Ripper

Setup Walkthrough

 

Minimum Requirements:
486 DX50
6.5Mb RAM XMS
VESA Compatible Video Card 512k
Sound Card
Double Speed CDROM Drive
Mouse
10Mb Free Hard Drive Space

Ripper by Talonsoft and  Take2 Interactive (the folks who brought you The Black Dahlia) is a superb adventure IMHO. It was one of the first games I bought for my Windows 95 PII. Many people will tell you to forget it in regard to WindowsXP, even if you can get it to run the sound is garbled and horrible. Not so. But this is one of those "red sock" configurations so be advised: Have a pitcher of Margaritas at the ready.
This Setup is "Very Long"  so I have divided it into Acts (heehee... just like the game)

and I would also like to thank the following people for the input they gave to get Ripper up and running on My System:

 

BJ (bchan1493)	Gameboomers
Kate	Gameboomers
Greg Peeler	Talonsoft
krkdnose	just adventure
Rob Clayton	Gameboomers

 

The General Drill

updated printable version

Whenever I start a new game, especially an "older one"; I have always made it a habit to make sure my system is clean. (So let's clean house) Our cleaning products?? No, I'm not talking about special Orange Sprays or Pine smelly disinfectants! I'm referring to the "3 Musketeers" of WINTEL Systems. They are: "Disk Clean Up", Check Disc (the old Scan Disc in pre XP Windows based systems) and Defrag. 

First, Let's do a Disk Clean Up (Don't know how?) GO to-->Start-->All Programs--> Accessories--> System Tools-->Disk Clean Up. Empty out what you don't need ( you'll be surprised at what you can accumulate!) Shut down all extra programs. (for those of you who know how to do this part...just skip onto the next area of the "Setup".) For those of you who don't, the easiest way to terminate your TSRs (terminated but staying resident programs, also known as 
background applications") is to right click on each of the little icons in the lower right portion of your "Tool Bar" (located near your clock), As you right click on each of them you will get the option to either "exit", "close" or "unload". Do this for each of them. Then, if you have a Screensaver go ahead and disable it. 

If you haven't done the "Ole' Scan Disk"...(in XP it's called "Check Disk") and Defragged recently here is a good time to do it. Go to-->My Computer-->Local Disc "C" ("C" is mine but your Local Disc maybe assigned another letter)-->Right Click-->Properties-->Tools-->"Check Now..." ->Make sure that both boxes are checked--> 1.)Automatically fix file system errors and 2.)Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors.-->Click Start. You can follow this same path to locate your Defrag program as well or use Start-->All Programs-->Accessories-->System Tools-->Defrag Hard Drive. 

Check your system by doing a "Ctrl, Alt & Delete", this will bring up "The Task Manager", If you have closed out all Windows Programs, the field under "Applications" will be blank. 

(Leave the field marked "Processes" alone. Yep, I know there are lots of interesting files in there...but your really better off not touching anything in there unless you really know just what you are doing.)

You also might want to set your Display and resolution to 800x600/16bit/120Hz. If you don't have the capability to of 120Hz --> Change this value to the highest one possible for your system. Right Click anywhere on your Desktop-->Properties-->Settings-->Advanced-->Adapters-->List all Modes-->Then choose your preference from the cascade menu. Click -->OK--> OK--> Apply-->OK. 

I know this seems like a bother, but if you take the time to make sure your system is sparkling on the inside, you'll have less headaches later. Remember a healthy XP is a happy one. 

note* You want to make sure that you've done the necessary "prep" work for your system before you look at the rest of the "Setup" for Ripper. This is a Graphically intensive game, replete with plenty of FMV.  Make sure that you have read and utilized the following points from the General Drill:

• Acceleration Levels

• AutoPlay (Enable or Disable)

• File Extensions

• Got SP2? Get The Patch 

• Increasing Your Files

• NTVDM

When these points are completed make sure that you have restarted your system and then perform: The Task Manager Step

 

Act One 

Preparing the Stage

Before you do anything else (and to save any wailing and nashing of teeth) you'll need to "prepare your System for Ripper". 

• You need to have the following installed on your computer: A Vesa Driver, VDMSound-WinNT2.0.4.msi, VDMSoundv2.0.4update2 and VDMS Launchpad (you can find out more about these "must have"  utilities by following the link provided back to My Xp Computer Specs Page. 

 

•  Make sure you have a "clean system".  So take a look now at The General Drill, if you've skipped over that part. (go ahead, empty out those hungry memory eating internet temp files) and see if a Defrag is in order.

•  The next thing that you should do is alter your Display. Their are a few ways of doing this, but the easiest would be to Right Click anywhere on your Desktop-->Select Properties from the dropdown menu --> Choose Settings --> from here you can use your slider to set your display to 800X600 16bit or you can also Choose --> Advanced -->Adapter--> and get a larger range of selections. It seems to like a higher Hz capability. I have mine set to 800X600/32bit/120Hz. 

