PC Travelling Merchant doesn't like my house?

[Disch]

Hey everyone.

I've noticed a problem. At first, I get travelling merchants like normal. But eventually, he just flat out stops coming. It's been weeks/months (in-game) and not a single merchant has come by. I suspect is has something to with the way my housing is constructed.

Now I'm not into the building/housing aspect of this game, so my houses are very minimal and basic. Here's screenshots of my current housing:
https://imgur.com/a/UmUJz <- housing
https://imgur.com/a/PEZUj <- treasure room below my housing

Notes:
1) I don't have any problems with any other NPCs. Other people join me just fine. I only have a problem with the travelling merchant showing up
2) I only have problems once I build the 2nd floor. If my house is only 1 floor high he shows up every couple of days.
3) This is far too consistent of a problem for this to be a fluke. I frequently start new games (the beginning is the most fun for me) and every time the merchant stops showing up around the time I put that 2nd floor on.
4) If it's not the 2nd floor, maybe it's the treasure room? I usually build them around the same time so either one of them could be causing it.


I've searched all over the net and everything I can find says this shouldn't matter and he'll show up as long as you have valid housing and enough NPCs. But something is clearly wrong here -- because he just doesn't show. Ever.


Is this a bug? Am I just crazy? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Scarlet Hunter]

The Traveling Merchant doesn't need valid housing, just other NPCs. Sounds like you are having awful luck. Happens to me sometimes too.

 

[Disch]

I can't chalk it up to luck because it's consistently reproducible. Every time I build this housing pattern he stops appearing. Start a new game -- he comes back -- until I build the housing pattern, then he disappears again.

There's no way this is a fluke.

 

[Disch]

So I made two changes and I started seeing the merchant again:

1) I made a separate housing area for 2 NPCs elsewhere on the map.
2) In my main house, there are 4 wooden platforms on the ceiling for easy roof access. I replaced those with solid brick tiles.

When the merchant appeared, he appeared by the main house and not the separate house, so I'm guessing #2 is what did it. I'll dismantle the separate house and see if he disappears again.

I'm still convinced this is some kind of bug with the merchant, though.