Before the first tree gets chopped down, Terraria asks your group to make a few decisions. Some sound similar and do very different things.
You don't need a perfect setup. You need one that fits the people who will actually show up, including the friend who has never played and the friend who insists Master mode will be “fine.”
For a new group, keep the first world approachable.
My starting suggestion is Classic characters, a Classic world and Medium size. Choose Expert if the whole group wants a tougher run. These are preferences, not server requirements; agree on them together before generating the world.
Vanilla Terraria on PCCharacter difficulty is not world difficulty
Character difficulty controls what death costs you. Classic characters lose coins. Mediumcore drops carried items, and ordinary Hardcore play ends that character's run on death. World difficulty is a separate setting that changes the challenge in the world.
You can use a Classic character in an Expert world. You do not need Mediumcore to play Expert. For a casual group, keeping equipment after a bad landing tends to make the next attempt easier to organize.
Journey has its own pairing: Journey characters go with Journey worlds. If you pick it, make sure everybody creates the matching kind of character.
Choose the challenge for the whole group
Classic is a reasonable starting point when people are learning. Expert raises the challenge and offers exclusive rewards. Master goes further. Pick the run the group wants, not the hardest label available.
For an experienced group, Expert can be a good shared project. With new players, ask whether they want to learn boss fights under that pressure. One veteran being ready does not mean everybody else is.
You can also choose Journey if adjustable difficulty and creative controls suit the way you want to play. Agree on how you will use those controls, just as you would agree on any other house rule.
Large is an option, not an upgrade
World size sets the amount of terrain you generate. More space can be appealing, but travelling across it is part of the evening too. Pick for the length and style of the playthrough.
| Size | Why I would choose it |
|---|---|
| Small | A compact run or a pair who would rather get around quickly. |
| Medium | A starting point for a small group that wants room without choosing the largest map. |
| Large | A longer playthrough with people who enjoy exploring and building across more space. |
Agree on fresh characters
In ordinary Terraria, inventory travels with the character between worlds. Starting a new server does not automatically empty everyone's pockets. Decide whether this run starts fresh or welcomes equipment from previous worlds.
Either can be fun. The awkward version is finding out halfway through the first session that one player brought endgame gear and everybody else brought a copper pickaxe.
For a fresh playthrough, ask everyone to create a new character for it. Also agree on whether major boss fights wait for the group. A two-minute conversation is easier than explaining that half the progression happened while somebody was at work.
Try joining before game night
Once the world is ready, have one friend connect. Check the expected world, character compatibility and game version, then save and restart to make sure you're loading the same world again.
Keep a backup before making major changes. On a standard setup, server world data and players' character files are separate, so remind the group to protect both. If you use server mods that manage character data differently, follow their instructions.
Then share the connection details and the agreed settings in one message. After that, you can get on with building a house that will almost certainly begin as a wooden rectangle.
Sources & useful links
The technical details behind this guide, if you want to dig further.
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