•  This walkthrough is for the NTVDM (Dos 8.0) which comes with XP and will support a certain degree of Vesa Capability when run with VDMSound (and Ripper just loves this!). You need to make sure your NTVDM is working properly. There are a few articles in "The Library" about the subject. It's a little intense, I'll admit, but you only really have to do the check if your having problems.

 

• If you have an Nvidia Video Card make sure that you disable "Nvidia View" or it will make strange graphics at the top and bottom of the Game Screen.  
  




• My Video Acceleration is set to one notch to the left of high for Ripper and the sound card isn't an issue because you'll be using VDMSound emulation and VDMS Launchpad. But just so you know My audio acceleration is set to "Basic Acceleration". My video acceleration is set to "Standard Acceleration".
  




• Restart your Computer and let your new settings take effect. 
  




• Now close out of all your "extra startup programs" (all you need to do it click on the little "<"  and your be able to see any TSRs (Terminated but Staying Resident) programs). Right Click on each one of them in turn and Choose either "exit" or "disable" as appropriate. Then Right Click in the "Task Bar" itself--> Choose "Task Manager" --> end all programs located in the "Application Field" only (In XP you see, your "Systray" and "Explorer" are not listed here. They're listed in "Processes" and we'll leave them be.) 

• Disable Auto Start for your CDROM Drive.  
  

Find the pitcher of Margaritas and pour yourself a tall glass. (Non-alcoholic for you young'uns.)












 

Act Two

Setting the Scene

 

•  Now we start the second part of the preparations: The Patches, you'll need two. "Ripper1.05" which you can find many places on the net. and "Ripper1.03" which is more difficult to come by. For XP to be totally free from any crashes, you'll need them both. "103" addresses certain bug issues such as a scrunched video and the like, and "105" was designed to be an addition to it (fixes the WAC device so you can use the notepad and read the encrypted journal)

NOTE* If your having difficulty locating the Ripper1.03 patch leave a message in my guest book and I'll gladly send it to you.

• Once you've Downloaded these, create a folder on your hard drive. Make it C:/Ripper and unzip the Ripper1.03 file and Right Click. Choose Properties. 
  
  

 

• OK, let's get to work and get this puppy up to speed. (basically what we will do here is create a "Pif" file for the game ...in XP we accomplish that with a series of "popups" or windows like the one above.) Choose --> "Maximized" (Ripper doesn't like to run in a "window") and uncheck "Close on exit".

   

• Choose --> Memory -->  Here is where you get to increase the memory for the game.
  older DOS games and Windows95 (remember that's DOS5.0) are memory hungry, so I say "Feed 'em!". Uncheck "Protected".

• Choose "Screen" --> Check "Full-screen". Leave everything else as is.

 

• Choose --> "MISC" --> Uncheck "Allow screen saver" (Ripper hates Screen Savers). -->Mouse Check --> "Exclusive Mode". and finally Idle Sensitivity --> Move the slider to "High" (This will help during screen transitions.)

 

• Choose --> "Compatibility". Now, I know... (but Ripper is a DOS/Win95 Game, Inferno!). Yes, Virginia, it is however, (...there's always a however) The game will run if you choose Windows95, but it's a more stable environment if you choose WINNT 4.0(Service Pack5). Don't ask me why, I'm just a "Techie Savant" heehee.

• Click Apply --> Click OK. You'll see a new DOS Icon in your folder. Click on it. (oh, go ahead!)

• heeheehee (sorry, couldn't resist) To exit out of the NTVDM just press Ctrl+Alt+Del keys and bring up the Task Manager. Choose -->End Task.

• Next unzip the Ripper1.05 patch and extract it to "C:/Ripper". There are three files in it. It will ask you if you want to overwrite some files. Say yes to all. (Time for a Margarita Break and a red sock) 

 

  

• (You'll need another pitcher for this part) Right click on RIPPER.EXE and follow the same guidelines as you did before. Click Apply -> Click OK.

 

 

 

• Next Right Click on each of the following: INSTALLV.BAT SETUPV.BAT, and RIPPERV.BAT and
  Choose --> Properties --> Compatibility. Change these to: WindowsNT  4.0  and
  Check --> "Disable Visual Themes" and "Turn off advanced text service for this program"

 

note* I've decided to update this Setup which was originally written over 2 years ago.  Many of you with newer systems have had difficulties with VDMS and a certain CDROM error message. Because of this we will be using the VDMSLaunchpad function. 

 

• Locate the file INSTALLV.BAT --> Right Click and Choose 
  "Run with VDMS ". This will bring up the VDMS Wizard. 

• Make sure that "Set up a custom configuration" is checked. Click Next.

   

 

• Make sure that "Create new Configuration from Scratch" is checked. Click Next.

