Tsuki
Party Girl
Hello friends, and welcome to a fresh installment of the Terraria Times. So fresh it still has the price tag on it, with that new car smell. I'm still Tsuki, and I'll be taking the helm this time in a special issue. With our last issue having covered so many of the recent spoilers, we've come across a bit of a dry spell, haven't we? We still have Redigit's statuses to look forward to, for the occasional hidden spoilers. Around the time the last edition was posted, Red gave us this little gem to think about:
Just in case anyone hasn't seen it yet, they can check it out on his profile page, along with the discussion and speculation involved with it. Yo-yos in Terraria? Yes, please. Also, he posted this little weird blip in his status a couple of weeks ago too, prompting a makeshift game of 20 (give or take a couple hundred) questions where everyone tried to figure out what it does.
What's your take on this cool little thing? What does it do? How do you get it? Where do you find it? Can you eat it?
Disclaimer: Commenting on Redigit's statuses may potentially be one of the craziest decisions you've ever made in your life. For sake of your sanity and everyone else's, feel free to post your speculations in this thread if you haven't had the chance to give your thoughts on it.
Moving right along, however, I'd like to take advantage of the "downtime" we have to talk about one of the main things that makes Terraria a fun game to play, and the forums a good place to hang out: You guys!
That's right! I'm dubbing this issue of the Terrarian Times as the "Awesome Edition," in honor of the community that makes this game so awesome. Though understandably, if I were to talk about every single awesome member on these forums, this issue might go on for days. Rest assured though, just because I can't talk about everyone, doesn't mean you're not awesome. So join me on this journey of awesomeness as we discuss some of the selfless, talented, and generous things our forumgoers have done.
- Samrux
- Corenality
- Qui Devorat
- Pixel
- Creation Compendium
- T-MEC (Diceman & ZeroGravitis)
- Arkhalis
What's more awesome than an awesome game and an awesome community? When that awesome community shares that awesome game with other people. This is the task taken by Samrux, TCF's resident, but friendly, Paladin. Among other feats, such as very generously fulfilling avatar requests, he decided to make the call-to-arms for charity. By attempting to mobilize generous people, he was able to take advantage of the dirt-cheap prices that Terraria normally goes for, particularly around the holiday sales.
Thanks to the efforts of Samrux and the people he's managed to rally, over 50 copies of the game have been given out to share the love of Terraria with people who probably haven't experienced it yet. And over the holidays, too! Talk about generosity, right? Special thanks to Samrux and everyone involved; it's always amazing and heartwarming to see so many people coming together to make such a special thing possible, and the community is lucky to have people like you guys. Go check it out here for a comprehensive list of those who received and donated these copies of Terraria. Even though the giveaway is over, it has not been forgotten!
But I assure you, friends, this is no "trend" by any stretch of the imagination. This is the work of none other than Corenality! She started off on TCF doing the occasional sprite for other people's suggestions along with her feedback and kind words. From there, she brought some of her own suggestions to the table, with lovely sprites in tow. Eventually, she showed us a piece she had done; lovely pixel art of the mechanic. Then, the nurse. Needless to say, people were fans of her style, and how she portrayed these two well-known villagers. A short while after that, however, she surprised us with this:
Yes, the female NPC's in all their glory. But Corenality's spree didn't stop there! In the weeks after, she occasionally surprised people by recreating their avatars in her own style. I don't have a comprehensive list of everyone that she's done an avatar for, but I'm sure that number is at or approaching 20, most of which she did without them even needing to ask! An awesome pixel artist with the generosity and goodwill to do awesome avatars for other members in the community for various reasons.
Her style is fairly recognizable, and chances are you might have spied someone using one of her custom-made avatars, and her method of delivery is dropping them right off on the recipient's profile wall. It's a bit like creating a gift basket and then personally ensuring it gets directly to your doorstop. These thoughtful and delightful pieces are sure to brighten up anyone's day a little bit if they receive one! At the moment, she does not have a thread to showcase her lovely pieces, and she might not even be taking many requests. But for her act of awesomeness, go give her some kind words on her profile.
Though keep in mind, she's just one person, and it wouldn't be cool to make her drown in requests. Respect is key, friends!
My sources have informed me that pizza and poetry are actually not that closely related at all...because you have to pay for pizza, but Qui Devorat is delivering up some flavorful wordplay for absolutely free! That's right my friends, all you have to do is say the word, and this guy will make a custom poem just for you. I'm sure you're all just dying for a sample, so I'll show you a couple poems, as chosen by the poet himself, to whet your appetite.
