Newbie with questions

[NeveroddoreveN]

Hey everyone!! I am new to this site - new to SCUMMVM as a whole - so this is my first real “forum experience” with the software. What first turned me on to using the program is how I came across a game that I remember from my childhood... kind of.

Back in 1988 (or soon after), I had gotten an Apple/GS for my eighth birthday. And one of the first games was “Manhunter: New York.” I was excited to play, but I do remember having no clue what was going on in the game, even though I was about 5 minutes into gameplay. I was simply too young to understand what was going on. So, being a typical eight-year-old, I sidelined the game without much thought. 2 or 3 years went by, and I had achieved a new level of perception. I was looking through my library of floppy discs (3.5”), lo and behold, there were the four Manhunter: New York discs!!!!! I popped the first one in… and got an error screen. The game simply would not load, a scratch on the disc…?

I was devastated!! That was about 1991, and I have ached to play this game again for SO many years.
Well, fortune shined upon me! I was on Reddit maybe two weeks ago (or thereabouts), and on a whim I tried a search for Manhunter: New York and got an almost immediate response!! I was told that I could purchase an external 3.5” floppy drive, and within a day of that happening, I searched eBay for a copy of Manhunter. I found one, and now I am the proud owner of the Manhunter: New York box set!! That, and now I also have purchased that external drive.
Anyway, I was told I could use ScummVM as a program to play my new game. I have absolutely no idea how to use the software, this is completely new to me, but I am also eager to learn and to play my new game!!

That is my story!! I figured I would come on here, tell you all my tale, and hopefully get the ball rolling for playing Manhunter!!! Happy gaming!!

[eriktorbjorn]

Anyway, I was told I could use ScummVM as a program to play my new game. I have absolutely no idea how to use the software, this is completely new to me, but I am also eager to learn and to play my new game!!

I don't own any of the Manhunter games myself, but I assume the ScummVM wiki page about it page about it may be a good place to start, since it also links to the general documentation.

[NeveroddoreveN]

Thanks so much for your response, eriktorbjorn!!! I appreciate your taking the time to write me back. I would have responded earlier, but I am still very new to this site and do not know how to assign this thread to be watched and let me know when someone replies. That said, I will check in here from time to time to see if there are any more responses.

I think Manhunter was released for the Apple//GS computer in the late 80s, and like I said in my initial post, I had the game but did not understand it. I must have been no more than 5 or 10 minutes in before I stopped. I could not comprehend what I was seeing, and when I was "old enough", I tried to play but the first disc was scratched. As for SCUMMVM, I am very new to it and will do some research but if you, or anyone, can help me with the process of getting Manhunter: New York up and running, I would really be grateful!!!

Thanks so much, any and all help is so, so appreciated!!!

[Praetorian]

I own Manhunter 2: San Francisco (which is the sequel), the floppy 3.5" discs version -- and coincidentally an uncle of mine had the floppy 5.25" version.

It wasn't my favorite of the Sierra adventure games, and it was quite obscure to figure out. But I stuck with it, and... got absolutely stuck at a weird puzzle that expected a knowledge of the English language and a thought process I did not posess or follow. Eventually the story made some sense, or half-sense, I think. I learned a few things about San Francisco that I still remember to this day, so it wasn't a total loss

I think I have the floppy discs for that somewhere in storage (the box is long gone/lost), but no longer have a floppy drive connected to my current (active) PCs so I cannot test anytime soon.

[fibs]

That said, I will check in here from time to time to see if there are any more responses.

Follow these steps:
- copy all the data from the disks into separate folders for each disk (e.g. "Disk 1", "Disk 2" etc.) on your computer as a backup
- next, create a nearby folder called "ManhunterNY" to consolidate the game files
- from the above backup folders, copy all the files from "Disk 1" into "ManhunterNY", then all the "Disk 2" files and so forth, overwriting any duplicate files
- download, install and run ScummVM
- in ScummVM, click the Add Game button
- browse inside the folder "ManhunterNY" where you copied the consolidated game data and choose the folder
- confirm the addition of the game if prompted
- the game will now appear the main window list
- double click the game title to play

If you want to be more clinical about the required files, check the list in the link offered above. Have fun!

[NeveroddoreveN]

Fantastic!!! Thank you SO much for your help!!!! That is what I needed to hear!! I do apologize for not responding earlier (again), I am still not savvy with this website, so I am not sure how to bookmark this thread so that I get a message saying I received a reply. I know Manhunter: New York was expensive, but I have wanted to play this for a very long time!!!! Thanks for all your help!! (btw, I plan on purchasing and playing Manhunter 2 when I have the time and money - haha).

[NeveroddoreveN]

Just for clarifications sake, I just make two folders (Manhunter Disk 1 and Manhunter Disc 2), Make a Manhunter master folder, put the two disc folders into the main one, download and run Scumm, go to “Add Game”, find the folder with the game name, and double click the game title? And when it comes to the step where I go into main folder that I created, do I go to disc #1 folder for the game, or disc #2? Also, since there are two discs, will I get about half way through the game and have to reload the game from the second folder when I want to continue and complete the game? If this is a bit vague, please let me know, I do apologize for my lack of experience, I am still new to this.

[fibs]

The measure of copying the disc contents into separate folder is just because it's smart to have a modern backup. Also, it's better not to risk being clumsy and deleting data from the original medium, so I'd just copy once and not mess with the physical discs further. There are better tools to image disc data, and you can do that at a later date if you want to, but for playing the game now it's sufficient.

I should clarify based on your comments that the so-called master folder should have the spilled-over contents of the two disc folders, not the two folders themselves. Thus, you go into "Disc 1", select all files, copy-paste into the master folder. Then you go into "Disc 2," select all files, copy-paste into the master folder and approve any overwriting. Then with ScummVM you click Add Game, browse to the master folder, go inside the folder then click Choose. The game will be detected and you can choose to add it. Add it. Play it from the list.

There will be no disc switching with ScummVM, you'll be able to play the whole game based on the complete game data in the so-called master folder. Ultimately you're going to have to try the process which should take no more than a few minutes. Good luck!

[NeveroddoreveN]

Oh, I get it!! I think I understand how this works now. Thank you so much for your help, I really, really appreciate everything you have told me. I do have a lineup of games that I already have to play, I am not sure if I will sideline them for Manhunter or not, but this is certainly prominent in my gaming library. One other thing, and I hate to ask this but I am being cautious, but is ScummVM safe from viruses and malware? ScummVM sounds pretty straightforward, I am looking forward to using it in the future!!! Not sure what games are under its umbrella, but this sounds great!!!