Welcome to 1930's America. Organized crime is on the rise and a number of criminal Families are fighting for control of the illicit markets - booze, prostitution, gambling, you name it - it's all sprouting up like weeds through Johnny Law's clenched fist. This is a dog-eat-dog world of corruption, murder, and sex...and as the new kid on the block, you're lookin' a little like a milk bone.
Mob Rule marries the Underworld and strategy gaming in a uniquely addictive and hilarious package. Starting as a common street thug, the player ascends through the ranks of the Mob in 1930's America with the objective of gaining control of the Syndicate.
A Mobster Sim --- Boy Scouts need not apply!
Your quest for total criminal control in the full game will take you through 5 cities - from the jerk water 'burb of Hick Town to the Mecca of Organized Crime, Capitol City - and through hundreds of animated CG sequences that show the lighter side of life in the Underworld. This demo however includes the early stages of Hick Town. But it's not all TomGunFoolery! You're quest for dominance is a block-by-block turf war against rival families and the Government. Using your rag-tag collection of Tenants, "Undesirables," Thugs, Fixers, and Gangsters, you need to wrest control of building after building until - ultimately - you control all the blocks in the land. It'll be a long-haul comprised of bloody street wars with rival gangs, shakedowns by the cops, and payola up the ying yang...but if you play your cards right, you'll walk away with a cut of EVERY illegal activity in the nation!
Remember, the GodFather only helps those who help themselves! But to give you a helping hand there is a special step-by-step tutorial to show you everything from building new businesses to whacking an opposing boss.
(2) MACHINE REQUIREMENTS
Minimum specification
Windows 95, Pentium 166 Processor or higher, 16Mb Ram, 2Mb PCI Graphics card, 4-speed CD-ROM drive, 50Mb hard disk space, SoundBlaster or 100% compatible sound card with DirectX Support, Microsoft compatible Mouse, Speakers.
Recommended specification
Windows 95, Pentium 266 Processor or higher, 32Mb Ram, 2Mb PCI Graphics card, 8-speed CD-ROM drive, 400Mb hard disk space, SoundBlaster or 100% compatible sound card with DirectX Support, Microsoft compatible Mouse, Speakers.
(3) DirectX
DirectX 6.1
In order for the game to run, your computer must have DirectX 6.1 or higher installed. If you are unsure about whether your machine meets this requirement then it is recommended that you install DirectX. It can be found elsewhere on the cover CD.
Effects of installing DirectX
Installing DirectX may result in any manufacturers video card utilities being disabled (e.g. Matrox Powerdesk, Diamond InControl etc.). These utilities will no longer be accessible, and any options to change video settings etc. will revert back to the control of Windows. See the section titled 'Changing Video Settings' under the Windows Configuration section for details on how to change these settings under Windows.
'Insert Disk' request during installation
If you receive a message asking you to insert your Windows CD-ROM during the installation of DirectX, it means that some aspect of Windows needed by DirectX is not installed (typically it will be sound card related utilities such as volume control). If you receive this message, insert your Windows CD and install the required files. Once done, you will need to install DirectX again in order to ensure a full installation.
Problems restarting machine after installation of DirectX
If after installing DirectX, you restart your machine and encounter problems (e.g. a black screen is displayed rather than the Windows desktop) you may need to restore your old video card drivers. In order to see the Windows desktop to do this, start your machine in 'Safe Mode'. This can be done as follows
(1) Start your machine, and when the BIOS screen appears (a screen listing CPU type etc. in a table) press the F8 key. Your should now be met with the Windows Startup Menu.
(2) Select the Safe Mode option from this menu using the cursor keys and then press RETURN.
(3) Windows will start and you will be met with a message telling you that Windows is running in 'Safe Mode'. Press RETURN to continue loading Windows.
(4) Once Windows finished loading, press the right mouse button and select 'Properties' from the menu that appears.
(5) From the 'Display Properties' menu, choose the 'Settings' tab and then click on 'Advanced' (if you are using the original version of Windows 95, this will be named 'Change Display type').
(6) From the new window that opens click on the 'Adapter' tab, then click on the 'Changeà' icon (if using the original version of Windows 95, click on the 'Change' icon next to 'Adapter Type').
