One Terraria: An Introduction & Future Impacts

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To all the people who want Ocram...
Play PS3, Xbox 360 and/or PS Vita :dryadwink:
Required it doesn't get removed on them though
They won't get removed, those versions aren't going to be updated anymore, and therefore ocram will not be removed.
They wouldn't have an update just to remove stuff.
 
TL;DR "We hope you've made backups of your game from GOG because pretty soon we'll be messing up Terraria by jumping on the crossplay bandwagon. Also we're slowing down PC updates so the consoles can catch up, and even though we're not bringing the exclusives to PC we're removing some of them from the consoles."

Great show guys.
It's important to distinguish that the PC engine isn't being reworked, only the console version. So the console rework will not slow down the PC development because there are two different teams working on either: the PC team doesn't work on the console version and vice versa. As for engine reworks always being a waste of time, I'd have to disagree with you: while engine reworks don't directly contribute anything to the game itself, their entire point is to save time in the long run, and enable future updates that otherwise would be impossible, or simply not feasible. In many cases, reworking the engine is worth it over continuing down a forsaken road (or simply quitting development altogether).

The reason why they didn't use the PC engine for consoles is because it literally could never work. The PC engine is written in XNA, a framework that was only supported by the XBox 360 (because both are created by Microsoft), and not by the Playstation 3 (because that's Sony's), or any other at the time conceivable non-Microsoft console (and eventually not even Microsoft consoles like the XBox One, since XNA was discontinued somewhere around 2013). Had the console version been written in XNA, it would only have worked on Microsoft devices, and nowhere else, meaning that either PS3 would have to be left out, or that it would have gotten its own version, essentially doubling the required amount of work. So what the console developers did was write a custom engine (XNA isn't technically an engine, but for the purposes of this conversation, laissez-faire) that could be used across both consoles.

The problem, however, is that when that version was being worked on, PC Terraria was considered dead. The console versions were essentially Terraria as it existed at that point, plus some extra goodies (which is what this thread is all about). So not only is the current console version substantially different from (today's) PC engine because it has to be (for not being able to use XNA), but also because it wasn't written to accommodate substantial future updates (which, to be fair, PC Terraria was not either, thus the titanic internal differences between 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3 Terraria). The 1.2 update on console still used the 1.1 engine, figuratively overloading it, like a laptop drawing a higher current from its adapter than the adapter is supposed to supply. Furthermore, they were running 1.2 Terraria, a contemporary game, on consoles that were at that time almost a decade old. And finally, while their custom engine worked on consoles, mobile devices were another breed of machine all together, requiring their own version yet again (a derivative of a derivative, if you will).

Right now, the game is being rewritten in Unity, which is a very good choice for cross-platform development (meaning that the same code base can be used for all devices). Not only that, the way it is written now allows it to accommodate for a wide variety of new content, allowing it not only to update faster, but also making it much more unlikely that adding something new (which is what Terraria 1.X updates just love to do :) ) will invalidate the entire thing (thereby reducing the amount of QA needed).

So yeah, it's not all doom and gloom. You may view it as a setback, but it's a necessary setback.
 
These kinds of overly aggresive posts will not be tolerated on this forum.
Except that my opinion is also shared by the creators of the game - on all fronts. He would need FAR more than "tweaks" to hit our standards and vision. I'm sorry we disagree there, but I am just being honest with you. :)
You know, your posts make you sound like a massive douchebag. Passive aggressive smiles aren't necessary

I haven't seen any other dev state what you're saying so to me you're just full of :red:
 
It's important to distinguish that the PC engine isn't being reworked, only the console version. So the console rework will not slow down the PC development because there are two different teams working on either: the PC team doesn't work on the console version and vice versa. As for engine reworks always being a waste of time, I'd have to disagree with you: while engine reworks don't directly contribute anything to the game itself, their entire point is to save time in the long run, and enable future updates that otherwise would be impossible, or simply not feasible. In many cases, reworking the engine is worth it over continuing down a forsaken road (or simply quitting development altogether).

The reason why they didn't use the PC engine for consoles is because it literally could never work. The PC engine is written in XNA, a framework that was only supported by the XBox 360 (because both are created by Microsoft), and not by the Playstation 3 (because that's Sony's), or any other at the time conceivable non-Microsoft console (and eventually not even Microsoft consoles like the XBox One, since XNA was discontinued somewhere around 2013). Had the console version been written in XNA, it would only have worked on Microsoft devices, and nowhere else, meaning that either PS3 would have to be left out, or that it would have gotten its own version, essentially doubling the required amount of work. So what the console developers did was write a custom engine (XNA isn't technically an engine, but for the purposes of this conversation, laissez-faire) that could be used across both consoles.

