It is a well-known fact that flying into clouds can lead to loss of orientation.
It is a less well-known fact that flying into clouds may lead one somewhere else entirely.
In fact, only one person has learned this so far.
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Outside Context Meteorological Conditions
Thanjen in Terraria
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
The elsewhere in question contains an unexpected amount of grass, trees, and dirt in unexpectedly close proximity.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
Thump goes the person.
Crashcrashcrash go the tree branches that were ripped off by wings on the way down.
After pausing a moment to process the unreasonableness of what has happened to him, the person shifts his wings into an anchor grid — it's too crowded a forest to fly here — and starts trying to remember everything he knows about self-defense, because dirt does not happen in the middle of the sky unless someone put it there, and that cloud was too small for a floating island this big, so —
Nope, still doesn't make sense.
Crashcrashcrash go the tree branches that were ripped off by wings on the way down.
After pausing a moment to process the unreasonableness of what has happened to him, the person shifts his wings into an anchor grid — it's too crowded a forest to fly here — and starts trying to remember everything he knows about self-defense, because dirt does not happen in the middle of the sky unless someone put it there, and that cloud was too small for a floating island this big, so —
Nope, still doesn't make sense.
Terraria
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There is another person over there!
He has a canvas bag in one hand, which he is holding out toward the newcomer.
"You can use your pickaxe to dig through dirt, and your axe to chop down trees," he says in a helpful, explanatory tone of voice.
He has a canvas bag in one hand, which he is holding out toward the newcomer.
"You can use your pickaxe to dig through dirt, and your axe to chop down trees," he says in a helpful, explanatory tone of voice.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
These statements are correct, but why would he want to use hand tools, why is he being given hand tools, and more importantly what?
“What is this?” he asks, possibly pointing at the unexpected dirt.
Also, reinforced glass between him and the other person who might be the cause of this unreasonableness. Actually, reinforced glass between him and everything, for now. Plenty of air in with him.
“What is this?” he asks, possibly pointing at the unexpected dirt.
Also, reinforced glass between him and the other person who might be the cause of this unreasonableness. Actually, reinforced glass between him and everything, for now. Plenty of air in with him.
Terraria
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"Welcome to Terraria," says the person, continuing to hold out the bag. "If you want to survive, you will need to create weapons and shelter. Start by chopping down trees and gathering wood."
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
What is this, a prehistoric recreation game? With a bad idea of an advertising strategy?
“Not interested in playing. Bye.”
He has anchors; he lifts himself straight up to get away from this and find out where he is, reforming wings once he is clear of the treetops.
Speaking of where he is: Transmit location request to the nearest relay. And compose message. Explain what he found and ask that someone ask this stupid idea some pointed questions. Transmit.
“Not interested in playing. Bye.”
He has anchors; he lifts himself straight up to get away from this and find out where he is, reforming wings once he is clear of the treetops.
Speaking of where he is: Transmit location request to the nearest relay. And compose message. Explain what he found and ask that someone ask this stupid idea some pointed questions. Transmit.
Terraria
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From the air, it is a little more obvious that the landscape is... strangely regular. Someone's idea of a prehistoric recreation game aesthetic apparently involved a strict grid layout implemented with exquisite precision. Each tree in this forest of strangely similar trees is precisely the same diameter as every other tree, and precisely centered in its grid square. That hill over there has a slightly blocky silhouette from being sculpted at grid resolution, every angle exactly zero, ninety, or forty-five degrees from the horizontal. The grid interval seems to be about two feet.
There is no response to his message. In fact, there is no message traffic of any kind.
There is no response to his message. In fact, there is no message traffic of any kind.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
He needs to work on his use of “what”, like following it with other words more often.
He's going straight up at a reasonably efficient speed. He wants a horizon, not trees.
He's going straight up at a reasonably efficient speed. He wants a horizon, not trees.
Terraria
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At an altitude of approximately one thousand feet above ground level, there are some noticeable changes to his environment:
The effect of gravity on his body is markedly reduced.
The blue sky above him fades out abruptly, to be replaced by a lovely field of stars; the cheerful yellow sun is visible just the same.
The effect of gravity on his body is markedly reduced.
The blue sky above him fades out abruptly, to be replaced by a lovely field of stars; the cheerful yellow sun is visible just the same.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
THE UNIVERSE DOES NOT WORK LIKE THIS.
Should he keep going? Maybe it would be useful, if he's inside some kind of simulator box and this is the shortest path to a wall. (Nobody could build that.)
Should he go horizontally? That seems like letting someone win (who? how? what?). But it feels like the right thing to do anyway.
He yanks his anchors out of the ground far below. More tree branches suffer. He extends his wings and dives, turning his height into speed until he's halfway back to the ground, and levels off.
Terraria
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The landscape passes below him: area of forest, area of desert, area of snow and ice, area of forest, area of jungle, area of desert, area of red, area of more desert...
Up ahead is the edge of this island, and past that a stretch of open water, and past that... a blurry horizon? As he approaches, it becomes clearer that there is in fact a blank grey wall of fog there, pefectly flat and vertical. (From farther away, it is hidden by the illusion of sky.)
Up ahead is the edge of this island, and past that a stretch of open water, and past that... a blurry horizon? As he approaches, it becomes clearer that there is in fact a blank grey wall of fog there, pefectly flat and vertical. (From farther away, it is hidden by the illusion of sky.)
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
The landscape is only as what as most other things he's seen in the past minute.
Flying into cloud, though, is what got him in here in the first place.
He flies up to the wall, and transmits another emergency message just in case this spot is closer to the normal world, and turns back.
He circles, and makes a telescope, and looks around. Is there anything else to spot around here that could possibly help? (Are there any thermals?)
Flying into cloud, though, is what got him in here in the first place.
He flies up to the wall, and transmits another emergency message just in case this spot is closer to the normal world, and turns back.
He circles, and makes a telescope, and looks around. Is there anything else to spot around here that could possibly help? (Are there any thermals?)
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
No good thermals near the fog wall, that's for sure.
The landscape continues to conform to its regular grid. There are several floating islands in the sky, suspended atop extremely regular, grid-aligned, weirdly solid-looking clouds.
If he happens to look, the person with the canvas bag is still standing in the very middle of the island, holding out the canvas bag in his general direction.
The landscape continues to conform to its regular grid. There are several floating islands in the sky, suspended atop extremely regular, grid-aligned, weirdly solid-looking clouds.
If he happens to look, the person with the canvas bag is still standing in the very middle of the island, holding out the canvas bag in his general direction.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
That person is a last resort.
He flies maybe halfway back and climbs to get a look at the tops of the floating islands.
(He's pretty what sure that this looking inside the box is not going to solve the what problem, but he hasn't thought of any other what ideas yet.)
He flies maybe halfway back and climbs to get a look at the tops of the floating islands.
(He's pretty what sure that this looking inside the box is not going to solve the what problem, but he hasn't thought of any other what ideas yet.)
Terraria
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On top of the floating islands may be found extremely small forests containing shiny gold cabins.
Also to be found at floating island altitude: blue-haired women with wings instead of arms, appearing from whatever direction he happens not to be looking and firing sharp feather-shaped blue projectiles at him via an unclear mechanism that sure looks like they just spontaneously appear near the bird-women already headed toward him at arrow-like speeds.
