Greetings, Terrarians! The massive and highly-anticipated Journey's End update for Terraria is nearly here... only 10 days to go! Today's Feature Article is one that we have been looking forward to for quite some time, as we will be giving you a first glimpse into the brand new Journey Mode. The goal of Journey Mode is to provide a more accessible experience by providing the player unprecedented control over the gameplay experience. A way to bring in all players of various skill levels and to be able to customize your experience to optimize the fun you have in game. This is not Creative Mode, this is a whole new way to experience Terraria - and one we feel represents the ultimate evolution of being able to play your Terraria any way that you want. What does all of this mean? How does it all work? Let's dive into just the high level here... but if you want the full details, complete with a lot of fun images, check out the announcement thread over on TCF, linked below:

JOURNEY MODE FEATURE ARTICLE ON TERRARIA COMMUNITY FORUMS

---- For starters, the only rule of Journey Mode is that Journey Mode Characters can only play on Journey Mode Worlds and vice versa - no exceptions!

ENHANCED STARTER GEAR

Every Journey begins with that first step, but of course, every smart traveler packs the right gear before heading out. In Journey Mode, you will begin your adventure with an enhanced starter gear package, which includes:

• Iron Shortsword
• Iron Axe
• Iron Pickaxe
• Iron Hammer
• Finch Staff (a bird that is happy to sit on your head when it isn't attacking your foes)
• 100 Torches
• 100 Rope
• Magic Mirror
• Starter Wings (very limited flight, removes fall damage)

Of course, you are free to use as much - or as little - of this gear as you choose. As you will hear us say over and over in regards to Journey Mode - the choices are all yours! Take as much or as little help as you need. You can even make things harder on yourself if you so choose, but more on that later ---

WELCOME TO TERRARIA LABORATORIES - THE FUTURE OF R & D

R&D? What in the world are we talking about? Welcome to the wide, wide world of Terraria R&D: Research & Duplication. R&D is going to quickly become your best friend - and latest obsession - during your adventures in Journey Mode. How does it all work? Why, it is so easy, the Guide could do it!

RESEARCH

Once you complete your Research on any item in the game, you will unlock the power to Duplicate it at will. Let's pause a second to let that sink in. Ok, are you back with us? Let's continue along our tour. Researching an item is pretty straight forward - start by opening up your inventory and clicking on Benny the Construction Bunny. This hardhat-wearing friendly critter is your gateway to the immense powers bestowed upon you in Journey Mode.

DUPLICATION

Clicking the icon for any item appearing in the Duplication Menu will instantly spawn a full stack of that item (materials, blocks, etc.) or a single duplicate of things like Weapons/Armor/Accessories. Anything you can Duplicate is yours to use as you see fit. Again, this is a power you can choose to utilize - or not. As we keep saying, Journey Mode is about you playing your way! So just how powerful does this get? Aren't there over 5.000 items now? How in the world can I keep track of all of that?! With a fully searchable interface along with filter tabs, you will be able to quickly find what you are looking to recreate! R&D works in Multiplayer sessions as well! Work together as a team to help your partners keep up! Share gear (or don't!) - make sure that everyone gets that early Magic Mirror or epic boss drop. What you and your friends decide to do with all this power is entirely up to you! ---

THE POWER TO MANIPULATE YOUR WORLD - CONTROL WEATHER & TIME ITSELF

You ever have those days in Terraria where it seems to have become monsoon season and the rain never stops? How about those times when you are ready to challenge Skeletron but you look up and it is 6:59am in game? What if you just wanted to engage in a bit of kite-flying, but the wind isn't cooperating? Once again, Journey Mode has the answers to all of these problems and more The weather has become a bigger and bigger part of the Terraria experience over time - and 1.4 takes that to the next level, with new wind effects and storms to add to the already-robust environmental effects. That being the case, it only makes sense that Journey Mode gives you the power to control the very weather itself! What if I told you that you could jump ahead in time, accelerate it's passing, and even freeze it altogether - and that you would not even need a single gigawatt to do so? Sounds like a pipe dream? Well keep dreaming, folks, because with Journey Mode, that is precisely what you can do! ---

CREATING A CHALLENGE WORTHY OF YOUR SKILLS - REAL-TIME DIFFICULTY AND SPAWN RATES

In the past, Terrarians were forced to select their level of difficulty at the World Creation screen. While this is certainly still the case in the normal game modes, Journey Mode once again breaks the mold and allows players to create a challenge tailored to their skill level - and to adjust it back up or down as they see fit, with real-time results. What does this all mean? Well, this means that the challenge level in Journey Mode is in your hands - from an easy no-enemy jaunt through the countryside to a murderous gauntlet full with hordes of Master Mode enemies, once again, the choice belongs to you. With Journey Mode you can create both the easiest and the most difficult experiences that Terraria has to offer. For this power, you have two levers to pull. Difficulty - which will impact everyone you are playing with (in multiplayer) - and Spawn Rate, which will only impact the area around your character. With Spawn Rate, everyone can have their own mini-challenge slider even though the difficulty level is the same for everyone. ----

ROUNDING OUT JOURNEY MODE - ADDITIONAL POWERS

There are a small handful of additional powers that we would be remiss to not mention - and we are pretty sure these will be fan favorites! Two of these are player-based powers, while one of them impacts the world itself. Godmode - Also sometimes known as Kidmode... a nice set of training wheels to help new or younger players learn the game (don't worry, we won't tell anyone when you use it on yourself to get over the tougher challenges) Infection Spread - Don't want it? Then you don't have to have it Increased Placement Range - Ok, sure, but just how big of a difference does this make? A lot, trust us. Whew, so you made it to the end of our journey into Journey Mode. We are sure your minds are swimming with the ideas and possibilities right now. Let's close out with some thoughts from a dedicated community content creator and influencer. Someone whom has never failed to cover and provide his thoughts on the big news in the world of Terraria. Of course, we speak of none other than ChippyGaming - so without further ado, we are happy to share his advance-view thoughts on Journey Mode! [previewyoutube=M01jQ2XRqfE;full][/previewyoutube] ---- If you have missed any of our previous Journey's End Feature Articles, check out the links below to learn more!

Expand Your Terraria Empire - Pylons, Town Building, and NPC Happiness

What was Old is Made New Again: Revisting the Terraria Experience

Full Steam Ahead! tModLoader to Launch as Free DLC for Terraria with Journey's End!