320 réponses à ce sujet

[Rudy Lis]

Bendok wrote...

Cant read it on the toilet.

Thats about the only downside.lol

Laptop.

[didymos1120]

Rudy Lis wrote...

Bendok wrote...

Cant read it on the toilet.

Thats about the only downside.lol

Laptop.

That's unsanitary.

[Il Divo]

didymos1120 wrote...

Rudy Lis wrote...

Bendok wrote...

Cant read it on the toilet.

Thats about the only downside.lol

Laptop.

That's unsanitary.

Gotta keep entertained somehow.

[nickkcin11]

Legion64 wrote...

Fallout 3 manual. Man that baby had everything you needed to play Fallout 3. No wonder it was called "Vault Dwellers survival guide". I keep that manual on my shelf in a case. So beautiful.

That game has far more nuances than ME3. Plus it doesn't have any form of tutorial. ME3 is simplistic and has a really dumbed down tutorial.

[Deathbringer769]

All krogans are supporters of no manual.

[Rudy Lis]

didymos1120 wrote...

That's unsanitary.

There are soft rolls to wipe your six, laptop is for reading.

If you afraid for dirty hands, just build small pivoting shelf and leave laptop there until you wash your hands. Or build secondary sink in toilet.

[DashRunner92]

Seriously? Why waste the paper? Most games have their manuals as PDFs on the game's website.

[Dragoonlordz]

Download the manual in PDF format, print it in A3 = even better manual than one contained in box at A5.

[KarmicSynergy]

True, games now do not come with manuals. I have heard a lot of responses from fellow ME players thus far about companies trying to be "green" and save paper/trees. However, no one has mentioned the real reason: Strategy Guides.
They make TONS of money on strategy guides nowadays, hence, no game manuals. Think back, when you had thick game manuals coming with games, you had very few "Strategy Guides." So, don't tell me they are being "green" as in saving trees.
These game companies are, however, making "green" and a lot of it. The ME1 Strategy guide which I have is a total of 288 pages. ME2 Strategy Guide is 282 pages, not counting the Redemption comic at the end. Anyone who has either of these knows they are lots of color photos.

So, please don't say they are saving trees or ink. They are spending their money on making Strategy Guides to make even more money from us.

[G3rman]

If you make manuals + guides it will equate to more paper lost than just guides.

So overall, they are saving trees and ink.

[Dragoonlordz]

DhimanP wrote...

True, games now do not come with manuals. I have heard a lot of responses from fellow ME players thus far about companies trying to be "green" and save paper/trees. However, no one has mentioned the real reason: Strategy Guides.
They make TONS of money on strategy guides nowadays, hence, no game manuals. Think back, when you had thick game manuals coming with games, you had very few "Strategy Guides." So, don't tell me they are being "green" as in saving trees.
These game companies are, however, making "green" and a lot of it. The ME1 Strategy guide which I have is a total of 288 pages. ME2 Strategy Guide is 282 pages, not counting the Redemption comic at the end. Anyone who has either of these knows they are lots of color photos.

So, please don't say they are saving trees or ink. They are spending their money on making Strategy Guides to make even more money from us.

I happen to like strategy guides far more than manuals. I see no problem with that. Upon completion of a game I like to read a guide (thought normally a wiki) and find anything I missed the first time around.

Modifié par Dragoonlordz, 25 février 2012 - 04:36 .

[TonyTitan]

You think a missing manual in a video game is bad???

Just wait until you buy your first clothes dryer and find out it doesn't come with a power cord.......THEN find out it costs an additional $20 to buy.

[HK-90210]

Game manuals? We don need no stinkin' game manuals!

[KarmicSynergy]

@ G3rman, no offense, but I disagree.

The real issue is that there was a time in the gaming industry where there were no such things as strategy guides. We used to get manuals which included instructions and gameplay advice, tactics, whatever you want to call it.
The reason is that they make money on strategy guides and hence the elimination of manuals which never got them any extra money. They make more money on the game itself by eliminiating the game manual and also make money by printing strategy guides. They get you both ways.

They are not saving ink and trees, in my opinion. Manuals in older games were never the size of current Strategy Guides. Using common sense, the manuals have to fit in the game box along with the game disc. Strategy guides are full size books which are bigger than any game manual that I can think of.

Don't get me wrong, I love strategy guides. I don't mind paying for them separately. It is simply business.
By the way, my comments are not intended to criticize BioWare or EA. All game developers do this. It is standard business practice.

[Rudy Lis]

TonyTitan wrote...

You think a missing manual in a video game is bad???

Just wait until you buy your first clothes dryer and find out it doesn't come with a power cord.......THEN find out it costs an additional $20 to buy.

Meat mincer without engine.

[AlanC9]

DhimanP wrote...
The real issue is that there was a time in the gaming industry where there were no such things as strategy guides. We used to get manuals which included instructions and gameplay advice, tactics, whatever you want to call it.

Did we really get lots of gameplay advice in the manuals? In RPGs? Could you give me some examples? The BG2 manual had maybe two pages of  that. Ultimas didn't come with any gameplay advice IIRC; unless explaining what the monsters and weapons are counts.. Starflight had a two-page mission order, a five-page briefing transcript, and a single log page from the Noah 2 expedition.