(7) The installation process for adding video drivers will now begin, use the drivers originally supplied for your video card, and follow the manufacturers instructions.
Changing Hardware
If you change any of the hardware within your machine, you will need to reinstall DirectX again. This is to ensure that the new hardware is DirectX certified, as the drivers supplied with the hardware may not be.
Checking Certification
In order to ensure that Mob Rule works correctly on your machine, you will need to have your video and display drivers certified by DirectX (for details of what certification means see the section 'What is DirectX' below). If you encounter any problems running the game, the first thing to check is that your video and sound cards are certified, this can be done as follows
(1) Open the Start menu by clicking on the START icon at the bottom left of the screen, from here click on the 'Run' option.
(2) A window titled 'Run' will open, in the box labelled 'Open:' type in the following
C:\PROGRAM FILES\DIRECTX\SETUP\DXDIAG.EXE
(3) A window titled 'DirectX Diagnostic Tool' should now be open. If this window does not open, you may not have DirectX6 installed, see above for details on how to install it from the CD. If the window does appear there are a number of things that can be checked.
Video Driver Certification
Click on the 'Display' or 'Display 1' tab at the top of the 'DirectX Diagnostic Tool' window.
From the screen that appears, you can find out the name of your video card, the amount of memory it has and you can also test its 2D (DirectDraw) and 3D (Direct3D) features. To check certification, under the heading 'Drivers' the 'Certified :' heading should be accompanied by Yes. Also, under the 'Notes' heading the first line should say 'No driver problems found'. If this is not the case on your system, then you may need to obtain new video card drivers from your manufacturer. A list of Internet sites where drivers can be found is listed below under the Video Cards section.
Sound Driver Certification
Click on the 'Sound' tab at the top of the 'DirectX Diagnostic Tool' window. On the screen that appears, under the heading 'Driver' it will say whether it is certified (Yes or No) while under the heading 'Notes' the first line should read 'No driver problems found'. If this is not the case on your system then you may need to obtain new sound card drivers from your manufacturer. A list of Internet sites where drivers can be found is listed below under the Sound Cards section.
What is DirectX
DirectX is designed to allow developers to use a standard set of components and instructions to program software. Its main advantages are that it allows software to be written that will work correctly on any Windows based PC and which will utilise the hardware currently available in the machine without having to write code specifically for it. It uses software drivers to communicate between the computer hardware and the game software, and if necessary to simulate the effects of hardware. This allows products to get the best use out of the machine, even if it contains hardware that was made after the software was finished.
DirectX gives programmers a single set of API's (Application Programming Interfaces), this is basically a library of information that can be used to access various special features of hardware (e.g. 3D video card acceleration). The API's control these via a group of components as follows -
DirectDraw
This is used to allow the game to access the video card in order to display 2D graphics. It allows software to utilise all screen resolutions and colour modes as well as any acceleration that the video card may possess. If a video card does not possess any special feature required by the game, then this allows them to be emulated to ensure the game will run.
Direct3D
Direct3D is a 3D draw engine that can be used to access hardware acceleration of 3D graphics or to emulate them if the hardware required is absent. It is designed to get the best use out of any 3D accelerated video hardware without the programmer having to write versions of the game specifically for each video card.
DirectInput
DirectInput provides an interface for a wide variety of input devices (e.g. mice, joysticks keyboards etc.). It allows games to support all Windows controllers without the programmer having to include code to specifically run the game with each type of joystick etc.. As well as allowing games to support all current and future controllers, DirectInput also allows better responsiveness of controllers under Windows by sending the information straight to the device drivers, bypassing the Windows message system.
DirectSound
This gives the developers easy access to the audio functions of a machine. When using DOS based software, the user would have to set their sound card up manually. DirectSound removes the need for this as well as allowing any special features of the sound card to be used, or emulated by software if the card lacks them.
DirectPlay
DirectPlay's function is to provide an interface between games and communications services. It allows software to easily implement multiplayer games over networks or via modems or the Internet (regardless of the online service). It does this by including tools that allow players to easily find game sessions and then manages the flow of information during play.
