Frequently asked questions

##Releases and Downloads

###I have an error! What do I do?

The first thing we suggest when you encounter an error is resetting your game. In the first screen with the green terminal text and menu below there should be an option that says 'options'. If you go into it, you should be able to select another option that says 'RESET SETTINGS AND EXIT'. A warning: this will wipe all your game saves, including items, coins etc. If the game still encounters an error even after you've reset all the settings and you've started from scratch, then that means there is a problem in the code base, which you will have to wait until the next release to be fixed.

###When will you release a new version of the game?

There is no set time frame for new releases to go out. There may be slow periods where no releases happen for almost months, or fast periods where we churn out releases every two weeks with lots of new content. It all depends on how busy the developers are, who take free time out of their busy lives to work on this project. You can subscribe to our twitter feed - our very own britta-bot will make a new post every time there is a new version to download.

###How do I download the new version of the game?

Just click on the relevant download link for you operating system in the latest release thread. Windows users should use the 32-bit or 64-bit version depending on their system. Mac users should download the OS X version. Linux users will need to download the hawkthorne.love file. This requires the LOVE framework which you will need to download to play.

###What about automatic updates?

Automatic updates download a new version of the game automatically when you opened the game. If automatic updates are not working, we will post on reddit and you can download the new release manually.

###Can I download the soundtrack for the game?

The soundtrack can be downloaded from our official site.

###Can I download artwork from the game?

All artwork, such as costumes, sprites and tilesets can be found on our GitHub pages. Artwork and audio files are licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0. Artwork includes all .png, .psd, .ogg, and .wav files. This means that they cannot be used for monetary gain.

##Playing the Game

###What are the controls? Is there a walkthrough for the game?

A walkthrough for the game, listing default controls can be found [here] (https://github.com/hawkthorne/hawkthorne-journey/wiki/Walkthrough). Players can customize the controls in the game settings.

###Can I play with a joystick or with an external controller?

Yes, provided the controller has a sufficient number of buttons. You will need an intermediate program mapping the buttons on the controller to the keys on your keyboard.

###Why can't I go through some of the doors?

Because they don't lead anywhere. All doors which are accessible should have a green arrow above them. We are working on adding info boxes to closed doors. Pressing INTERACT when standing in front of a door should either send you through the door or bring up a prompt either telling you the door is inaccessible or locked and requires a key.

How do you drop items from your inventory?

You can drop items by pressing the 'INTERACT' button, which should be defaulted to 'D'.

_____ level is way too hard!

No it is not. Give it another go. You'll get there. This game would be incredibly boring if it could be completed first time around. If you're struggling with jumps, in some cases it helps to have a run up. If you have trouble with enemies, consider purchasing a stronger weapon.

On a similar note, you may find that the difficulty curve changes quite drastically after Valley of Laziness. This is not intentional, the Gay Island and other levels beyond are all planned to be expanded and developed so that they may be more challenging for the players.

###Why can't I access the area above Gay Island?

That area is currently uncharted. No levels have been created for that level yet and we are focusing on recreating the episode before implementing any new levels so it might be a while before there's anything there.

###Is there an endgame?

Yes! As of V1.0 the game is playable from start to finish with Cornelius at the very end guarding the inheritance.

###What is the Greendale key for? Where can I find it?

The Greendale key is one of several keys in the game. It is used for unlocking the door to Greendale, which is found in the hippy hallway. Cornelius drops the key next to the throne in Castle Hawkthorne when he is defeated.

##Reporting bugs

###Help! Something happened!

Don't worry. It was probably a bug. If you received a blue screen error message, you don't need to do anything. Thanks to Sentry, we receive these error reports automatically. If you notice anything else not working as it should do, please check the list of GitHub issues, the subreddit and release post to see if anyone has already reported the issue. If not, please let us know.

##Elements missing from the episode

We are currently focusing on creating missing elements from the episode rather than implementing new features but please be aware there are major differences between animating a sitcom and creating a playable and enjoyable game so not everything will be identical. We also have a very small development team (single figures) so it is all going to take time.

###I want to kill the blacksmith

We're well aware people want to murder the blacksmith and burn down his home. Fortunately for those of you with homicidal tendencies, this is now possible. Steal a torch off his wall, throw it at him and enjoy.

###Digging please There are currently some breakable blocks in the forest and valley levels which are equivalent to digging in select places. Players will never be able to dig wherever they please or block themselves in and suffocate to death.

