What are the best NPC housing designs for post-Moon Lord Terraria?

In post-Moon Lord Terraria, optimizing NPC housing designs is crucial for maximizing NPC happiness, which directly impacts their prices and the availability of unique items like the Pylon network. The happiness system is based on three main factors: biome preference, neighbor preference, and overcrowding. Each NPC has specific biomes they like or dislike, as well as preferred neighbors. Overcrowding occurs when too many NPCs are housed in a small area, reducing happiness. To create the best housing designs, you need to balance these factors while ensuring the housing is functional and aesthetically pleasing.

First, letÔÇÖs discuss biome preferences. 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. Placing NPCs in their preferred biomes increases their happiness, while placing them in disliked biomes decreases it. To maximize happiness, you should create small towns in different biomes, each housing NPCs who prefer that biome. For example, you could build a Forest town for the Guide, Merchant, and Zoologist, a Desert town for the Arms Dealer, Nurse, and Steampunker, and an Ocean town for the Angler, Pirate, and Stylist.

Next, consider neighbor preferences. Some NPCs like or dislike specific neighbors. For example, the Arms Dealer likes the Nurse but dislikes the Steampunker. Pairing NPCs with their preferred neighbors increases happiness, while pairing them with disliked neighbors decreases it. To optimize happiness, you should house NPCs in pairs or small groups based on their preferences. For example, you could house the Arms Dealer and Nurse together in the Desert, and the Steampunker and Cyborg together in the Hallow.

Overcrowding is another important factor. If too many NPCs are housed in a small area, their happiness decreases. To avoid overcrowding, you should spread out your NPC housing across different biomes and ensure each house is at least 25 tiles away from the next. This prevents NPCs from being too close together, which can lead to overcrowding penalties.

Now, letÔÇÖs talk about building techniques. Each NPC house must meet the basic requirements: it must be at least 6 tiles wide and 10 tiles tall, have walls, a door, a table, a chair, and a light source. You can use a variety of materials to build houses, but using biome-specific materials can enhance the aesthetic appeal. For example, you could use Palm Wood and Sandstone in the Desert, or Boreal Wood and Snow in the Snow biome. Adding decorative items like paintings, banners, and furniture can also improve the look of your houses.

Resource requirements and preparation are important considerations. You will need a variety of materials to build houses in different biomes, so itÔÇÖs a good idea to gather resources like wood, stone, and biome-specific materials before starting. You may also need to craft furniture and decorative items, so make sure you have the necessary crafting stations and materials. For example, you can craft a Sawmill to make furniture, and a Loom to make banners.

Class and equipment considerations are less relevant for NPC housing, but having a good pickaxe or drill can make gathering resources easier. Additionally, having a high movement speed and flight ability can help you travel between biomes quickly, making it easier to manage multiple towns.

Common mistakes to avoid include placing NPCs in disliked biomes, pairing them with disliked neighbors, and overcrowding. These mistakes can significantly reduce NPC happiness, leading to higher prices and the inability to purchase Pylons. To avoid these mistakes, always check the NPCÔÇÖs preferences before placing them in a house, and spread out your housing to prevent overcrowding.

Advanced techniques include using teleporters and Pylons to create a fast travel network between your towns. This allows you to quickly move between biomes without having to walk or fly long distances. You can also use actuators and wiring to create hidden doors or secret rooms, adding an extra layer of creativity to your housing designs.

In summary, the best NPC housing designs for post-Moon Lord Terraria involve creating small towns in different biomes, pairing NPCs with their preferred neighbors, and avoiding overcrowding. By following these strategies, you can maximize NPC happiness, reduce prices, and create a thriving, interconnected world.