Best game manuals?

Meghan · Post by **Meghan** » Thu Oct 14, 2004 2:14 am

oooooooooooooooooh - Ironrodiken, I presume?

I went dashing off to the CotN site and got all confused.

Sponge · Post by **Sponge** » Thu Oct 14, 2004 8:44 am

Master of Magic -- actually had *two* manuals. An 160 page instruction manual (which had plenty of stats) and a Spell manual.

I'd also have to say Civilization, SMAC, and Fallout. Oh, and maybe even Ultima Online.

adumir · Post by **adumir** » Thu Oct 14, 2004 9:22 am

Infocom's manuals were the best!

Hard to pick one favorite..
Bureaucracy's oh-so-helpful moving handbook
Ballyhoo's circus programme
Planetfall's recruitment brochure

Miss those guys.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Thu Oct 14, 2004 10:31 am

Meghan wrote:oooooooooooooooooh - Ironrodiken, I presume?

That was me, alright.

You have a good memory -- I'd forgotten all about that screenname. We aren't using handles on the TM site, so I'm Ken Parker there. (Ironrod-I-Ken, wasn't that too clever by half?)

RunningMn9 · Post by **RunningMn9** » Thu Oct 14, 2004 10:36 am

As a note to any game industry types reading this. If you want RM9 to start out with favorable feelings towards your game, you can do one of two things to satisfy me when I open your game box.

1) My preference is spiral-bound manuals. These just seem more impressive to me, plus they allow me to open the manual to a particular page and leave it open (without paper weights). ToEE is the most recent game I got with a spiral bound manual, and it set the proper tone.

2) That doesn't work so well for smaller manuals. BUT that does not give you clearance to publish one of those pamplet manuals. You know what I'm talking about. The manuals where the binding side is 3 staples and it's like 10x thicker than the pages of the manual themselves. That makes lining them up on my shelf a pain in my ass. If you can't do spiral bound, do something along the lines of CivIII, where the binding side is exactly the same width as the manual itself.

If you need more guidance, just ask.

Defiant · Post by **Defiant** » Thu Oct 14, 2004 10:47 am

The Mad Hatter · Post by **The Mad Hatter** » Thu Oct 14, 2004 10:51 am

Ironrod wrote:
Question: Do you like or hate PDF manuals? Would you appreciate and print out a big honking PDF, or would it just piss you off that a print version wasn't included with your game? My own feeling is that people really hate PDF doco. I do, anyway.

For critical game information no, but I don't mind using a PDF file to include things that for space reasons can't be put into print. Background story, statistical info, etc.

The Mad Hatter · Post by **The Mad Hatter** » Thu Oct 14, 2004 10:53 am

Nade wrote:
Tareeq wrote:
Nade wrote:Star Fleet: Krellen Commander
Great, well-written manual. Had me drooling all the way home, only to find out that the game itself was too buggy to play for more than 30 seconds at a time on my computer.
Mine was less buggy. The only part that didn't work for me was the planetary invasions. Also, at some point I jumped two or three ranks for no explicable reason, but Im sure that was a feature, not a bug.

Was that Star Fleet 2? Loved that game, but it had a crash bug that made it impossible to finish past a certain point. I even called the company and had them mail me a new copy, but it had the same problem. Back in the late 80s there wasn't anything you could do when that happened.

Defiant · Post by **Defiant** » Thu Oct 14, 2004 11:55 am

The Mad Hatter wrote: Was that Star Fleet 2? Loved that game, but it had a crash bug that made it impossible to finish past a certain point. I even called the company and had them mail me a new copy, but it had the same problem. Back in the late 80s there wasn't anything you could do when that happened.

Yep, that was the game. The company had released a number of different versions, some of which had less bugs than others. Becuase of the planetary invasion bug, I probably couldn't finish the game either (but it's been so long since I played the game that I can't remember) but I did have a blast till that point.

BTW, it looks like the creator of the Star Fleet series is currently working on a new game, Star Fleet Deluxe.

Dave Allen · Post by **Dave Allen** » Sat Oct 16, 2004 9:52 am

Andrew wrote:Stars! has the best in-game manual/help system I've come across. it came with a hefty paper manual but I never opened it.

That manual had a couple of handy formulas. It was always fun to calculate to the exact kiloton the payload (plus decay) necessary for my mass driver to wipe out an opponents population. "Waste not, want not"

Interloper · Post by **Interloper** » Sat Oct 16, 2004 5:58 pm

Another nod to Falcon 4.0.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Sat Oct 16, 2004 8:52 pm

I honestly can't remember the last manual I read all the way through. I seem to recall the Gold Box games having critical info in their manuals (the sort of info now imparted by speech or cut-scenes).

For many years now, my favorite manuals have been in digital format, preferably PDF or Word docs that can be searched for exactly what I need when I need it. They take up a hell of a lot less space to store, too.

Freezer-TPF- · Post by **Freezer-TPF-** » Sun Oct 17, 2004 12:27 am

Dave Allen wrote:I have a great fondness for well-written, "in character" manuals like those of the Ultima series. I think the best and most recent manual of this kind was the Arcanum manual - but the Vault-Tec Lab Journal will always be the champ.

