map


Mechanics:
- Ability to change platforms into stairs with a hammer
- Update music box graphics (each music box has its unique style)
- Add Music Notes animation for Music boxes
- Update Robe graphics
- Update graphics for Cobalt Shield, Obsidian Shield, Paladin’s Shield
- Add Cactus variations
- Add biome-specific stalactites
- Add sounds for waterfalls and lavafalls
- Add sounds for critters
- Increase bird spawns during the morning
- Add various song sfx for birds
- Add upside-down slopes (for hammer, and in world-gen)
- Allow the placing of coins to create coin stacks
- Destroyer boss drops loot from segment closest to the player
- All non-event bosses can drop a Boss Mask (see items)
- Dyes stackable
- Turn rain red during a Blood Moon
- Add Shark Statue
- Add the catching of critters and making cages for them
- Add Underground Crimson music


New Critters:
- Duck
- Mallard Duck
- Worm


New NPC:
- Travelling merchant


New Items (and ID):
2158 Bubble Wallpaper
2159 Copper Pipe wallpaper
2160 Ducky Wallpaper
2008 Fancy Grey Wallpaper
2009 Ice Floe wallpaper
2010 Music wallpaper
2011 Purple Rain wallpaper
2012 Rainbow wallpaper
2013 Sparkle Stone wallpaper
2014 Starlit heaven wallpaper
1991 Bug Net
2177 Ammo Box
2214 Brick Layer
2215 Extendo Grip
2216 Paint Sprayer
2217 Portable Cement Mixer
2219 Celestial Magnet
2266 Sake
2272 Water Gun
2279 Gypsy Robe
2274 Ultrabright Torch
2268 Pho
2267 Pad Thai
2258 Chalice
2270 Gatligator
2223 Pulse Bow
2271 Arcane Rune Wall
2277 Gi
2275 Magic Hat
2242 Fancy Dishes
2243 Glass Bowl
2278 Kimono
1988 Fez
2273 Katana
2269 Revolver
2260 Dynasty Wood
2261 Red Dynasty Shingles
2262 Blue Dynasty Shingles
2283 Zebra Skin
2282 Leopard Skin
2281 Tiger Skin
2493 King Slime Mask
2112 Eye of Cthulhu Mask
2104 Brain of Cthulhu Mask
2111 Eater of Worlds Mask
2108 Queen Bee Mask
1281 Skeletron Mask
2105 Wall of Flesh Mask
2113 Destroyer Mask
2792 Horned God Robe
2106 Twin Mask
2794 Horned God Boots
2107 Skeletron Prime Mask
2793 Horned God Headpiece
2791 Ocram Mask
2109 Plantera Mask
2110 Golem Mask
2218 Beetle Husks
2199 Beetle Helmet
2200 Beetle Scale Mail
2201 Beetle Shell
2202 Beetle Leggings
2280 Beetle Wings
2229 Dynasty Work Bench
2263 White Dynasty Wall
2264 Blue Dynasty Wall
2265 Dynasty Door
2228 Dynasty Chair
2230 Dynasty Chest
2259 Dynasty Table
2226 Dynasty Lantern
2224 Large Dynasty Lantern
2236 Dynasty Candle
2227 Large Dynasty Candle
2225 Dynasty Lamp
2235 Dynasty Bowl
2234 Dynasty Cup
2231 Dynasty Bed
2237 Dynasty Clock
2233 Dynasty Bookcase
2232 Dynasty Bathtub
2244 Wine Glass
2208 Terrarium
2162 Bunny Cage
2163 Squirrel Cage
2206 Penguin Cage
2166 Bird Cage
2167 Blue Jay Cage
2168 Cardinal Cage
2191 Mouse Cage
2207 Worm Cage
0250 Fishbowl
2019 Bunny
2018 Squirrel
2205 Penguin
2105 Bird
2016 Blue Jay
2017 Cardinal
2003 Mouse
2002 Worm


Not only do you get ‘Additions’, but we are also releasing a mobile Companion App for the console versions of Terraria, for both iOS and Android devices. The Companion App will operate as a ‘World Map’ live-steaming your in-game location, allowing you to see what’s around you to either to either go and explore or fight, and all without ever having to bring up a menu or having to pause your game.

We look forward to bringing you further content later in the year.


kdcROYP.png

In closing, we hope you have enjoyed what we have brought to the Terraria experience to-date and that you will accept our apologies for the places where things have gone awry. We can and will do better. Moving forward, we are confident that you will enjoy the content we’re bringing to the mobile and console platforms, and we hope that are as excited for the future of the franchise as we are.

~505 Games
I just hope Amazon won't be a bum about this update, like they have been recently...-_-
 
Not sure updating Console first was the best idea, as far as I know, mobile users got pretty mad about the frost moon...
But hey, maybe the news will turn out to be 1.2.4! :naughty:
These latest updates for mobile have been much better than the initial 1.2 and original game, keep it up 505!
 
Not sure updating Console first was the best idea, as far as I know, mobile users got pretty mad about the frost moon...
But hey, maybe the news will turn out to be 1.2.4! :naughty:
These latest updates for mobile have been much better than the initial 1.2 and original game, keep it up 505!

My understanding is that the Mobile content updates were delayed a touch in order to focus on fixing the litany of bugs that have cropped up of late. Best to build the next story of your house once the foundation and existing floors are all shored up and stable. I, for one, embrace that approach.
 
My understanding is that the Mobile content updates were delayed a touch in order to focus on fixing the litany of bugs that have cropped up of late. Best to build the next story of your house once the foundation and existing floors are all shored up and stable. I, for one, embrace that approach.
Aah. I just hope more people get this, I know some people who were like "CONSOLE FROST MOON WUT TERRARIA IS WORST GAME EVA RAGEQUIT"
Maybe it was just me, but I hope this doesn't happen again.
 
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