What are the best NPC housing setups for master mode Terraria?

In Terraria, especially in Master Mode, managing NPC happiness is crucial for optimizing your gameplay experience. NPC happiness affects the prices of items they sell, the availability of certain items, and even the rate at which some NPCs move in. To achieve the best NPC housing setups, you need to understand the mechanics of NPC happiness, plan your town layout carefully, and consider the specific preferences of each NPC.

First, let's discuss the mechanics of NPC happiness. Each NPC has preferred biomes and neighbors. When an NPC is in their preferred biome and near their preferred neighbors, their happiness increases. Conversely, being in a disliked biome or near disliked neighbors decreases their happiness. Happiness affects the prices of items they sell, with higher happiness leading to discounts and lower happiness leading to price increases. Additionally, some NPCs will only sell certain items if they are happy enough.

To start, you need to create a town layout that accommodates the preferences of your NPCs. A good strategy is to create multiple small towns in different biomes, each housing a group of NPCs that like each other and the biome. For example, the Guide, Nurse, and Zoologist all like the Forest biome and like each other, so you can place them together in a Forest town. Similarly, the Arms Dealer and Nurse like the Desert biome and like each other, so you can place them together in a Desert town.

When building housing, ensure that each house meets the basic requirements: it must have walls, a light source, a table, a chair, and a door. The house must also be a certain size, typically at least 60 tiles in area but no more than 750 tiles. You can use platforms instead of doors, but the house must still be enclosed.

Here are some step-by-step instructions for setting up your towns. First, choose a biome for your town. Clear an area and build a row of houses, each meeting the basic requirements. Place the NPCs in their respective houses, ensuring they are near their preferred neighbors. For example, in a Forest town, place the Guide, Nurse, and Zoologist in adjacent houses. In a Desert town, place the Arms Dealer and Nurse in adjacent houses.

Important tips and considerations include keeping an eye on the happiness levels of your NPCs. You can check their happiness by talking to them and selecting the "Happiness" option. If an NPC is unhappy, consider moving them to a different biome or near different neighbors. Also, avoid placing too many NPCs in one town, as overcrowding can decrease happiness.

Common mistakes to avoid include placing NPCs in biomes they dislike or near neighbors they dislike. For example, the Arms Dealer dislikes the Nurse, so placing them together in a town will decrease their happiness. Another mistake is not providing enough space for each house, which can prevent NPCs from moving in.

Advanced techniques and optimizations include creating themed towns that cater to specific NPCs. For example, you can create a Jungle town for the Witch Doctor and Dryad, who both like the Jungle biome and like each other. You can also use pylons to create fast travel points between your towns, making it easier to manage your NPCs and access their services.

Resource requirements and preparation include gathering materials for building houses, such as wood, stone, and glass. You may also need to gather biome-specific materials, such as sand for a Desert town or mud for a Jungle town. Ensure you have enough materials to build multiple houses in each town.

Class and equipment considerations are less relevant for NPC housing, but having a good pickaxe and building tools can make the process faster and easier. Consider using a building potion to increase your placement range and speed.

Specific examples and scenarios include setting up a Snow biome town for the Mechanic and Goblin Tinkerer, who both like the Snow biome and like each other. Another example is setting up an Ocean biome town for the Angler and Pirate, who both like the Ocean biome and like each other.

In conclusion, achieving the best NPC housing setups in Master Mode Terraria requires careful planning and consideration of NPC preferences. By creating multiple small towns in different biomes, placing NPCs near their preferred neighbors, and avoiding common mistakes, you can maximize NPC happiness and optimize your gameplay experience.