Interviews

[SniperCharlie]

Interview to redigit(From threequarterdpad.com)

Terraria is an upcoming indie hit in waiting that has drawn the eye of some of gamings current luminaries such as Minecrafts notch. I contacted the games maker to see if I could get any further information on this incredibly promising game and kindly he obliged so now i pass this information on to you;

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


http://terraria.org/shots/ss9.png

[SniperCharlie]

Interview with Andrew Spinks, Designer behind Terraria
(Taken from Nightmare Mode)

If you haven’t heard, Terraria is the word. The game has only been in development since January of this year but that hasn’t stopped it from making waves in the Indie Game scene. I recently got the chance to speak with Andrew Spinks, the lead developer, about the new title. At the time of this interview, there wasn’t much material on just what Terraria was. There were a couple of videos but those only left more questions. Fortunately Andrew was willing to share some information that we have all been craving for.

Tell us about you.

My name is Andrew Spinks, I am the designer/programmer of an up and coming indie game called Terraria.

How would you describe Terraria as a game?

We feel Terraria is a game that calls out to many different types of gamers at once. The game itself offers more than just one play style. You can go adventure, or you can build yourself a home from nearby materials, or perhaps you simply want to battle other players in combat. Whatever the case, you’ll find it here!

Is there a story or a history to the world of Terraria?

At this time there is no real game Story or Lore. We felt that players would like to create their own home, town, city, or even alter an entire world. And on top of that, they would also create their own story to match it. So, if we had included a base story of our own, it could have interfered with their own imaginative creations.

What were your inspirations for Terraria? Did you try and emulate anything or is this a combination of many elements across many games?

We have drawn inspiration from many different games we love. There a about twenty of us on the development team besides myself. While I end up being the one to code them all in, each of the rest of the team has added many of their own ideas to the project. This had made for a diverse game with many inherited elements and themes.

The video on your site shows the game as being very combat intensive and sometimes frantic. Certainly much more combat than other world building sims. Why did you chose to go in this direction?

While our video does show some very intensive combat, you can usually choose when or if you will face such conflict. Players who wish to build in a sim aspect can avoid most combat simply by remaining in safer areas. But for those who love to explore, adventure or flat out wreak havoc on an army of monsters, they too will have that option. And I think that’s whats important. Giving players the option. No two gamers are alike, and we know that very well as gamers ourselves.

One of the enemies in the video is “Eye of Cthulhu”. Do we end up fighting the rest of him or any other of the Elder gods?

We had a discussion about it in the Testing group, and we mainly tossed around jokes about eventually fighting his foot, and arm. Perhaps even a single toe. But to be honest, we have no direct plan for whats going to eventually be in Terraria. We just know the horizon is there, and we will always be walking towards it with new ideas to add.

We noticed that there are several different characters in the video and each one was unique in appearance. Can you customize your character at creation or is your appearance more greatly affected by equipment?

Your character’s base starting appearance is customizable in a few ways. You can choose from a selection of head sprites, some of which can also be female. Then you can change the color of the following part of your character; Hair, Skin, Eye, Shirt, Undershirt, Pants, and Shoes. Once you start obtaining gear, however, your differences will be less visible. But, that is a reason we are planning on adding many different looking armors at each defense level, so players can be more unique.

One thing in Terraria that stands out from other world building sims is the inclusion of vendors. Do vendors sell items that are otherwise unobtainable?

Yes, they offer a few special items you can not find elsewhere. We wanted to offer many different ways for a player to progress, so we offered, discovery, crafting and purchasing. Some items can be obtained in a few different ways. But all in all, we feel this was important to add to a feel of a world that is actually alive around you. As being alone in a world, is quite lonely.

Are there plans for a crafting system to create your own weapons and armor?

Yes. Most of the games weapons and armor must be crafted at your homes anvil or workbench. On top of that, there are also many special items that can be made through the crafting system as well. For example, we added a Depth meter you can craft that tells you how far underground you are currently.

We have received several questions from our readers concerning the inclusion of mods. Is there any plans in place to allow players to create their own mods or textures?

We completely understand and acknowledge the community outcry for such things. That said, we will definitely endeavor to look into this feature for future updates after the initial release. For now, there is no mod support.

During development has there been anything that has changed from your original idea? Were certain elements added or removed?

To be honest, we originally set out to make a game with the idea, “What do we want to see in a game”? And we went from there. That is still our main driving force. Also, we are big on hearing what the community is looking forward to as well. We are taking a different approach then most developers, and interacting on a personal level with our fans to see what exactly is on their minds.

It seems like overnight Terraria has become a bit of an internet sensation, and people are buzzing about when Terraria will be available. Do you have anything to say to them in regards to a prospective release date or a price?

Currently we are aiming for a release sometime between May and July of this year. And the more hype we hear, the more we will endeavor to get it out even sooner. As for the price, we are leaning towards the range of 5-20 Dollars.



http://terraria.org/shots/ss15.png

[SniperCharlie]

Interview with "Red" and "Blue"
Written by Frank Moricz
Taken from gamingirresponsibly


Today I had the opportunity to conduct an official Gaming Irresponsibly interview with Terraria developers “Red” (Redigit or more properly, Andrew Spinks) and “Blue” (who is known for handling the Facebook and Twitter entities for the group). In previous articles we had some limited coverage of this amazing looking title, but we felt that gamers had some questions that needed answering. Without further ado, here we go!

Terraria has certainly garnered a great deal of attention lately. What would you say is the most prevalent praise that you receive regarding the game concept?
Blue: We have seen a lot of praise towards our statement of making sure the game will continue to be updated with new and interesting additions over time. And that we want to take as much fan input as we can while doing so.

