How do you like your game manuals? - Page 2

Arnabas · 05-04-2004, 02:11 AM

I guess we're a bunch of bathroom readers! Lol
[img]smile.gif[/img]

CerebroDragon · 05-05-2004, 02:32 AM

When I was first playing BG2, I used to read the manual in bed after a big session and get sleepy pondering over all of the spells and kits I'd never used before. [img]smile.gif[/img]

I like dense manuals, they help immerse one further into the game you're playing. Two come to mind immediately that I've enjoyed reading over and over through the years - Ultima VII and Ultima Underworld. There is such a great flair and sense of history about the manuals and maps of these games that enriches the experience of playing them so well. [img]smile.gif[/img]

On the other side of the coin, you get the less impresive ones aswell. I think one of the worst manuals I own would be the one to Ruins of Myth Drannor (I don't see it as the official sequel [img]tongue.gif[/img] ) so many details missing from the 3rd ed rules and also some horrid attempts to cover up bad programming.

I remember in one part, it tries to rationalise not being able to take single characters too far away from the party (as you can in the BG series) as being a 'safety precaution' or some nonsense.

I should find the quote, as its hilarious.

Ladyzekke · 05-11-2004, 08:20 PM

For the money I spend on a game, I want the best detailed manual they can provide. Let it be up to me if I want to spoil myself or not.

Gnarf · 05-12-2004, 05:40 AM

Uhm... I prefer my games so complex that I need a large manual, to look up rules'n stuff in. If there's gonna be lots'a background stuff as well, which is fine, it better be paper (if I'm just gonna look up what a feat in NWN does, a .pdf is just fine... no search function in them paper manuals

). Certain games are better off with no background info tho :/

Nightcloak · 05-15-2004, 07:45 PM

OoOOooO - I am so glad this topic came about. If there is one thing I love about CRPG's, it's their rich intense manuals that come with them! Screw the gold edition maps, soundtracts, and collector's gifts. I love to read through my manuals, formulating plans for my next character, reading the backgrounds of the gameworld, current story, NPC's, weapons available, the list goes on. Intended of course to just be nothing more than an instruction book, I sometimes even consider them full pledged works of literature, but some of them i've found to be faulty and contain miss information (::cough:: Bioware).

To keep things short, give them to me big, full of pages, and long! - Gotta love skimming through a freshly new manual. But, I have to say, I usually read them after ive initially started the game and am well into it. (or when I rip it open the box and read it untill I get home from the trip to the software store)

Stormymystic · 05-15-2004, 08:51 PM

I very seldom use the manuals, to me, other than learning the controls, it is more fun to learn the world on your own

vesselle · 05-16-2004, 04:55 PM

i need my manuals. the bigger, the better.
i keep all the great ones on my bookshelf next to my 'puter. i can see 3 huge ringbound manuals from here: BG, BG2, Fallout 2. [img]smile.gif[/img] and the rest are about paperback size. [img]smile.gif[/img]

besides, how can i tell someone to RTFM if there isn't one?

V***V

Vaskez · 05-16-2004, 06:45 PM

Before I played BG2 I never read manuals but since then I've changed my mind: long and detailed manuals can be good. Here's another member of the bathroom readers club

Lauren · 06-12-2004, 10:36 PM

Sometimes I read the manual sometimes I don't, it depends if I know what the game is like already.

LS0158 · 06-22-2004, 11:09 AM

I like the big manuals, since they usually contain more useful information than just the basics. In the Civ3 manual, there's a chapter discussing just about everything.

I also like the Outpost strategy guide. There's about three pages actually about the game, and about 200 about the technology people use in the game, theories, how the technology could be possible in a long time, and kinda random stuff too. Like the chapter quotes. For the chapter about cheating, the quote was:

"I didn't do it, nobody saw me do it, you can't prove I did it." -Bart Simpson, The Simpsons

I probably typed the quote incorrectly, or misspelled Simpsons, but it's correct in the strategy guide.

View Poll Results: How do you like your game manuals?
I like big manuals with lots of background info on the game world	31	86.11%
Short and sweet-- gimme just the basics to get started	2	5.56%
Manual? Bah. Who reads those?	3	8.33%
Voters: 36. You may not vote on this poll

05-04-2004, 02:11 AM	#11
Arnabas Baaz Draconian Join Date: October 11, 2001 Location: Montreal,Quebec,Canada Age: 54 Posts: 721	I guess we're a bunch of bathroom readers! Lol [img]smile.gif[/img] __________________ Est Sularis oth Mithas

05-05-2004, 02:32 AM	#12
CerebroDragon Red Wizard of Thay Join Date: March 2, 2003 Location: Ballarat, Australia. Age: 46 Posts: 878	When I was first playing BG2, I used to read the manual in bed after a big session and get sleepy pondering over all of the spells and kits I'd never used before. [img]smile.gif[/img] I like dense manuals, they help immerse one further into the game you're playing. Two come to mind immediately that I've enjoyed reading over and over through the years - Ultima VII and Ultima Underworld. There is such a great flair and sense of history about the manuals and maps of these games that enriches the experience of playing them so well. [img]smile.gif[/img] On the other side of the coin, you get the less impresive ones aswell. I think one of the worst manuals I own would be the one to Ruins of Myth Drannor (I don't see it as the official sequel [img]tongue.gif[/img] ) so many details missing from the 3rd ed rules and also some horrid attempts to cover up bad programming. I remember in one part, it tries to rationalise not being able to take single characters too far away from the party (as you can in the BG series) as being a 'safety precaution' or some nonsense. I should find the quote, as its hilarious. __________________ Diddledy High, Diddledy Low, Come Brave Blood Sheep, You've a goodly way to go. - Brilhasti Ap Tarj

