**~Silver's Help Thread~**

[Silver]

This thread is mainly about the Forum, Pack, and Feral Heart.
I will be using Q&A's from Feral Heart, since our pack is on there.

So let's start off with Feral Heart!

[Silver]

How Do I play the game?

FeralHeart is more than just a simple flash game and is nothing you can play directly in your web-browser. The list below will show what you'll need.

In order to play the game you need to have the following:
1. An account here on the FeralHeart site.
2. The game installed on your computer.
3. Internet connected.

Signing up
If you want to play, you need to sign up to our site creating an account. This account will be the one you use for logging into the game later on, but also posting here on the forums. So the site and the forum logins are the same. If you've already are able to post on this site, and know you already created one, you can skip this step.

If you look in the top right corner you will see a yellow box


By clicking the text "Create an account" it will take you to the page you sign up on and it will ask you to fill in a few fields for your account such as.

Username < (This will be your unique identity you will be known by besides your nickname)
Password < (The password needed to use your account at all, keep it secret)
valid E-mail< (This is for sending out an activation mail making the account usable)

Fill out the required fields, read our terms of use, and then accept (A tip is to stay away from spaces,numbers and symbols in the name and just use letters from a-z in both the password and username to prevent log in problems.)

This will create your account and then send an activation mail to the E-mail address you registered with. Click the link inside of the mail and then your account will be ready to use!

Downloading/Installing the game
In order to get the game and play it, you first need to download it from our site. In order to do so, click the "Official Downloads" tab.


On this page you'll need 2 of the downloads.

1. The game installer itself
2. The patcher that updates your game to the most recent version (If you don't do this you wont be able to play online)

Click the "Download" text, and make sure you download both the installers for the game and the patch. If you use Internet Explorer, click "Save As" and then save it to a location like the desktop.

Once they're both downloaded, run the Game installer first! Just follow the installation wizard until it says it's complete. Once the game installer is done. Locate the other patch installer you downloaded, and install it as well. Just follow the wizard and install it on the same location.

The game should now be working! Just run the game and login with the account you created earlier. Be sure to check the game rules before you start playing. Rules.

If you were unable to install the game for such reasons as broken installers, or installers unable to finish. Check so you've space on your computer for the game. Try Downloading the installers once again from our page and install with the NEW ones.

NOTE:
This game was in first hand made for windows computers. If you by any chance got a mac, you might be able to play it by looking Here! Linux users and mac users that aren't able to use the version given by the link. Try installing Wine or crossover and running the game through that.

[Silver]

Unable to log on/go online.

FeralHeart is mainly an online role playing game. This means if you want to get the most fun out of it, you'd need to be connected to the internet. Some people might have issues getting on the actual game, so here's a few things you can try if you have the game but aren't able to go online.

List of things to check:
1. Wrong username or Password?
2. Do you have the most recent patch?
3. Check so there's no security software blocking the game.
4. Make sure that you've a solid internet connection.

Wrong username or Password?
There's actually a "bug" in the current registration system, logging into the game can be a problem for some reasons. If you're unable to log in, and just get banned for 15 mins for getting the wrong pass, here's a few things that might solve it.

-The password is capital sensitive, so if you use a small letter where you regged with a big one, it will be the wrong pass
-The numpad on keyboards doesn't work. So you need to use the numbers above the rest of the letters
-some symbols doesn't work as they should and you need to change keyboard layout in order for them to work

If you are unable to fix this It's suggested that you reset your password on your profile here on the forum and set it to a new one without any complicated symbols or numbers, just letters. And if still no success, just create a new account here on the site, and follow This!

Got the recent patch?
The game gets updated every now and then with new features or just fixes. In most cases when there's a new patch available users need to download it in order to play.

If you get a window when trying to log on the game saying "Please download the latest patch @ feral-heart.com" Then you simply need to download the latest patch from our "Official Downloads" and install it. Once that's done you can play the game again!

Is the computer allowing FeralHeart to connect to the internet?
Games like these needs to be able to connect to the internet, but sometimes windows doesn't know if the game/application can be trusted or it just skips adding the game to exceptions. If you aren't able to log on the game, this might be your issue.