First we have a poem he created specifically for Sir Cutswood:
I appreciate that greatly
Sir Cutswood
I am glad there's another
In the Terrarian neighbourhood
Who professes his love
Of poetry to me
And so I write this
With untold glee
My stanzas may be disturbing
But why bother?
The others don't seem to find my work perturbing.
Besides look around the thread
Cos I aim to please
My poetry and words are as numerous
As a plague of benevolent fleas.
Doing my bit for the community
And I sit in this hall
Filled with poetry of mine
My own hands the creators
Which stir it together like good-tasting wine.
You don't (much) have to learn
And so I do this
And expect nothing in return
Except a smile and a smirk
At appreciation of my work.
All on iPad, no mousemat
For this is the work of Qui Devorat.
And all it takes is a few seconds
To over the thought mull
And now you understand,
Funny top-hat wearing skull.
Sir Cutswood
I am glad there's another
In the Terrarian neighbourhood
Who professes his love
Of poetry to me
And so I write this
With untold glee
My stanzas may be disturbing
But why bother?
The others don't seem to find my work perturbing.
Besides look around the thread
Cos I aim to please
My poetry and words are as numerous
As a plague of benevolent fleas.
Doing my bit for the community
And I sit in this hall
Filled with poetry of mine
My own hands the creators
Which stir it together like good-tasting wine.
You don't (much) have to learn
And so I do this
And expect nothing in return
Except a smile and a smirk
At appreciation of my work.
All on iPad, no mousemat
For this is the work of Qui Devorat.
And all it takes is a few seconds
To over the thought mull
And now you understand,
Funny top-hat wearing skull.
And next, one explaining the meaning of his name:
Does anyone wonder
What my name means?
I'll give you a clue
Towards Latin it leans.
Put it through a translator
And you'll know
And you'll start thinking
May it be quick or slow
I must be the Eater of the World
But your knowledge will flow
As you gaze at it for hours
As you find the true meaning
For it's "he who devours"
What my name means?
I'll give you a clue
Towards Latin it leans.
Put it through a translator
And you'll know
And you'll start thinking
May it be quick or slow
I must be the Eater of the World
But your knowledge will flow
As you gaze at it for hours
As you find the true meaning
For it's "he who devours"
Do you like what you see? If so, show this man some love on his profile, or direct yourself to his Poetic Request Bar. This guy deserves an award of awesomeness for bringing a nice slice of poetry to the hungry members of TCF.
The segments include such things as how to make delicious dishes out of fireblossoms and gel, how to take on the jungle's dangerously derpy predators, and juicy gossip about a possible affair amongst the NPC's! And that's just the first issue! At the moment, they have 3 editions up already, each as exciting to read as the last. But don't take my word for it, go check it out for yourself! There are many talented writers behind The Boreal Bookshelf already, but as any community project that's just starting out, they could use more support and recognition for the awesomeness they're bringing to the community.
Who knows, a little birdie told me they might be looking to add on a few members to the team. And this looks like a pretty trustworthy bird to me.
So there's this game called Terraria, right? It's like a sandbox. You get dumped off in this world and left to your own devices...what do you do? I for one immediately trash that legendary copper shortsword with a quick roll of my eyes, and then build a little home in the dirt, content with my life. But thankfully, not everyone is me. If they were, we might not have the Creation Compendium. I'm sure you've heard of it, but if you haven't, it's a collection of some of the awesome things the creative minds of our community can achieve.
Be it an in-game build, a piece of art created using external programs, a crafts project, and even poetry, it's a gallery of the amazing talents that we as a community have. Hosted by our very own Darthmorf and QuackersDelta, it may just be the longest established community project and compilation that the Terraria community has had (though with understandable hiatuses, transfers of hosts, among other things.) If you're looking to be inspired, look no further than the awesome Creation Compendium, the likes of which couldn't go unspoken about when it comes to an edition solely focusing on an awesome community.
So if you wanna get those creative juices going, and show off your creations, QuackersDelta will be taking submissions for the next installment of the Compendium. And if you'd like to take a look at Compendiums past, click the nifty little banner and you'll be on your way to the archive!
My fellow Terrarians, have you ever sat back and admired your mechanical contraptions, while at the same time pondered exactly how to build a better mousetrap, so to speak? Have you ever created a mechanism, only to scratch your chin at how to make it faster and more reliable? Have you ever had a theory or idea about wiring, but with nobody to discuss it with? Well, if you answered yes to any of these questions, I have good news for you: You are not alone.
