User talk:Jesthel/Getting started PC
Welcome to Terraria!
Terraria is a game of many wonders and plenty of surprises. There are places to explore, pieces of powerful equipment to collect, and enemies of all types to slay. However, everyone has to start from somewhere, and there has never been shame is looking for guidance when starting something new.
This guide is intended to make a person with absolutely no knowledge of Terraria into a bona fide Terraria explorer!
As a special note, there are now three versions of Terraria: The PC version, the Xbox Live Arcade platform and the PlayStation Network platform. Each version has its own quirks, and as such there are guides for all three versions.
This is the PC version of the guide.
For the Xbox version, click here.
For the PS3 version, click here.
Starting for the First Time
Terraria, like most games, has a menu with various options to configure and play the game.
At the main screen, the player is presented with a few options:
- Single Player – This is the offline mode that allows a player to simply play by themselves with their own characters and worlds.
- Multiplayer – This is the online mode that allows a player to connect to other games of Terraria and play with other players.*
- Settings – This is where a player can change the settings of their game.
- Exit – Exits the game.
* Note that Multiplayer does not currently support cross-platform play. Those who are playing the PC version will not be able to connect to Xbox or PS3 servers.
For the purpose of this guide, it is recommended for the player to select Single Player, and this guide assumes it has been selected.
Character Creation
After making a selection on which mode to play in, the player is presented with the option to create a character.
Looks
The first four character properties change the way the character appears: Hair, Eyes, Skin, and Clothes.
- There are 36 hairstyles to choose from, as well as their color.
- The Clothes menu has four more options to choose from.
In order to pick colors for any setting, the Red/Green/Blue (RGB) values must be set to numbers between 0 and 255. For example, in order to get a white color, the RGB must be Red: 255, Green: 255, Blue: 255. There must be a minimum of 150 in all slots total.
Some commonly used colors:
GenderYou can switch the character between Male and Female. This option is also purely cosmetic, with the main differences being slightly different looks and a different sound made when the character gets hurt. DifficultyThe final choice when creating a character is Difficulty. By default, Softcore is chosen. The Difficulty setting determines what happens when a character dies. It does not affect any other aspects of gameplay, including how hard Terraria's enemies will be.
Character NameAt this point, the player must select Create. From here, the player is now prompted to enter a name for the character. There are a few restrictions for naming:
After typing in a name, the player selects Create again, and then is returned to the Character screen. From here, select the newly created character. Its now time to build the world itself. World CreationClick Create World. The player is presented with three World Size options: Small, Medium, or Large.
Choosing a Small World is recommended for a first Terraria experience. This will make it easier to find and experience the various different area types that Terraria has to offer. Medium and Large Worlds have the benefit of providing more area to explore, but as a beginner it is much easier having to travel less distance to see the various game aspects. Don't worry, as Small worlds are still quite massive, and fully exploring a Small world can take many real world days! Upon clicking a size option the player is asked to name the world. After naming the world, click Accept. The world will now be available play in. Click it to enter. Now it's time to finally enter Terraria! Beginning GameplayUpon entering the World for the first time, the character will be placed at the center of the world. This location is known as the Spawn Point (or simply, the "Spawn"), and will be where the character is placed each time this World is entered.
There are also a couple of things the player can see immediately: A row of blue icons with items inside the first three slots, and five hearts with a Life total of 100. These will be explained in more detail later. Movement and Tool useThe character is moved using the keyboard, while most interactions like fighting, mining, and building, are done with the mouse. These can be customized in the settings menu before entering a World, but for the purpose of the guide it is assumed that the default settings are used. For a more detailed explanation of the available keys, refer to the game controls page.
InventoryIn the upper-left corner of the screen are ten boxes numbered from 1 to 0 (zero). These are special inventory slots referred to as the "Hotbar", and each slot contains items that can be used. In order to see the rest of your inventory, press Esc. This is where the rest of the items a player obtains on their adventure go. There are other areas of the Inventory screen. From here, the player can access many other features of the game.
For now, the only part that requires attention at the moment is the main item slots, and the Hotbar in particular. Each character begins the game with the following tools in the hotbar slots: a Copper Shortsword in the first (1) slot, a Copper Pickaxe in the second (2) slot, and a Copper Axe in the third (3) slot. There is a chance these items may have additional names, however this does not have any effect on the usage of the items.
Each of these items are currently assigned to the first three buttons on the Hotbar. When an item is selected, the blue box that surrounds the item is enlarged, and the name of the item is shown above the bar. There are a few ways to change the current selection:
For more information, see Inventory CombatFighting in Terraria is extremely important. When wielding a tool or weapon, left clicking will cause the item to be use in the direction of the mouse cursor. Depending on the item being used, it may do a few things:
The player can move while attacking. Other Interface ElementsThe “hearts” beside the inventory indicate the character's health. The character's health will start at 100 health points (Or five hearts) and can currently go up to 400 health points (or 20 hearts) with the use of Life Crystals.
Mana is also present in the game, and will show up as blue stars on the right side of the screen. Newly made characters have zero mana. To obtain mana, one must use Mana Crystals. For the purpose of this guide it will be glossed over. The inventory screen (opened by pushing Esc) shows the rest of the game's interface.
