So the Starbound Quicklook made me want to dive back into Terraria. I played 4 hours of it a few months ago and haven't touched it since. I enjoyed my time with it, but found I didn't have a lot of direction, (I know that's somewhat the point).

I'm wondering if you guys recommend using a FAQ or guide to get me a little deeper into it this time. I don't want to read about all of its secrets or anything and I'm not trying to 'cheat' the game. I just think it might give me a little more of a starting off point. Is this a good idea, or will I ruin the surprises and discovery of the game?

What was your approach to the game when you first started playing it? Thanks in advance.

I'd say don't, unless you reach a point where you feel like you really need to advance and don't know how (the fourth boss in particular might be a stumper, as well as initiating the next step after that). I like being surprised by things I come across, so I prefer to keep myself in the dark as much as I can. That said, I don't think it ruins anything to know what your "next step" should be, so if you prefer to have direction the whole time, go for it.

Terraria's actually got a lot more game in it than it looks, with really great progression -- both in your own character and the enemies you'll fight. It's a lot of fun no matter how you decide to tackle it.

A FAQ/Wiki to use for constant reference has been pretty much mandatory for me to enjoy Terraria.

My brother had played about fifty hours or so of it by the time I jumped in and he helped show me the ropes. If you can find a buddy who has played a lot of it to show you some things, that would probably be the best way to dive into it.

If you can't... well, just make a house, dig up some resources, and see what you can do with them. As adventurous as this sounds, it's not the best way for some people to start. I would never have enjoyed Terraria all that much if my brother hadn't been there with a project in mind.

But to answer your immediate question, having a FAQ open might be a good idea. Remember, though, that you can see everything you can make at a crafting bench or a furnace or whatever. It might be better to just make something that looks cool or interesting, see what it does, and then see what else you can make. Just have the FAQ as a backup, it's not as integral to this game as it is to, say, Minecraft.

When I played Terraria on ps3 earlier this year, I delved as far and as deep into as I could before feeling like I was getting a little bogged down or loosing focus. That's when I turned to a guide, and it revived my focus and determination. I did this 2 or 3 times throughout my time with the game and it definatly helped my experience.

So yes, I would say give the game another run and if you begin to feel like your not getting anywhere, turn to a FAQ for a quick peek at that next crafting formula.

Terraria is a fantastic game, one of my top 5 this yeast. Good luck!

I say go with your heart. I'd say my 100+ hours of Terraria was 50% wingin' it and 50% wiki hunting.

...and 100% good times.

Using the wiki liberally has actually heightened my enthusiasm for the game, but if you really relish having a feeling of discovery and mystery, I wouldn't, obviously. For me, not having to blindly trial-and-error my way through crafting recipes is a big quality-of-life improvement.

I used the wiki the entire time I played that game, and I don't understand why you would do it differently.