Me too. Crimson Skies was another good "in character" manual, in the style of a weekly magazine from the 1930's and full of vintage-looking ads.

I also love a reference card, or at least having it printed on the back cover of the manual. And a nice separate map when appropriate, as in most RPGs and games like Mafia.

I don't mind PDF for bargain games or if it is relatively short to print out. I like to read the whole manual away from the PC and also have it nearby for reference while playing, and PDF's don't work well for that (sometimes you can ALT-TAB but that is not as good as having the manual accessible as you look at the game screen). Ideally, I like having both a nice pre-printed manual along with a searchable PDF copy on the CD.

I also love good tutorials that get me started with the controls and basic gameplay. I usually skim the manual for any setup/config explanations if necessary, play the tutorial, then read the manual, then start the real game.

Zarathud · Post by **Zarathud** » Sun Oct 17, 2004 1:22 am

Like any good economist, when given a choice -- I'd like to choose both.

Nothing beats a printed manual for bathroom strategy sessions.

But as an avid gamer, I have a FULL file cabinet of old manuals -- many of which I'm about to be forced to pack into a storage box. But with a PDF version on the CD/DVD, I can refresh my recollection about how to play the game. It's convenient only to check a few things, but not to learn how to play the game.

sgoldj · Post by **sgoldj** » Sun Oct 17, 2004 9:37 am

I'm glad someone else mentioned Wizardy.

I loved its humor and the pics that show the difference between a defense score of 10 (Man in loin cloth) and -10 (Same guy in Tank).

That and the use of MORDORCHARGE at Gilgemesh's Tavern

Freezer-TPF- · Post by **Freezer-TPF-** » Sun Oct 17, 2004 2:00 pm

sgoldj wrote:I'm glad someone else mentioned Wizardy.

I loved its humor and the pics that show the difference between a defense score of 10 (Man in loin cloth) and -10 (Same guy in Tank).

As a Wizardry fanboy, I must give you this:

Defiant · Post by **Defiant** » Sun Oct 17, 2004 2:38 pm

Ranulf · Post by **Ranulf** » Sun Oct 17, 2004 6:36 pm

The Jane's sims like USAF, Longbow, etc.

Falcon 4.0

Baldurs Gate 2 I dont remember if 1 had a big manual but I think it did.

Civ1 had a great manual. I don't remember #2 but #3 was big and useless.

Itsatrap · Post by **Itsatrap** » Sun Oct 17, 2004 11:00 pm

Ranulf wrote:Baldurs Gate 2 I dont remember if 1 had a big manual but I think it did.

Well, the BG2 Collector's Edition had a nice spiral bound manual. I don't know what the regular manual was like.

- Alan

Bad Demographic · Post by **Bad Demographic** » Sun Oct 17, 2004 11:39 pm

The original BG2 manual was spiral bound.

Giles Habibula · Post by **Giles Habibula** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 2:27 am

"Frontier: Elite 2" came with 3 big books in the box! Two of which could be considered manuals, and 1 book of stories from the Frontier. Awesome! Also a big glossy wall map and a quick-start guide and a keyboard chart. Man I was all set. I could check anything I wanted to while the game was still running.

Edmond · Post by **Edmond** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 3:58 am

SMAC has the best manual, I think. I put it on my bookshelf and STILL occasionally flip through it. It's that good.

ChrisGrenard · Post by **ChrisGrenard** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 4:54 am

Fallout 2 had a great manual

X-Com had a pretty good manual

Bangai-O had the best manual ever for a console game. Not because it was useful in the least, but because it had a boss descriptions section with such gems as:

"Cat boss: This boss is a cat. Cats are lazy. This boss won't even attack you. Stupid lazy cat."

Bakhtosh · Post by **Bakhtosh** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 11:25 am

Master of Magic
is my favorite manual of all times. I'm glad someone else mentioned it.

BacardiJim · Post by **BacardiJim** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 12:05 pm

As an adventure gamer, I have a little different take on things. What makes a good manual for us isn't well-designed and speedy reference of hotkeys or spells or how many units of iron ore it takes to build a cannon, but rather humor and/or literary skill. Therefore, I offer the following:

CHAOS: A Fantasy Adventure
Starship Titanic
Space Quest 6
Freddie Pharkas: Frontier Pharmacist
Bureaucracy (already mentioned)

Windows95 · Post by **Windows95** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 2:06 pm

RookieCAF wrote:Secret Weapons Of The Luftwaffe or Their Finest Hour.

Ding! Ding! Ding! You have the correct answer sir!

Finest Hour was just that of manuals. It was a compact size yet thick, spiral bound and the content was great. It a quick getting started section, historical overview, pilot diaries (fantastic!), in depth flight and plane spec section, combat tactics and lots of photos and pull out colour maps.

Jancelot · Post by **Jancelot** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 5:47 pm

I don't know if I'd call them my favorites, but I've always enjoyed Blizzard's manuals for the backstories and general writing style.

Blackadar · Post by **Blackadar** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 8:32 pm

Windows98 wrote:
RookieCAF wrote:Secret Weapons Of The Luftwaffe or Their Finest Hour.
Ding! Ding! Ding! You have the correct answer sir!