Open up your control panel located in the start menu. Depending on which Operating system you use, and which layout it might look differently. But Windows firewall should be in the category "security" or just find the text "Windows firewall" or "Allow a program through windows firewall". This should take you to the correct place.

Once there you'll get a new window with a list of programs. Try to locate FeralHeart.exe in there and add it to exceptions by marking the checkbox. If you can't find it, and the game to the list by yourself by pressing add program.

If you don't understand how to do this still, ask someone else to do this for you.

Sometimes there might be something else blocking the program from accessing the internet. A good example of these are some Antivirus programs. This can vary a lot as well. But check up if by any chance your virus program might be blocking feralheart. And just not only by clicking the icon in the corner sayings "Nope!". Look in the advanced menus and preferences first. Only you can check this.

How's your internet connection?
Sometimes the internet connection of the users trying to play the game might be weak. This can cause you to not being able to connect or staying online for a longer time, many people might start blaming the game or server for this when it in fact might be themselves.

Here's a few things you can check:
1. Are you even connected to the internet right now?
2. Are you running any downloading/streaming programs?
3. Are there any other computers/devices using the same internet?
4. Are you currently using a wireless connection, if so, are you getting good signal?

Sometimes the internet connection can time out for various reasons and then jump back on again, so be sure to try a few times first.

Programs in the background
Downloading things or running streaming programs eats your bandwidth, and this bandwidth is needed in order to play the game, especially if you're using slower speeds. You can start by shutting off things like downloading programs and internet browsers. Maybe even IM programs such as MSN and AIM and try to play again.

Turn off extra devices
If you got more than 1 computer or other devices also using the internet, try turning them off if they're not in use. This will give you more bandwidth to spare.

On a wireless connection?
If you're using a laptop you might be using a wireless internet connection. These can sometimes loose their signal to the internet source. So try placing yourself closer to your modem, this might give you a stronger signal.

These things should solve the most connection problems!

[Silver]

I keep getting bad tokens, failed to connect to map server or timing out while playing.

If you have made sure your connection is working fine, and maybe FeralHeart has worked all good before, there still can happen things in the game when walking around in different maps. Examples of these are so called "Bad Tokens", "Failed to connect to map server" messages.

Even though the game has it's own server, it's not perfect and can get stuck as well. If you're experiencing troubles a good bet is always to wait a few mins/hours and try again later. It solves a lot of problems.

Bad tokens is the servers way to tell you that something went wrong when loading a map/location most of the times. The client failing to communicate with the server, or other way around. If there was some connection problems just during the time you tried to load a new map, this might happen to you. Also maps that has an extreme amount of online users, or more objects and other custom things might take longer to load, and the chance of getting bad tokens might rise. Usually the issue doesn't last for too long and get solved by just trying going through a portal again or loading the character again or just keep reconnecting, for some it's worse than others.


Failed to connect to map server is a message you also can get while changing maps and entering portals in the game. It's usually nothing severe either, and as worst, your character might be stuck in that map until there's a reset of the map server process. Another issue similar to this can be if you get the loading screen after choosing a character, but it never loads. Most of the time it should be followed by this "failed to connect" message. If you try to choose another character that isn't placed in the same map, it sometimes let you play since every map in the game, has it's own server process. Sometimes the server needs to be restarted in order to fetch some stuck characters. If you had characters that's been stuck for weeks, you should contact the staff.


Failed to connect to front server is another funky message you might get. Most of the time you get this either when your internet is down or the server is down completely. It can also be that your firewall or any other security software is preventing FeralHeart from accessing the internet. If it's the server and not your internet it should be sorted shortly and be back up and running, if it will be down for longer times the staff will let you know.

If the server is up though for a longer time, and you're still having issues to connect, you should follow the tips mentioned in the post "Unable to log on/go online" above, and if that fails to work. Contact those responsible for your internet or maybe someone that knows more and are able to help you.

[Silver]

Game is not starting or having graphical issues/glitches.

