Frequently Asked Questions
The obvious name of OpenTH was already taken by an existing project. All of the initial code (6def3b3, was r2 in SVN) was written by someone going by the alias Corsix, and so by shortening Corsix's Theme Hospital, the name CorsixTH was obtained.
- All "modern" versions of Windows (i.e. 10, 8, 7, Vista) are fully supported, and testing takes place on them regularly.
- Linux is fully supported, with testing happening regularly on Ubuntu, Arch Linux, and Fedora.
- macOS is supported from 10.15 (Catalina) to 14 (Sonoma).
- Android has a port of CorsixTH available here.
- Other platforms are not supported at this time, but CorsixTH should work as long as a C++ 14 compiler, CMake, and SDL 2 are available.
Like OpenTTD (up until 2010), we have taken the approach of loading the original game's data files. At some point in the future, there may be an effort to recreate all of the game's artwork and sounds from scratch, at which point the original will no longer be required. People are a lot more likely to put in the effort required to recreate all the assets after there is a mature codebase which needs them. However in order to create a mature codebase, some assets are required, and hence the original game assets are used.
If you want to play the game in a language not present in the original game, check out this page.
The original game does work in DOSBox, but it retains all of the problems which the original had, including:
- Resolution limited to 640x480
- Sound is always temperamental
- Lack of useful features like staff zoning
- Limited set of levels
- The beta 5 crash in the French Version
- Miscellaneous bugs and glitches
By creating an open source clone, we can fix the problems of the original, add new features, and natively support a wider range of hardware and operating systems.
Firstly, moving from 2D to 3D could cause some of the charm of the original game to be lost. The commercial Hospital Tycoon went down the 3D route, and was not well received (although obviously being in 3D was not the sole reason for it flopping).
Secondly, doing everything in 3D would require 3D artwork. Until there is a recreation of the original artwork, we only have the original game artwork to use, which is all in 2D.
As there was a multiplayer mode in the original game, eventually CorsixTH will have a multiplayer mode, but there are lots of other things which need to be implemented first.
The short answer is that it will be implemented when somebody decides to code it. If you are a programmer, then you could assist in implementing feature X by contributing code. If you're not, then you could send an email to the development list to show that there is a desire for feature X, which might encourage existing developers to consider it.
Spreading the word, especially at release time. Create art - see issues, CorsixTH-Graphics project, or chat with us to see what is wanted. Write documentation, such as this wiki. Other sites may include information about this game that changes with each update, such as version number and the changelog. Watch GOG for sales, for new players seeking cheap original game data. https://twitter.com/search?q=gogcom%20theme%20hospital
Lua is an easy language to learn, suitable as a first experience in programming.
The save game folder is by default located in the same directory as the configuration file. Information about that file can be found here.
Information about the configuration file can be found here. You can find gamelog.txt at the same location as the config file.
- Install the game from the .pkg by double clicking and following the steps onscreen.
- Find the installed game in the
/Applicationsfolder, right click it and select "Show package contents". - Open
/ContentsthenResources - Inside it find the folder
/game - Copy that folder to an easy to locate spot like your
/Documentsor/Desktopfolders. - Select that folder (if necessary) when first opening CorsixTH
- (optional) You can delete the installed Theme Hospital from
/Applicationsfolder.
If the main menu is in German and a lot of other strings in the game are in English, go to the DATA folder of your Theme Hospital installation and switch the two files "LANG-0.DAT" and "LANG-2.DAT"
The game worked just fine prior to CorsixTH 0.20, but now it crashes before I get a chance to play or I can't read the text!
Most often this is due to corrupt Theme Hospital data files. Please try copying them from your source once again, such as the game CD. Note that pirated versions from the Internet are known to crash CorsixTH, please acquire Theme Hospital from a legal source (like GOG.com.) You can usually tell by the size of the Theme Hospital folder. If it is around 16 MB it won't work. The correct size is over 150 MB.
There are other issues caused by using these pirated versions i.e. odd looking fonts. If you got your copy in this way, please do not ask us to try and fix any problems that you get with it or ask us for the missing files, as the answer will always be no we cannot help. Theme Hospital is not abandonware, as it is still on sale and it is not very expensive either!
If you find that windows is blocking you from opening CorsixTH you can right click on the .exe then select properties and then against security select/click on unblock.
It could also be that a antivirus/firewall software is blocking CorsixTH and will let it freeze during playing it (it sees CorsixTH as a virus.) This is a false positive. Temporarily disable the antivirus/firewall software or set the CorsixTH executable as an exception. AVG is an example of anti-virus software that has been known to do this.
CorsixTH is perfectly safe and will not damage your computer.
Microsoft changed a lot to GeneralMidi Output beginning with Windows Vista. Depending on your Hardware and Drivers, changing the volume might not work (systemwide). You can try the freeware VirtualMIDISynth to get around this problem. It has a Mixer with a Master Volume Controller usable from the systray every time a Midi Song is played, not restricted to CorsixTH. Also, the last volume setting will be saved. If you have VirtualMIDISynth installed, you can profit even more by using one of the various free SoundFonts (also available on the same site), which will deliver a much better instrument quality for MIDI songs in general.
If the game cannot start because it can't find a function entry point in some file, try this: Switch to advanced mode in cmake and remove all references to "INCREMENTAL".
Cannot hire staff or/and no patients enter the hospital or the message ''There are no diseases on this level! Please add some to your level!'' is displayed.
Firstly you need to open the HIRE STAFF menu to hire staff, not the STAFF MANAGEMENT menu! Make sure you have built a reception desk and hired a receptionist as you will not get any patients until you have a staffed reception.
Check to see if the build timer is still running, it will close on its own after several months, but you should close this when you are ready for patients. Patients will not start to arrive if the build timer is still running.
When this doesn't solve your issue, you probably using corrupt .sam files (original level files from TH.) You can solve this issue by directly copy the HOSP folder from the Theme Hospital CD and use these files.
If CorsixTH can't find the intro' movie in the installation folder of Theme Hospital it will skip playing it, this can be resolved easily. Copy the INTRO folder from the original Theme Hospital CD to the folder where you've installed Theme Hospital on your computer.
Then probably the settings of your keyboard are wrong or changed. When you put the settings of your keyboard on something like ''United States (international)'' or US English, the problem should be solved. You can do this through the taskbar at Windows (the little keyboard icon.) This solution also works on macOS.
By default, most files from the internet are quarantined. To open CorsixTH you may need to right click and choose open (for the first time only) or unquarantine the file from the command line app Terminal by typing 'xattr -d -r com.apple.quarantine ~/Applications/CorsixTH/CorsixTH.app' (adjusting the path to where you have the app).
Some games have problems with the mouse pointer jumping around if using Ubuntu, SDL and the X server.
To fix this error use the following solution:
In the xorg.conf file find section "Module" and add the following line:
Option "omit xfree86-dga"
This means the file will look something like this:
Section "Module" SubSection "extmod" Option "omit xfree86-dga" EndSubSection` EndSection
Ensure that timdity and timidity-freepats are installed. Audio may be turned off in the cmake flag WITH-AUDIO or the configuration file.