Where did the idea of sidescrolling come in? Was this a simple programming decision, or does it pay homage to classic games?
Redigit: We are classic gamers ourselves, so it definitely brings us back to the old days when we had a desire to make a game just like the ones we were playing… but only better.
Blue: I for one feel this generation that’s playing games right now are the lucky ones, as they have the best options for gaming, as many game platforms offer both classic retro games, and also full HD 3D games. Its like a merging of two eras, and we wanted to be a part of that.

Though I know it’s been stated before, the question seems to arise every day regarding alpha/beta players. What is the official time estimate for people in the public who are looking to play?
Blue: We are aiming for a release in the month of June this year. Now that we have confirmed Steams assistance in Distribution, we are moving forward towards that goal.

What is the possibility of game mods made usable on private servers?
Redigit: We are not making the game to be accessible directly to modders, but we do plan to add our own “modlike” game modes as DLC. Its all a matter of whats possible in the code.
Blue: We have stated from the beginning a desire to cater to what the fans are clammering for. So instead of requiring them to make a Mod to get the gameplay they want, we would simply find a way to add it ourselves, without making it part of the default game. But this will take time, so we hope everyone will have patience.

On the subject of servers, are there any plans to have official game servers that run as well?
Blue: With the inclusion of Steam as our launch platform, all online servers will most likely be player owned/run. For now, there will be no OFFICIAL servers.

When the game goes live, what type of expansions can people look forward to?
Redigit: Whatever people can think of. Possibilities abound.
Blue: To expand on Redigit’s answer, we hope to add new gameplay mechanics, items, enemies, friendlies, and further expand the gameplay length from starting gear to highest possible gear with every update.

What games have influenced Terraria (aside from minecraft), and helped to shape it along the way?
Redigit:The Entire team has pulled ideas from many different sources. Games we loved when we were young, to ideas from games that we enjoy today. There are too many small inspirations too name each one separately. Sometimes it was just one item, or one gameplay mechanic that was inspired from a certain game, so as little as one percent of the game was effected directly by an inspired idea.
Blue: And every time we add an idea from one source, and combine it with the other ideas already in the game, the original inspiration blends so well that it becomes its own unique idea that can stand on its own. We hope to pay our own special kind of homage to the games that have given us inspiration. You will see many Easter Eggs that give a nod to the original games in question.

What was the most difficult portion to program into the game thus far?
Redigit: The Fluid movement of Water.

In your downtime, what games are you both currently playing?
Both: Down Time, there is such a thing?
Blue: Before we became so busy with Terraria, I did play a lot of Starcraft 2 (I love the map editor.) and Fallout New Vegas.

Are there any major game releases that you’re looking forward to?
Redigit: Skyrim and Diablo 3
Blue: Ive been looking forward to a fan created mod release actually, Black Mesa Source. But its release has been a long time coming.

Did the outpour of support for Terraria take you by surprise?
Blue:We actually expected a slow rise in popularity to the eventual levels we are currently at, but the fact it happened almost overnight did provide a bit of a shock.

For some, minecraft has a tendency to become “stale” over time. What plans do you have to help combat this factor?
Redigit:Well, we hope to offer a few different game styles in the one game, so one player could technically change to a different side of the gameplay and bandage their boredom without having to change games completely.
Blue: So if a player got bored of adventuring deep underground, they could stop and manage their town, and crops for a while. We know however that eventually games to lose thier staying power, so we hope to keep new content coming as much as we can to keep Terraria as a valid choice for years to come.

For anyone looking to break into game development, what kind of advice would you give?
Redigit: Trial and Error is the best teaching tool.
Blue: Let your imagination guide you. You should always remember what you yourself want from a game and never lose sight of that. As gamers make the best gamer creators, in my opinion.

When designing a game, what is that single biggest “fun-factor” that should be focused on, in your opinions?
Blue: In today’s gaming world, I would say, replayability and non-linear gameplay. As all gamers like to feel like the world of the game they are playing in is truly being molded by them. And who wouldn’t like to play again and take a different route, to see what happens.

After Terraria is finished, what are your plans? Any other projects in queue?
Blue: After release we will continue to focus on adding content to Terraria via updates. Perhaps after a time of doing that we may focus on a split venture between a new game project and continuing the updates for Terraria.

Are there any shout-outs, thanks, or special mentions that you would like to make?
Redigit: I would like to thank my alpha testing team for all their brilliant ideas and never-ending bug reports.
Blue: I’d like to give a special thanks to the supporters and fans of the game. They have made the hard work worth it.


Thanks, guys. Right now, I know that time is a luxury but I appreciate that you took a moment out of your schedules to answer some of the questions of the masses. For more information, readers can check the official page,or visit the Facebook page to show your support.

http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z472/SniperCharlie/blue%20album/TheCastle.jpg

[SniperCharlie]

Reserved just in case


Post away:)

[Robin]

Seems to become an awesome game! I guess the creators will have their millions to as Notch :)

[SniperCharlie]

Well,the trailer is like 2 weeks old now and was already viewed by 427215 people from witch all fall in love with the game(almost all).Count all followers from the Lets play and the rest of the minecraft community that is quickly getting some interest in the game and set the price to 10$ and your 5 month work become well(Im suck at maths)$LOTS OF MONEY$.;)

http://terraria.org/shots/ss11.png

[xXaZaRaThXx]

i would love it if the game was only 10 bucks!

[SniperCharlie]

i would love it if the game was only 10 bucks!

That's the most likely price for the game.But if you price playability and fun,this game can cost 50$ and still be a success.There's a lot of super production games that cost fortunes and sucks.:)

http://terraria.org/shots/ss12.png

[mink13]

That's the most likely price for the game.But if you price playability and fun,this game can cost 50$ and still be a success.There's a lot of super production games that cost fortunes and sucks.:)


that is what i was going to say