Inadequate Manual.

[krashd]

My only dig with this great game is that the manual was akin to that which you'd expect to find with a no-brainer FPS, instead of a strategic war-sim. There have been countless things about the game that I've tried to find in the manual and had to search online for, many of which nobody online knows either.

A few examples...

1.) On the settlement statistics screen a few of the elements under population growth, happiness, income and religion etc will be flashing. What is this? When you hover over them they display a different ammount to the item next to them, at first I thought it indicated the 'estimated' change upon completion of your next building. But it's not since towns with no construction have flashing items too.

2.) Vassals. I wasn't quite sure what vassals were and neither it seems did the manual, so I eventually had to google it also. And even now that I know what it means it is confusing still when you look under diplomacy and see it next to a factions name. Who is the vassal and who is the bearer?

There's been a few others, but does anyone else agree that ME2: TW deserved a more 'geekier' manual like you get with most sims?

Sims get beefy manuals and arcade games get a pamphlet with a few instructions. It's the LAW!

[Duke4747]

I haven't had too much trouble with the manual... sounds like u should be able to find those awnsers online though... wierd...

[Sokar Rostau]

I bought Age of Empires II Gold Edition a couple of years ago. It came with a combined manual that included the Expansion. The original Age of Empires II manual is 148 pages, the Age of Kings Expansion is a further 48. M2TW is 62 pages and Kingdoms is 21. There is a LARGE discrepency here...

[snuggans]

anyone have/read the Empire Earth I manual? wow.

[Grimmy]

anyone have/read the Empire Earth I manual? wow.

No, but I do recall my favorite manual of all times.

It was a 6 page booklet that had all the usual opening stuff like credits, who did what, etc... had a page...just one page... with actual instructions and then a page for notes and then a page of adverts for other games.

The instructions page had this, and only this:

#3, if yes, then do.


That was it. Easiest instruction I ever got lost trying to follow.

I wish I could remember the game that came with.

[roy34543]

The manual is really for teaching you the basics, which is kind of a problem in such of a large game
Flashing signs are actually quite obvious, those are usually ones that are going to occur in a turn or two because you finish a building or an army is camping at your terretory and causing devestation etc.
Vassals give you any money they have over 15000 gold and count as defeated in the mission objectives (i think)

[N3rull]

I use the manual only as an anti-bore last resort when I need to visit the toilet. It actualyl sucks, may have been a hell more accurate and spacious.

[Captain Arrrgh!]

It doesn't need a geekier manual. It doesn't need any manual.
I love the TW games, they never leave my hard drive, but to be honest the lack of competent ai, the non existence of management, let alone micro management, and complete absence of governance options tha actually mean something means the game can be played just by stacking armies up and sending them off. The various numbers and such are completely irrelevant to what goes on in the game.

[Grimmy]

I thought reading manuals was an exploit? Isn't that cheating...you know, like asking for directions from strangers when traveling in a city for the first time?

Wow, I wonder if y'all also follow instructions when building stuff? If you do that, how do you manage to add to your collection of spare parts?

[Baron Thunder-ten-tronckh]

I quite like the personalisation of the manuals, at least the start.
"Hail Commander! Welcome to Medieval II: Total War!"
And this is from the RTW section of TW Eras
"So you don't want to read the manual?"

For me, it seems that these guys care about us.
And, to an extent, I guess, they do, we are their bread and butter in the end.

I like them for that, but I really do wish for a more informative manual. Then again, why not let you find it out yourself?

What gets really annoying, is if you buy a game that didn't have a manual with it (old games sometimes don't get one printed off), and there are no longer any active forums for the game, and the in-game help is shite. Thats what happened with me and Knights of Honor.

To gather a point from my post.
There is none.

[Idaeus]

Maybe not but it was a bloody good post! +rep for that my friend!

[Hunter Makoy]

when the icons r faded, and not flashing, that means that is the new amount when the building is completed. when the icon is faded and flashing, that means that there is something u can do to make it better, but haven't. alot of times they flash when there is a merchants warf to build, or when u r blockaded. sometimes, tho, it does flash when there doesn't seem to be a problem (no blocked roads, no blockaded ports, etc)

[Old Geezer]

I have not seen a decent manual to an electronic war game yet and do not expect to see one in the present century. I could be wrong. But, I don't think so.