Also to be found at floating island altitude: blue-haired women with wings instead of arms, appearing from whatever direction he happens not to be looking and firing sharp feather-shaped blue projectiles at him via an unclear mechanism that sure looks like they just spontaneously appear near the bird-women already headed toward him at arrow-like speeds.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
Well, he's got wings instead of arms at the moment, too.
He grabs some of the feathers in case they are at all informative about what. The rest plink off a shield. (Well, that purely symbolic attack is evidence for this being a thoroughly illegal game of some sort.)
He also gets to within hollering distance of one of the women (briefly) and asks if they would care to explain what the what.
He grabs some of the feathers in case they are at all informative about what. The rest plink off a shield. (Well, that purely symbolic attack is evidence for this being a thoroughly illegal game of some sort.)
He also gets to within hollering distance of one of the women (briefly) and asks if they would care to explain what the what.
Terraria
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The women (there are two, to start with) do not speak at all.
The feathers vanish mysteriously a second or two after being grabbed.
Now there is a third woman.
The feathers vanish mysteriously a second or two after being grabbed.
Now there is a third woman.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
What.
The next feather, he encases in an inch of glass with the best reinforcement he can focus on at the moment.
The next feather, he encases in an inch of glass with the best reinforcement he can focus on at the moment.
Terraria
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It vanishes mysteriously a second after he does that. One moment there is a sharp blue feather inside his reinforced glass; the next, air.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
There is slightly less what in the feather being replaced with air than it being replaced with vacuum.
He tries to claim the next one, as fast as he can.
Terraria
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In a word, no. The blue feather is made of a completely unfamiliar material that is the same as all the other blue feathers but not the same as anything he has ever previously met; and then it is made of nothing, because there is air there instead.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
Well, that went nowhere in a completely what way.
There are other things to fail to understand. He lands on one of the floating islands.
There are other things to fail to understand. He lands on one of the floating islands.
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
The cloud-like surface surrounding the dirt of the floating island is solid and can be walked upon.
The blue-haired winged women continue ineffectually bombarding him with sharp blue feathers. There are six of them now, all identical to one another.
The cabin has exactly one door, two grid-spaces wide and three grid-spaces high.
The blue-haired winged women continue ineffectually bombarding him with sharp blue feathers. There are six of them now, all identical to one another.
The cabin has exactly one door, two grid-spaces wide and three grid-spaces high.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
What are the rules of this game?
He plays tennis with the next round of feathers.
He plays tennis with the next round of feathers.
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
The feathers disappear when hit.
Now there are seven silent blue-haired women swooping at him to release volleys of mysteriously appearing blue feathers. All of them move in strangely identical patterns, with only tiny variations: swoop, release, turn back or fly past, face him again, swoop, release, repeat.
Now there are seven silent blue-haired women swooping at him to release volleys of mysteriously appearing blue feathers. All of them move in strangely identical patterns, with only tiny variations: swoop, release, turn back or fly past, face him again, swoop, release, repeat.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
One of the silent blue-hared women is now inside a comfortably sized glass globe in the middle of her (or is that its?) swoop.
Terraria
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She crashes into the glass and attempts, unsuccessfully, to continue her flight pattern from inside the globe. Swoo—crash. Turn, orient on him, sw—crash. Turn again, orient on him, sw—crash. Impacts with the globe seem to disrupt her sufficiently that she never reaches the feather-firing stage of the swoop.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
Well, that's mildly disturbing. He'll take mildly disturbing over more what, though.
This globe gets staked down on the island. The other six can get the same confinement. And some smaller-than-feathers air holes for everyone.
He takes a look inside the cabin, which his wings will not let him fit into yet.
This globe gets staked down on the island. The other six can get the same confinement. And some smaller-than-feathers air holes for everyone.
He takes a look inside the cabin, which his wings will not let him fit into yet.
Terraria
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Inside the gold-plated (or at least gold-ish-plated) cabin, there are gold-ish-plated walls and ceiling and floor, and there is a blue treasure chest with a gold-ish square-ish symbol on the front. That's it. Cabin, door, walls, chest.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
Hmm.
He touches the outside of the cabin and attempts to claim it and find out what's underneath the gold (gold? what?), preparatory to dismantling the whole thing. He doesn't feel like being inside somebody else's box.
He touches the outside of the cabin and attempts to claim it and find out what's underneath the gold (gold? what?), preparatory to dismantling the whole thing. He doesn't feel like being inside somebody else's box.
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
The gold is not gold. Underneath the not-gold is a solid extent of something else that isn't gold either. Unlike the blue feathers, it permits itself to be claimed, and is even reasonably straightforward.
(The blue-haired women in their glass globes continue to ineffectually swoop.)
(The blue-haired women in their glass globes continue to ineffectually swoop.)
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
He plants anchors around the perimeter of the island for balance, then cracks the roof and the walls apart from each other and stacks them up on the nearest flat spot.
Terraria
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Well.
He cracks the roof and the walls apart from each other—and as soon as he has moved any individual grid-aligned cube significantly out of alignment, it spontaneously turns into a much smaller cube with much weirder properties. The individual tiny cubes politely identify themselves as '1 Sunplate Block', and when two or more of them collide they merge into a single tiny cube claiming to consist of '2 Sunplate Blocks', '5 Sunplate Blocks'...
He cracks the roof and the walls apart from each other—and as soon as he has moved any individual grid-aligned cube significantly out of alignment, it spontaneously turns into a much smaller cube with much weirder properties. The individual tiny cubes politely identify themselves as '1 Sunplate Block', and when two or more of them collide they merge into a single tiny cube claiming to consist of '2 Sunplate Blocks', '5 Sunplate Blocks'...
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
He is completely out of whats.
If the universe is a CRPG, then the universe is a CRPG.
He moves the tiny cubes into a single stack out of the way and investigates the contents of the ex-cabin.
If the universe is a CRPG, then the universe is a CRPG.
He moves the tiny cubes into a single stack out of the way and investigates the contents of the ex-cabin.
Terraria
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The stack also helpfully informs him, via the same unobtrusive mental tooltip that told him its name, that he can use it to place Sunplate Blocks in the world.
Inside of the cabin there is, as mentioned, a treasure chest, and inside of the treasure chest there are several tiny objects, all more or less the same size as the Sunplate Block stack: a balloon, a book, a bottle, a bar, a bag.
Inside of the cabin there is, as mentioned, a treasure chest, and inside of the treasure chest there are several tiny objects, all more or less the same size as the Sunplate Block stack: a balloon, a book, a bottle, a bar, a bag.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
Yep, that sure is some RPG items. Apparently it's a prehistoric CRPG too. Jump height?
Well, it's not like he'll run out of places to put things any time soon. He picks up the tiny objects with a gloved hand, to see if anything interesting happens.
Does he get an inventory?
Well, it's not like he'll run out of places to put things any time soon. He picks up the tiny objects with a gloved hand, to see if anything interesting happens.
Does he get an inventory?
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
Any inventory-sized object he has claimed or is holding provides him with its little tooltip. Shiny Red Balloon, Guide to Plant Fiber Cordage, 10 Empty Bottles, 8 Iron Bars, 1 Herb Bag. The Shiny Red Balloon and Guide to Plant Fiber Cordage can be equipped by expanding them to non-inventory size and keeping them about his person; the 10 Empty Bottles can be expanded to non-inventory size and that seems to be it; the 8 Iron Bars can be placed in the world in the same manner as the Sunplate Blocks; and the Herb Bag can be opened, although it doesn't deign to inform him what results the opening action will have.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
Okay, so no convenient pocket universe in which to store stuff. Inventory-sizing things is only slightly less ridiculously convenient, though.
