What are the best NPC housing setups for single-player Terraria?

In Terraria, setting up NPC housing for single-player involves understanding the NPC happiness system, biome preferences, and neighbor preferences. NPC happiness affects the prices of their goods and can unlock unique items like the Pylon system, which allows fast travel between biomes. To maximize happiness, you need to place NPCs in their preferred biomes and pair them with neighbors they like. HereÔÇÖs a detailed guide to achieving the best NPC housing setups.

First, letÔÇÖs discuss the mechanics. NPC happiness is influenced by three factors: biome preference, neighbor preference, and overcrowding. Each NPC has a favorite biome and a disliked biome. For example, the Guide prefers the Forest biome, while the Arms Dealer prefers the Desert. NPCs also have preferred neighbors. For instance, the Nurse and Arms Dealer like each other, while the Goblin Tinkerer and Mechanic also get along well. Overcrowding occurs when too many NPCs are in one area, reducing happiness. To avoid this, spread out your NPCs across different biomes.

To start, gather resources for building houses. YouÔÇÖll need wood, stone, and other materials like glass or bricks. Each house must meet the basic requirements: a solid background wall, a light source, a table, a chair, and a door or platform entrance. Houses should be at least 6 blocks tall and 10 blocks wide, but you can adjust the size as needed. Use platforms to create multi-level housing if space is limited.

Next, plan your town layout. Divide your world into sections for different biomes, such as Forest, Desert, Snow, Jungle, and Hallow. Each biome should have at least two houses for NPCs who like that biome and each other. For example, in the Forest biome, place the Guide and Zoologist together, as they like each other. In the Desert, place the Arms Dealer and Nurse together. In the Snow biome, the Mechanic and Goblin Tinkerer make a good pair. In the Jungle, the Witch Doctor and Dryad are a great match. In the Hallow, the Party Girl and Wizard work well together.

To optimize happiness, avoid placing NPCs in biomes they dislike. For example, the Arms Dealer dislikes the Ocean biome, and the Dryad dislikes the Corruption. Also, avoid placing too many NPCs in one area. A good rule is to have no more than three NPCs in a single biome section. This prevents overcrowding and keeps happiness levels high.

Advanced techniques include using pylons for fast travel. When NPCs are happy, they sell biome-specific pylons. Place these pylons in each biome to create a fast travel network. For example, place a Forest Pylon in the Forest biome, a Desert Pylon in the Desert biome, and so on. This makes it easy to move between biomes without using teleporters or mounts.

Resource requirements include wood, stone, and other building materials. YouÔÇÖll also need torches or other light sources, tables, chairs, and doors. For biome-specific housing, gather materials like sand for the Desert or ice blocks for the Snow biome. Preparation involves gathering these materials before building. Use a pickaxe to mine stone and a sawmill to craft furniture.

Class and equipment considerations are minimal for housing setup, but having a good pickaxe and axe speeds up resource gathering. If youÔÇÖre building in dangerous biomes, bring weapons and armor for protection. For example, the Jungle biome has enemies like Hornets, so bring ranged weapons or summoner gear.

Common mistakes include overcrowding, placing NPCs in disliked biomes, and not meeting house requirements. Always check the housing menu to ensure a house is valid. Another mistake is ignoring NPC preferences, which reduces happiness and prevents pylon sales. Avoid these by planning your town layout carefully and checking NPC preferences.

In summary, the best NPC housing setup for single-player Terraria involves understanding NPC happiness, planning biome-specific towns, and avoiding overcrowding. Use pylons for fast travel, gather resources beforehand, and place NPCs with their preferred neighbors. By following these steps, youÔÇÖll create a thriving town with happy NPCs and efficient travel across your world.