[Rudy Lis]

AlanC9 wrote...

Did we really get lots of gameplay advice in the manuals? In RPGs? Could you give me some examples? The BG2 manual had maybe two pages of  that. Ultimas didn't come with any gameplay advice IIRC; unless explaining what the monsters and weapons are counts.. Starflight had a two-page mission order, a five-page briefing transcript, and a single log page from the Noah 2 expedition.

Fallout counts? IIRC they explain you gameplay mechanics, so, it's sort of advice.

[FluffyScarf]

KotOR had a decent manual. It even gave you charts so you can play your character in advance.

[Lord Jaric]

I see a benifit to in game manual. Some used games don't have the manuals with them because the person who sold the game lost it or something. so now people who buy them used and need to look to see how to do something with be able to.

[Cobra5]

The only thing I really liked about manuals was all the concept art they had in them (Specifically I am, right now, thinking of older Blizzard games like Starcraft and Diablo, but there were a million examples), but I ordered the CE so I get that little art book anyway.

I'm not sure what you'd need a manual to tell you, besides not having mechanically changed from the previous two, and not being a terribly complex (to play) game anyway, a manual seems redundant.

Modifié par Cobra5, 25 février 2012 - 06:12 .

[AlanC9]

Rudy Lis wrote...

AlanC9 wrote...

Did we really get lots of gameplay advice in the manuals? In RPGs? Could you give me some examples? The BG2 manual had maybe two pages of  that. Ultimas didn't come with any gameplay advice IIRC; unless explaining what the monsters and weapons are counts.. Starflight had a two-page mission order, a five-page briefing transcript, and a single log page from the Noah 2 expedition.

Fallout counts? IIRC they explain you gameplay mechanics, so, it's sort of advice.

Sure,  Fallout counts, though I don't remember what's in the manual ( gave my copy to my brother). But I don't know if merely explaining the gameplay mechanics is really what DhimanP was talking about. You didn't usually have to buy a strategy guide to understand the gameplay mechanics themselves.

Part of the fun of gameplay like BG2's was working out how all those spells worked in practice. Detailed tactical advice in the manual would have made the game worse.

[FluffyScarf]

GameFAQs and wiki sites have rendered manuals useless now.

[Rudy Lis]

AlanC9 wrote...

Sure,  Fallout counts, though I don't remember what's in the manual ( gave my copy to my brother).

Well, I can try to make some digging toward box, I still keep it as relic.  But to do that, I have to move my SO things and we "signed a treaty" which precludes us from touching each other items. Quite helpful, in everyday life... Where was I?
IIRC it contained "background/atmospheric/immersion" data (like V13 characteristics), basic description for several items, gameplay mechanics, probably stats and perks. AFAIR Fallout Tactics had them, so F1 should have them too.
Ah, yes, how could I forgotten - food recipes!

AlanC9 wrote...

But I don't know if merely explaining the gameplay mechanics is really what DhimanP was talking about. You didn't usually have to buy a strategy guide to understand the gameplay mechanics themselves.

For that time it was helpful. Of course, trial and error help you too, in case of faulty manual (errata to manual errata).
But I digress. IIRC manual to CnC game was helpful, of a sort - it had tables for vehicles and tech-trees. Of course campaign was designed as learning curve, but still, I find it helpful.
It hard to remember all old manuals, because I gave them up with games and newer versions of games either have them as PDF or have broadened versions, like Blizzard's "Battle chests". I surely do not remember those back in 90's.

AlanC9 wrote...

Part of the fun of gameplay like BG2's was working out how all those spells worked in practice. Detailed tactical advice in the manual would have made the game worse.

Didn't worked for me - I borrowed game without manual and I already had some ADnD experience under my belt.  But I do remember certain WTF moment with "burning hands" between IWD and BG, yes. And I remember some funny moments among friends: "what do you mean you can put stoneskin on anyone?!"
 
However, generally I am "read manual first" guy, no matter are we talking about games or meat mincer. I doubt that without manual I probably never learn that in JA2 with burst fire it was possible to fire not on single square but on several nearby. Not that it was THAT useful with 6-rounds burst max, but funny enough. Used it several times afterwards, helped a bit.

So generally I like manuals, if they are story wise - thus helps with immersion, and, if game is nerdy enough, helps with gameplay mechanics. Ingame tutorial is helpful too, but generally it's hard to cover all manual info in tutorial, especially if tutorial is with VO. Some wargames I played have manual thicker than some our military FM/TM. Given that many wargames have outdated graphics and can fit one CD, VO for that manual will require about 4 DVDs.

[Alithinos]

It's because EA cuts spending...
Neither Battlefield 3 (another recent EA game)had a manual.

[Tony_Knightcrawler]

Chris Priestly wrote...

The manual is included in game for all players for ease of use. This allows players to find the manual if they wish at any point that they need this.

I fail to see how this is a bad thing?

"How to install the game: Install the game, then check the in-game manual for how to install the game."

Sorry, I couldn't resist.