Presumably BioWare will have, by the time the game is ready, detailed documentation of the game's mechanics (particularly combat mechanics, but I'm also including things like lockpicking, stealth, and persuasion).
Will that documentation, or some version of it, be made available to us?
Guest_JujuSamedi_*
From a development perspective most definitely. They proabably have it all detailed in their design documents. The question is can they translate that to a sort of manual.
Ooooh I hope so. And prior to game release would be awesome.
Try friending Sebastian and then just message him questions when the game is released? I know Peter Thomas did rare drive-by Q&A for DA2, and Sebastian has already posted on the BSN a few times.
I doubt there will be formal documentation or a serious attempt to collate some of the mechanics details. Georg no longer works there, after all.
The mechanics for DA2 were available, but only in the strategy guide. And it was, apparently, possible to read that guide just for the mechanics and avoid all the spoilers.
I wouldn't mind that sort of arrangement again, as long as we were told about it. By the time I learned that the DA2's mechanics were documented anywhere, I'd already given up on the game.
DAO's mechanics could be easily examined in the game files, particularly with the help of the toolset.
I don't care how this information is provided to us, as long as it is provided. I'd even pay extra for it.
Hopefully they will just put together a nice PDF for us to use.
I like giving Bioware money to make more products, but I'm not forking money over to a 3rd party for a player's guide just so I can have what basically amounts to a manual that should be included with my $60.
This stuff should be visible in hover menus, or codex entries. So long as the spell and power descriptions are DA2 depth, I'll be happy, but if the info is available, someone will write a guide that I can glance at eventually.
Could just wait a month or two for everything to show up on the wiki, I guess.
The wiki is rarely as good as official documentation would be. The wiki is also often filled with spoilers.
Presumably BioWare will have, by the time the game is ready, detailed documentation of the game's mechanics (particularly combat mechanics, but I'm also including things like lockpicking, stealth, and persuasion).
Will that documentation, or some version of it, be made available to us?
The demo?
Yes: The game's mechanics will be carved on a limestone tablet in Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs and dropped into Lake Nasser.
I think some of you are not getting the concept of documenting game mechanics. It is how things work. It's not as simple as spell damage numbers or tooltip information. You know, I bet fewer people would have been confused by Rivalry if they had just done some decent documentation on it.
The type of information that was available in the DA2 strategy guide regarding game mechanics was good. The bad part is that it was not provided by Bioware and included with the game. The 3rd party strategy guide should be used for information on NPCs, quests, crafting resources, items, etc, not core game mechanics.
I'm not entirely sure if Mr Hanlon is referring to documenting the mechanics, or to acquiring transit rights through Egypt. But here ya go.
No games come with manuals anymore, or at least a printed manual worth a damn. This is the era of digital distribution. Even if you still get it on a disc in a box, there's nothing in the box, but cover art.
But look, we get it, this is the post-print era, print's expensive, just put that stuff in a damned PDF that installs on your hard drive along with the game files.
... OK, I admit that might be PC master-racism again, as I don't see a gaming console solution, but still. 
... I don't mind if the Prima game guide is where those mechanics are found, I usually buy it, and avoid like Sylvius reading most of it except for mechanics until my 2nd play through. Then, because I'm a whacky completionist and want to see everything I missed on my 1st play through, I read the guide to find out what I never saw or did, and try to see and do it. 
But yeah, it's not really right to make that the only place to find good mechanical documentation, as opposed to walkthroughs, quest guides, romance guides, where to find items, etc., etc.
I'm not entirely sure if Mr Hanlon is referring to documenting the mechanics, or to acquiring transit rights through Egypt. But here ya go.
Thanks, AngryPants.
From a development perspective most definitely. They proabably have it all detailed in their design documents. The question is can they translate that to a sort of manual.
"Manual" whats that??
And I'll agree that a physical manual is far too expensive to produce, especially since many of the games sold will be distributed digitally, rather than in a physical package.
Which is why I'm not asking for a manual. I'm asking for documentation. I don't need a book; I just want the information.
http://img32.imagesh...11218193613.jpg
That's a manual! I miss the days of intricate manuals. They were great reads when you couldn't play the game but had spare time. I understand they are now considered expensive but once upon a time they were pretty much expected.
It's worn and torn, but I think I still have that in a closet somewhere. 
Yes, nostalgia does make you sometimes hold on to weird things.
The cool thing - that "manual" had nifty little stories in it by Elminster and whatnot, and not just game info. Ahhh, those were the days.
Hey, I know, maybe now they can do it as a free downloadable e-book ... read it on your tablet or phone!
The wiki is rarely as good as official documentation would be. The wiki is also often filled with spoilers.
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