How to Make A Gamemode

This guide aims to make you able to become a successful Terraria gamemode creator. We will be discussing map types, ideas, and much more!

Creating an Idea (Brainstorming)

The first thing to do to make a successful gamemode is to come up with a thought, this can also be the hardest part. Try brainstorming a bit to see what you can come up with!

Things to help you think

• Try thinking of a childhood game (i.e hide and seek, tag) and put your own spin on things! Other things that you can do would be to brainstorm. Brainstorm with a team, or by yourself until you have a collection of ideas to present to the next process of gamemode making.

• Look at existing popular gamemdoes, try thinking of something that would take what made that gamemode popular and add it to your gamemode. Just make sure it isn't the same gamemode with a different name!

• See what is currently popular (classes, no classes, able to edit map, fixed map) and place that into your gamemode to make it fun for the community

• Come up with a brand new idea!

Selecting an Idea

Select the idea that you thing would be the most fun for the community, and yourself, no matter how difficult the idea could be to make. Scratch out the ideas that you don't like, or propose them all to a friend/group and see how the community reacts to your ideas.

Things to make sure you have

• Make sure you have some type of goal in mind for the gamemode.
  
• Make sure you have some type of mindset for this (so you don't give up!)

Creating the Arena(s)

The second most important part of the gamemode creating stage is the making the Arena(s). There are many different types of arenas: open, closed, editable, semi-editable, not-editable, maybe not even an arena at all (i.e Bridge Wars by Mbran139)

Idea generation for Arenas

• Look at existing arenas and build one like that, not exactly the same though.
  
• Brainstorm
  
• Class based arena (only certain classes can get certain places)

How do I know what Arena is right for my gamemode?

• Try out and test different arenas

I'm not a good builder at all!

• Try finding a good builder (people may want to help!)
  
• Practice building (also a nice lighting style can go a long way!)
  
• Try finding a style that you like and mimic it, a little bit of extra work can go a long way!

Notes

• Try not to make things too compact, think large open space, or small space with lots of different paths. Stay away from tons of choke points.

A Part of The Cave by Sanlan Arena


A Part of Ice DtF (Defend the Fortress) by the WHAT Team Arena


A Part of Classwars by the WHAT Team Arena


The Bridge Wars by Mbran139 (build your own arena) Arena

Creating Classes (Optional)

Lots of different class systems have been devised over the Terrarian years, pick one that suits you and make your own classes!

How do I make classes?

• Brainstorm!
  
• Think up different sets of items that could be used together.
  
• Go random and see if it works (not the best idea)
  
• Make sure that the people have options! The more options for classes people have the more they feel like they control the gamemode!

How do I know when my classes are finished?

• When they are balanced

My Classes aren't balanced, what do I do?

• Test them against each other

I don't want my classes balanced, I like the scout/heavy variations

• Games like this can be fun! Just make sure that the classes don't get too out of hand (excalibur+full health Versus a broken shotgun)

Look at this item "dispenser" below, once the player drops down to get their items the door/opening will close. To get out all the player needs to do is flick the switch located above him/her.


Check out some guides that may help with balancing (full item descriptions)
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=166596381&insideModal=0#-1
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=166677633&insideModal=0#-1

Finishing Up the Gamemode

So you think you are finished? Well you can't be finished until the gamemode has met up with the standards for the community. Take all the complaints you can, compile them even.

What do I do with complaints?

• Try and fix them, unless it's something you meant to put into the gamemode to make it more challenging.
  
• Do not ignore them!

What should I do to test my gamemode?

• First hold a "private" alpha stage with some of your closest friends, ask them what they liked and what they didn't like
  
• After the alpha, hold open beta testing about what you can do to make your gamemode better

How do I know when my gamemode is 100% Finished?

• When the community likes almost everything (or everything) about your gamemode.
  
• When you are satisfied with your gamemode.

Hosting the Gamemode

I feel 100% finished with my gamemode! How do I get the gamemode out to the world?