FeralHeart is a game like so many others out there, it needs a computer to do all the work so you can play it. Not everyone can just install the game and it works all perfect for them. Sometimes the computer might even be really old and the game too new. But if you got a computer from the last 5 years, playing this game shouldn't be any problem at all.

The ogre errors!
The ogre errors is something that users can get either when trying to boot up the game or when entering a custom map. These errors come directly from the game, and even though the error messages might look a lil messy, most of the time they actually clearly shows where the problem is. Ogre errors can also come up from broken installers that doesn't install all the files needed to run the game, and in these cases "The magical fix" usually solves this. Uninstall>re-download>Install with new installers.

An example of an ogre error below:



That one is pretty much straight out saying that the following file "Gui Template/Reminder" Is missing. And in this case, if something is missing, an uninstall and re-install should do the trick. But there can be other errors like "Items already using the name blabla" or "Failed to create OpenGL rendering". They can vary very much, some are easier to fix than others.'

If you look <here>, you will find a big list of previous ogre errors, and many of them with a solution. So take a look there. (Thanks to Shell Prisoner for making that thread)

If you still are unable to sort it, feel free to post a help thread.


Graphical glitches and other weird visuals can show up in different ways, and here's some examples of how it might look:


Cut off polygons, weird looking shadows and textures missing


Distorted pictures and hard to read text


Complete black images not showing much at all


Only Red, green and blue colours showing.

The absolute First thing you want to try is to change the rendering mode for the game. There's different rendering modes you can pick from, usually OpenGL and Direct3D9. This decides which way your graphic card should process the game. This one is at standard set to OpenGL, so we'd want to set it to Direct3D9.

There's 2 ways you can change this setting.

How to fix it!
Either you start the game, go into the options menu, click the Video tab, and then change the rendering subsystem and restart the game.

Sometimes you aren't able to even enter the game, and all you can hear is the menu music, or it just crashes directly after launch. Those who experience this can enter the feralheart folder located in C:\FeralHeart at standard, find the file called "Ogre.cfg" and open it with wordpad.

This file works just as the ingame options menu, but instead of buttons and sliders, there's text.

What we're interested in is the top row


Set the top row text so it is just like in the picture with the text

Code:
Render System=Direct3D9 Rendering Subsystem

Save the file, and close it. Next time you run the game it should boot with the new settings you applied.

Even though this solves the graphical problems for most, there's still some unlucky ferals out there that the problems still remain for, but there's still 1 more thing you can try, and that is to update your graphic card drivers.

A computer is hardware, and with time it gets old just like any other thing in this world. If you had your computer for a while, and never updated the drivers, this might be the cause for FeralHeart not to work correctly. Installing Drivers for your computer is like installing any other program that it might need, though knowing how to do this might be tricky, so check the tutorial on how to Here!

If you already tried this and it's not working, chances are that your computer is getting old and can't handle the game. Installing drivers might help, but you're still running the same hardware. Try the game on another computer instead.

[Silver]

The game is running slowly or you want it to look sharper.

Performance of the computer means a lot if you are going to have a difference between a choppy game, and one that flows like a river. FeralHeart can be very demanding on your computer at times, and not everyone has a NASA computer standing in their closet, this is why the ingame settings are good to have.

Want to make the game look sharper and more nice on the eyes? Just turn up the settings.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Is the game running slow and is hard to play? Try turning down the settings making it less demanding!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Changing the settings after your needs
Changing the ingame settings can do a BIG difference on how fast your game runs, but also how it looks. Down here is 2 identical screens. One with the highest settings, and one with the lowest possible(Take note that there's an texture mod installed for the felines).

Highest settings possible.



Lowest settings possible.



So it's not surprising if changing these does some difference. You can also set your own preferences inside the options menu inside the game. Just enter the video tab there and set the the values you want. The higher the value, the more demanding it usually is.

Under the video tab you'll find these settings:
Rendering Subsystem:
This decides which kind of rendering that will be used for the game. Try both and see what works best for you.

Video Mode:
Changes the resolution = How many pixels that will be rendered on the screen. The higher the value, the more sharper things will look, but it will also be more demanding for your computer.

