Expand Your Terraria Empire - Pylons, Town Building, and NPC Happiness

[darkmega5]

I don't want to have to do something I don't enjoy just because I get punished for not doing it. I'd rather be doing literally anything but building.

Look, if you really hate it, I’m sure some modder will remove it via a mod, with the new modding support and all.

 

[ZeroJinKui]

this is pretty insane... unfortunately for me, i guess i'll need to stop being lazy with my worlds and cramming everyone into a nice, safe box.

some questions though, materials don't matter, right? cause i typically enjoy the aesthetic of wooden cabins, and most other materials are just too scarce to build with, anyway, except maybe stone.

also, i assume NPCs won't have conflicting interests? if one NPC wants to be neighbors with another, would that NPC also be guaranteed to like them?

for example... dryad wants to live next to the witch doctor, but the witch doctor hates the dryad, or what if it gets more complicated... like, the guide wants to live next to the merchant, the merchant wants to live next to the mechanic, the mechanic wants to live next to the tinkerer, but the tinkerer hates the guide, the mechanic hates the merchant, and they all want to live in different biomes?

i assume crazy stuff like that has been covered and prevented from happening, but i just wanna be sure.

is it possible not every biome will be able to be turned into a base? or will each biome always be guaranteed to have three NPCs wanting to live there?

a concern with that is if not enough NPCs want to live in a certain biome, they won't be safe from monsters, so i'll either need to be extra vigilant protecting them, or make them unhappy by placing them somewhere else.

do all biomes have pylons? like, will NPCs want to live in space? or the underworld?

i am also kinda hoping our houses don't need to be too fancy... cause while i've actually been trying to build more of a town in my game lately, i am still terrible at creating stuff... while i have grand ideas and limitless imagination... my actual physical ability to create is... a bit of a disaster.

i imagine some if not all of these questions will be asked by others by time i get around to posting this, but i just wanted to get my concerns out there.

1.4 comes to PC this month, right?

so the wait for the console release will begin soon... i'll be eagerly awaiting it.

 

[chadddd]

Please at least give us the option to enable/disable this in a given world. I make nice, cozy houses for my NPCs, I like having them all in one central base. I don't do it because it's convenient, I do it because I feel a sense of progression as my base grows larger and larger. I do not want to create a series of outposts around the world. I do not understand why developers cant be content with people enjoying their game unless they are playing it a specific way. This change just seems stupid, If I wanted to do stupid bull like this I would load up Stardew Valley instead of Terraria.

 

[Ivar]

I'm actually upset for another reason. I build big, beautiful houses for my NPCs. But all this is now useless because they will not love the biome in which they live, or their neighbors or something else, and I will feel terrible. I understand why this system is made, but I can’t help but feel that this somewhat limits creativity in the construction of houses. Yes, it encourages construction, but only the type that the game wants from you.

Example, I built a huge tinker goblin mansion in the desert. Now he will be unhappy there probably. It wildly saddens me that all this work will be in vain.

 

[White_Shadow]

Please at least give us the option to enable/disable this in a given world. I make nice, cozy houses for my NPCs, I like having them all in one central base. I don't do it because it's convenient, I do it because I feel a sense of progression as my base grows larger and larger. I do not want to create a series of outposts around the world. I do not understand why developers cant be content with people enjoying their game unless they are playing it a specific way. This change just seems stupid, If I wanted to do stupid bull like this I would load up Stardew Valley instead of Terraria.

I am in 100% agreement, I want an option to play the game without this stupid feature

 

[Carisei]

We actually specified that due to complexity issues and limitations on people's aesthetic choices, actual housing design is not impacted. They are concerned more about nearby NPCs (who and how many) and current biome biome. When she says "crowded", she means there are too many other NPCs nearby.

Thank you for replying to that, Leinfors, that puts many of my concerns to rest.
Could I possibly bother you on what "too many other NPCs nearby" specifies to if you're able to answer that currently?
As per my example of Engineer, Tinker, Steampunker, and Cyborg all having their houses comprise a single building for them to share, the build is 20w x 12h for a size reference of the space all four occupy. Would that end up triggering that overcrowding?
Sorry if this is asking to much. :x

 

[Loki]

I thought witch doc was a dude?

Technically, the Witch Doctor is a Lihzahrd... and I have no idea how to check the gender on one of those.

for all of you that are good at building this is a good change

Nowhere does it say you need to make a Khaios-tier build to make NPCs happy. Only that you listen to what they are telling you and adjust accordingly. You all are building this into something in your mind that it is not.


Here is where prices go up < --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------> over here is "I want to use Pylons"

Your level of effort/focus will determine where you fall on that spectrum. This is not some black and white thing. Getting rid of negative prices for you could be as simple as changing the nametags on the cubicles... if that is all you are after. Otherwise, again, the Arena analogy holds. Like a ton of other things in the game, you can choose what is important to you and how you want to go about things, with requisite consequences.