The problem, however, is that when that version was being worked on, PC Terraria was considered dead. The console versions were essentially Terraria as it existed at that point, plus some extra goodies (which is what this thread is all about). So not only is the current console version substantially different from (today's) PC engine because it has to be (for not being able to use XNA), but also because it wasn't written to accommodate substantial future updates (which, to be fair, PC Terraria was not either, thus the titanic internal differences between 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3 Terraria). The 1.2 update on console still used the 1.1 engine, figuratively overloading it, like a laptop drawing a higher current from its adapter than the adapter is supposed to supply. Furthermore, they were running 1.2 Terraria, a contemporary game, on consoles that were at that time almost a decade old. And finally, while their custom engine worked on consoles, mobile devices were another breed of machine all together, requiring their own version yet again (a derivative of a derivative, if you will).

Right now, the game is being rewritten in Unity, which is a very good choice for cross-platform development (meaning that the same code base can be used for all devices). Not only that, the way it is written now allows it to accommodate for a wide variety of new content, allowing it not only to update faster, but also making it much more unlikely that adding something new (which is what Terraria 1.X updates just love to do :) ) will invalidate the entire thing (thereby reducing the amount of QA needed).

So yeah, it's not all doom and gloom. You may view it as a setback, but it's a necessary setback.
I can't give this enough likes.
 
I can't give this enough likes.
Yeah, it's hard only getting to like something once...;(

Edit: The irony of only getting one like.
[doublepost=1505598188,1505597641][/doublepost]
You know, your posts make you sound like a [REDACTED]. Passive aggressive smiles aren't necessary

I haven't seen any other dev state what you're saying so to me you're just [REDACTED]
Just because no other dev has said this doesn't mean it isn't true
Edit:Why does it say on your profile you're 67 years old?

Edit 2:Whoops, forgot to edit instead of double post.:p
 
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I never have played console Terraria but I'm not happy about this. For once in my life I empathize with the console peasants, especially because I've always wanted the pets and Ocram in PC. I know I'm being a hater, feel free to dab on me, but I feel your pain, filthy console peasants.
 
I never have played console Terraria but I'm not happy about this. For once in my life I empathize with the console peasants, especially because I've always wanted the pets and Ocram in PC. I know I'm being a hater, feel free to dab on me, but I feel your pain, filthy console peasants.
Am I a console peasant if I started on console, but also got PC?
 
I do have one major question.

Gravity Globe. Will we still get to keep our Gravity Globes? I know it's not supposed to be in but I personally always thought of it as an apology gift for the god awful 1.2 launch way back in the day.

Yeah, and our infinite flight Red's wings? Probably not lol
 
The double negatives here make it really hard to read. You basically said "Just because another dev has said this does mean it's true."

Sorry, my inner grammar nazi is strong. :rolleyes:
I need to change the "hasn't" don't I...:sigh:
P.S. Don't worry, I'm grammer nazi-ish, but I was spacing out as I wrote that.
Will we still get to keep our Gravity Globes?
Gravity Globe is officially being added in 1.3, so yes you get to keep it, you hacker!
 
I never have played console Terraria but I'm not happy about this. For once in my life I empathize with the console peasants, especially because I've always wanted the pets and Ocram in PC. I know I'm being a hater, feel free to dab on me, but I feel your pain, filthy console peasants.
I'd rather you not refer to us as "peasants"
 
My only current problem with the console update (Besides the fact I don't have it yet) is that it looks like they're changing the map to be in line with PC. I like the map used on console. I can look ahead for traps instead of not knowing they're there until after springing them. I play hardcore a lot and it's kind bull crap getting really far on it and then suddenly an almost completely invisible dynamite trap ruins my run and I have to start a new world. (I know I don't actually have to start a new world but my charatcer's dead and I don't really consider it hardcore unless you have to properly start again.)
 
My only current problem with the console update (Besides the fact I don't have it yet) is that it looks like they're changing the map to be in line with PC. I like the map used on console. I can look ahead for traps instead of not knowing they're there until after springing them. I play hardcore a lot and it's kind bull crap getting really far on it and then suddenly an almost completely invisible dynamite trap ruins my run and I have to start a new world. (I know I don't actually have to start a new world but my charatcer's dead and I don't really consider it hardcore unless you have to properly start again.)
I haven't played much PC Terraria, but switching to a set of Wire Cutters does still show where wire is, I think, taking trap-finding from impossible without using your character's foot, to easy as 3.1415926535897932384626433832.
 
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