Game Manual - War in the West

[bcgames]

To all,

I am responsible for writing the WITW game manual and WITW editor manual. Please provide here your ideas on how to make these documents useful to you. I'm quick on the up-take so don't feel like you have to write Tolstoy's War and Peace to 'splain your ideas for the bigger, better manual.

Let me know your thoughts. Thanks in advance.

v/r

bcgames

[buchand]

Layer the manual - getting started section and then drill down. Maybe its just me but I like to plunge in and then find the details as I go.
Work with someone to set up tutorials on the key areas e.g. Sea, Air, Supply, etc
Put any charts/tables on a seperate page or embed them for easy printing.

Over to the community, good luck as we will all want different and mutually exclusive things [:)]

[glvaca]

I think the manual for WitE is pretty good.
But like the previous poster, a "game aid(s)" like most boardgames that consolidates the most important charts would be very handy.

[DerGrenadier]

ORIGINAL: buchand

Layer the manual - getting started section and then drill down. Maybe its just me but I like to plunge in and then find the details as I go.
Work with someone to set up tutorials on the key areas e.g. Sea, Air, Supply, etc
Put any charts/tables on a seperate page or embed them for easy printing.

Over to the community, good luck as we will all want different and mutually exclusive things [:)]

I`ll second that. I too like to play at once and as soon as I have questions I start looking in the manual.

[javats]

Not having to use the paper concept and using a PDF type of format is great. (exp. default with decrease margins for more print)
I like the manual (LETTER) layout, overall with rule numbering and especially the click-able TOC and rules references)
It would be nice to have the index click-able.
Making each section a stand alone of it's rules, with click-able references to other rules is great and should be used more
I always liked a concise rule statement in bold print. then followed by; 1. exceptions 2. explanations 3. lots of examples (all with graphics/pics)
For a game manual one could put all the examples in one separate section with forward & backward references. This might allow adding more examples by author or reader.
it is possible to having a version of just the concise rules statement and everything else hidden with each (click-able or cursor pass-over) to expand the other parts
The PDF like format allows more use of abbreviations because they auto expand with curses pass-over.

[misesfan]

Focus on those things the player actually can affect - for example,'86' the multiple pages on production. An exception is the railing of factories by the Soviets. How many questions are on the forum regarding this one important topic? Why? - the Soviets are able to rail their factories but the info is buried within the manual amongst a whole bunch of stuff that the player has no control of...

[Redmarkus5]

ORIGINAL: pwieland

Focus on those things the player actually can affect - for example,'86' the multiple pages on production. An exception is the railing of factories by the Soviets. How many questions are on the forum regarding this one important topic? Why? - the Soviets are able to rail their factories but the info is buried within the manual amongst a whole bunch of stuff that the player has no control of...

Good point.

Describe the things we can control first. Explain the underlying game mechanics in later chapters or annexes.

[coolts]

Real world examples (like the new 'blue' text in the manual).  Those are an excellent resource.
 
 
 
 

[horse1974]

That is available in several languages.
 
Regards.

[56ajax]

Avoid repetitions, nothing worse when you are doing a word search through a document and find the same statement repeated over and over again.
Every window or pop up should be described.
Detail the implications of setting certain values, not just what they mean.
and if possible find proof readers across different nationalities to check for ambiguous statements and

Good Luck

[schascha]

ORIGINAL: horse1974

That is available in several languages.

Regards.

In french??

[dukewacoan]

I think the Manual should have more focus on why to do things in specifics. Players in WitE are really left to follow the Forum to learn the interactions and many of the basics. Clearer designers notes or players notes/hints about fundamentals of air settings, etc is an example. If you do not follow the Forum, you are left to tons of trial and error about basics.

[cpt flam]

you can find it in
unofficial translation
hope this will help you

[bcgames]

The roll-up so far:

* Layer the manual – have a “getting started section” and the capability to drill down.
* Provide tutorials on the key areas (e.g. Sea, Air, Supply, etc.).
* Consolidate the most important information on charts and tables that are set up for easy printing.
* PDF format is great.
* Rule numbering and click-able table of contents and rules references is good.
* Have the index click-able.
* Make each section a stand alone with click-able references to other rules.
* Have a concise rule statement in bold print, followed by; 1. exceptions 2. explanations 3. lots of examples (all with graphics/pics).
* Put all the examples in one separate section with forward & backward references. This might allow adding more examples by author or reader.
Is it possible to having a version of just the concise rules statement and everything else hidden with each (click-able or cursor pass-over) to expand the other parts?
* PDF format allows more use of abbreviations because they auto expand with mouse-overs.
* Focus on those things the player can actually affect.
* Describe the things we can control first. Explain the underlying game mechanics in later chapters or annexes.
Real world examples (like the new 'blue' text in the manual). Those are an excellent resource.
* Provide the manaul in several languages.
* Avoid repetitions; there's nothing worse than when you are doing a document word search and find the same exact statement repeated over and over again.
* Every window or pop-up should be described.
* Detail the implications of setting certain values, not just what they mean.
* Find proof-readers across different nationalities to check for ambiguous statements.
* The manual should focus on the specifics of why things are done. Include clear designer's notes and/or player's notes/hints about fundamentals of air settings, etc.

What else?

[Duck Doc]

If by 'layering' is meant starting with basic concepts then 'drilling down' to more detail then I agree. For example, I found the air doctrine explanation (among many others) opaque enough & confusing at the beginning that I passed it by. I need to have air missions explained in a top layer then the air doctrine down at a lower, more detailed level. I can leave the air doctrine on default & proceed with playing. There are many key concepts buried in minutiae. Basic supply concepts is another example.

Perhaps a tutorial then a layer which allows the non-grog to play by giving the grand concepts then finally a detailed layer.

Would love to have expanded tutorials covering different concepts.

I also found the explanation of many of the rules to be incomprehensible to me after many readings & I gave up on some. I could give examples but I would have to get to the manual to find & enumerate them.

I am a non-grog who loves this game & I keep playing it on a somewhat intuitive level. Some of us are mentally handicapped.