MOO3 documentation quality

[TCO]

Anybody have any feel for how good the MOO3 manual and strat guide will be? Oh and tech map?

What do you all want? Big cockroach killer? Or pdf file?

[ravagon]

Re: MOO3 documentation quality

Originally posted by GP
Or pdf file?

Begone ye foul demon!
Speaketh not this blasphemy!

[Roman]

Actually, I think a Pdf file would be the best format. Paper manuals are, well, a waste of paper.

[Deimos]

I'm with ravagon on this one. IMHO, the .pdf format was created to torment mankind.

Being an individual that travels for business regularly, there are times where I would like to be able to read the manual, but whipping out the laptop to do so is inconvenient or impossible. I would greatly prefer a printed and bound version.

If it must be an electronic version, at least make it HTML or .doc. Anything, but please don't force us to use that thrice-damned Acroreader UI.

[aaglo]

Pdf-formats are a waste of bytes. It's propably my most hated file format. It is irritating to read manual from screen or printed A4-sheets. I demand that 2-inch shelf-filler!

[Zealot]

Paper. Because when I'm at the computer, it's because I'm playing or working. I usually read (and re-read) manuals in dead times.

[General Ludd]

Provided that you can alt-tab, .pdf file.

[Calanor]

Originally posted by Zealot
Paper. Because when I'm at the computer, it's because I'm playing or working. I usually read (and re-read) manuals in dead times.

Agreed. I really dislike this new trend to skip paper manuals and simply put a big .pdf file on the CD. If I spend $50 or so (well, at least that's what I've got to pay over here) on a game, the least one would expect is a decent manual that I can read whenever and whereever I wish, not to mention the fact that I hate being forced to ALT-Tab to Windows while playing whenever I wish to refresh my memory concerning some subject. I currently don't have any decent printer and even if I did, I would not be all that happy about the idea of wasting tons of ink printing out something that I feel should have been bundled with the game.
Actually, whether or not a game includes a physical manual can determine if I'll even buy a game.

[Bleyn]

Here's what I think of the suggested formats for e-manuals for MoO3.

1.) A .PDF file Unless done absolutely perfectly, and not just be a scan of some paper doc, a .pdf would be a crime. And not just because of the Acrobat UI. The whole app and format practically scream bloatware when it comes to this sort of thing.

2.) A .doc file. Just one .doc file? Uhm, thats like almost as bad as a .pdf. A little slimmer, a little trimmer, and usable with a bit friendlier apps, but still cumbersome. And multiple doc files wouldn't really be any better, because really everyone would want them linked, which would just get people whining about them not being .htmls, which is the next choice.

3.) .html? Almost right. At least on the right track, BUT.......

If it has to be an online format, just do the in-game Civolopedia/Datalink/Reference Guide info up right and include everything, and I mean everything someone might want out of a paper manual.

I mean think about it. The Pedia/Datalinks had some of the most useful info that one might want to go to to the manual for, but they fell so short of having everything one really wants. At least Civ/Civ2 did. Can't really speak for Civ3 yet.

Take the combat equations. If you want to know exactly what the attack/defense numbers in Civ2 or SMAC really mean and how they are really used, do the Pedia or DLs really help. Not a chance. Go straight to the the treeware, do not pass go, do not collect 200 gold pieces.

And why for crying out loud not? In Civ2, all they really were is a bunch of small text file with a different extension. All told they took up less than 250k. They could have easily put much more info in them. Can't quite seem to find the ones from SMAC, but I'm sure the info doesn't take up that much room.

The Civ2 CD had 357 megs. Thats around 300 free megs available for the Pedia they could have used.
MoO2 had 345 megs on CD. Even more free space than Civ2.
SMAC had 461 megs. Close to 200 free megs.
The SMACX cd had 572 megs on it. Thats still at least 50+ free megs.

Done right, for a TBS game, the in-game reference guide should be able to hold all the info the treeware version would, and still be useful, usable and fit in the dribs and drabs of space on the tail end of a CD. And best of all, it would be RIGHT THERE.

Does that mean I want to see treeware manuals go away? For now, probably not. Aside from lingering skepticism that an e-manual would be done right any time soon, there is still the satisfaction of pulling the game out of the box, tossing the manual aside, installing the game, and playing it for hours to days or even weeks before digging out the manual to answer that one stupid question you just can't figure out from playing the game.

[TCO]

Originally posted by Deimos


Being an individual that travels for business regularly, there are times where I would like to be able to read the manual, but whipping out the laptop to do so is inconvenient or impossible. I would greatly prefer a printed and bound version.

Been there, been in that situation. I used to carry the Firm directory with me (hardbound). Now with Palm's things are a little better.

[TCO]

I'd personally prefer something with enough heft to be used as a weapon against box-cutter weilders. But it's interesting seeing the "new generation" that doesn't like manuals.

How about the strat guide, guys? Isn't Alan Emrich working on MOO3? He's a great strat guide writer. Might be some good synergy, there.

[Roman]

Well I still like electronic formats best. Not neccessarily Pdf but let it be on the computer.

[TCO]

Is that becuase you usually don't pay for the actual non-pirated game? Just curious. Not a flame. I know there is a lot of piracy in E. Europe.

[General Ludd]

I feel the same as Roman, for two reasons:

1. It's a waste of paper.

2. It's more convienient to have it on my computer. As long as I have the game - I will never lose it or damage it, and I will always have easy and quick access to it (provided you can alt-tab).


I don't care what format it is in either.

[Admiral]

I tend to follow zealot's logic on this. I like to sit back and read the manual, not sit in front of the screen clicking down constantly. Is this something that we can be informed of?