Rantz is the strategy guide outdated?

[Kc7mxo]

- A listing of all of the technologies in the game and what they do
- A listing of all of the ship weapons in the game and what they do
- A listing of all of the ground combat manuevers in the game and what they do -vs- each other

You know, this is the kind of stuff manuals used to do. Isn't the purpose of a manual to tell you how to play a game, and how it works? I swear, its getting to the point where games ship with little PR pamphlets that tell you "Hi! Have a good time!" and expect you to just figure everything out on the fly. Simcity is certainly a notable example, and there's plenty of other games out there shipping with utterly pathetic manuals. I don't think I should be forced to buy a strategy guide because I want to know what the techs I research actaully DO.

But since I haven't seen the manual for moo3, I still have high hopes. It certainly looked thick in that screenshot, but that doesn't neccesarily mean anything. Just look at Robert Jordan's books, 1000 pages and when you get to the end, hardly a damn thing has happened.

[13Matt13]

So 13Matt13, what's the story with you over at IGMOO?

Im an enemy of the state. Like it matters.

[Pallidyne]

Originally posted by 13Matt13


Im an enemy of the state. Like it matters.

If it's any consolation Matt, you are the reason I started hangin out here....

Missed your style and input...

-P

[JonahFalcon]

The manual tells you what everything does. The Strategy Guide tells you how to play.

[player1]

And those charts would probably be outdated since betatesting (and later patching) would rpobably chnage some numbers.

P.S.
Remeber Civ3 Manual and units charts?

[MitchDev]

Originally posted by JonahFalcon
The manual tells you what everything does. The Strategy Guide tells you how to play.

You just contradicted earlier posts, besides, shouldn't the MANUAL tell you how to play at a minimum? (How to play the games and strategy are two different things.)

Arnelos mentioned:

From what I've heard, the strategy guide is the only place you will find:

- A listing of all of the technologies in the game and what they do
- A listing of all of the ship weapons in the game and what they do
- A listing of all of the ground combat manuevers in the game and what they do -vs- each other

That sort thing really SHOULD be in the manual. The strategy guide should be strategy only, you shouldn't need to purchase other books just to get the basic charts and descriptions of everything in the game...

A hideous trend. Now MoM, that had a great manual and the extras, with the spell book and all. Althought the Strat Guide for MoM was also the BEST Strat Guide ever...

[Main_Brain]

If I recall correctly the MoO2 Manual (longlost since ) contained no tech Info although manymany other interesting Data

[weregamer]

Actually, we can thank Prima for the execrable state of game manuals too. When they enter into an "exclusive" deal to do an official strategy guide, it includes a kickback to the game publisher for each guide sold. Hence an economic incentive to make the manuals inadequate.

The really sad thing is that Alan Emrich got his start doing deep strategy guides for games (XCOM and MOO, in particular) and yet the game he led the development of gets a Prima. (I like that, a nice compact word for "crappy book sold as useful information. Maybe it will catch on...)

[RolandtheMad]

Originally posted by darcy
Is diplomacy really such a no-brainer, making you click "aggressive" like a Pawlovian dog every time you talk to Sakkras?

My thought as well, darcy. If it is so rigid it could have been 'abstrated'. Perhaps an ambasador would speak for you - and to have fun in the early game when no one knows how to react properly to new races there could be some severe mix ups. Accidentally nice to the Sakkra, overbearing with the hoo-mans.

[kalbear]

What would be totally ideal is that racial tendencies change with each game. One time the Sakkra appreciate aggression, the next obedience, the third succinctness. Have it be slightly clear via the diplomatic graphics, and vary it a little bit so that there's some thinking going on.

But then, you'll just get good at doing the animations, and you'll be fine. And it'll be another tedium.