##I want to marry Hilda

You can marry Hilda once you have 1000 affection points from her. Points may be obtained by completing certain tasks or commanding her to do certain things. Once married you will be able to have babies with her.

##Ideas and Suggestions

We need a leveling system!

We're not too keen on adding explicit leveling to the game. Instead, we'll be taking an approach similar to Zelda and Super Metroid. In these games, you acquire new items throughout the game which unlock new areas. For example, in Zelda, there may be a deep valley you can't cross. However, once you get the hook shot, you can easily get across. The plan is that weapons will eventually unlocked instead of purchased from the blacksmith.

Make a Free Ride Ferry minigame!

No. The whole point is that it's a "free ride".

###Can we have a "PaintBall/Dreamatorium/Darkest Timeline/The Apartment/Inspector Spacetime" level?

Sure, but the devs are focusing on completely the main game. We'd love for you to give it a go yourself & create a level or tileset. Check out the "How can I help?" link for more details on how to do this.

Why don't we add ______ as a character?

Costumes are non-essential to gameplay so the devs aren't working on these. If you'd like to create a costume, sign up for one.

First check for the character on the Sprite Spreadsheet. If you haven't found the character, then it may be an entirely new idea, so post it on /r/hawkthorne.

If the character is on the spreadsheet and isn't in the game it is probably because not all of their frames have been completed. Submit the new necessary frames and submit your progress to /r/hawkthorne for feedback

Can we have "insert famous video game character" in the game?

No - stick with characters from the show and stick with costumes from the show.

##Contributing

###How can I contribute to the game?

Check out this guide to contributing and have a look at the pages on the wiki for creating spritesheets, tiletsets and levels. We're always happy to have more people involved - if you get stuck, hop onto Webchat and someone will probably be around to help you out.

##Reddit

###How do I get a picture next to my name?

Select "Show my flair on this subreddit" on the sidebar next to your username.

###How do I tag my post? Which flair should I use?

Select "flair" which should appear beneath your post. Most flair are pretty self-explanatory. "Request" should not be used if you'd like to see a new feature in the game. It should only be used if you're working on something and require help - for example you need a sound effect or some artwork for a feature your coding. "Announcements" are posts made by the moderators to address the entire subreddit.

##Behind the Scenes

###Are you connected to Community, NBC or Sony?

No. We're not employed by NBC or Sony or connected to the show in any way. This is an unofficial game created by fans of the original episode during their free time.

###Who are you then?

We're a group of devoted fans who have come together to make Journey to the Center of Hawkthorne a reality.

###Where are you based?

There is no central basis for this project - all communication and collaboration happens online. The main development team are located in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom though we have contributors from all over the world.

###Do the cast and crew of Community know about the game?

Absolutely! Megan Ganz (a writer on the show) has been active on the subreddit and shown the main cast the mini basketball game based on the missing tag from Digital Estate Planning. Chris McKenna (another writer) has also seen it and thinks it's great.

Dan Harmon has played the game and loves the details and amount of effort which has gone into making it. Gillian Jacobs played the game at the Six Seasons and a Movie art show and her favorite costume was her Squirrel outfit. Sakari Sangh and Rachel Long also played the game at the art show. Sakari was the artist behind most of the levels, and Rachel was one of the main animators for the episode.

Charley Koontz (Fat Neil), Erik Nielson (Garrett) and Travis Richey(Inspector Spacetime) played the game at Communicon and loved it. We have photos! Yvette Nicole Brown (Shirley) & Gillian Jacobs (Britta) and the actors who play Vicki, Todd, Annie Kim, the Human Being, Officer Cakowski and Quendra have all talked to various devs at Communicon.

Donald Glover and Alison Brie have tweeted about the game.

###Have you been to any fan conventions?

Derferman attended the Six Seasons and a Movie art show while the game was in it's infancy (June 2012). Check out his recap and documentary for the entire show.

BoobATron4000 attended Communicon in February 2013. Here's his recap and some additonal photos

Derferman, edisonout, bucketh3ad and BoobATron4000 attended the second Communicon in October 2013.

###How can I contact you?

You can either use the "contact the moderators" option on reddit, create a post on reddit or hop onto Webchat (via IRC).

###Can we give you money? Why don't you use Kickstarter?

We can't accept any donations. Sony own the rights to Community and any money headed our way leads to a murky legal area which could result in the whole project being shut down.

###How many people have contributed to the game?

We've had contributions from more than 350 different fans, with 53 people contributing code and more than 12,800 followers on reddit.

###How many people play the game?

At our most popular, we had 1500 unique daily players.