Final Version of SMAX Guide in the works....

[wneubert]

I know for sure you can have links in a PDF document. They work just like hyperlinks. What I don't know is if links in a Word document will automatically convert to PDF links. If not, and you have a lot of links, it will be a lot of work to manually fix the links.

quote: Originally posted by Velociryx on 01-16-2001 08:32 PM An excellent idea! And if I'm not mistaken, the electronic version will be in .pdf format. Do you know off-hand if text links work in that format or no? My instinct tells me they don't, but I've not played in the format enough to know for sure. Also, thanks for checking on the splinter factions....I'll dig 'em up outta the HD eventually, though with the thread I found, it might be easier just to re-create them from scratch... -=Vel=-

[Kinjiru]

I don't know of one offhand, but there has GOT to be a conversion program or utility available to translate a .pdf to a .html file.

Anyone know of any good (and free?) ones?

[Kinjiru]

Any updates on the status of the bound and electronic versions Vel?

[Wiglaf]

I think he's gone again....

[Velociryx]

An overdue update:

Had to pull myself out of the writing shell I crept into so I could say a quick hello and give you guys the latest in the way of updates!

One thing I've discovered over the past few weeks....it's TOUGH to do two book rollouts at the same time! YOW!

I was a little delayed in working on the SMAX guide, cos it just so happened that my fiction novel went through the pipe first, so I got the final galleys back from it, and had to devote some time in giving it a final lookin' over, making last minute formatting changes and junk like that....gotta get it looking just right!

And any time I wasn't doing that, I was delving deep into the guts of the SMAX guide, tweaking, shaving a bit here, adding stuff there....tightening things up in general. I'm very happy with it as it's shaping up, and I think it'll make a fine addition to my bookshelf!

Due to deadline and time constraints, there were a few things I wasn't able to add, but I captured the essence of it, so here's a quick preview:

New Stuff:
* There are a total of fifteen specific How-To's, indexed at the back with page numbers (and the electronic form of the book will--if I did it right (fingers crossed!)--have text links....click on the How-To...Poof...you're there!

* Topical Index at the front of the guide will also have text links to take you right to the section in question, and page numbers to guide you there in the bound version.

* New or Expanded Sections include: A bit more information on custom units (there was some information present, so I fleshed it out a bit further, and added some additional notes on missiles, "surprise" units, etc.), Rush Building Section with formula and handy-dandy chart, SP Challenge Game section, notes on efficiency and eco-damage (here, I was somewhat stymied by the fact that the limits on both of these "float" depending on what faction you're playing, and what SE choices you're running at the moment....had I delved too deeply into those subjects, I could have written a hundred thousand words on those two areas alone, so I treated it with some broad brush strokes for the sake of time), and added new material on effective projection of power.

Some stuff not included:
* Time constraints did not allow me to add in a "Black Ops" section...but it is my hope that the game notes added to the various sections of the guide as it stands will compensate for that....just wasn't enough time to play the game....had to focus on the writing...::sigh:: )

* Googlie had mentioned working on a guide to using the editor, so I left that off of the guide I'm working on, opting to focus more on the "how-to" aspects of playing and winning.

The guide as originally presented was a shade over 40,000 words, which means that it has more than doubled in size since I started writing it...YOW....LOL....already, in browsing recent forum entries, I've heard one fellow say that it was too long, so I'm starting to feel that perhaps it's reached the point where more isn't necessarily better....

For me then, what remains is final touch ups, getting "Guardians" out of the system (timeframe is est. 2 weeks), so the guide can start through the galley process....a couple of weeks to check it over and make sure everything looks just so....and then....she'll be ready.

-=Vel=-

[Kinjiru]

* Fantastic! *

You are the best Vel. Bar None.

[Wiglaf]

Who's publishing it, vel?