As I said previously - you know, maybe... just maybe... wait and give it a try and see what's up first?

I am in 100% agreement, I want an option to play the game without this stupid feature

Your option is to change nothing - and then gain nothing - ergo removing both the benefits and penalties of this "stupid feature". Again, see the spectrum above.

 

[Ivar]

Well, apparently I will have to demolish all the buildings that I did for the NPC's and do new construction projects. I don’t want my NPCs to be unhappy, but this system unfortunately makes it very difficult to make them happy as I tried before, giving everyone their own home with lots of space. Unfortunately I could not know that they would not love the houses that I built for them because of the biome in which they are built.

 

[ThronedElijahYT]

WOW yes i cant wait for this update love it

 

[j007]

I like this change it will make large worlds so much more convenient to transverse before teleporters. Also a way to get cheaper prices, yes please.

 

[rotyler]

Time to get 5 star rating in terraria, since my animal crossing village is there already.

 

[Dundershock]

Hmm... I wonder how you get pylons?

 

[chadddd]

Technically, the Witch Doctor is a Lihzahrd... and I have no idea how to check the gender on one of those.




Nowhere does it say you need to make a Khaios-tier build to make NPCs happy. Only that you listen to what they are telling you and adjust accordingly. You all are building this into something in your mind that it is not.


Here is where prices go up < --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------> over here is "I want to use Pylons"

Your level of effort/focus will determine where you fall on that spectrum. This is not some black and white thing. Getting rid of negative prices for you could be as simple as changing the nametags on the cubicles... if that is all you are after. Otherwise, again, the Arena analogy holds. Like a ton of other things in the game, you can choose what is important to you and how you want to go about things, with requisite consequences.


As I said previously - you know, maybe... just maybe... wait and give it a try and see what's up first?



Your option is to change nothing - and then gain nothing - ergo removing both the benefits and penalties of this "stupid feature". Again, see the spectrum above.

But we've already been told that unhappy NPCs will be charging higher prices for items than their current default prices.... so if we "change nothing" in terms of our gameplay, we are penalized.
Play the game the way we want you to or it will be more difficult, why?
Terraria has always been exciting because you get to decide how you want your adventure to go. Now, every one of those adventures from this update will feature increased NPC item costs unless you build 3+ NPC towns in specific biomes and engage with this new aspect of the game. Will we at least have the option to disable it? Also will reforges/ammo costs be subject to the standard happiness-determined prices changes?

 

[Ripraptor]

So we are going to be forced to spend time that could be spent doing all the other much more important things like fighting bosses and events just so we can not have to pay more for basic items like bullets that are almost a necessity for rangers? Yeah, I'm not a fan of this

Who says that fighting bosses and events are more important than building in Terraria? With this change, it may make building a bit more important to the game.

One thing I'd like to point out is that a lot of people here are stating that they enjoy the more combat-oriented parts of the game, such as fighting bosses and enemies. For a long time, the Developers have implemented features that reward you for doing such things, for example, new weapons, new NPCs, access to new biomes, etc. Not counting new blocks or furniture that is added to the game, barely anything rewards building in Terraria, besides NPCs.
Building is a very important part of Terraria, and such a change may inspire some to work on their buildings, and strive to become better builders. It may get some to experiment with materials past stone and wood.
You may say that this ruins your way of playing the game, but it is one playstyle of very many that exist. So much has been added for those who enjoy combat, including in this update. New bosses, new events, new enemies, new weapons, etc. Now that builders have finally gotten something that helps them, you complain, because you don't want to spend 15 minutes building another wooden box in a different biome. To me, it just seems a bit selfish.

 

[Blackbugatti101]

My npcs must be depressed right now

 

[White_Shadow]

Who says that fighting bosses and events are more important than building in Terraria? With this change, it may make building a bit more important to the game.

One thing I'd like to point out is that a lot of people here are stating that they enjoy the more combat-oriented parts of the game, such as fighting bosses and enemies. For a long time, the Developers have implemented features that reward you for doing such things, for example, new weapons, new NPCs, access to new biomes, etc. Not counting new blocks or furniture that is added to the game, barely anything rewards building in Terraria, besides NPCs.
Building is a very important part of Terraria, and such a change may inspire some to work on their buildings, and strive to become better builders. It may get some to experiment with materials past stone and wood.
You may say that this ruins your way of playing the game, but it is one playstyle of very many that exist. So much has been added for those who enjoy combat, including in this update. New bosses, new events, new enemies, new weapons, etc. Now that builders have finally gotten something that helps them, you complain, because you don't want to spend 15 minutes building another wooden box in a different biome. To me, it just seems a bit selfish.

I just think its dumb that we are being PUNISHED for not doing this. Keep the feature in, whatever, but dont punish us for not playing the game a certain way.