Finest Hour was just that of manuals. It was a compact size yet thick, spiral bound and the content was great. It a quick getting started section, historical overview, pilot diaries (fantastic!), in depth flight and plane spec section, combat tactics and lots of photos and pull out colour maps.

The funny thing is that I'd say he was right as well - but about SWOTL.

Charlatan · Post by **Charlatan** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 8:48 pm

Darklands had a great manual - possibly two (it's a bit fuzzy). I Do recall the one big paperback manual which had tons and tons of info - lots of B&W pictures of saints, cities, info regarding game mechanics, etc.

Ah, those were the days!

BacardiJim · Post by **BacardiJim** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 3:00 am

*suddenly realizes that as a PC adventure gamer he has mistakenly wandered into the wrong forum*

Caine · Post by **Caine** » Fri Oct 22, 2004 2:12 am

i agree with exodor. red baron had such a great amount of info in the manuals. it went over all the history of the early years of the war. it's because of that game that ww1 remains my favorite era for flight sims.

Freezer-TPF- · Post by **Freezer-TPF-** » Fri Oct 22, 2004 10:24 am

BacardiJim wrote:*suddenly realizes that as a PC adventure gamer he has mistakenly wandered into the wrong forum*

Nah, there are a few more adventure gamers around here somewhere. I'm a fan but haven't played on in a while. I have The Longest Journey waiting for me when I get the urge.

Draco · Post by **Draco** » Sat Oct 23, 2004 1:44 am

Ironrod wrote:Question: Do you like or hate PDF manuals? Would you appreciate and print out a big honking PDF, or would it just piss you off that a print version wasn't included with your game? My own feeling is that people really hate PDF doco. I do, anyway.

I don't mind PDF documents. I'd rather have the info in a PDF than not have it at all. Also, I'm a Gamespot.com Complete member and have been printing off (and enjoying) massive PDF game guides since 1999, so I'm pretty used to them now. I have several large 3-ring binders right above my monitor for easy reference.

Also, while the C3 manual was impressive, I must admit that I enjoyed the Pharaoh manual even more, because I loved the "character driven" appraoch. The whole manual was nearly narrated by a "new citizen" of the city, and as he discovered city services and wonders in the manual, so did the reader. Great work... although I can't directly tell who wrote it right now from thumbing through it. I remember printing it off during beta testing though. HUGE! Ironrod, you produced Pharaoh, but did you also do the manual?

p.s. Baldur's Gate II has the 2nd best manual ever.... sprial bound, tons of spell listings, it was almost like the Player's Handbook!

Odin · Post by **Odin** » Sat Oct 23, 2004 10:51 am

Ironrod wrote:Question: Do you like or hate PDF manuals? Would you appreciate and print out a big honking PDF, or would it just piss you off that a print version wasn't included with your game? My own feeling is that people really hate PDF doco. I do, anyway.

Hate 'em. Never use 'em.

Sith

portnoy · Post by **portnoy** » Wed Oct 27, 2004 2:22 pm

"bathroom strategy sessions"

That was a brilliant quote!

Falcon 4.0 - almost made me believe that if I could fly it on my pc then I was ready to enlist!

Fallout/Fallout 2 informative, entertaing, and wonderfully spiral bound.

Frontier Elite, had that for my Amiga, stories, strategies, brilliant

And now for a current fav.

Locomotion. Small spiral bound book that will hold the game disk and still fit on a cd shelf, no lost serial numbers, well done instruction manual in these days of pamphlet manuals a breath of fresh air!

username · Post by **username** » Fri Oct 29, 2004 4:57 pm

My favorite manual of all time has to be Imperialism II's. Fairly thick, because the gameplay was deep, but not a word wasted. Every sentence said something important.

I also liked MoM's books a lot. And, of course, all the Civilizations. Everything in those games is explained in full.

My most hated manuals? Those that think they've done their job if they tell you that to start the game you push the "Start Game" button. I just want to hunt down whoever okays that crap and punch his goddamn lights out.

Buatha · Post by **Buatha** » Tue Nov 09, 2004 9:24 pm

Now, that was one spiffy package. Of course, I'm dating myself here, but you received the following:

Book on the History of Britannia
Book of Magic
Cloth Map of the World
Metal Ankh

If only my mother hadn't cleaned my crap out while I was away at college

Napoleon · Post by **Napoleon** » Wed Nov 10, 2004 6:40 am

Fallout and the Civ 2 manual both come to mind.

The fallout package was just BRILLIANT. It oozed athmosphere, and made me get into the game right away.

I also remember Crusader: No Remorse that (aside from the manual) had some really cool in-character pamphlets and even a fake newspaper, I think.

Cool stuff!

This thread got me thinking though...when was the last time any of you was truly excited to open up a game box for the first time, to see what would lie inside. Such a pity, really.

Greggy_D · Post by **Greggy_D** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 4:06 pm

Ready for this:

Dangerous Waters will have a FIVE HUNDRED page PRINTED manual.

Octopus Overlords

Best game manuals?

Ultima IV