He searches the island for other loot.
He searches the island for other loot.
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
Nothing, unless he counts the blocks composing the island itself, or the trees. Or his collection of seven ineffectually swooping blue-haired women.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
Fine. Walk into their house, steal their stuff, and then steal the house too, isn't that how it goes?
He spreads out on the ground and tries for some dirt, or grass, or dirt-with-grass-on-top. If this is a game, why should Dirt be any more complex than Sunplate Blocks?
He spreads out on the ground and tries for some dirt, or grass, or dirt-with-grass-on-top. If this is a game, why should Dirt be any more complex than Sunplate Blocks?
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
The grass "growing" "in" the dirt is more like decoration than live plants. On sustaining any significant damage it disappears, leaving unmarked green mossy stuff in its place.
The dirt itself is... substantially more regular than ordinary dirt. It has variation in its internal composition, but more in the way of a well-constructed facsimile of a single seamless expanse of dirt that, in the end, is only made of dirt blocks. After he gets the top layer figured out, the rest are dead easy by comparison.
Surrounding and supporting the dirt blocks is a thick layer of cloud blocks. Perhaps he'd like to try those next.
The dirt itself is... substantially more regular than ordinary dirt. It has variation in its internal composition, but more in the way of a well-constructed facsimile of a single seamless expanse of dirt that, in the end, is only made of dirt blocks. After he gets the top layer figured out, the rest are dead easy by comparison.
Surrounding and supporting the dirt blocks is a thick layer of cloud blocks. Perhaps he'd like to try those next.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
Whole hog, er, floating island, it is.
Okay, the cloud blocks are supporting the dirt. Are the cloud blocks connected to anchors in a conventional fashion? Or are they holding things up by virtue of being cloud blocks?
He's pretty sure he should expect the latter.
Okay, the cloud blocks are supporting the dirt. Are the cloud blocks connected to anchors in a conventional fashion? Or are they holding things up by virtue of being cloud blocks?
He's pretty sure he should expect the latter.
Terraria
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They're holding things up by virtue of something, and whatever it is, anchors don't seem to be involved. On the other hand, the cloud blocks don't have any discernible special properties relative to dirt or sunplate blocks, except for being cloud-like instead of dirt-like or gold-like. Maybe Terraria blocks can just do that and the cloud aspect is a mere aesthetic touch.
He could experiment by placing some blocks and then removing their supports (it's impossible to place blocks in midair; they must be touching at least one other block to begin with), and if he does that, he will discover that dirt and sunplate float just as readily as cloud.
He could experiment by placing some blocks and then removing their supports (it's impossible to place blocks in midair; they must be touching at least one other block to begin with), and if he does that, he will discover that dirt and sunplate float just as readily as cloud.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
He is not exactly in a scientific frame of mind right now. But one does need to know the rules of the game.
One floating block of each type. Make a connection and hang some weight from each one, evenly distributed over the entire interior of the block. How much load can they take before they break out of the grid?
One floating block of each type. Make a connection and hang some weight from each one, evenly distributed over the entire interior of the block. How much load can they take before they break out of the grid?
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
Dirt: a significant but not outrageous amount, comparable to the load it would take to compress an equivalent volume of ordinary dirt to half its starting size.
Sunplate: a lot more than that - somewhere between four and five times the amount that did in the dirt block.
Cloud: more than he is capable of applying.
Sunplate: a lot more than that - somewhere between four and five times the amount that did in the dirt block.
Cloud: more than he is capable of applying.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
This is promising. He takes two floating cloud blocks, and instead of working with gravity, he links them to each other and just pulls them together. If they can break, they will break, but at what point?
Terraria
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Not that point.
Not that point either.
Perhaps cloud blocks are just invincible to applied load.
Not that point either.
Perhaps cloud blocks are just invincible to applied load.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
Well, in that case, he's going to just start using cloud blocks for all his anchors. There's plenty of them to go around.
Step one: “mine” all of the cloud blocks around this island. Move all the resulting items up and around and collect them.
Step one: “mine” all of the cloud blocks around this island. Move all the resulting items up and around and collect them.
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
The cloud blocks cooperate with this plan. Now he has a stack of 551 Cloud Blocks.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
Step two: vent a bit.
He places three cloud blocks at the dirt edges of the island, and leaves them be. They will be his first anchors.
Then he takes all the rest of the island and just yanks, and lets go. (This is more fun than using that “mine” thing.)
He places three cloud blocks at the dirt edges of the island, and leaves them be. They will be his first anchors.
Then he takes all the rest of the island and just yanks, and lets go. (This is more fun than using that “mine” thing.)
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
A rain of inventory-sized dirt blocks ensues. Now the island consists of him, three cloud blocks, seven globed harpies, and five floating trees. (None of them contain a partridge.)
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
He has excellent anchors now, so he has no need for wings to keep himself from falling, or in fact to do much of anything. His stuff can just hover beside him instead of being wings.
The blocks: collected after he enjoys the rain for a moment.
The globes: re-anchored to the cloud blocks for now.
The trees: investigated. He found them as hard to claim through the dirt as any wood ordinarily would be, but can he do other things to them?
He touches the trunk of a tree with a hand.
The blocks: collected after he enjoys the rain for a moment.
The globes: re-anchored to the cloud blocks for now.
The trees: investigated. He found them as hard to claim through the dirt as any wood ordinarily would be, but can he do other things to them?
He touches the trunk of a tree with a hand.
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
Mere tree-touching does not yield any useful information or options.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
Game logic. Let's try — chopping — down — this tree.
He makes a saw and starts cutting through the trunk. Halfway up, because experiment.
He makes a saw and starts cutting through the trunk. Halfway up, because experiment.
Terraria
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When he has sawn about halfway through the trunk, that grid-section of the tree and all the grid-sections above it spontaneously convert into inventory-sized cubes of Wood. The rest of the tree stays put.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
Collecting wood cubes feels like cheating. He knows exactly what they are, but he didn't have to find out the tedious way.
(He idly wonders what would happen if he cut halfway through and stopped, but doesn't try it.)
He cuts all the rest of the trees down. Now the original island consists of five floating tree stumps.
He tries punching one of them. Really hard.
(He idly wonders what would happen if he cut halfway through and stopped, but doesn't try it.)
He cuts all the rest of the trees down. Now the original island consists of five floating tree stumps.
He tries punching one of them. Really hard.
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
Very hard punching breaks the wood, and breaking the wood causes it to cube.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
That's the rest of the trees taken care of, then.
He stashes his floating island construction kit and drops to the non-floating ground. Then he unglobes the feathered feather-firers and watches what happens.
He stashes his floating island construction kit and drops to the non-floating ground. Then he unglobes the feathered feather-firers and watches what happens.
Terraria
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Within a certain distance of the ground, their flight pattern changes from "attempted attack" to "attempted escape"; as soon as he unglobes them they all fly away.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
Well, now he knows what to do.
Dirt. Poke. Claim. Claim the ground. Take the world. And rip it apart, but only if that looks like it will be helpful in actually getting out of here.
