What to Remember When Building a Terraria Server

If you're a gamer, there's no doubt you've heard of Terraria. After all, this amazing adventure game has now sold more than 35 million copies! 

If you have a group of friends who loves the game, a great way to get more out of Terraria is to host your own server. You can use mods, choose your theme, and develop a unique community. 

Want to start up a Terraria server and play with your friends? There are a few things you need to know before getting started. Read on for some handy tips.

Know a Little About the Game

Before you think about Terraria server hosting, it's important to know a little about the game. Learn as much as you can about Terraria before you jump into server hosting.

Released in 2011, this sandbox game offers players the chance to explore, build, and fight enemies in a 2D world. Using a simple but eye-catching art style, the game is deceptively complex.

Terraria receives regular updates, with various new items, enemies, and game modes being added over the years. The game has also been ported to various consoles, allowing more people to join in the fun. 

Before you start your server, be sure to play the game on other servers first. This will give you a good idea if you like the game and give you some ideas about how you'd like to run your server.

Many people compare Terraria to Minecraft. Both games feature similar elements, including powerful enemies and the opportunity for players to get creative. 

The makers of Terraria support people hosting private servers. The game even offers a server setup wizard, making it easier than ever to have fun with your friends.  

Make it Worth It

There are a lot of places where people can enjoy playing Terraria. From official servers to specially modified servers, there are all kinds of options. So, think carefully about why people would choose to play on your server.

The first and most common reason for hosting a server is to develop a community. Players may choose to play with close friends without a lot of strangers getting in the way. But do you have enough friends who will play consistently?

If you're thinking about bringing in other players, think carefully about why players would choose your server over another. Do you offer a particularly vibrant community or a special theme? Try to add a unique flair that no other server can offer. 

In the world of private game servers, there is a lot of competition. Try to go the extra mile to help your server stand out from the crowd. 

Consider Your Hosting Options

If you want to host a Terraria server that's durable and long-lasting, you'll need to pay a hosting service. For a server that runs 24/7 and hosts lots of different players, it's simply not viable to host the server yourself. 

Choose a hosting service you can trust to provide you with a great service. Here at AleForge, we're already hosting servers for all kinds of people. Could you be another one of our satisfied customers?

Remember the Cost

Running a server isn't free, although it may cost far less than you expect. Still, it's important to think about this monetary aspect.

Our Terraria server hosting starts from just $1.50 per GB. That's one of the best options on the market, proving sustainable even as your server grows. And Terraria servers don't tend to grow too quickly, making this viable as a long-term endeavor. 

If your server grows and becomes a long-term project, it might be time to bring in some extra funding. Consider asking your loyal players to contribute to the server hosting costs through Patreon or a similar service. Even a small contribution can help and you could even offer in-game rewards to encourage donations.

Communication is Key

If you want to run a successful server, communication is important in the long term. After all, people are playing on a private server in order to enjoy the community. Try to facilitate communication to increase interest in the server and allow community activities to run more smoothly.

Don't just rely on in-game communication. Try to set up other social media channels where people can talk. A Facebook or Twitter page is a great way of keeping people updated on the goings-on within the server and you can also draw in new players through social media advertising.

You should set up a Discord server to supplement in-game chat. This will allow players to chat when they aren't playing. And different channels can be used to set up events in game or report bugs. 

This is also a key moderation tool. You can set up an admin room within the Discord server to communicate with your team and keep the game functioning well. 

Mods Can be Fun

Terraria is a great game. There's so much to do, from fighting powerful enemies and searching for rare items to building an efficient base.

If that's not enough for you, there are lots of mods you can use to make the game more interesting when building a server. These can add new items, abilities, and anything else you can think of. There are lots of mods available for free download, or if you're the creative type, you could code some mods yourself.

Think carefully about the types of mods you'd like to use and how they could enhance your server. While many available mod options can add a touch of flair to your game, you should be careful not to stray too far away from the things that make Terraria fun in the first place.

Admins May be Necessary

Online gaming is meant to be fun. And it can be a great way to meet new people and form a community online. Sadly, some people will misbehave when their identities are hidden behind a screen and this can lead to some pretty toxic online environments. 

Be sure to publish a code of conduct that's easily accessible to all players. This will help everyone to stay on the same page in terms of what's acceptable. Signpost new players to where they should report misconduct. 

At some point, you may need to give admin powers to certain players. This could include the ability to mute, suspend, or ban players. Choose players you trust and who can stay level-headed in difficult situations.

For most people, offering monetary compensation for admin work won't be viable. But you could offer admins in-game rewards, like special items.

It's best to think about the admin issue in advance. Approach some candidates before you begin bringing in lots of new players. This will help you to stay on top of any issues that may arise. 

The More the Merrier

Unless you started up your server as a private haven for you and a handful of friends, you probably want to attract as many players to your server as possible. This helps to create a more dynamic environment with a strong economy and chances for group quests and bossing. 

Sometimes, server growth can get a little out of control. You could end up growing your server too much, leaving it somewhat chaotic if you're overwhelmed with new players. As long as your server grows at a steady rate, you should be able to keep the player population in check. 

You Need Support

Imagine if your server went down abruptly. What would you do? Your players might be complaining and if you leave things as they are for too long, you may end up losing players forever.  

So, what would you do if this happened, or if another major issue impacted your ability to host? Would you have the technical knowledge to fix the problem and allow your player base to enjoy the game again?

When you use AleForge's hosting services to play Terraria with your community, there's no need to worry about any of these problems. We take care of the hosting and technical issues so you can have fun playing your chosen game and building your community. We have plenty of experience taking care of servers for all kinds of games, so you can sit back and relax. 

Start Your Server Today!

Now you've learned everything you need to know about hosting a personal Terraria server, it's time to take the next steps. We can help you get your server started in under a minute!

We have different packages to suit your needs and budget. Order a Terraria server today and you could be exploring this world before you know it.