DirectMusic
DirectMusic allows developers to easily implement music scores that change depending on the players circumstances. It does that using in such a way as to guarantee consistent playback regardless of the hardware being used in the machine, while taking up the minimum amount of space.
Certification
If a driver is 'certified' by DirectX, it means that it has been tested by Microsoft for full compatibility with the latest version of DirectX. Uncertified drivers have not been tested by Microsoft, and although they may still run DirectX games, it is not guaranteed. In order to guarantee full compatibility with current software, every driver should be certified (this typically applies to sound and video card drivers).
Direct Media
Direct Media deals with higher level functions than DirectX. DirectX is effectively the base layer while Direct Media is positioned above this, providing services to support animation and the streaming of graphics and sound over the Internet.
Direct Media provides a number of time based services, allowing developers to easily combine animation, video and audio, with all of them operating on the same timeline (e.g. when using it 2D characters can interact with video scenes).
(4) WINDOWS CONFIGURATION
When running Mob Rule, it is recommended that you check the following factors regarding the configuration of Windows
Colour Mode
When running the game, you will need to have windows set to a color mode of 256 colours or higher. The colour mode can be changed as follows
(1) Click the right mouse button when on the desktop, and select the option 'Properties' from the menu that appears.
(2) A window titled 'Display Properties' will appear, click on the 'Settings' tab to bring up the display settings screen.
(3) From this screen the color mode ('Colors') and screen resolution ('Screen area') can be altered.
Close Other Programs
Before starting Mob Rule, you are advised to close down all other programs that may be running. Doing this will ensure that Mob Rule is able to use the maximum system resources available. To check which other programs are open, press the CONTROL, ALT and DELETE keys at the same time. This will bring up a menu titled 'Close Program'. This menu lists all the programs currently running, a completely clean system should only have Explorer and Systray listed on this screen. If you are unsure what the programs currently running are, do not close them unless you are having problems running the game (with either game stability or speed).
Windows Virtual Memory
Virtual Memory is basically when Windows uses hard drive space as extra memory. It does this by creating a swap file on the hard drive and writing data to it, the result is that software that may need more memory than the machine it is being run on physically has will still run.
Game software typically needs a fairly large amount of space for a swap file, with up to 100Mb typically recommended.
The Virtual memory can be managed in two ways, automatically or manually. To check which method is being used on your machine, follow these steps
(1) Right click on 'My Computer' and select 'Properties' from the menu that appears.
(2) The 'System Properties' window will open, click on the 'Performance' tab and then click on the 'Virtual Memory' icon.
(3) A window titled 'Virtual Memory' will now be open.
If the option "Let Windows manage my virtual memory settings" is highlighted then your virtual memory is being automatically managed by windows. If this is the case please ensure that your C: drive has enough free hard drive space (100Mb or more). This can be checked by double clicking on the 'My Computer' icon, right clicking on the (C:) drive and selecting 'Properties', the free space on the drive will be listed in the prioperties window that opens.
If the option "Let me specify my own virtual memory settings" is highlighted, you are manually setting the limits of the swap file for Virtual memory. If this is the case we recommend that you ensure that the maximum amount listed is not less than 100.
(5) VIDEO CARDS
DirectX
In order to run, the video card must be compatible with DirectX (and must also typically be using certified drivers). In order to check whether your video card meets these requirements see section 3 (Checking certification). Possible symptoms of your card not being DirectX compatible include the machine displaying a black screen when you start the game, the graphics of the game being corrupted or the colour within the game being incorrect.
Monitor Settings
If you experience video problems, it is also possible that the cause could be that your monitor is not configured within Windows. This can be checked as follows
(1) Click the right mouse button on the desktop and select 'Properties' from the menu that appears.
(2) On the 'Display Properties' window that appears, click on the 'Settings' tab. Click on the 'Advanced' icon (users with the original version of Windows 95 will have to click on the 'Change Display Type' icon at this point).
(3) Click on the 'monitor' tab in the new window. If your monitor is not the one currently named, click on the 'Change' icon (users of the original version of Windows 95 will need to click on the 'Change' icon next to 'Monitor Type'). If you received a driver disk with your monitor, use that. If not, you will need to manually configure your monitor.