Dirt. Poke. Claim. Claim the ground. Take the world. And rip it apart, but only if that looks like it will be helpful in actually getting out of here.
Terraria
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Dirt dirt dirt dirt dirt. So much dirt.
You can go a long way in Terraria by standing on some dirt and claiming all its contiguous dirt.
There is plenty of non-dirt touching this dirt, though. Occasional small enclosed ore deposits; occasional larger formations of what proves to be stone. Puddles and ponds and lakes of water, which comes in liquid form and not in grid-aligned blocks. Adjacent biomes: deserts made of sand and sandstone, tundra made of snow and ice, jungles made of mud. Weird red areas made of weird red stone that's strangely resistant to claiming. Below all this, solid stone, broken by caves and tunnels.
You can go a long way in Terraria by standing on some dirt and claiming all its contiguous dirt.
There is plenty of non-dirt touching this dirt, though. Occasional small enclosed ore deposits; occasional larger formations of what proves to be stone. Puddles and ponds and lakes of water, which comes in liquid form and not in grid-aligned blocks. Adjacent biomes: deserts made of sand and sandstone, tundra made of snow and ice, jungles made of mud. Weird red areas made of weird red stone that's strangely resistant to claiming. Below all this, solid stone, broken by caves and tunnels.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
He keeps going, through the dirt and the stone and the mud and the sufficiently still water. The conveniently regular nature of these blocks mean that he's not going to run out of room in his mind to keep it all any time soon.
And in any of these directions does there seem to be an end? An exit? A pocket of sanity?
And in any of these directions does there seem to be an end? An exit? A pocket of sanity?
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
Blocks, blocks, and more blocks. The shape of the island above sea level is reasonably irregular, but as he goes deeper into the stone layer and spreads out, the limits of his little universe turn out to be perfectly square - that's probably the fog wall he's running up against.
Deep in the stone layer, there are fewer aquifers and more pockets of a different liquid - Terrarian lava, somewhat less hot and much less viscous than the real-world kind. (There are also miscellaneous other interesting features. A pyramid in one desert, a network of tunnels in another, a huge network of sandstone caves in yet another. A lump of some extremely stubborn stone in an underground jungle area. Oddly shaped crystal formations scattered throughout the caves, along with many more ore deposits and some gemstones and little cave buildings with treasure chests inside. Underground mushroom colonies.)
And past all that, three thousand feet below sea level, the stone layer ends and a new layer begins. This one is made mostly of Ash Blocks, with frequent lava pockets and occasional obsidian buildings.
Underneath that... a flat layer that declines to be claimed. Solid, unlike the fog wall.
Deep in the stone layer, there are fewer aquifers and more pockets of a different liquid - Terrarian lava, somewhat less hot and much less viscous than the real-world kind. (There are also miscellaneous other interesting features. A pyramid in one desert, a network of tunnels in another, a huge network of sandstone caves in yet another. A lump of some extremely stubborn stone in an underground jungle area. Oddly shaped crystal formations scattered throughout the caves, along with many more ore deposits and some gemstones and little cave buildings with treasure chests inside. Underground mushroom colonies.)
And past all that, three thousand feet below sea level, the stone layer ends and a new layer begins. This one is made mostly of Ash Blocks, with frequent lava pockets and occasional obsidian buildings.
Underneath that... a flat layer that declines to be claimed. Solid, unlike the fog wall.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
He sorts through the item descriptions of everything he touches. Anything buried deep underground conveniently labeled The Thing With Which You Win The Game?
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
Nope. Lots and lots and lots of different kinds of blocks, and some interesting things like bookcases and exotic chests in the Pink Dungeon Brick tunnels, but nothing that will openly admit to being a victory condition.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
Time for the last resort. At least he knows how the world is put together, now.
He goes to talk to the person (person?) that he landed next to in the first place.
He goes to talk to the person (person?) that he landed next to in the first place.
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
The person(?) is still standing in the middle of the island, patiently holding out his canvas bag.
"Greetings, Thanjen. Is there something I can help you with?"
"Greetings, Thanjen. Is there something I can help you with?"
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
The trees are his voice and the ground his gestures.
“Yes.”
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
"I am here to give you advice on what to do next. It is recommended that you talk with me anytime you get stuck," says the person(?).
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
If only there was a dialogue tree.
“I am stuck.”
“I am stuck.”
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
"When you have enough wood, create a workbench. This will allow you to create more complicated things, as long as you are standing close to it," he suggests.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
Much as he would like to ask for an actual solution to his problem, he expects this would as futile as teaching a bird to shape its nest. Speaking of which, he grabs the canvas bag.
When he's about to ask what qualifies as a workbench so he can make one, he realizes he already knows.
That a workbench is itself, and not merely an arrangement of wood. Now he has a workbench, and less wood. He puts the workbench—
He makes a glass platform which is block-sized on top but not particularly aligned with the grid and tries to put the workbench on it.
When he's about to ask what qualifies as a workbench so he can make one, he realizes he already knows.
That a workbench is itself, and not merely an arrangement of wood. Now he has a workbench, and less wood. He puts the workbench—
He makes a glass platform which is block-sized on top but not particularly aligned with the grid and tries to put the workbench on it.
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
The workbench declines to be placed in this invalid location. Valid locations must be aligned with the grid.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
Okay: The platform is now adjacent to and aligned with the top of a wood block. Remove wood block. Place workbench on platform.
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
The workbench allows this! Now it is non-inventory-sized and able to be moved around like an ordinary physical object.
Also, with the resources he has claimed he can make... quite a few things. (The recipes that display via helpful mental tooltip only seem to feature ingredients that he currently has in their inventory-sized state. Presumably if he wants to make things out of Cactus or Gold or Boreal Wood he should mine some first.)
Also, with the resources he has claimed he can make... quite a few things. (The recipes that display via helpful mental tooltip only seem to feature ingredients that he currently has in their inventory-sized state. Presumably if he wants to make things out of Cactus or Gold or Boreal Wood he should mine some first.)
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
Quite a few things he doesn't see any particular use for, other than possibly expanding into more crafting possibilities.
He empties the canvas bag and, ahem, inventories its contents.
He empties the canvas bag and, ahem, inventories its contents.
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
The canvas bag contains: 1 Copper Shortsword, 1 Copper Pickaxe, 1 Copper Axe. Now he has all of these things inventoried.
"You should do some mining to find metal ore. You can craft very useful things with it," says the person(?).
"You should do some mining to find metal ore. You can craft very useful things with it," says the person(?).
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
They're really big on the primitive recreation part, aren't they.
Mineshaft in ground. Pull up 100 Iron Ore. Replace dirt. Inquiring look.
Mineshaft in ground. Pull up 100 Iron Ore. Replace dirt. Inquiring look.
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
"Now that you have some ore, you will need to turn it into a bar in order to make items with it. This requires a furnace!" says the person(?). "You can create a furnace out of torches, wood, and stone. Make sure you are standing near a work bench."
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
That all makes sense, and now he knows how to get plenty of iron so he'll spend some on that Iron Anvil he saw before. But:
“How do I make a torch?”
“How do I make a torch?”
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
"Once you have a wooden sword, you might try to gather some gel from the slimes. Combine wood and gel to make a torch!"