There are a group of people who share your interests in all things mechanical, and they're happily accepting people who are as excited as they are about finding new techniques and tools of the trade. If this sounds like something you're interested in, T-MEC might be the group for you. It's a whole social group revolving around the intricate workings of Terraria's fascinating wiring system, and the really cool things that you can do with it.
There's been a large number of unique mechanisms designed and discussed within this hall of engineers. Such devices include binary counting mechanisms using minecarts, AFK farms for bosses and Frost Moons, timers, and even devices that can perform functions like addition and multiplication. That being said, T-MEC would definitely welcome any past, present, and future engineers to discuss ways to improve existing contraptions and even possibly make a breakthrough in the world of wiring as we know it.
And who knows, maybe 1.3 will have new additions that the mechanically inclined would enjoy. If that's the case, it could very well change everything the Terraria world knows about wiring, and good engineers will be needed to unravel the mysteries presented. Check the banner below to start your journey into mechanical nirvana.
Tsuki: Hey there, Arkhalis, thanks for taking the time to answer some questions! To kick things off, you're listed as a Test Manager. Can you tell us a little bit about what that actually means, from a position standpoint?
Arkhalis: Being a test manager is actually rather fun! ... If you have the right desire for it. Testing is no small task, especially when it comes to games. Generally, testing software is a rather straight-forward affair. Determine the requirements based on expected software functionality, and make sure the software meets those requirements (I'm simplifying the process a LOT, but that's the main idea). However, when it comes to games, this is a very different situation. Games are very complex and often lack specific "requirements" or "expected functionality" and are developed more freely than software as a whole. What that means for me is, lots of fun! To be specific, testing a game is about enjoying the game, and the team who develops it. There is no better way to test how a game operates, than to play it and find it's weak points.
My position with Re-Logic is not only to make sure bugs are found before an update is released. But to help organize the beta testers in to one unified team with the same goal. Make sure the game is entertaining, balanced, and fun. Shout out to all our testers! We have a great team who help us accomplish our goals!
Tsuki: That sounds pretty exciting, actually! What were you known for in the Terraria community before, and how has that (Along with any other applicable real-world experience) helped benefit this position with Re-Logic?
Arkhalis: Great question! There are several factors which helped get me to where I am now. I have been working in IT for almost 16 years now, starting with PC repair and troubleshooting. Over time, this became a software quality assurance specialty which fit me well. Problem solving, an eye for detail, and the ability to learn new software quickly all came naturally. I went to school for computer engineering which presented some coding experience, but I am not interested enough to make it my primary focus.
My status in the community started slowly, applying my old programming knowledge to a mod called tConfig (a mod to make mods). This turned in to a few well received mods; dynamic difficulty and cresaria being the most well known. I've also been involved with tConfig and tAPI over time, mostly for testing and modding. My programming involvement was limited by my coding skillset. Though, my code involvement in tConfig & tAPI was not involved as some of the others. These two things combined really helped, knowing how to test and improve software. Combined with the knowledge of the community, mods, and how Terraria works in general allowed me the opportunity to help.
Tsuki: Sounds like you're definitely very qualified for the position, having experience in quality assurance and coding, but does this feel too much like a traditional job?
Arkhalis: Working for Re-Logic is by no means a 'traditional job' but I do treat it as such. I have worked in a lot of corporate environments which is very different. Corporations have a long schedule for testing, with phases including (in no particular order); design, planning, requirements, discovery, testing, deployment, etc. (for more information, google "Software Development Life Cycle"). The difference when working for a game company, is how the software is developed. Often, there are no "requirements" or "specifications" - Even more so with Indie games! The team decides on new content and adds it as they see fit. There is no specific review process, requirements phase and so on.
What this means for a game tester: lots of playing the game!... Now, this can be fun, but not fun at the same time. It's still a job for a reason! For example, some things require "Exploration" / "Discovery" testing... Which means playing the game to determine balance, issues, etc. But there is also specific testing that needs to be done always. Imagine the game suddenly decided to have a new feature which made accessories display visually (a recent addition to the game). This would mean testing every accessory in the game many times over in multiple situations to make sure existing content was not broken (this is called regression testing)
Other testing methodologies are involved as well. However, Testing a game is always more fun than testing your standard software for a corporation... It IS a game afterall
Tsuki: What's it like, actually, working with what we can only assume is a diverse group of individuals in a testing environment? Any particular experiences / fond memories you'd care to share?