 

[Yvori]

Hey so one BIG issue I see with this system is the spreading biomes-
Most players build in the center because when Hardmode starts, the Hallow and Corruption/Crimson won't suddenly appear there and convert all your blocks and screw things up, and it's easier to build trenches on either side and around to keep them from overtaking your NPC houses while you're busy with other stuff. Is there anything in place to mitigate this? Or if you have unfortunate biome placement and have to build a town in an area that will get converted upon Hardmode activation, do you just have to tear it all down and start again?

ALSO is there going to be a system in place to keep NPCs in houses even when they die? Currently there's manually assigning them to houses, but if they die, another NPC can spawn in and snipe that house before they respawn, breaking the manual placement entirely and making you re-do it, and sometimes the manual gold-bordered nametag-banner gets replaced by a normal nametag-banner too.

I'd love if the Happiness dialogue was more personified to each NPC too, if that's not too much work.

One more concern I have is the spawning- you say that towns lower/stop spawning, but if you're playing on a smaller world and spread your towns out, then a huge percent of your overworld may be spawnproof, making farming enemies from certain biomes in those areas very difficult. On a similar note, will the distance required between NPCs to stop from crowding be lowered in smaller worlds? I could see that quickly become a problem when playing with mods that add many NPCs since small worlds are... Pretty small, in terms of biome space.

Also, will NPC pathfinding and AI be improved at all in the update? That's a major annoyance when building houses since they often have... Severe difficulty navigating anything except the simplest layouts. It'd also be great to be able to tell them to move over in case they're blocking a chest or something, or just make them a bit more mobile indoors during the night.

Sorry about all the questions, I'm just... let's say nervously optimistic and would like some reassurance that these issues won't be as big as I'm worrying about.

This looks cool and all but
I'm pretty sure that the NPC's that aren't close will die because of that

Enemies only spawn in an area around the player. If you get far away, they despawn. Therefore, distant NPCs are in no danger at any time.

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Also for everyone complaining about the system "punishing" you, we have no idea how large the price hike will be. Most playthroughs I do end up with huge amounts of excess money anyway. For all we know, the worst-case difference could be like... 2 copper more per bullet, or 10 silver extra per greater life potion. And it's not like you need every NPC to be happy, only the ones you actually want to use based on your class. And even then you don't NEED them to be happy, since the price differences will almost certainly not be a major amount. The devs know not everyone is into the building aspect. Consider it just a price rebalance in general. It takes very minimal effort to make the NPCs happy too, just put them in the right Biome with the right other NPCs. The quality or size of the house supposedly isn't an issue. So you can keep building cubicles... just spread out a bit more. And boom, you get Fast Travel out of the deal, along with prices even cheaper than current ones. It's a win-win unless you intentionally put all the NPCs in the smallest space possible crammed together despite only using like 8 of them frequently in your playthrough. Yeesh.

 

[CelesteIsHere]

I just think its dumb that we are being PUNISHED for not doing this. Keep the feature in, whatever, but dont punish us for not playing the game a certain way.

worst that is going to happen is you will have a minor price increase. Otherwise you can put a bit more effort and thought in. And you can teleport to the different biomes. All you need is to continue building the same houses just choose which npc goes to which house and biome.

 

[Ivar]

Who says that fighting bosses and events are more important than building in Terraria? With this change, it may make building a bit more important to the game.

One thing I'd like to point out is that a lot of people here are stating that they enjoy the more combat-oriented parts of the game, such as fighting bosses and enemies. For a long time, the Developers have implemented features that reward you for doing such things, for example, new weapons, new NPCs, access to new biomes, etc. Not counting new blocks or furniture that is added to the game, barely anything rewards building in Terraria, besides NPCs.
Building is a very important part of Terraria, and such a change may inspire some to work on their buildings, and strive to become better builders. It may get some to experiment with materials past stone and wood.
You may say that this ruins your way of playing the game, but it is one playstyle of very many that exist. So much has been added for those who enjoy combat, including in this update. New bosses, new events, new enemies, new weapons, etc. Now that builders have finally gotten something that helps them, you complain, because you don't want to spend 15 minutes building another wooden box in a different biome. To me, it just seems a bit selfish.

As a builder, I complain precisely because now my buildings will make the NPС unhappy. I feel punished for building cool houses, but now they are not in the right place or there is a wrong neighbor. And now they will always remind me of this.

Note that this does not in any way call for improving the quality of buildings. This introduces arbitrage conditions on where they are located and which NPCs should be nearby. And apparently the distance from other NPCs

 

[Ripraptor]

Like Loki said,

Getting rid of negative prices for you could be as simple as changing the nametags on the cubicles... if that is all you are after.

A very minimal amount of effort will likely be needed to avoid "punishments." Changing flags to an optimal state could probably take less than 5 minutes.
You could probably even get into rewards by putting in just a bit effort and make houses a bit more spread apart. It's up to you.