The likeliest candidate for 'the slimes' is those blobby round creatures hopping haphazardly across his landscape. They (and the bunnies, and the squirrels) only seem to exist within a fairly close radius of his body.
The likeliest candidate for 'the slimes' is those blobby round creatures hopping haphazardly across his landscape. They (and the bunnies, and the squirrels) only seem to exist within a fairly close radius of his body.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
He has a copper shortsword. Hopefully that counts. Also, does he need to symbolically hit things, or —?
Slime #1: sword thrown at it.
Slime #2: speared on plain glass.
Slime #3: encased and displayed to the helpful NPC.
Slime #1: sword thrown at it.
Slime #2: speared on plain glass.
Slime #3: encased and displayed to the helpful NPC.
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
The sworded slime changes course and begins hopping directly toward him with his sword still embedded in its round green body.
The speared slime wiggles in place for a bit, and then explodes, showering its immediate vicinity in slime chunks - and a small number of inventory-sized items: 3 Gel and 4 Copper Coins, to be specific.
Now he can make torches at his workbench!
"Stars fall all over the world at night. They can be used for all sorts of useful things. If you see one, be sure to grab it because they disappear after sunrise," says the helpful NPC. Apparently he doesn't have any canned dialogue for being presented with a live captive slime.
The speared slime wiggles in place for a bit, and then explodes, showering its immediate vicinity in slime chunks - and a small number of inventory-sized items: 3 Gel and 4 Copper Coins, to be specific.
Now he can make torches at his workbench!
"Stars fall all over the world at night. They can be used for all sorts of useful things. If you see one, be sure to grab it because they disappear after sunrise," says the helpful NPC. Apparently he doesn't have any canned dialogue for being presented with a live captive slime.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
Torches. Iron Anvil, next to the workbench on the now-expanded platform. Furnace, same. Ore in furnace.
The other two slimes can be experiments. Spear the rest of the slimes, because supplies for more torches seems worthwhile.
Where's the sun right now?
The other two slimes can be experiments. Spear the rest of the slimes, because supplies for more torches seems worthwhile.
Where's the sun right now?
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
Descending, about halfway to the horizon, over thataway.
"Underground are crystal hearts that can be used to increase your max life. You can smash them with a pickaxe," says the helpful NPC.
The slimes all explode, yielding dropped items. Some of them had ores, torches, or extra coins in addition to their regular handfuls of copper coins and gel.
The Furnace instantly transmutes his Iron Ore to Iron Bars, at a ratio of 3 Ore to a Bar. Would he like a Toilet (furniture), Trash Can (chest), Bathtub (furniture), Reinforced Fishing Pole (tool), Cooking Pot (crafting station), Chain (material), Lamp Post (furniture), or Empty Bucket (tool/armor)? Because now he can make all of those, along with many more things.
"Underground are crystal hearts that can be used to increase your max life. You can smash them with a pickaxe," says the helpful NPC.
The slimes all explode, yielding dropped items. Some of them had ores, torches, or extra coins in addition to their regular handfuls of copper coins and gel.
The Furnace instantly transmutes his Iron Ore to Iron Bars, at a ratio of 3 Ore to a Bar. Would he like a Toilet (furniture), Trash Can (chest), Bathtub (furniture), Reinforced Fishing Pole (tool), Cooking Pot (crafting station), Chain (material), Lamp Post (furniture), or Empty Bucket (tool/armor)? Because now he can make all of those, along with many more things.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
Some of those things might be useful, but he doesn't know what will matter first, so he's going to take the tutorial advice.
Somewhere underground, a crystal heart gets ripped out of its grid square.
Somewhere underground, a crystal heart gets ripped out of its grid square.
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
Now he has a Life Crystal, which can be de-inventoried into an edible form.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
He looks at it dubiously. All this other stuff hasn't touched his body. But then, it's already touched his mind.
Eat.
Eat.
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
It resembles hard sugar candy, sweet with a hint of cinnamon, except that hard sugar candy would take longer to eat than this.
When he has eaten the candy, he begins to experience a faint inner glow of health. It is cozy and pleasant.
When he has eaten the candy, he begins to experience a faint inner glow of health. It is cozy and pleasant.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
That seems adequately innocuous. He'll just collect and eat more until the NPC has something else to say, then.
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
"You will want to increase your life before facing your next challenge. Fifteen hearts should be enough," says the NPC when he has eaten three.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
Munch munch munch munch munch munch munch munch munch munch munch munch. Drink some water, because too much candy.
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
"There are many different ways you can attract people to move in to our town. They will of course need a home to live in," says the helpful NPC.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
“What makes a good home?”
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
"In order for a room to be considered a home, it needs to have a door, chair, table, and a light source. Make sure the house has walls as well," he answers.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
Fine.
The forest around them gets scythed down. Some of it of it feeds the furniture factory, which is completely unimpressive in its functioning. A larger portion becomes wooden walls, floors, roofs. There is now:
A five-story building, with four apartments per floor. Just in case there needs to be exactly one door between inside a home and outside, there is no exterior door.
A hollowed-out hill with cozy little blocky bungalows lit with torches on the exterior.
And a wooden wall with a gap in it for an entrance around the whole area, in case it turns out symbolic defense is a thing.
The forest around them gets scythed down. Some of it of it feeds the furniture factory, which is completely unimpressive in its functioning. A larger portion becomes wooden walls, floors, roofs. There is now:
A five-story building, with four apartments per floor. Just in case there needs to be exactly one door between inside a home and outside, there is no exterior door.
A hollowed-out hill with cozy little blocky bungalows lit with torches on the exterior.
And a wooden wall with a gap in it for an entrance around the whole area, in case it turns out symbolic defense is a thing.
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
"Time to go home!" says the helpful NPC, and he proceeds in the direction of the apartments.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
Presumably it will take at least a little time for more “people” to “move in”. Or maybe he just needs to not look.
He goes to try something he should have thought of earlier.
He flies over to a fog wall.
He goes to try something he should have thought of earlier.
He flies over to a fog wall.
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
The fog wall remains flat and vertical and grey and foggy.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
He moves a dirt item into the fog.
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
The dirt item vanishes from sight, and from all other forms of perception. It is thoroughly gone.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
He's not planning to fly through that any time soon, then.
What can he do that will work anyway?
Glass. Really long pole. Poke.
What can he do that will work anyway?
Glass. Really long pole. Poke.
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
How long of a pole would he like to poke into the fog? Because it seems to just keep... going... in.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
The pole now has a ring around it, which is forcepatterned to fly away from the near end of the pole. The far end of the pole gets a bumper.
Does the ring vanish when it enters the fog, even though it's around the pole?
Does the ring vanish when it enters the fog, even though it's around the pole?
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
It does not vanish! There it is, skating along the pole.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
Okay, so this is some kind of “when you are completely in the fog you go somewhere” transport system. That or it's a cunningly disguised disintegrator.
What can he do that counts as going in and coming back?
Boomerang.
What can he do that counts as going in and coming back?
Boomerang.
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
Boomerang goes in. Boomerang vanishes.
Boomerang returns, about six seconds later than it should have.
Boomerang returns, about six seconds later than it should have.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
He is pleased to note that the boomerang does not appear to be burnt, frozen, gooed, exposed to vacuum, or otherwise status effected. There is someplace else there, and it might even be better than what he's got, then.