Arkhalis: My favorite part of working for Re-Logic so far is our team of beta testers. All of our beta testers are actually quite amazing! Every single one of them has specialties and quirks about them that I love! Some of them have VERY different play styles too. Our team is diverse, thorough, and fun to work with, each with a great personality! And when something is broken, or doesn't go as planned, we can always #blameomnir
Tsuki: Must be pretty fascinating to work with so many different kinds of personalities. Speaking of testers, your most recent status talked about a challenge you proposed to them, what sort of challenge was this? Do you normally make things fun and interesting for the testers?
Arkhalis: So, part of being the Test Manager for a game company involves keeping our team of testers engaged. This is actually quite the troublesome task for me! Allow me to explain why: Testing a game can be very tedious! Specifically, you are often asked to do the same thing, or small part of the game over and over and over to find issues. Tedium is natural part of being a tester, and is expected in making sure software works. The problem comes in when your testers are volunteers. Our team has a lot of volunteer testers, who are all amazing people by the way and every single one of them is appreciated! ❤
I often try different methods of keeping the tedium to a minimum and spreading out the tasks between people. Sometimes though, we just need everyone to help out... So I host servers and playthroughs with different rules. Some of our testers like to complete every single thing, others like to rush the game, and some like their porridge JUUUUUST right.... I often try to include everyone in everything, and change things up to help keep everyone involved and entertained...Sometimes, this involves things like playing hardcore characters!
Recently, I told one of our testers I would make fun of him if he was the first hardcore character to die. This quickly turned in to a bet between myself, and everyone else...which had MULTIPLE people helping me try out the game. Now, in my head, they all just wanted me to die so they could pick on me... and apparently it worked...Long story short, I was forced to live with the name "Shartkhalis" for a week.
Tsuki: Haha, sounds like an exciting challenge! Nothing like a little bit of friendly competition to liven things up~ Before we wrap up, is there anything else you want to add?
Arkhalis: Re-Logic is an amazing company to work for! They take feedback seriously, so please always create threads with suggestions, feedback, and ideas! This is one of the best group of people I have ever worked with! (Except for that one guy, I can never remember his name... it's a Mystery to me.)
Tsuki: Thanks for taking the time to entertain my interview, Arkhalis. I think I speak for many of us when I say I appreciate all the work you're putting into this, and that they made a good choice adding you to the team. And a special thanks to the developers and beta testers as well! All of you guys keep up the good work!
Arkhalis: Being a test manager is actually rather fun! ... If you have the right desire for it. Testing is no small task, especially when it comes to games. Generally, testing software is a rather straight-forward affair. Determine the requirements based on expected software functionality, and make sure the software meets those requirements (I'm simplifying the process a LOT, but that's the main idea). However, when it comes to games, this is a very different situation. Games are very complex and often lack specific "requirements" or "expected functionality" and are developed more freely than software as a whole. What that means for me is, lots of fun! To be specific, testing a game is about enjoying the game, and the team who develops it. There is no better way to test how a game operates, than to play it and find it's weak points.
My position with Re-Logic is not only to make sure bugs are found before an update is released. But to help organize the beta testers in to one unified team with the same goal. Make sure the game is entertaining, balanced, and fun. Shout out to all our testers! We have a great team who help us accomplish our goals!
Tsuki: That sounds pretty exciting, actually! What were you known for in the Terraria community before, and how has that (Along with any other applicable real-world experience) helped benefit this position with Re-Logic?
Arkhalis: Great question! There are several factors which helped get me to where I am now. I have been working in IT for almost 16 years now, starting with PC repair and troubleshooting. Over time, this became a software quality assurance specialty which fit me well. Problem solving, an eye for detail, and the ability to learn new software quickly all came naturally. I went to school for computer engineering which presented some coding experience, but I am not interested enough to make it my primary focus.
My status in the community started slowly, applying my old programming knowledge to a mod called tConfig (a mod to make mods). This turned in to a few well received mods; dynamic difficulty and cresaria being the most well known. I've also been involved with tConfig and tAPI over time, mostly for testing and modding. My programming involvement was limited by my coding skillset. Though, my code involvement in tConfig & tAPI was not involved as some of the others. These two things combined really helped, knowing how to test and improve software. Combined with the knowledge of the community, mods, and how Terraria works in general allowed me the opportunity to help.
Tsuki: Sounds like you're definitely very qualified for the position, having experience in quality assurance and coding, but does this feel too much like a traditional job?
