The virtues of the SMAC-manual: The appendix

[Ralf]

One thing I really liked in the SMAC-manual, was the big and extensize appendix-sections taking up more-or-less half of the manual.

• Appendix 1 covered "Notes & Tips".
• Appendix 2 summarized all info in extensive, but easy-to-find & overview tables & charts. Important!!
• Appendix 3 dealt with menu, options- and preference-screens.
• Appendix 4 covered scenario-, map-editing and also keyboard-preferences.
• Appendix 5 dwelled around background info & designers notes (should be interesting to read).

I really hope that Firaxis design the Civ-3 manual in similar ways. The only thing i missed in that manual was the Civ-2 style word-index. A really bad example how a manual shouldnt be designed is the one in Europa Universalis, by the way. Specificly needed info buried within huge text-chunks. Not good.

[Ralf]

No opinions about the manual? OK, I add another bump-reply under this topic before it floats away into oblivion, from the main forum-page. Perhaps this goes without saying, but...

The Civ-3 manual should also have lots of SMAC-manual style screenshots, with partial sections of the Civ-3 interface, whatever is appropriate in order to explain this or that game-feature. Forgive the cliche, but these complementing pictures really adds a lot to the text-chunks. "...more then 1000 words".

In the Civ-2 "Official game-guide" ( yes, Ilkuul there was one ) every unit, city-improvement, wonder, tech-improvement & government-type was listed under its very own page, where it was thoroughly explained and described. In the best of all worlds, something like this should be added in yet another appendix-section.

But, perhaps this makes the manual to expensive and/or too big (especially if its supposed to fit in the new small game-box format). If Firaxis is planning to use the new game-box format; how are they going to squeeze in the big tech-poster, without folding it to much?
Perhaps it would be better spread out the poster-info into a couple of double-sided mini-posters instead (which also would be more manageable to use, in front of the computer, by the way).
They can use the new small box-format, but perhaps then choose a twice as thick version of it, in order to to accomodate the expected hefty game-manual.

[Gramphos]

I like to experiment with the UI and think that I'm in no need of a manual. I never read it for Civ or Civ II. Why would I read it for Civ III?
When the game is released I'll play it, not sit down and read a Manual.

[Ralf]

Originally posted by Gramphos
When the game is released I'll play it, not sit down and read a Manual.

Well, I do that too, but when I NOT sitting in front of my computer, I want to dwell into the manual reading it thoroughly. I usually dont do that with every game, but then... Civ-3 isnt just like every other game is it? I think I gladly invest the time to read the whole manual from start to finish.

A good manual (with partial interface-screenshots + lots of summarizing tables & charts) IS important because you can take it with you and read it anywhere - not just in front of your PC.

[Gramphos]

You may be right Ralf. I'll consider it.
Anyway I think the game is more important then the manual, and if I have to wait for the manual to be translated to Swedish after the game has been released I don't know what to do in the meantime.