Under Windows 95 you can select your monitor from the list displayed (Click on 'Show all Devices' to get a complete list if your monitor is not named under 'Show Compatible Devices'). Under Windows 98 you will need to select the option to 'Display a list of all drivers in a specific location', and once again select 'Show all Hardware' if your monitor is not listed under the 'Show Compatible Hardware' option.
Specific Video card Problems
The following problems were encountered during testing with specific video cards/video chipsets.
Western Digital Paradise 64 - When running Mob Rule on machines with this video card, we recommend that you do not have Windows set to 24 bit colour mode. All other colour modes will work without any problems however (i.e. 256 colours or 16 bit colour mode).
Drivers
If any problems are encountered, we recommend that you try using the latest video card drivers from the manufacturer of your video card or its chipset. The Internet addresses of some of the main video card and chipset manufacturers are listed below, if yours is not covered please check your cards documentation for a link.
In order to run the game you will need to have a DirectX compatible sound card (it will also typically need to be using certified drivers). In order to check whether your video card meets these requirements see section 3 (Checking certification). Possible symptoms of your card not being DirectX compatible include receiving no sound while playing, sound effects playing but stuttering or static playing rather than sound and music.
Volume Settings
If all the drivers for the sound card are OK but you are still receiving no sound, check the volume controls within Windows are set correctly. To do this
(1) In the bottom right of the desktop, next to the clock, should be a speaker icon. Right click on this and select 'Open Volume Controls' from the menu that appears.
(2) A window titled 'Volume Control' should open, ensure that all the volume meters are set correctly and that none of the boxes labelled 'Mute' are ticked.
Checking Sound Playback
To check that the sound is working correctly within Windows
(1) Open 'My Computer' by double clicking on its icon and then double click on the Control Panel icon on the window that appears.
(2) From the Control Panel, double click on the 'Sounds' icon.
(3) Highlight one of the options (e.g. 'Asterisk') and ensure there is a speaker icon next to its name. If there is not click 'browse' and select a file, the folder C:\Windows\Media will normally contain some.
(4) Click on the play button next to 'Preview:'.
A sound sample should now load and play, if you do not hear anything then your sound card may not be set up correctly within Windows.
Midi Music
Most background music contained in the game is MIDI based. To check your settings for MIDI open the Control Panel (found within 'My Computer') and open the 'Multimedia' program from the window that opens. From the 'Multimedia Properties' window that should now be present, click on the 'MIDI' tab. This will show how your MIDI output is configured, if you are having any problems with music in the game, consult your sound card's documentation to see what this should be set to and configure it accordingly. Due to limitations of the size of the demo, if you have certain models of creative labs sound cards then you may find that midi music is not audible. This music will unfortunately only be audible on the full version of the game.
Drivers
If any problems are encountered, we recommend that you try using the latest audio drivers from the manufacturer of your sound card. The Internet addresses of some of the main sound card manufacturers are listed below, if yours is not covered please check your cards documentation for a link.
Creative Labs www.creativelabs.com
Diamond Multimedia www.diamondmm.com
Guillemot International www.guillemot.com
Videologic www.videologic.com
Yamaha www.yamaha.com
(7) CD ROM/DVD DRIVES
Systems with multiple CD drives
If you are running the game on a system that has more than one CD or DVD drive (due to either multiple drives or having one drive with multiple trays) please ensure that the game CD is always placed in the drive that it was originally installed from.
Windows drivers
In order to install Mob Rule and DirectX your CD/DVD will need to be using Windows based drivers.
To check which drivers you are using
(1) Right click on 'My Computer' and select 'Properties' from the menu that appears.
(2) From the 'System Properties' menu that appears click on the 'Performance' tab.
(3) Under the heading 'Performance Status', File System should be listed as 32-bit while at the bottom of the box it should say "Your system is configured for optimal performance'. If this is not the case you may need to obtain Windows based drivers for your CD/DVD drive from its manufacturer.
CD Errors
If you receive a Blue Windows error screen saying there was an error reading the CD while installing or playing the game, it could be the result of one of the following.
(1) Removing the CD while a game is in progress.