Fullscreen:
This one explains itself, it sets the game in full screen or not. If you like to do other things when you play, keep this unchecked. If you want to focus on the game, and the game only, why not use fullscreen?

Anti-Aliasing:
This is used for even out sharp edges on the screen, the higher the value, the smoother everything will look. This setting is very demanding and is not recommended to use for users with slower computers. Keep it on None unless you know it works well.

Water Reflection:
Turns water reflections on and off. Makes the computer work more.

View Distance:
How far you can see the objects in the distance. The game does look nicer with this as high as possible. But if you lower this it will most likely make your game move smoother.

Play around with these settings and I'm sure you'll find something that works well.

[Silver]

So now let's get on with the forum and everything.

'FROM THE FAQ'

What is this?
This pack? It's a Feral Heart wolf pack. This is the forum!

Who am I?
I'm the pack leader, Silver. I operate the pack and keep it in order. I created the pack out of pure random.

What do I do?
You just Roleplay, Talk, and Have Fun!

What is Feral Heart?
Feral Heart is a game where you can be a canine or feline.

Why not Wolf Quest?
Wolf Quest's servers can only hold up to 5 players and Feral Heart servers can hold from 100 - 200 players. Big difference?

[Silver]

Why can't I log in?
Have you registered? Seriously, you must register in order to log in. Have you been banned from the board? (A message will be displayed if you have.) If so, you should contact the webmaster or board administrator to find out why. If you have registered and are not banned and you still cannot log in then check and double-check your username and password. Usually this is the problem; if not, contact the board administrator -- they may have incorrect configuration settings for the board.

Why do I need to register at all?
You may not have to -- it is up to the administrator of the board as to whether you need to register in order to post messages. However, registration will give you access to additional features not available to guest users such as definable avatar images, private messaging, e-mailing to fellow users, usergroup subscription, etc. It only takes a few minutes to register so it is recommended you do so.

Why do I get logged off automatically?
If you do not check the Log me in automatically box when you log in, the board will only keep you logged in for a preset time. This prevents misuse of your account by anyone else. To stay logged in, check the box during login. This is not recommended if you access the board from a shared computer, e.g. library, internet cafe, university cluster, etc.

How do I prevent my username from appearing in the online user listings?
In your profile you will find an option Hide your online status; if you switch this on you'll only appear to board administrators or to yourself. You will be counted as a hidden user.

I've lost my password!
Don't panic! While your password cannot be retrieved it can be reset. To do this go to the login page and click I've forgotten my password. Follow the instructions and you should be back online in no time.

I registered but cannot log in!
First check that you are entering the correct username and password. If they are okay then one of two things may have happened: if COPPA support is enabled and you clicked the I am under 13 years old link while registering then you will have to follow the instructions you received. If this is not the case then maybe your account need activating. Some boards will require all new registrations be activated, either by yourself or by the administrator before you can log on. When you registered it would have told you whether activation was required. If you were sent an e-mail then follow the instructions; if you did not receive the e-mail then check that your e-mail address is valid. One reason activation is used is to reduce the possibility of rogue users abusing the board anonymously. If you are sure the e-mail address you used is valid then try contacting the board administrator.

I registered in the past but cannot log in anymore!
The most likely reasons for this are: you entered an incorrect username or password (check the e-mail you were sent when you first registered) or the administrator has deleted your account for some reason. If it is the latter case then perhaps you did not post anything? It is usual for boards to periodically remove users who have not posted anything so as to reduce the size of the database. Try registering again and get involved in discussions.

[Silver]

How do I change my settings?
All your settings (if you are registered) are stored in the database. To alter them click the Profile link (generally shown at the top of pages but this may not be the case). This will allow you to change all your settings.

The times are not correct!
The times are almost certainly correct; however, what you may be seeing are times displayed in a timezone different from the one you are in. If this is the case, you should change your profile setting for the timezone to match your particular area, e.g. London, Paris, New York, Sydney, etc. Please note that changing the timezone, like most settings, can only be done by registered users. So if you are not registered, this is a good time to do so, if you pardon the pun!

