h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hello! Does anyone know where one could find help or maybe some strategies for the Hitchhiker's Guide Infocaom Java game? The URL is http://www.douglasadams.com/creations/infocomjava.html if anyone wants to give it a shot. If you can get past the part about the green button, let me know! I always press the green button and then I can get no further in the game.
Thanks!
-Dale

if you actually buy a copy of the game, it can give you hints as you go along, but for now asking at <./>Askh2g2</.> might get people's attention
^. .^
= ' =
Guru
CommunityArtist

Here's my grumble again about this page being a referral site to Ask h2g2.



Anyhoo - Is the game avaiable to buy? I didn't think it was being sold at the moment (though the last time I checked was last year).



The cheat sheets are available online. My HD is clean at the moment so I can't give you the links. Try a google. I think I searched and went to the forums about the game and they had several links to cheat sheets.

There might be one on the site of the company that holds the publishing rights to the game. See if there is a link off the douglasadams site.

Good luck.

Ask and yea shall receive...
What was the question though?

If you're stuck on the part with the red and green buttons, try "examine thumb" and see if the labels don't help.

Thanks for the input! I wish I knew if it was available. I have checked the red and green buttons and got the labels. After that the Vogons destroyed me. I even called for an engineer once and then the Vogons destroyed me. AUGH!!!! But I will try Google for answers.
Thanks!
-Dale

My daughter is playing the game at the moment and has got quite far in it. If you post any specific questions here I'll ask her.

I played it myself but it was probably about 20 years ago so I don't remember the details.

You may just be taking too many steps before that part. The game isn't too forgiving of mistakes (each mistake takes a turn, and things happen based on how many turns you've taken). Try writing down what steps work and start from the beginning on as fast a timeline as possible.

The online version really is difficult, because normally you can use the save feature to streamline things. Also, the game takes a few hours to play even if you do it perfectly. In this game, you should expect to die. A lot. Other Infocom games, like Stationfall, were far less terminal experiences. Adams just wanted this game to be challenging.

So, make a logbook for yourself. When things work write them down, when the don't, don't. Then start from the beginning and do the steps that worked in order. Some steps require you to 'wait' until the right moment or things don't work.

Example log:

1. Start of game: Darkness
A. Turn on lights
B. Stand up
C. Take Robe
D. Put on Robe
E. Open Pocket
F. Take Aspirin

2. Leave House
A. ...

When you get to the part about the thumb, one button calls for a robot, the other gets you on the ship. If you need more help, let me know. Also, tell me what steps you've done so I can help better, e.g., Went with Ford to pub, drank three pints of beer, etc.

I also have started a journal entry for these types of questions and can answer the questions there too.

Hey! Thanks for your input, amigo!
So far.....got up, put on dressing gown, swallowed aspirin, went outside, layed in front of bulldozer, went to pub with Ford, drank 3 pints, ran screaming back to home (or lack of home), Ford drops device, I pick it up, I examine it, see the red and green button, green is hitchhiker, red is call for help, I press green. Now it tells me I don't know where I am, can't see anything, hear anything, smell anything, etc, and have no idea of who I am or how I got there.
Any ideas? I've tried everything. I tried looking around, opening my eyes, etc, and it tells me over and over the same thing.
Rather frustrating, eh?
I want to thank you all again for your help. I hope I can do the same for you lot one day.
-Dale

I think you have to keep typing 'wait', and each time you do it'll give you an answer that looks the same, but it isn't - read the answers carefully and then decide which of your senses to use.

That's all I'm going to give away

Geez, yer a lot of help. Haha! So.....keep typing wait and decide which sense to use. I've tried sight, sound, touch, feel, but not taste.....what am I to taste, though? Or should I rely on my sixth sense? Does Arthur have a sixth sense?
Y'know, I wouldn't be terribly angry if someone just told me WHAT THE SMEG TO DO! Oh, sorry....mixing sci-fi series there for a moment. Silly me! Do forgive me, but this has been keeping me up at night.
Okay.....keep entering wait and decide which sense to use....I'll give it a whirl, but still, I wouldn't be very angry if ya just told me what to do. In fact, I wouldn't be angry at all - rather happy, actually. Oh well......Thanks for your help!
-Dale

Good news! I took your advice and tried again, but read each question very carefully. Sure enough, I was able to get past that bit. I got into the Vogon hold and tried to get a babel fish, but the little bugger just flew past me and into a hole in the wall. So I was unable to understand what the Vogons were saying when they made their announcement. They just threw me and Ford off the ship and now I'm in the same predicament, only I can only listen now. Oh well.....I'll just sit here and twitch until I figure it out.
Thank you, everyone, for your help. Hope to hear from some of ya soon!
-Dale

Dark is a recurring theme in H2G2. You'll be best served with a written list of exactly where you end up after escaping dark, and how you did it. There's an extra trick in there, but at this point it's giving too much away. Personally, I think dark is one of the all-time most clever and challenging things in any Infocom game I've played.

Have fun with the Vogons. This is one of the longer puzzles. Make sure you have some mail with you, eat your peanuts, and here, you'll need this, too:

Best Luck! Keep us posted on your progress!

It flies out of a hole in the wall. There is a hook above the hole. Is there anything you have that could cover that hole?

Ah, the game is irritating. But great.

into the hole, whatever. I can remember the command line, not the room anymore.

Cover the hole, huh? Okay, where do I get my towel? Do I take it from Ford at the beginning of the game? Should I pick up my mail at the beginning? Normally I just rush out the door and lie in front of the bulldozer.
One more question.....how do you lot put the emoticons on here? Is there a trick to it? Or should I just type something in and see what happens? (like this )
Lata! -Dale

Hint: If you can pick anything up, do. That includes the junk mail, the toothbrush and the screwdriver.

You'll get the towel once you're on the Vogon ship, you don't need to take the towel from Ford.

Smilies. Double click on any smiley and see what magical page follows... other than that, yeah, just put a word in and see what it gets you...

Ah, thank you VIP. I had a look round your space today. Very nice! I also submitted my essay for the Cult of the Dentonites. Perhaps I should tell my friends, the Eltonites, about them. Course, the Eltonites are mostly randy women who think Elton John is the definition of sexual appeal. BLEAH!
Anywho, I will take your suggestions with me into the game. I thank you very much for your help. Also, I have found that if I roll my cursor over an emoticon it will tell me the code for that emoticon. Ah, I love being an Internet junkie....
Lata! -Dale

You can find a walk through guide at the following link.

http://www.csd.uwo.ca/~pete/Infocom/Solutions/hhgg.txt

Hope this helps some - so long and thanks for all the fish.

MWAHAHAHA!
I have beaten the game and am playing it over and over just to mock it!!!
Thank you, everyone who gave me assistance! This victory is yours as well.
-Dale

Isn't it just the best feeling to complete that game? It's so, so anal, and to actually complete it... makes you want to make a new one! You need to get into Magrethea and escape from the guards after the white mice...

In fact, who's up for trying to create a new game, h2g2..uh..2?