Arkhalis: Working for Re-Logic is by no means a 'traditional job' but I do treat it as such. I have worked in a lot of corporate environments which is very different. Corporations have a long schedule for testing, with phases including (in no particular order); design, planning, requirements, discovery, testing, deployment, etc. (for more information, google "Software Development Life Cycle"). The difference when working for a game company, is how the software is developed. Often, there are no "requirements" or "specifications" - Even more so with Indie games! The team decides on new content and adds it as they see fit. There is no specific review process, requirements phase and so on.
What this means for a game tester: lots of playing the game!... Now, this can be fun, but not fun at the same time. It's still a job for a reason! For example, some things require "Exploration" / "Discovery" testing... Which means playing the game to determine balance, issues, etc. But there is also specific testing that needs to be done always. Imagine the game suddenly decided to have a new feature which made accessories display visually (a recent addition to the game). This would mean testing every accessory in the game many times over in multiple situations to make sure existing content was not broken (this is called regression testing)
Other testing methodologies are involved as well. However, Testing a game is always more fun than testing your standard software for a corporation... It IS a game afterall
Tsuki: What's it like, actually, working with what we can only assume is a diverse group of individuals in a testing environment? Any particular experiences / fond memories you'd care to share?
Arkhalis: My favorite part of working for Re-Logic so far is our team of beta testers. All of our beta testers are actually quite amazing! Every single one of them has specialties and quirks about them that I love! Some of them have VERY different play styles too. Our team is diverse, thorough, and fun to work with, each with a great personality! And when something is broken, or doesn't go as planned, we can always #blameomnir
Tsuki: Must be pretty fascinating to work with so many different kinds of personalities. Speaking of testers, your most recent status talked about a challenge you proposed to them, what sort of challenge was this? Do you normally make things fun and interesting for the testers?
Arkhalis: So, part of being the Test Manager for a game company involves keeping our team of testers engaged. This is actually quite the troublesome task for me! Allow me to explain why: Testing a game can be very tedious! Specifically, you are often asked to do the same thing, or small part of the game over and over and over to find issues. Tedium is natural part of being a tester, and is expected in making sure software works. The problem comes in when your testers are volunteers. Our team has a lot of volunteer testers, who are all amazing people by the way and every single one of them is appreciated! ❤
I often try different methods of keeping the tedium to a minimum and spreading out the tasks between people. Sometimes though, we just need everyone to help out... So I host servers and playthroughs with different rules. Some of our testers like to complete every single thing, others like to rush the game, and some like their porridge JUUUUUST right.... I often try to include everyone in everything, and change things up to help keep everyone involved and entertained...Sometimes, this involves things like playing hardcore characters!
Recently, I told one of our testers I would make fun of him if he was the first hardcore character to die. This quickly turned in to a bet between myself, and everyone else...which had MULTIPLE people helping me try out the game. Now, in my head, they all just wanted me to die so they could pick on me... and apparently it worked...Long story short, I was forced to live with the name "Shartkhalis" for a week.
Tsuki: Haha, sounds like an exciting challenge! Nothing like a little bit of friendly competition to liven things up~ Before we wrap up, is there anything else you want to add?
Arkhalis: Re-Logic is an amazing company to work for! They take feedback seriously, so please always create threads with suggestions, feedback, and ideas! This is one of the best group of people I have ever worked with! (Except for that one guy, I can never remember his name... it's a Mystery to me.)
Tsuki: Thanks for taking the time to entertain my interview, Arkhalis. I think I speak for many of us when I say I appreciate all the work you're putting into this, and that they made a good choice adding you to the team. And a special thanks to the developers and beta testers as well! All of you guys keep up the good work!
Well, that just about wraps it up for this very special edition of the TTT. But really, it's because of you guys as a community that made this edition special in the first place. A community of diverse, interesting, and talented individuals who are sharing their unique talents with the rest. Whether that talent is writing, or a knack for socializing, spriting, among other things, an awesome community is made up of awesome people, at the very core.
Just know that when you do awesome things, there'll be people who recognize and appreciate you for doing it. Just because I didn't talk about you in this issue doesn't mean you're not awesome; If I were to mention everything this amazing community is capable of, this issue could go on for a very long time. But unfortunately, the awesomeness will have to wait until the next issue.
As always, friends, if you have any questions, comments, concerns, ideas, feedback, or just want to tell me I'm pretty, feel free to shoot us an email at [email protected]. Until next time, friends. Stay awesome, and remember the words of the immortal Bill Murray:
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