It might be the universe he knows.
How can he find out? How can he retrieve more information from the other side?
He has: his computer and his radio, and his spare computer and his spare radio. Tempting as it is to send the spares over to see if they can make contact for a few seconds, he doesn't want to risk losing them even if he could figure out something with more payload capacity than a boomerang.
Ah! He has: materials for eyes.
He modifies his usual eye design into a pair of one-shot cameras with a purely mechanical timer, sets it for half the previous flight time, incorporates them into the boomerang facing opposite directions, and throws.
It might be the universe he knows.
How can he find out? How can he retrieve more information from the other side?
He has: his computer and his radio, and his spare computer and his spare radio. Tempting as it is to send the spares over to see if they can make contact for a few seconds, he doesn't want to risk losing them even if he could figure out something with more payload capacity than a boomerang.
Ah! He has: materials for eyes.
He modifies his usual eye design into a pair of one-shot cameras with a purely mechanical timer, sets it for half the previous flight time, incorporates them into the boomerang facing opposite directions, and throws.
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
The boomerang goes. The boomerang comes back.
What it saw while it was out there: a view remarkably similar to the view from his current position. Fog wall, sky, ocean, a distant shoreline.
What it saw while it was out there: a view remarkably similar to the view from his current position. Fog wall, sky, ocean, a distant shoreline.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
Well, what.
He could presumably go there, but there's no obvious reason to prefer it over where he is now. Unless there are other people there.
There's a thought. He could throw a message through. He doesn't want to expend his limited supply of ordinary materials, though.
His portable crafting stations show that he can convince things to leave the grid. Is there a way to reshape Terrarian blocks without just breaking them into items?
He could presumably go there, but there's no obvious reason to prefer it over where he is now. Unless there are other people there.
There's a thought. He could throw a message through. He doesn't want to expend his limited supply of ordinary materials, though.
His portable crafting stations show that he can convince things to leave the grid. Is there a way to reshape Terrarian blocks without just breaking them into items?
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
There is! The division between a reshaping that breaks a block into an inventory item and a reshaping that turns it into eight cubic feet of ordinary matter isn't totally clear, but when he specifically sets out to do the second thing, he is able to accomplish it.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
He suspects that this will be very useful later. But for now:
He takes mostly iron and little bits of other things and makes a buoy with a banner above it reading “THANJEN BER NABJEDDEN IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS FOG AND DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO LEAVE. PLEASE SEND HELP IF ABLE”, and going on in smaller print to briefly explain his circumstances in case someone not in the identical situation finds it.
He throws it through the fog. Then he decides to make another one and launch it so that it should land near the center of the landmass.
He goes to view and send messages through the other three sides.
He takes mostly iron and little bits of other things and makes a buoy with a banner above it reading “THANJEN BER NABJEDDEN IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS FOG AND DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO LEAVE. PLEASE SEND HELP IF ABLE”, and going on in smaller print to briefly explain his circumstances in case someone not in the identical situation finds it.
He throws it through the fog. Then he decides to make another one and launch it so that it should land near the center of the landmass.
He goes to view and send messages through the other three sides.
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
The views from the other three sides are largely similar to the first one. The buoys all successfully vanish into their fog walls.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
Seeing as it's getting dark, he goes back to the village to see if anyone's moved in.
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
Nobody yet. Just the one helpful NPC he's met so far, standing very patiently in his little apartment.
When the sun goes down, the type of creatures appearing on the island changes. Now there are walking corpses shambling toward him and flying eyeballs the size of his head attempting, not very intelligently, to punch him to death with their corneas.
When the sun goes down, the type of creatures appearing on the island changes. Now there are walking corpses shambling toward him and flying eyeballs the size of his head attempting, not very intelligently, to punch him to death with their corneas.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
He sees no reason to let any of these things near him. As soon as he's seen enough of their appearance and behavior to conclude that these are Generic Monsters, they get stabbed, bisected, crushed, or whatever is convenient.
There is now a dry moat around the village wall.
Also, eyes on the back of his head, let's do that. It will take him a while to integrate their input properly, but “seeing giant white and black eyeballs” is not a difficult task.
There is now a dry moat around the village wall.
Also, eyes on the back of his head, let's do that. It will take him a while to integrate their input properly, but “seeing giant white and black eyeballs” is not a difficult task.
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
The eyeballs drop Lenses. The zombies drop an assortment of items such as Shackle (accessory), Zombie Arm (weapon), and Wooden Arrow (ammunition). Everything drops coins.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
Ah, money, the universal resource. Perhaps someday he will be able to buy something from someone.
He presents his findings to his crafting stations and the NPC, to see if they can be used for anything interesting.
Also: “What should I do now?”
He presents his findings to his crafting stations and the NPC, to see if they can be used for anything interesting.
Also: “What should I do now?”
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
Also happening around this time: objects hitting the surface of his landscape and bouncing once or twice before settling down. When claimed, they prove to be Fallen Stars.
Using Fallen Stars and Wooden Arrows he can craft Jester's Arrows, but perhaps he doesn't want to.
The NPC says, "Your current equipment simply won't do. You need to make better armor."
Using Fallen Stars and Wooden Arrows he can craft Jester's Arrows, but perhaps he doesn't want to.
The NPC says, "Your current equipment simply won't do. You need to make better armor."
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
It's not like he needs armor, but evidently he needs armor to advance in the game.
He turns to his crafting station —
No. He turns his attention underground. He pulls up a sample of everything that counts as ore or plausible-sounding Magic Rocks, furnaces it, and checks if he can make armor with it.
He turns to his crafting station —
No. He turns his attention underground. He pulls up a sample of everything that counts as ore or plausible-sounding Magic Rocks, furnaces it, and checks if he can make armor with it.
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
He can make armor with Copper, Iron, Silver, and Gold. There is just barely enough Crimtane Ore scattered in tiny depsosits deep underground to make enough Crimtane Bars for a full set of armor.
In the deepest layer of the island there is a stuff called Hellstone which his current furnace can turn into brick (if he combines it with Stone) but not into Bars of any kind. Obsidian, similarly, can be bricked but not barred.
"Gold is stronger than Iron," the NPC says helpfully.
In the deepest layer of the island there is a stuff called Hellstone which his current furnace can turn into brick (if he combines it with Stone) but not into Bars of any kind. Obsidian, similarly, can be bricked but not barred.
"Gold is stronger than Iron," the NPC says helpfully.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
He makes a helmet of each type except Iron and Crimtane, in case they come with helpful tooltips, and tries them on in front of the NPC. If the NPC gives further advice, he'll take it.
He presents a Crimtane Bar for identification.
He presents a Crimtane Bar for identification.
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
"Silver is stronger than Copper. Gold is stronger than Silver." And, when shown the Crimtane Bar, "Crimtane is stronger than Gold."
The helmets do come with helpful tooltips! They helpfully inform him that they are armor meant to be worn on the head, and that they give bonuses to defense.
The helmets do come with helpful tooltips! They helpfully inform him that they are armor meant to be worn on the head, and that they give bonuses to defense.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
He doesn't yet know whether he actually needs armor, or it's just a requirement to advance, so he'll save the Crimtane for now.
He crafts and wears a full set of Gold armor, reinforces it, and stands at attention in front of the NPC.
He crafts and wears a full set of Gold armor, reinforces it, and stands at attention in front of the NPC.
