Terraria

First up, introduce yourself and your role on Terraria.

My name is Andrew Spinks. I am the designer and programmer of Terraria.

What is your academic background?

I have taken a few college courses, though I don’t think I will ever get around to finishing a degree.

Is game development now a full time venture or part time with the hope of becoming an overnight billionaire?

This is pretty much a full time venture for me. I own several flash gaming websites that are funding the development of the game.

How long has Terraria been in development?

Terraria has been in development since January this year.

What games inspired you to develop Terraria?

There are actually quite a few different games that have given me inspiration. My goal was to combine all the gaming elements that I love and put them in Terraria.

Terraria obviously gets compared to minecraft quite allot, how do you feel about this comparison and do you think its entirely fair?

I think it is fair. Minecraft is a great, genre defining game. My goal was not to copy it, but to expand on it in my own way.

You mention in your videos that you are implementing moon phases that alter the world in different ways, what are some examples of these changes?

The moon phases change every night. We are planning to have different types of monsters come out depending on the cycle of the moon. Every night there is also a small chance of a bloodmoon, where the monster’s spawn rate is increased and they become more aggressive.

Does Terraria have an overall end game or is it left open ended for the player to make their own story?

I don’t want to add an arbitrary end game that forces the player to quit while they are still enjoying the game. One of my goals is to make sure that there is enough stuff to do as long as the player still wants to play.

Multiplayer is obviously a huge part of Terraria, how many players are supported at once?

Right now we have only tested 8 characters on a server at once. The final amount will be a configurable option, so that the only limitation is the server’s hardware and network speed.

Does the game support PvP or is it strictly PvE?

There is definitely PvP in this game, and it is a lot of fun. There also is support for up to 4 different teams. One of the more interesting aspects of PvP is choosing what equipment to bring to the fight.

From your videos it appears that their is a huge number of items available to craft ranging from picks to laser rifles, approximately how many items are there and do you have any favourites?

There are over 200 items in the game right now, including multiple variations of the same type. I think my favorite item so far would be the grappling hook. In the underground jungle, you can find an upgrade for it that allows you to shoot multiple hooks at once, and suspend yourself in the air.

Accessories seem like they are going to play an important role in Terraria, what was the thinking behind implementing accessories and limiting the player to only 5 at a time?

I wanted to make sure that the player has a reason to go out and explore, and having a large number of accessories to find was a good way to do that. They are usefull for both unlocking abilities(ex. double jump) and increasing stats(ex. mana regeneration). Combined with different armor sets, they will make each character a bit more unique.

What five accessories would you take on a deep mining expedition?

1) Rocket Boots, which allows flight at the cost of mana.
2) Cloud in a Bottle that allows you to double jump.
3) Flippers that let you swim.
4) Cobalt Shield that removes knock back from taking damage.
5) Band of Regeneration that slowly restores life.

Will NPC’s feature in Terraria and if so what role will they play?

Right now there are six friendly NPCs that will appear after you meet specific conditions, and have built them a place to live. They vary from a nurse, who will restore your health, to a demolitionist, who sells explosives.

One of the things that initialy caught my eye with Terraria was the dynamic water system. How hard has that been to implement?

It took about two hours to add it to the game, and two weeks to make it work properly. I think the hardest part about implementing water was getting it to work correctly during multiplayer.

Will you be adding any other dynamic materials beyond water?

Right now the only fluids planned for the game have been added. They are water and lava.

How are you planning to sell Terraria, do you plan to offer it for sale during beta?

There has been a lot of interest in a preorder/beta sale, so I am definitely considering it.

On what platforms can we expect to see Terraria and when?

Terraria is being developed specifically for the PC, however a port to Xbox 360 and iOS might be possible if there is enough demand for it.

Do you have a message for your fans who are keeping an eye on Terraria?

Thanks for showing so much interest and support for the game. I’ll do my best to make sure Terraria lives up to your expectations.

And as my final question what are your favorite five games of all time?

This is a tough question, because I have played and love so many games. But if I had to choose, I would say..

Secret of Mana
Unreal Tournament 2004
Super Metroid
TLOZ: A Link to the Past
Kings Quest 3