What are the best NPC happiness combinations for discounts in Terraria?

In Terraria, NPC happiness is a system that affects the prices of items sold by NPCs, as well as their willingness to sell certain items. When NPCs are happy, they offer discounts on their goods, which can significantly reduce the cost of purchasing items, especially in the late game when items can be very expensive. To maximize NPC happiness and achieve the best discounts, you need to understand the mechanics of NPC preferences, biomes, and neighbor relationships.

NPC happiness is influenced by two main factors: the biome they live in and the NPCs they are housed near. Each NPC has preferred biomes and neighbors, as well as disliked biomes and neighbors. For example, the Guide prefers the Forest biome and likes living with the Clothier, but dislikes the Merchant and the Snow biome. When an NPC is in a preferred biome and near a liked neighbor, their happiness increases, leading to discounts. Conversely, if they are in a disliked biome or near a disliked neighbor, their happiness decreases, and prices go up.

To achieve the best NPC happiness combinations, you need to carefully plan your town layout. Start by identifying the preferred biomes and neighbors for each NPC. You can find this information on the Terraria Wiki or through in-game experimentation. Once you know the preferences, you can begin building houses in the appropriate biomes and placing NPCs near their preferred neighbors.

For example, the Nurse prefers the Hallow biome and likes living with the Arms Dealer. To maximize their happiness, you should build a house in the Hallow biome and place the Nurse and Arms Dealer in adjacent houses. This will give both NPCs a happiness boost, leading to discounts on their items. Similarly, the Merchant prefers the Forest biome and likes living with the Golfer. Placing them together in the Forest biome will increase their happiness and reduce their prices.

It is important to note that some NPCs have conflicting preferences. For example, the Arms Dealer likes the Nurse but dislikes the Steampunker. If you place the Arms Dealer and Steampunker near each other, the Arms Dealer's happiness will decrease, even if they are in a preferred biome. To avoid this, you need to carefully plan your town layout to ensure that NPCs are not placed near disliked neighbors.

Another important consideration is the size of your town. NPCs need to be within a certain distance of each other to be considered neighbors. If they are too far apart, their happiness will not be affected by their neighbors. To ensure that NPCs are close enough, you should build houses in clusters, with each cluster containing NPCs that like each other. This will help you maximize happiness and discounts.

One common mistake players make is placing too many NPCs in one biome. While it may seem efficient to have all your NPCs in one area, this can lead to overcrowding and decreased happiness. To avoid this, you should spread your NPCs across multiple biomes, placing them in their preferred biomes and near their preferred neighbors. This will help you achieve the best possible happiness levels and discounts.

Advanced players can optimize their town layout by using pylons. Pylons are items that allow you to teleport between different biomes, making it easier to manage NPC happiness across multiple areas. To use pylons, you need to have at least two NPCs in a biome who are happy enough to sell the pylon for that biome. Once you have a pylon, you can place it in the biome and use it to quickly travel between different areas of your town. This allows you to spread your NPCs across multiple biomes without having to travel long distances.

Resource requirements for building a happy town include wood, stone, and other building materials. You will also need to gather biome-specific blocks and walls to create houses in the preferred biomes. For example, to build a house in the Hallow biome, you will need Pearlstone blocks and Pearlstone brick walls. Preparation involves gathering these materials and planning your town layout before you start building.

Class and equipment considerations are not directly related to NPC happiness, but having a well-equipped character can make it easier to gather resources and build houses. For example, a character with a high mining speed and good mobility can quickly gather materials and build houses in different biomes. Additionally, having a good weapon and armor set can help you defend your town from enemies that may spawn in certain biomes.

In summary, achieving the best NPC happiness combinations in Terraria requires careful planning and attention to detail. You need to understand the preferences of each NPC, build houses in their preferred biomes, and place them near their preferred neighbors. Avoid overcrowding and conflicting preferences, and consider using pylons to optimize your town layout. With the right preparation and strategy, you can maximize NPC happiness and achieve significant discounts on items, making your Terraria experience more enjoyable and efficient.