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
"There is a old dungeon not far from here. Now would be a good time to go check it out," says the NPC.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
He decides to actually walk into the dungeon, because if this is the first time the player (him) has been sent specifically into danger, then it shouldn't be too bad and he might learn something unobvious about the rules of the game.
He searches through the many things underground for the nearest empty space that looks plausibly introductory (not too complex, not too ominous).
He searches through the many things underground for the nearest empty space that looks plausibly introductory (not too complex, not too ominous).
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
Well, that one over there is pretty complex and ominous, but it's also pretty close, and made of Pink Dungeon Brick, and has a something-or-other standing just in front of its surface entrance.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
He walks over to the dungeon. Behind him, the village gets its wall closed off with blocks and a glass dome over the whole thing.
Behind him float his Glass Sphere Of Inventory and Portable Crafting Station.
Behind him float his Glass Sphere Of Inventory and Portable Crafting Station.
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
The something-or-other standing outside the Dungeon seems to be an NPC.
"Defeat my master, and I will grant you passage into the Dungeon," he says when Thanjen approaches.
"Defeat my master, and I will grant you passage into the Dungeon," he says when Thanjen approaches.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
He's playing by the rules.
“Where shall I find your master?”
“Where shall I find your master?”
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
"Do you wish me to summon my master now?"
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
He briefly considers doing the voice-of-the-trees thing again, but no.
“I do.”
“I do.”
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
The NPC transforms from an old man to an enormous floating skull with enormous disembodied skeleton arms. The skull monster attacks.
It's only trying to swat him with its giant disembodied skeleton hands... but when swung to attack, its limbs can pass through solid objects.
It's only trying to swat him with its giant disembodied skeleton hands... but when swung to attack, its limbs can pass through solid objects.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
Thanjen finds this out not by being actually hit by them, because that would be silly, but by them passing through the shields he places in front of the monster. He's keeping well out of its (apparent) reach and in the air.
This is quite alarming anyway. It puts his safety in question. He needs to do something about that. Later.
How does the skull monster like its skull being scissored in half, like he's been doing to zombies?
This is quite alarming anyway. It puts his safety in question. He needs to do something about that. Later.
How does the skull monster like its skull being scissored in half, like he's been doing to zombies?
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
It does not like that. It does not like that at all.
The scissors appear to deal only cosmetic damage at first - small chips fly away from the point of applied pressure, and small cracks appear there, but the structural integrity of the skull is unaffected. Its enormous skeleton arms flail in his direction, but the arms are unable to fly freely away from the skull and the skull is trapped by the scissors. If he just keeps at it, the skull monster will explode in traditional Terrarian fashion pretty shortly, leaving behind a tidy pile of loot.
To be specific: 5 Gold Coins, 8 Lesser Healing Potions, 1 Skeletron Mask (vanity item), and 1 Book of Skulls (weapon).
The scissors appear to deal only cosmetic damage at first - small chips fly away from the point of applied pressure, and small cracks appear there, but the structural integrity of the skull is unaffected. Its enormous skeleton arms flail in his direction, but the arms are unable to fly freely away from the skull and the skull is trapped by the scissors. If he just keeps at it, the skull monster will explode in traditional Terrarian fashion pretty shortly, leaving behind a tidy pile of loot.
To be specific: 5 Gold Coins, 8 Lesser Healing Potions, 1 Skeletron Mask (vanity item), and 1 Book of Skulls (weapon).
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
He takes a closer look at the Book of Skulls (weapon). How does it weap? Can he fire skulls through walls with it?
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
This is how it weaps:
When he expands the book and opens it, it bestows the 'Book of Skulls' spell on him. Now he is able to cast Book of Skulls. It does indeed fire skulls, and the skulls are even on fire, but they do not pass through walls, and he cannot fire any right now because he has no mana. Also the skulls must originate from a point within a certain shortish distance of his body.
It may be relevant that he can craft Mana Crystals using all those Fallen Stars in his inventory.
When he expands the book and opens it, it bestows the 'Book of Skulls' spell on him. Now he is able to cast Book of Skulls. It does indeed fire skulls, and the skulls are even on fire, but they do not pass through walls, and he cannot fire any right now because he has no mana. Also the skulls must originate from a point within a certain shortish distance of his body.
It may be relevant that he can craft Mana Crystals using all those Fallen Stars in his inventory.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
He didn't notice before that he didn't actually need to bring items to the crafting station to craft with them. That's excessively convenient.
He now has a Mana Crystal. What does it do?
He also peeks in the dungeon entrance.
He now has a Mana Crystal. What does it do?
He also peeks in the dungeon entrance.
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
Inside the dungeon entrance: a room walled in Pink Dungeon Brick, with some bookshelves on the walls and a passage to a tunnel leading further downward.
The Mana Crystal is an edible item, in a way similar to Life Crystals!
The Mana Crystal is an edible item, in a way similar to Life Crystals!
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
These magic labels for things haven't steered him wrong yet, and Fallen Stars seem to be a renewable resource, so: munch munch munch munch munch munch munch munch munch munch munch munch munch munch munch.
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
Now he has mana!
His mana capacity seems to cap at the quantity imparted by ten Mana Crystals, but eating more after that doesn't do him any harm, it just fails to increase his mana capacity further.
He could fire so many flaming skulls now if he wanted to.
His mana capacity seems to cap at the quantity imparted by ten Mana Crystals, but eating more after that doesn't do him any harm, it just fails to increase his mana capacity further.
He could fire so many flaming skulls now if he wanted to.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
He test-fires two at some unreinforced merely-window-thickness glass and a passing zombie.
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
The passing zombie is significantly damaged and knocked backward by the slow-moving projectile, which then catches up to the zombie and hits it again, killing it.
The flaming skull that hits the glass disappears on contact.
The flaming skull that hits the glass disappears on contact.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
He is unsurprised.
He enters the dungeon. The books are probably decoration, but he checks along the way.
He enters the dungeon. The books are probably decoration, but he checks along the way.
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
Most of the books he encounters are decoration.
One, a little ways into the first passage, is a spellbook: 1 Water Bolt (weapon). It allows him to fire water-like projectiles.
Oh, and there are armored skeletons trying to punch him, but they can't pass through solid objects so they hardly qualify as dangerous.
One, a little ways into the first passage, is a spellbook: 1 Water Bolt (weapon). It allows him to fire water-like projectiles.
Oh, and there are armored skeletons trying to punch him, but they can't pass through solid objects so they hardly qualify as dangerous.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
He — ugh — brr — still needs to learn the rules and this is still an introductory dungeon. They can't be that bad. Right?
He lets one of them hit him on the reinforced Gold armor.
He lets one of them hit him on the reinforced Gold armor.
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
This is mildly ouchy, but only very mildly, and the cozy glow of all those heart candies ensures it doesn't ouch for long.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
Right. Game rules. Symbolic. It touched his character and so it hurt him in the health bar.
He tests out how many skeleton-joints he needs to yank apart before they explode, and proceeds.
He tests out how many skeleton-joints he needs to yank apart before they explode, and proceeds.
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
The tunnel winds on. Several purple slimes hop menacingly toward him. They are easy to defeat, and one of them drops a Golden Key which is useful in the next room to open a Gold Chest.
