Firaxis: Describe the manual that is included with Civ 3?

October 2, 2001, 16:41

Can you please give us a few details about the manual that will ship with the game?

mactbone · October 2, 2001, 18:05

It has a cover, a section on installing the game, credits, a contents page, a troubleshooting section, pictures, and some gameplay tips. Oh and it will be made with paper and ink.

Man, am I a smartass or what?

Pembleton · October 2, 2001, 18:11

Quote:

Originally posted by MacTBone
It has a cover, a section on installing the game, credits, a contents page, a troubleshooting section, pictures, and some gameplay tips. Oh and it will be made with paper and ink.

You mean it doesn't explain game concepts or how to use the interface? Man, what a bad manual.

orange · October 2, 2001, 18:12

Quote:

Originally posted by MacTBone
It has a cover, a section on installing the game, credits, a contents page, a troubleshooting section, pictures, and some gameplay tips. Oh and it will be made with paper and ink.

Man, am I a smartass or what?

not smart, just ass

JellyDonut · October 2, 2001, 18:12

Quote:

Originally posted by MacTBone
It has a cover, a section on installing the game, credits, a contents page, a troubleshooting section, pictures, and some gameplay tips. Oh and it will be made with paper and ink.

Man, am I a smartass or what?

Yes. You're so smart, even your ass is smart!

P.S.

Pembleton · October 2, 2001, 18:15

Quote:

Originally posted by JellyDonut
Yes. You're so smart, even your ass is smart!

Don't quit your dayjobs and become comedians. Trust me.

orange · October 2, 2001, 18:20

eh, give him a break. He's a kraut

mactbone · October 2, 2001, 18:23

Quote:

You mean it doesn't explain game concepts or how to use the interface? Man, what a bad manual.

No, that's only in the tutorial and the subliminal messages.

Pembleton · October 2, 2001, 18:24

Quote:

Originally posted by orange
eh, give him a break. He's a kraut

Well I was going to say something about a recent Beck's commercial about how Germans are known for beer, not comedy, (it had a German telling really bad jokes) but I didn't want people to take it the wrong way.

Chowlett · October 2, 2001, 18:31

They had a similar advert for the Peugot. But anyway.

There is, of course, always the possibility that the manual will only be in electronic form. I hope this isn't the case, but it is increasingly the trend.

October 2, 2001, 20:01

Quote:

Originally posted by Chowlett
There is, of course, always the possibility that the manual will only be in electronic form. I hope this isn't the case, but it is increasingly the trend.

I sincerely hope not, that would be an atrocity

I want something to put on my book shelf, similar to the previous manuals. Color pages would be nice!

Roman · October 2, 2001, 20:33

Quote:

Originally posted by orange
eh, give him a break. He's a kraut

Hey, I am a Germanophile...

Roman · October 2, 2001, 20:34

Electronic manual is enough for me. Such a manual in book form merely takes up unneccessary shelf space.

Nemo · October 3, 2001, 00:00

manual = install credits and what the screen buttons do, and their keyboard shortcuts
strategy guide = all the basic concepts

isnt that how the gaming companies are ripping us off these days?

i hope infograms/firaxis dont pull this crap like activision did

ixnay · October 3, 2001, 00:37

I want a big, juicy manual that I can use as bedtime reading... I hope they do not disappoint.

Nemo · October 3, 2001, 01:34

Quote:

Originally posted by ixnay37
I want a big, juicy manual that I can use as bedtime reading... I hope they do not disappoint.

me too

Zanzin · October 3, 2001, 02:31

I'll ditto the above bed time reading comment!! Nothing better than getting into bed with your favourite computer game manual!

Pembleton · October 3, 2001, 02:41

When playing Civ3 for at least the first week or so, I'll be too exhausted from lack of sleep to actually have time to read when I hit the bed. However, there are the times when you have to perform a certain bodily function...

Chowlett · October 3, 2001, 03:47

Quote:

Originally posted by Zanzin
I'll ditto the above bed time reading comment!! Nothing better than getting into bed with your favourite computer game manual!

Well, not quite what I've heard...

But I do want a real-life, paper and coloured ink manual to read in moments of leisure!

Earthling7 · October 3, 2001, 04:33

Big fat manual, like they shipped with CivI & II with info on the game, but also a lesson in history

knott · October 3, 2001, 06:21

Like the AOK manual or something.

Mannamagnus · October 3, 2001, 06:42

Quote:

Big fat manual, like they shipped with CivI & II with info on the game, but also a lesson in history

I don't want a gaming company to provide me with a manual full of historical information, they should not waste time and focus on what they know best - the game. If I want to read about history there are plenty of other (better) alternatives.
It's like expecting info on directing movies in the user manual of a dvd-player.

Mannamagnus · October 3, 2001, 06:46

That is also what I dislike in the weekly update on the civ3 website. It gives you hardly any info on the game and a lot of historical background, which I knew already anyway or could have obtained from other sources!

dainbramaged13 · October 3, 2001, 08:35

Quote:

Originally posted by Pembleton
When playing Civ3 for at least the first week or so, I'll be too exhausted from lack of sleep to actually have time to read when I hit the bed. However, there are the times when you have to perform a certain bodily function...

laptops, my friend!

Earthling7 · October 3, 2001, 08:52

Quote:

Originally posted by Mannamagnus
That is also what I dislike in the weekly update on the civ3 website. It gives you hardly any info on the game and a lot of historical background, which I knew already anyway or could have obtained from other sources!

Civilization is a game of history. Without any background info on the history of the world, the game would be very shallow. Merely a matter of hitpoints and squares. No fun.

I seriously doubt that the AI programmers and graphics designers would be involved in writing the manual. Every person knows his/her place, and they have dedicated people doing this. If you don't like the idea of background info in the manual, you must hate the CivI and CivII manuals.

Provost Harrison · October 3, 2001, 09:05

I think big juicy manuals with lots of information and data are the thing to include with the game like in previous incarnations of the game. And of course the history in it, and how the game works around this. Civ has always been good for this kind of stuff, SMAC and Civ2 were exemplary for good manuals...

October 3, 2001, 09:06

I'd bet a copy of civ3 the actual manual, to the extent there is a manual (as opposed to a strategy guide for sale separately) will be a .pdf and not paper. The bit of paper included will probably explain installation and keyboard shortcuts.

If you want a big chunky waste-o-tree, then buy the effing strategy guide, chumps.

Rince · October 3, 2001, 09:20

Does anyone know if the game will be shipped in a dvd box here in europe? Because that would mean a booklet instead of a manual. I hope for a normal box.
Not that i don't like DVD boxes. My room is really stuffed with big game boxes and those games in DVD cases just take up 1 cm of space in the bookshelf.

Staszek · October 3, 2001, 09:54

Agree with Mister Pleasant.

I'd love to have a detailed manual with historic background. A 'juicy' one. But as pdf file. Save trees!!!

Executor · October 3, 2001, 11:51

Quote:

Originally posted by Staszek
Agree with Mister Pleasant.

I'd love to have a detailed manual with historic background. A 'juicy' one. But as pdf file. Save trees!!!

Trees can be regrown. I want a 5000 page manual, goddamnit!