05-11-2004, 08:20 PM	#13
Ladyzekke Ironworks Atomic Moderator Join Date: January 7, 2001 Location: Virginia, U.S.A. Age: 58 Posts: 9,005	For the money I spend on a game, I want the best detailed manual they can provide. Let it be up to me if I want to spoil myself or not. __________________ Reality Show Recaps

05-12-2004, 05:40 AM	#14
Gnarf Emerald Dragon Join Date: February 6, 2003 Location: Norway Age: 40 Posts: 928	Uhm... I prefer my games so complex that I need a large manual, to look up rules'n stuff in. If there's gonna be lots'a background stuff as well, which is fine, it better be paper (if I'm just gonna look up what a feat in NWN does, a .pdf is just fine... no search function in them paper manuals ). Certain games are better off with no background info tho :/ __________________ I want a hippo.

05-15-2004, 07:45 PM	#15
Nightcloak Elite Waterdeep Guard Join Date: May 13, 2004 Location: United States Age: 37 Posts: 46	OoOOooO - I am so glad this topic came about. If there is one thing I love about CRPG's, it's their rich intense manuals that come with them! Screw the gold edition maps, soundtracts, and collector's gifts. I love to read through my manuals, formulating plans for my next character, reading the backgrounds of the gameworld, current story, NPC's, weapons available, the list goes on. Intended of course to just be nothing more than an instruction book, I sometimes even consider them full pledged works of literature, but some of them i've found to be faulty and contain miss information (::cough:: Bioware). To keep things short, give them to me big, full of pages, and long! - Gotta love skimming through a freshly new manual. But, I have to say, I usually read them after ive initially started the game and am well into it. (or when I rip it open the box and read it untill I get home from the trip to the software store) __________________ \"Knowledge is glad she knows so much,<br />Wisdom is glad she knows no more.\"<br /><br /> [img]\"http://www32.brinkster.com/catspieville/badges/kenshin.gif\" alt=\" - \" />

05-15-2004, 08:51 PM	#16
Stormymystic Knight of the Rose Join Date: April 8, 2003 Location: Arkansas Age: 49 Posts: 4,442	I very seldom use the manuals, to me, other than learning the controls, it is more fun to learn the world on your own __________________ [url]\"http://stormymystic.deviantart.com/gallery/\" target=\"_blank\"> [img]\"http://img92.imageshack.us/img92/3968/stormyvx6.jpg\" alt=\" - \" /></a>

05-16-2004, 04:55 PM	#17
vesselle Hathor Join Date: April 6, 2001 Location: the desert Posts: 2,296	i need my manuals. the bigger, the better. i keep all the great ones on my bookshelf next to my 'puter. i can see 3 huge ringbound manuals from here: BG, BG2, Fallout 2. [img]smile.gif[/img] and the rest are about paperback size. [img]smile.gif[/img] besides, how can i tell someone to RTFM if there isn't one? V***V __________________ my best friend is a junkie. what does your best friend do?

05-16-2004, 06:45 PM	#18
Vaskez Takhisis Follower Join Date: April 30, 2001 Location: szép Magyarország (well not right now) Posts: 5,089	Before I played BG2 I never read manuals but since then I've changed my mind: long and detailed manuals can be good. Here's another member of the bathroom readers club __________________ Too set in his ways to ever relate If he could set that aside, there'd be heaven to pay But weathered and aged, time swept him to grave Love conquers all? Damn, I'd say that area's gray

06-12-2004, 10:36 PM	#19
Lauren Baaz Draconian Join Date: May 24, 2004 Location: Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia Age: 36 Posts: 721	Sometimes I read the manual sometimes I don't, it depends if I know what the game is like already. __________________ "So many thoughts running through my head, I know what you feel, I know what you dread; When a room's filled with laughter, when a room's filled with lies, you're the only one I know that's in disguise..."

06-22-2004, 11:09 AM	#20
LS0158 Zhentarim Guard Join Date: November 11, 2002 Location: North Carolina Age: 66 Posts: 351	I like the big manuals, since they usually contain more useful information than just the basics. In the Civ3 manual, there's a chapter discussing just about everything. I also like the Outpost strategy guide. There's about three pages actually about the game, and about 200 about the technology people use in the game, theories, how the technology could be possible in a long time, and kinda random stuff too. Like the chapter quotes. For the chapter about cheating, the quote was: "I didn't do it, nobody saw me do it, you can't prove I did it." -Bart Simpson, The Simpsons I probably typed the quote incorrectly, or misspelled Simpsons, but it's correct in the strategy guide.

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