 

• Click on Advanced 

• Under the Compatibility Tab --> Check enable basic VESA support
  and Enable low-level CD-ROM support (MSCDEX).

• Under the DOS Environment Tab --> change Files=40 to Files=100

 

• Click Apply Click Ok .

 

• You'll find yourself back at Fig3 --> When you do this for RIPPERV.BAT remember to also check "Create Shortcut on Desk Top"  

 

• Click Next --> Click Finish.
  
  
  
  

•  Now, don't panic if the computer tries to run what you've just created here. If you find yourself going into The Virtual DOS Machine--> Let it do its "thing". The install should begin. If you receive an error message and the install does not begin (ex, CD isn't recognized ) -- close out of the Virtual DOS Command Window -- simply right click on the tiny black icon located in the upper left corner of the Window and select Close. 

 

• You'll see inside your game folder that you have a new icon. 

 

 

• Take a moment to Right Click on this icon and select Properties. 

 

• This is what should be checked off. Create one as well for each of the following files:
  RIPPERV.BAT
  SETUPV.BAT

 

• You now should have 3 VDMS icon shortcuts in your RIPPER game folder.
  

    

 

You are now finally ready to install!  (here's to you! .....gulp...ahhhhhhh)
...and you thought "The Lighthouse" was long. Don't whine at me...I'm the one writing this.  

  Act Three

It 's Showtime!

• Place "Ripper CD1" in your default CDROM Drive.
  Go to --> "C:/Ripper" --> either Right Click on "INSTALLV.BAT" --> Choose  
  "Run with VDMS with musical note" or just Double Click on the "INSTALLV.BAT VDMS Shortcut".

• The installation screen will appear and you're on your way. Choose "Continue".

• The next screen is the "Sound Setup". Remember that your now using "VDMSound" and not your own sound card. Leave the selection as you find it "Soundblaster16/AWE32" The addresses will be:
  Port = 220/ IRQ= 7/ Mode= 16bit/ DMA= 5. You may "Test" if you like (Click -> Test -> press Enter) --- it isn't necessary -- and don't panic if you don't hear anything. 

 

• The most important is to Click --> Save. ( *Warning -> Don't use Detect...it will crash the program and you'll have to start all over)  Click --> Continue.

• Next comes the  "CDREAD Size --> again leave the calibration with the " * " as is. You can change the CD addresses to reflect which "CD#" will play in the drive of your choice. I have them set to:
  CD1= "D" CD2= "E"  ...etc. You may choose whatever you like. It makes it easier for changing discs.

• Keep the "Low Res" if that is what Ripper has defaulted to. Click --> Save....and then Press --> any key to exit out of NTVDM. You'll find yourself back at the "C:/Ripper" folder. (Time for another Margarita)

• Now very important!!!! RIGHT CLICK ON "RIPER.BAT" (...no, it isn't a typo) and choose Run with VDMS (again without the musical note) .....

• Heeeheeheee        ...I'm really sorry.....giggle.....really I am. (*hic-up*)

• Your done, the setup is complete....that is unless you'd like to put a Ripper Icon on your desktop like mine.... 

 

 

    


    

 

Act Four

Epilogue 

• Right Click on "RIPPERV.BAT" .....yes, that's the correct one ...I promise. Choose --> Send to -->Desk Top (Create Shortcut).

• If you want to change the Windows Default Icon for the Ripper Icon you'll have to Download a Zip File called "Ripper1.zip"

• Unzip to a folder and label the folder "C:/Ripper1". Open this folder and unzip the files the 2 zipped files to the same folder again.

• Now, go back to your Desktop and Right Click on the "RIPPERV.BAT" shortcut icon --> Choose--> Properties --> Shortcut.
  
     

• Choose --> Change Icon --> ignore the popup and Click--> OK--> Browse -->

 

 

•  Then scroll through the hierarchy until you find the "Ripper1" folder.
   Choose Local Disc (C:) --> Ripper1 

• Click on the Ripper1 folder inside the main folder and you'll be able to choose from 4 icons.

 

• Double-Click on the one you like best (you may Right Click and choose "Preview" if your not sure.)

• Then Click OK.

• In the main Window Click Apply --> Click OK.

• ......eh voila! There's your new custom Icon.  

• Just Right Click on your Desktop Shortcut and choose "Run with VDMS (with musical note)
   when you want to start the game. 

 

note* during the game itself --- you'll need to visit the "options" sections just move your cursor up to the top of the screen to find the icons. I have mine set to 

Double Buffering
Interlaced Video (you must have a high end machine for this to work)
You may also set the puzzle and combat difficulty here as well

 

note* During the game, if you find that you are still experiencing crashes or problems with your  WAC  --- simply re-apply the Ripper1.05 patch.   

 

....any more Margaritas??? (**hic-up**)

...oh yes and the Red sock...goes on the left foot.

.....Inferno

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