I changed the timezone and the time is still wrong!
If you are sure you have set the timezone correctly and the time is still different, the most likely answer is daylight savings time (or summer time as it is known in the UK and other places). The board is not designed to handle the changeovers between standard and daylight time so during summer months the time may be an hour different from the real local time.

My language is not in the list!
The most likely reasons for this are either the administrator did not install your language or someone has not translated this board into your language. Try asking the board administrator if they can install the language pack you need or if it does not exist, please feel free to create a new translation. More information can be found at the phpBB Group website (see link at bottom of pages)

How do I show an image below my username?
There may be two images below a username when viewing posts. The first is an image associated with your rank; generally these take the form of stars or blocks indicating how many posts you have made or your status on the forums. Below this may be a larger image known as an avatar; this is generally unique or personal to each user. It is up to the board administrator to enable avatars and they have a choice over the way in which avatars can be made available. If you are unable to use avatars then this is the decision of the board admin and you should ask them their reasons (we're sure they'll be good!)

How do I change my rank?
In general you cannot directly change the wording of any rank (ranks appear below your username in topics and on your profile depending on the style used). Most boards use ranks to indicate the number of posts you have made and to identify certain users. For example, moderators and administrators may have a special rank. Please do not abuse the board by posting unnecessarily just to increase your rank -- you will probably find the moderator or administrator will simply lower your post count.

When I click the e-mail link for a user it asks me to log in.
Sorry, but only registered users can send e-mail to people via the built-in e-mail form (if the admin has enabled this feature). This is to prevent malicious use of the e-mail system by anonymous users.

[Silver]

How do I post a topic in a forum?
Easy -- click the relevant button on either the forum or topic screens. You may need to register before you can post a message. The facilities available to you are listed at the bottom of the forum and topic screens (the You can post new topics, You can vote in polls, etc. list)

How do I edit or delete a post?
Unless you are the board admin or forum moderator you can only edit or delete your own posts. You can edit a post (sometimes for only a limited time after it was made) by clicking the edit button for the relevant post. If someone has already replied to the post, you will find a small piece of text output below the post when you return to the topic that lists the number of times you edited it. This will only appear if no one has replied; it also will not appear if moderators or administrators edit the post (they should leave a message saying what they altered and why). Please note that normal users cannot delete a post once someone has replied.

How do I add a signature to my post?
To add a signature to a post you must first create one; this is done via your profile. Once created you can check the Add Signature box on the posting form to add your signature. You can also add a signature by default to all your posts by checking the appropriate radio box in your profile. You can still prevent a signature being added to individual posts by un-checking the add signature box on the posting form.

How do I create a poll?
Creating a poll is easy -- when you post a new topic (or edit the first post of a topic, if you have permission) you should see a Add Poll form below the main posting box. If you cannot see this then you probably do not have rights to create polls. You should enter a title for the poll and then at least two options -- to set an option type in the poll question and click the Add option button. You can also set a time limit for the poll, 0 being an infinite amount. There will be a limit to the number of options you can list, which is set by the board administrator

How do I edit or delete a poll?
As with posts, polls can only be edited by the original poster, a moderator, or board administrator. To edit a poll, click the first post in the topic, which always has the poll associated with it. If no one has cast a vote then users can delete the poll or edit any poll option. However, if people have already placed votes only moderators or administrators can edit or delete it; this is to prevent people rigging polls by changing options mid-way through a poll

Why can't I access a forum?
Some forums may be limited to certain users or groups. To view, read, post, etc. you may need special authorization which only the forum moderator and board administrator can grant, so you should contact them.

Why can't I vote in polls?
Only registered users can vote in polls so as to prevent spoofing of results. If you have registered and still cannot vote then you probably do not have appropriate access rights.

[Silver]

What is BBCode?
BBCode is a special implementation of HTML. Whether you can use BBCode is determined by the administrator. You can also disable it on a per post basis from the posting form. BBCode itself is similar in style to HTML: tags are enclosed in square braces [ and ] rather than < and > and it offers greater control over what and how something is displayed. For more information on BBCode see the guide which can be accessed from the posting page.