(2) A CD that is scratched or dirty. This can be checked by examining the CD for scratches, fingerprints etc.. If any are found the CD may need cleaning, this can be done with either a commercially available CD cleaner or by wiping the CD with a soft dry cloth (always ensure that you wipe the CD in a straight line from the centre to the outer edge).
(3) There may be a problem with your CD/DVD ROM drive. Ensure that you are using the Windows based drivers.
(4) If you are experiencing similar problems with other disk intensive software it could be that the drive itself is not working properly.
(8) GAMEPLAY
Skipping Cutscenes
The introduction and various animated cutscenes within the game can be skipped by pressing the ESCAPE key.
Minimising Game
During play, Mob Rule can be minimised by pressing ALT/TAB. To restore the game either click on its icon on the Mob Rule icon on the taskbar or use ALT/TAB to cycle through tasks and select Mob Rule.
(9) UNINSTALLATION
The game should always be removed either from the uninstall option on the START menu or from the add/remove menu (details on how to do this are below). It should not be manually deleted from the hard drive, as this will result in data being left in the Windows registry.
Uninstalling Game via START menu
To remove Mob Rule via the START menu, open the START menu, then open the 'Programs' then 'Mob Rule' folder. From here select the option 'Uninstall' to remove the game from your machine.
Uninstalling game via Add/Remove Programs
To remove the game using the Add/remove Programs function of Windows
(1) Double click on 'My Computer' and then double click on the 'Control Panel' icon in the window that opens.
(2) Double click on the 'Add/Remove Programs' icon.
(3) Highlight the Mob Rule line on the 'Add/Remove Programs Properties' window and click on the 'Add/Remove' icon.
Problems Uninstalling Game
If any problems are encountered during the uninstallation of the game that result in it being impossible to remove it, we recommend that you try reinstalling Mob Rule to the same directory as last time. See Section 2 for details on how to manually install the game again, once this has been done it should be possible to uninstall it without any problems.
(10) OPTIMIZING GAME SPEED
There are a number of ways in which machines can be optimised to improve the speed of games.
Ensure No Other Software is Running
See section 4 (Close other Programs) for details about this.
Virtual Memory
Ensure that there is enough free hard drive space for Virtual Memory (see section 4 (Windows Virtual Memory)) for details on this.
The performance of a machine can sometimes be improved by manually setting up a permanent swap file on a separate physical drive (this should only be attempted by advanced users).
Screen Savers/Desktop Themes
Disabling any third party Screen Savers or Desktop Themes may have an effect on improving system performance.
Hard Drive Maintenance
Ensure that your hard drive is working efficiently. This can be done using Scandisk (to check for damaged or corruption of the hard drive) and Defrag (to defragment the hard drive and possibly reduce load times). To access these utilities
(1) Double click on 'My Computer'
(2) Right click on the hard drive you wish to check and select 'properties' from the menu that appears.
(3) When the drive properties window opens, click on the 'Tools' tab.
(4) To run Scandisk, click on the 'Check Now' icon under the heading 'Error Checking Status'. To run Defrag, click on the 'Defragment Now' icon under the heading 'Defragmentation Status'.
(11) TROUBLESHOOTING
If a problem does occur, we recommend that you exit the game and restart Windows before attempting to run Mob Rule again. If you are having trouble exiting the game, it can be done manually as follows
(1) Press the CONTROL, ALT and DELETE keys together.
(2) From the 'Close Program' menu that appears highlight the name 'Mob Rule'.
(3) Click on the 'End Task' icon.
General Solutions
If you are having problems running Mob Rule, there are a number of things that you can initially try.
Manually Install DirectX
DirectX may need to be reinstalled, see section 3 (Manual Installation) for details on how to do this.
Reinstall Game
Sometimes problems may have occurred during the installation of the game. Simply uninstalling Mob Rule and then installing it once more can fix these problems.
Close Other Programs
Ensure that Mob Rule is the only thing running. To check what else you have running on your system see section 4 (Close Other Programs).
Check that DirectX Drivers are Certified
See section 3 for details on how to check that your video and sound card drivers are certified by DirectX. If they are not you may need to obtain the latest drivers from your cards manufacturer.
