Online Manual Release

[Duritz]

I raised this somewhere else half jokingly but I've had a little think since then and I'd like to raise it as a serious proposition.

Would it be possible to actually release the manual for the game on this site when the game goes gold? It win't effect sales and may just entice others to buy the game.

It also won't be bad for us plebs in far flung countries to read while we wait for our US purchases to fly around the world.

So, what about it Paradox??? Please!!!

 

[Winkelried]

Online manual, now that's what I'd call a teaser.

 

[King]

I would say no, it makes it easier to use a pirated version of the game.

 

[Jools]

Originally posted by King
I would say no, it makes it easier to use a pirated version of the game.

And how's that gonna stop people from playing pirates in the first place?

 

[King]

Originally posted by Jools


And how's that gonna stop people from playing pirates in the first place?

It doesn't stop them, but if you don't have a manual a complex game is a tad harder to play. So why make it easy for those who pirate software.

 

[The Boss]

Almost every company released the manual for their games to download freely. I always though it was a good idea and it is a good appetite to go out and by the game. I’ve done that myself after reading manuals for games I was kinda interested in.

 

[Dark Knight]

Paradox didn't want to release the EU manual on-line because it would make things easier for pirates and reduce the value of buying the game as opposed to pirating it. I assume that they will follow similar reasoning for HoI.

 

[Spruce]

People who want to pirate a EU game are likely to just pirate any game... with or without the manual.

If you know how hard it is to get software from this level you should be either MAD or just pirating at random.

Please support the people who develop, market and sale these strategy games!

Now to the point = I support the online manual, but only if the game is released world wide approx. at the same time scale...otherwise we would go MAD,

 

[unmerged(5664)]

I simply prefer a nice, bound, paper manual that I can curl up with. Besides, typically I read the manual when I'm away from a computer (otherwise I'd be playing the game).

 

[Besuchov]

The fact that you don't get the manual unless you buy the game is an excellent incetivte to get people to buy the game instead of the using the pirated version. It's more difficult to convince oneself to buy the game only for the ethical value of of paying for it rather than if you actually get something more when buying the game.

 

[unmerged(5588)]

A lot of new games include the manual as an acrobat file, which is a good thing if you lose the manual that came with the game, but also for people that use pirated software.

I don't think piracy is the main reason for not putting up a manual on the internet before a game is released, rather a combination of a feeling that the game and the manual should stick together, but most importantly because the manual often is one of the last things to get finished.

It wouldn't make sense to put up a detailed manual for a game that's still in beta in case some of the features change for the final version, especially with a forum community such as this (Hey, where's the [insert coolsounding-but-later-realized-impossible-feature here] )

 

[unmerged(881)]

I also prefer a printed manual but since Paradox's preference is the only one that matters this discussion is mute.

 

[unmerged(8622)]

Agreed. Having an online manual doesnt really make sense since you receive one with the purchase of the game when it comes out. An online manual is almost an incentive to pirate the game. If you want the manual, purchase the game. Otherwise, it would make all the non-betas crazy and babble endlessly about "whats line 3 mean? lets debate about it for 30 threads"
Patience is a virtue.
-SS

 

[unmerged(5987)]

Originally posted by BarristerBoy
I simply prefer a nice, bound, paper manual that I can curl up with. Besides, typically I read the manual when I'm away from a computer (otherwise I'd be playing the game).

Yep.

The EU2 manual is still sitting right next to my toilet.

In about 2 months it will (hopefully) be joined by an expansive HoI manual.


I don't know if any of you all remember, but I bought EU1 the day after the IGN review was posted; IGN said that their only complaint about the entire game was that the manual really sucked. And the EU1 manual was next-to-worthless.


EU2's manual was pretty good, but I'd like to see HoI's organized in a more logical fashion. There's plenty of information in the EU2 manual, but I'd like to see a much better index, a much better table of contents, and a manual which doesn't jump around as much.

 

[unmerged(2833)]

Originally posted by Upham


Yep.

The EU2 manual is still sitting right next to my toilet.

In about 2 months it will (hopefully) be joined by an expansive HoI manual.


I don't know if any of you all remember, but I bought EU1 the day after the IGN review was posted; IGN said that their only complaint about the entire game was that the manual really sucked. And the EU1 manual was next-to-worthless.