Can I use HTML?
That depends on whether the administrator allows you to; they have complete control over it. If you are allowed to use it, you will probably find only certain tags work. This is a safety feature to prevent people from abusing the board by using tags which may destroy the layout or cause other problems. If HTML is enabled you can disable it on a per post basis from the posting form.

What are Smileys?
Smileys, or Emoticons, are small graphical images which can be used to express some feeling using a short code, e.g. means happy, means sad. The full list of emoticons can be seen via the posting form. Try not to overuse smileys, though, as they can quickly render a post unreadable and a moderator may decide to edit them out or remove the post altogether.

Can I post Images?
Images can indeed be shown in your posts. However, there is no facility at present for uploading images directly to this board. Therefore you must link to an image stored on a publicly accessible web server, e.g. http://www.some-unknown-place.net/my-picture.gif. You cannot link to pictures stored on your own PC (unless it is a publicly accessible server) nor to images stored behind authentication mechanisms such as Hotmail or Yahoo mailboxes, password-protected sites, etc. To display the image use either the BBCode [img] tag or appropriate HTML (if allowed).

What are Announcements?
Announcements often contain important information and you should read them as soon as possible. Announcements appear at the top of every page in the forum to which they are posted. Whether or not you can post an announcement depends on the permissions required, which are set by the administrator.

What are Sticky topics?
Sticky topics appear below any announcements in viewforum and only on the first page. They are often quite important so you should read them where possible. As with announcements the board administrator determines what permissions are required to post sticky topics in each forum.

What are Locked topics?
Locked topics are set this way by either the forum moderator or board administrator. You cannot reply to locked topics and any poll contained inside is automatically ended. Topics may be locked for many reasons.

[Silver]

What are Administrators?
Administrators are people assigned the highest level of control over the entire board. These people can control all facets of board operation which include setting permissions, banning users, creating usergroups or moderators, etc. They also have full moderator capabilities in all the forums.

What are Moderators?
Moderators are individuals (or groups of individuals) whose job it is to look after the running of the forums from day to day. They have the power to edit or delete posts and lock, unlock, move, delete and split topics in the forum they moderate. Generally moderators are there to prevent people going off-topic or posting abusive or offensive material.

What are Usergroups?
Usergroups are a way in which board administrators can group users. Each user can belong to several groups (this differs from most other boards) and each group can be assigned individual access rights. This makes it easy for administrators to set up several users as moderators of a forum, or to give them access to a private forum, etc.

How do I join a Usergroup?
To join a usergroup click the usergroup link on the page header (dependent on template design) and you can then view all usergroups. Not all groups are open access -- some are closed and some may even have hidden memberships. If the board is open then you can request to join it by clicking the appropriate button. The user group moderator will need to approve your request; they may ask why you want to join the group. Please do not pester a group moderator if they turn your request down -- they will have their reasons.

How do I become a Usergroup Moderator?
Usergroups are initially created by the board administrator who also assigns a board moderator. If you are interested in creating a usergroup then your first point of contact should be the administrator, so try dropping them a private message.

[Silver]

I cannot send private messages!
There are three reasons for this; you are not registered and/or not logged on, the board administrator has disabled private messaging for the entire board, or the board administrator has prevented you individually from sending messages. If it is the latter case you should try asking the administrator why.

I keep getting unwanted private messages!
In the future we will be adding an ignore list to the private messaging system. For now, though, if you keep receiving unwanted private messages from someone, inform the board administrator -- they have the power to prevent a user from sending private messages at all.

I have received a spamming or abusive e-mail from someone on this board!
We are sorry to hear that. The e-mail form feature of this board includes safeguards to try to track users who send such posts. You should e-mail the board administrator with a full copy of the e-mail you received and it is very important this include the headers (these list details of the user that sent the e-mail). They can then take action.

[Silver]

if you have any more questions you can PM me or another Staff Member.

Please keep questions Pack, Forum, or Feral Heart related for I cannot help you with real world problems!

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