The Gold Chest contains:
1 Valor (weapon)
1 Gold Coin
10 Silver Bar
4 Healing Potion
2 Recall Potion
The Gold Chest contains:
1 Valor (weapon)
1 Gold Coin
10 Silver Bar
4 Healing Potion
2 Recall Potion
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
A yo-yo. Okay. He equips it.
On the next monsters to come along, he will compare the effectiveness of the Valor with an identically shaped, weighted, and moved glass object.
What does the Recall Potion say it does?
On the next monsters to come along, he will compare the effectiveness of the Valor with an identically shaped, weighted, and moved glass object.
What does the Recall Potion say it does?
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
Valor: noticeably more effective on the flying skull than its glass replica.
Recall Potion: claims it transports him instantaneously to his 'starting point', which from context and vague implication seems to be the place where he met the helpful NPC.
Flying skull: able to float through blocks, but very slow and easy to kill before it gets near him.
Recall Potion: claims it transports him instantaneously to his 'starting point', which from context and vague implication seems to be the place where he met the helpful NPC.
Flying skull: able to float through blocks, but very slow and easy to kill before it gets near him.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
He can feel the skulls when they're floating through his blocks, so he's not too worried about them sneaking up on him.
He keeps one Recall Potion on hand just in case, and starts using Valor because it's more efficient.
Onward.
He keeps one Recall Potion on hand just in case, and starts using Valor because it's more efficient.
Onward.
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
The tunnels wind down, and down, and down. Occasionally they branch. Armored skeletons and purple slimes frequently attack.
There are other hazards, too.
Like the invincible burning saw blades that come rolling over the walls, ceiling, and floor - easily avoided by simply stepping out of their path, but impossible to damage: to kill one, you have to immobilize it and wait for it to vanish. It doesn't even have the decency to drop any loot.
Or the invincible spiked balls that swing in circles on the ends of chains. Those ones can pass through solid objects, but the points around which they swing are anchored immovably in place, so all he has to do to avoid them is not get in their way.
He is surely not about to step on any Pressure Plates he detects on the floor, particularly not if there's a Dart Trap embedded in a nearby wall. The connection between these objects is not apparent, but there's bound to be one.
And then there are the robed skeletons that teleport from place to place and fire water-like projectiles. Those might be scary, if it weren't for the fact that their projectiles disintegrate immediately on contact with any sort of barrier.
There are other hazards, too.
Like the invincible burning saw blades that come rolling over the walls, ceiling, and floor - easily avoided by simply stepping out of their path, but impossible to damage: to kill one, you have to immobilize it and wait for it to vanish. It doesn't even have the decency to drop any loot.
Or the invincible spiked balls that swing in circles on the ends of chains. Those ones can pass through solid objects, but the points around which they swing are anchored immovably in place, so all he has to do to avoid them is not get in their way.
He is surely not about to step on any Pressure Plates he detects on the floor, particularly not if there's a Dart Trap embedded in a nearby wall. The connection between these objects is not apparent, but there's bound to be one.
And then there are the robed skeletons that teleport from place to place and fire water-like projectiles. Those might be scary, if it weren't for the fact that their projectiles disintegrate immediately on contact with any sort of barrier.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
It is simple enough to follow a path that does not intersect these hazards. For extra safety, he forcepatterns so that he can't walk into them before he gets anywhere near. (He tries to claim the saws and spikes to use their motion as power sources, but finds that they are not really there. It reminds him of those feathers that were thrown at him before. Oh well.)
He has two spells, one firey and one watery. Are either of them particularly effective against the robed skeletons? If not, he has a yo-yo and he's not afraid to use it.
He has two spells, one firey and one watery. Are either of them particularly effective against the robed skeletons? If not, he has a yo-yo and he's not afraid to use it.
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
The firey one deals more damage; the watery one has higher knockback and a shorter cooldown, and it costs only slightly more than half as much mana. They are both effective enough to take out a robed skeleton in a few hits.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
These are some interesting effects which might be relevant for tougher monsters, but it costs mana to cast them. He'll stick with Valor. It's not like range limits matter to him.
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
In that case he will find it largely trivial to explore the rest of the Dungeon, killing monsters and looting chests as he goes.
For the most part this is a straightforward accumulation of large quantities of loot, but it turns out that there is also an NPC sitting on the floor of a side chamber, tied up with rope - she appears when he gets close but before he has direct line of sight. Something should probably be done about her.
For the most part this is a straightforward accumulation of large quantities of loot, but it turns out that there is also an NPC sitting on the floor of a side chamber, tied up with rope - she appears when he gets close but before he has direct line of sight. Something should probably be done about her.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
Of course he rescues the girl, that's just what you do. Offers of marriage, et cetera, will be declined.
He walks into the room, but by then he's already claimed the rope from where an end trailed on the floor. With a completely unnecessary wave of the hand, the untied rope flies away from her body.
He walks into the room, but by then he's already claimed the rope from where an end trailed on the floor. With a completely unnecessary wave of the hand, the untied rope flies away from her body.
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
"Thanks! It was only a matter of time before I ended up like the rest of the skeletons down here," she dialogues, getting to her feet and dusting herself off in a sequence of movements that somehow give off the impression of having been prerecorded. Then she wanders off into the tunnels.
If she wants to get back to the surface, she is going the wrong way.
If she wants to get back to the surface, she is going the wrong way.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
Presumably if he was supposed to talk to her she would have stuck around or asked him to follow.
He checks the tunnels in her vicinity for any surprises to change this estimation (nope), then finishes cleaning out the tunnels of monsters and monster loot. Anything obviously permanent can just be claimed for later.
He climbs out of the dungeon and flies to his village. Were his defensive measures adequate, or will he have to fix things before he gets some sleep?
He checks the tunnels in her vicinity for any surprises to change this estimation (nope), then finishes cleaning out the tunnels of monsters and monster loot. Anything obviously permanent can just be claimed for later.
He climbs out of the dungeon and flies to his village. Were his defensive measures adequate, or will he have to fix things before he gets some sleep?
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
While he is en route back home, the rescued NPC teleports from the dungeon to an apartment on the same floor as the helpful NPC.
His village is unharmed. Monsters only seem to show up at a certain approximate distance from his physical body, and they disappear when he gets too far away; the village has had a pretty peaceful night while he's been Dungeon-delving.
His village is unharmed. Monsters only seem to show up at a certain approximate distance from his physical body, and they disappear when he gets too far away; the village has had a pretty peaceful night while he's been Dungeon-delving.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
If things are peaceful when he is away, maybe he shouldn't be here.
He moves out of monster spawning range, then stacks up blocks until he can build himself a little floating temporary house out of blocks. Remove pillar. Shape bed. Zzz.
He moves out of monster spawning range, then stacks up blocks until he can build himself a little floating temporary house out of blocks. Remove pillar. Shape bed. Zzz.
Terraria
Dig! Fight! Build!
The flying eyeballs fling themselves endlessly at his walls, but there are no actual monster incursions all night.
Thanjen ber Nabjedden
wind_on_my_face
The eyeballs don't disturb his sleep as much as imagined skeleton arms that pass through walls.
But he's not on anyone else's schedule. He keeps his bed-room-house dark until he's gotten as much sleep as his body wants.
But he's not on anyone else's schedule. He keeps his bed-room-house dark until he's gotten as much sleep as his body wants.