Have you patched Ripper to v1.05? If you haven't already done so, try running the game like: RIPPER /V /V3

[MOVED]

I have patched Ripper to 1.05 and typed ripper.exe/v/v3. The problem is still there.

Also, why do my threads keep getting moved?

I've read that some gfx corruption can occur in the game unless you use machine=vesa_oldvbe, but that might refer to something more severe than the trail artifacts you're asking about.

Are you sure the artifacts don't occur on real hardware? Perhaps system performance is a factor: the game might trade off the artifacts for better framerate on slower systems (the emulation overhead limiting performance as it does).

Dunno about your other threads, but I'd guess this one was moved because you made it about DOSBox.

There are few possiblities that I can think of:

1) The scaler of DOSBox creates them. Try a different scaler (as the screenshots were pretty large)

2) Some bug in the CPU/FPU/VIDEO is causing it. try changing the cpu core to normal and dynamic to exclude
both the CPU/FPU

3) It is a bug of the game itself

4) Smacker video can produce artifacts when the CPU speed is too low (even on real hardware)

I don't really see anything wrong on the pictures tough. Their faces don't look better. The 6-bit LCD D/A conversion might add to the effect.

Right, i can second Hal's experience, on slow PCs the graphics "corruption"
(ie. Smacker performing optimizations to keep the framerate introducing
artefacting) may be much worse than what's posted in the pictures.

I am playing it on a laptop with a core 2 duo T5870 running @ 2.0 GHz with a Geforce 8400m GS video card. Is that too slow? I thought it was more than enough D:

FMV's are pretty intensive. If there's an option to use low-res videos or to reduce video size then you can try that.

Most of the reviews I see for people playing the game say the game runs fine on P2's but the game running in DOSBox is nowhere near that level with your processor.

I am playing it on a laptop with a core 2 duo T5870 running @ 2.0 GHz with a Geforce 8400m GS video card.

No you're playing it on that system through a full-pc emulation layer.

Okay I:

1)tried machine=vesa_oldvbe, did not work

2)changed core from dynamic to normal, did not work

3)changed scaler to normal3x and then to 2xsai, did not work

Why trying those useless things (speed-wise) and not reading DosFreak's reply?

I'm not sure what Dosfreak's advice entails. So should I run it on a computer with slower CPU or faster CPU? I ran the game with low-res video settings. Still doesn't work.

I don't want to take out my clunky P2 computer because it smells like weed and contains a shit load of viruses I have yet to disinfect.

Why am I the only one with this problem *sob*. Is this going to be fixed with the next version of dosbox?

if it is caused by the smacker videos then it won't be fixed as it isn't a bug of dosbox

Will updating the smacker compressor fix the problem?

If all else fails, I'm going to use the vdmsound method. I assume it doesn't work on Vista?

You could also try fixed cycles

fixed cycles just makes the game slow but the problem is still there. Thanks for all your help, guys. I still haven't given up, so I'm open to more suggestions

1. Try vdmsound
2. Try it on a way faster computer with dosbox configured for fastest performance or just any other computer
3. try it on your old P2, or any other old computer