The First Day and NightThe first day of any character's life is not an easy one. The day on the new world has already progressed a bit, and nighttime is on its way. Night is not a safe place for a new character (or player), and this guide will show the steps necessary to make it through the day and night. The First DayDuring the first day, it is best to cut down some trees immediately with the Copper Axe on the third Hotbar slot and start gathering Wood. Aim the mouse cursor towards the roots of the tree, and hold down the left mouse button until the tree is destroyed. Keep in mind that a tree requires many hits with the axe before being brought down.
During this, if an enemy appears, simply select the Copper Shortsword and swing at it. If it is a Slime, it will take only a few hits to dispatch it. The slime will then attempt to attack the character by ramming into you. Keep slashing until it explodes, and drops a few items. Any items gained during this time will be invaluable later.
When a world is created for the first time, there will only be one Non-player Character (NPC): The Guide. The Guide is there to help new players learn the game, and he is a valuable source of information. The Guide also can tell the player how to craft various items. Building a HomeAfter cutting down trees, the player will have obtained around 85 pieces of Wood. With this, the player can build their first home. The Hotbar should now have two items on it: Wood and Acorns. Ignore the Acorns for now, and select the slot that has Wood in it. By using the mouse cursor, the player can place Wood blocks down. Blocks can be stack on top of each other, however they cannot be placed in the air without support of some kind.
In the beginning it is a good idea to seal both sides of the wall, trapping the character inside the house. This will prevent enemies from attacking you, and allows you to work in peace. CraftingNow it's time to do some crafting. Crafting is the basic way players obtain furniture, weapons, armor, and other amenities of life. Nearly all items of advancement through Terraria need to be crafted. To reach the crafting menu, press Esc and look at the bottom right corner. In order to craft items, you need two things: Materials and Workstations. Materials are the items that make up the basic components of crafted materials. These items can range from simple (such as Gel) to complex. Workstations are pieces of furniture that allow the player to turn materials into other items. Once placed, the crafting menu will update with the new recipes that the player can create. Currently, the player can create only two or three things:
Click on the Workbench icon to create one. After a moment, the mouse cursor will show that the player is holding the Workbench. Simple drag the Workbench to an empty spot on the Hotbar, and then press Esc. If done properly, the place on the Hotbar now has a Workbench on it. Select the Workbench, and place it somewhere inside the house using the mouse cursor. Once placed, press Esc again. The crafting interface has been updated to show the new items the player can create using the Workbench. Moving away from the bench will remove these new recipes. The player will now want to create two more items: A Wooden Hammer and a Wooden Door.
Place the Wooden Hammer on an easy to reach spot on the Hotbar. The player will use this at a later date to remove unwanted furniture and walls. In order to place the Door on the house, an opening on one side is needed (this only applies if the player sealed yourself in completely). Select the Axe, and remove three blocks from the bottom of the floor upwards. Select the door from the Hotbar, and hover the cursor right below the top block, and click. The door will be placed. This new house can now be entered or exited at anytime.
* During a Blood Moon or a Goblin Army Invasion, monsters gain the ability to open doors. This can be prevented by applying a single block outside the door, preventing entry. The block can be removed later after it is safe. Back WallsA house is not complete without a Back Wall. Without back walls, monsters are free to spawn inside the home. These back walls do not take up the space of regular blocks and serve to "cover up" the background so that the structure looks like it is complete.
Light SourcesIf all of the directions have been followed so far, this house is now considered safe; monsters cannot spawn in it, nor can they enter it in most circumstances. If the player has dispatched any slimes during construction, they should have some Gel on hand. Open the crafting interface and create one set of three torches.
The home is now lit with light. If the time of day is approaching Night, and the player has not yet killed a slime they may go out now and do so. A light source will make the first night easier to handle. Last Second PreparationsBefore nightfall, the player may have enough time to explore around their homes. Some recommended tasks:
The First NightThe first night is the roughest. A newly made character has zero defenses against damage, and has little offensive power. Those who choose to spend the night inside their home are the safest, and waiting out the first night is a recommended strategy. Two kinds of monsters will spawn:
As long as the player has taken steps to prepare a safe location it is possible to go out and slay the two monsters above. Each monster's hit will take a sizable portion of the character's health, and these hits can happen rapidly. The player must also keep in mind that nighttime removes ambient light sources, it is necessary for the player to bring their own.
More InformationFor more advanced information, please check out the guides listed below. Crafting 101 - This is the introductory crafting guide. It contains a detailed explanation of how crafting works, and the ideal crafting station setup. Bases - How to create an effective homebase. Mining Techniques - This guide goes into detail on easy and efficient ways to mine ore, and what to expect when venturing deeper into Terraria. Gardening - How to grow gardens of Trees, Mushrooms, and other less savory things. This is a wonderful guide for learning how to properly organize and maintain a garden. PvP - A great place to start when looking for information on Player vs. Player combat. Not quite for beginners, however it's a great read for those who would like to study beforehand. Eye of Cthulhu Boss Fight - Considered by many to be the first boss players will face and kill. Bosses are powerful monsters that have a ton of health and do devastating damage. <metadesc>A Guide to getting started by Terraria Wiki</metadesc> |