EU2's manual was pretty good, but I'd like to see HoI's organized in a more logical fashion. There's plenty of information in the EU2 manual, but I'd like to see a much better index, a much better table of contents, and a manual which doesn't jump around as much.

EU 2 manual, yes, i remember i've read something called that when i was returning home from shop with one certain game. Oh, i even continued reading it when it was beign installed. Never seen it after that, though

 

[Duritz]

Thanx for the comments guys......

Just a couple of points for posting the manual:

1. I distinctly remember reading a photocopy of the original Civilisation manual, thinking "F***, how good is this!!!" and proceeding down to my local gaming store.

2. See point one, if someone pirates the game, what's to stop them pirating the manual anyway? I would hardly say it is hard to get once the game is released for those who want it.

3. Who uses the damn thing after the game is installed anyway??? As someone else said here, manuals are only good for toilet breaks while playing the game! (Insight - My lack of technical know how is probably the reason I make so many mistakes in EU!!!)

4. It is an appetiser and I really can't see sales being effected by it, I can't. If Paradox has research/experience which says otherwise then I will defer to them but if they don't..........

5. Cause I asked nicely

I know that we ask a lot of Paradox, many times over, but I do think this is something that is actually doable, unlike most of the crap I normally come up with, and shouldn't take too much effort to bring about. All I'm asking is that after it's finished, it be made into pdf and placed in a sticky - it will even help all those folk who confidently throw their manuals away only to be sifting through their garbage three days later trying to work out just how Genoa is stopping their attacks (umm.... it happened to a friend. Yeah, that's it, a friend! ).

Come on Patric, I know you're listening.... How's about it???

 

[Darkrenown]

Originally posted by King


It doesn't stop them, but if you don't have a manual a complex game is a tad harder to play. So why make it easy for those who pirate software.

Many games come with the manual in a .pdf file on the CD anyway. If their gonna do that with HoI they might as well put the manual on the site.

I'd like the manual online even if they dont put it on the disk though as 99% of people who want to get a pirate copy with do so wether or not they get the manual with it.

Edit: Oh yeah, I want a proper paper manual too to read in bed+the toilet eg. the only times I wont be playing HoI. Plus most people like a paper manual much more than a .pdf one so its an added incentive to buy the game.

 

[unmerged(5120)]

The EU 1/2 manuals look more like teasers to me than real game manuals - not that it isn't unusual as computer game manuals go.

You can figure out pretty much everything that's in it by just playing the game, and you can find the rest by just browsing the forums - where you'll learn a lot of useful things that definetely AREN'T mentioned in the game manual, btw.

The ONLY manual I really regret having lost is the Action Stations one, which included the best essay on WWII surface tactics I've ever read.

As to software piracy, I really don't think it's an issue. An illegal copy definetely isn't the same thing as a lost sale.

 

[King]

Originally posted by Darkrenown


Many games come with the manual in a .pdf file on the CD anyway. If their gonna do that with HoI they might as well put the manual on the site.

I'd like the manual online even if they dont put it on the disk though as 99% of people who want to get a pirate copy with do so wether or not they get the manual with it.

Edit: Oh yeah, I want a proper paper manual too to read in bed+the toilet eg. the only times I wont be playing HoI. Plus most people like a paper manual much more than a .pdf one so its an added incentive to buy the game.

True enough, but the only games I have seen with PDF manuals are those that are now on bargin basment prices. Like when I got EU for £15. New games tend to have old fashioned paper manuals.

I would say you have a point about the piracy but the decision isn't mine it's Paradox. The reason I gave is the reason Paradox gave for not putting the EUII manual online (if memory serves me right).

 

[Darkrenown]

Originally posted by King


True enough, but the only games I have seen with PDF manuals are those that are now on bargin basment prices. Like when I got EU for £15. New games tend to have old fashioned paper manuals.

I would say you have a point about the piracy but the decision isn't mine it's Paradox. The reason I gave is the reason Paradox gave for not putting the EUII manual online (if memory serves me right).

Hmm, Im sure Ive bought a few 'big' games that only came with .pdf manuals....Heros of might and magic 4 was one.

More and more games come in DVD boxes these days, Ive found that a lot of them only have a thin manual in the box while the full version is on the CD.

But anyway, your right, its up to paradox.