Becoming your own host

• Step one- find a group/community of people that enjoy Terraria
  
• Step two- join group
  
• Step three- Before applying for admin, make sure your server can hold the people for the gamemode. Make sure that you have portforwarded[lmgtfy.com] (if you do not know what this is use the power of youtube/google[lmgtfy.com] to learn more) Also, use http://www.speedtest.net to check your connection speed, the upload speed and ping are what really matters to server hosters. (Small ping and Large upload speed for best result)

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But I can use Hamachi/Other Game Hoster Thing!

• While this is true many people do not like to go out of their way to download something just to join your game. Hamachi servers get much less traffic than regular servers would.

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• Step four- Apply for admin, check with the group owner or other moderators/admins. One of them may run a stress test on your server
  
• Step five- Enjoy and start hosting! (Note: try not to be mean/overcontrolling as it may make you less popular with the community)

I can't host! What should I do?

• Try talking with other hosts, many of them would be happy to let them use their server to play the gamemode you created
  
• Think about buying a server and using that

I don't really want to host it, I made this map for fun

• Upload the map to somewhere like curseforge, or mention it to the Terraria Forums (http://www.terrariaonline.com)

Gamemode Hosting Groups

• Odysseygamez PVP
  
• Ask around, I don't know them all
  
• Create your own group!

Hosting Software

People are breaking the rules and I can't control them like in other games!
That is because Terraria has no default commands on the multiplayer server

Tshock[tshock.co]

• Tshock is a free to use, server hosting tool, there are many guides on youtube about how to use this powerful program

How do I use it?

• Youtube/google are great sources[lmgtfy.com]

It's asking for that I remove protection from it?!?

• Yes, Tshock cannot connect the external port to the internal port without this.

Where can I download this?!

• Try this link- https://github.com/TShock/TShock/downloads

I need more commands in Tshock!

• Try plugins!

What are plugins?

• Plugins are things that can be added to Tshock/most servers to add commands, or features like warp plates, the /killall command

Where can I get the plugins?

• A list of plugins is available here- http://tshock.co/xf/index.php?forums/plugin-releases.15/

Can you recommend plugins?
My Current Favorites -

• MAC (More Admin Commands)
  
• Advanced Warp Plates
  
• Advanced Circuits (Changes Vanilla Terraria Circuits, not recommend for beginners)
  
• Invincible Tiles

Help! Tshock is giving me an error that says my plugins are out of date!

• Then the plugins are out of date -_-
  
• There is a "trick" to be able to use your plugins.

Trick?!?

• Step one- Make a shortcut of Tshock's TerrariaServer.exe
  
• Step two- Place shortcut somewhere
  
• Step three- right click the shortcut, select properties
  
• Step four- where it says "Target Location" after the long file location type -ignoreversion (dont forget the space before -)

End Credits and Other Notes

Special Thanks to Clawissa from DeviantArt[clawissa.deviantart.com] (<----It's a link! Click it to check her out!) for the front picture!
Another thanks to Voltz! Who read through all my mistakes.

Some game changing gamemodes-

• Class Wars by the WHAT Team- this game was one of the first (if not the first) to have classes.
  
• LBE by Baih and Wavve- this game had a "random" item generator, games where hard to get into when this first came out.
  
• Bridge Wars by Mbran139- One of the first major gamemodes where you had to build your own arena, there was nothing to hold you back from building anything.

You can find Pre-Made Servers for these all, and more, at my mediafire!
Link Currently Down Due to the 1.2 Update
-Will update all servers ASAP, please be patient

[Blue Knight]

i wanna join

[EarthyIsHere]

can I join one? I love gamemodes

[Skwak]

can i join 0ne

[Sepeer]

i was thinking on making a gamemode and this should help me thx

[JosefRuzicka]

awesome

[Gormet]

Cool

[Tato]

imagine a bone throw...

[MedicalCheeze3]

neat

[CoolKid69]

Oh look out he corrected something sanlan spelled wrong, we got a badass over here

[plat1num]

careful... stuff can be painful...