I need a tutorial

[LarryP]

ORIGINAL: Murat

There is!!!

Most every post I have read is unhappy. [:(] Except yours. [;)]

[Grapeshot Bob]

ORIGINAL: Jimmer

ORIGINAL: nukkxx

This is exactly what I feel and I also have the very frustrating you-didn't-set-victory-condtions message and no idea how to get rid of it.

A tutorial is needed asap ...

6.4.2 Suing for peace (pg 36 of the online manual)

"A major power wishing to accept the condition surrender of another major power must have checked off the "Give Conditional" box in the Victory Conditions Screen (sic)."

Hmm. What's the "Victory Conditions screen"? Hover over all those buttons on top of the interface screen. One of them (the eighth one from the left) is titled "View Current Surrender Conditions". Could that be it? Click it, and up pops a screen titled "Victory Conditions For sic Austria" (I happen to be playing Austria right now; the title changes for each major power). If I knew how to paste in a picture, I would show it to you.

Notice that you are at war (you wouldn't get that message if you were not at war with any major powers). Highlight the line corresponding to that enemy. Remembering that this is a "play by email" game, you have to pre-set your victory conditions. The board game would allow these steps to occur one at a time, but that would make it take many years to play this on a computer. So, they combined them all right here.

For example, check the box "Give Conditional" "Yes". Now, if this power sues for peace, you will offer them a conditional peace (which they cannot turn down -- they could turn down an unconditional). Then, to the right are all of the available victory conditions. Pick which ones you want, and move them up and down so they are in the order you would prefer to have them (if you got them all -- this is NOT guaranteed).

If you have an ally, you have the option of allowing that ally to get out with a separate peace (or not). Etc.

Once you have made any selections here (even if incomplete), the game will no longer keep asking you over and over again. Unless someone ELSE goes to war with you.

Try to keep it positive Jimmer.

This guy just dropped 60 bucks on something he can't use. He has a right to a useful manual.

We have to stop blaming people for wanting a manual.

We have to make sure people don't feel stupid for wanting instructions.

If people read these forums and get the idea that this game is for insiders only, the game will die.




GSB

[Alex777]

<< This guy just dropped 60 bucks on something he can't use. He has a right to a useful manual. ...
We have to stop blaming people for wanting a manual. >>
&nbsp;
Exactly.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
As I understand things, the Manual was the responsibility of Matrix Games not Marshall.

[gwheelock]

Everyone is complaining about the manual not showing what to click - IT DOES!
>>> IF YOU ARE USING THE CORRECT MANUAL <<<

You want to use the one accessable from this screen (not the one from the questionmark
inside the game) :

[gwheelock]

THIS copy of the manual shows all of the buttons & a description of their use.

For example - here is button labeled "Victory Conditions Screen" that the original
poster was trying to find:

[gwheelock]

The main manual has 123 pages & is cross-indexed.



Could it be better - the answer to that always has to be YES; but
I don't think that it is unreasonable to expect someone to actually
READ the manual before complaining about the deficiencies in it.

(& Someone complained that the manual was "pieces of the original
board game manual" [may have been on another thread] - please
remember that us "oldies" LEARNED THE GAME from that BOARDGAME
manual - no tips; no tutorials & mostly no-one to even ask questions
of)

[Grapeshot Bob]

The problem is that the manual shows an icon with no explanation.

The player wants to know how the victory conditions he chooses work.

The logic behind each of the possible choices isn't fully explained. Apparently only a few victory conditions can be awarded to a player, this should be explained. What does a "Royal Wedding" do?

Just because people who played board games had to interpret the rules doesn't mean we have to. Every competent computer game has a fairly good manual.



GSB

[TheHellPatrol]

ORIGINAL: Grapeshot Bob

The problem is that the manual shows an icon with no explanation.

The player wants to know how the victory conditions he chooses work.

The logic behind each of the possible choices isn't fully explained. Apparently only a few victory conditions can be awarded to a player, this should be explained. What does a "Royal Wedding" do?

Just because people who played board games had to interpret the rules doesn't mean we have to. Every competent computer game has a fairly good manual.



GSB

Exactly, of course i know HOW to change/set my VC's when i can't proceed with my turn after i finally fricken placed my fricken units....but WHY? What are the ramifications?

[gwheelock]

ORIGINAL: TheHellPatrol

ORIGINAL: Grapeshot Bob

The problem is that the manual shows an icon with no explanation.

The player wants to know how the victory conditions he chooses work.

The logic behind each of the possible choices isn't fully explained. Apparently only a few victory conditions can be awarded to a player, this should be explained. What does a "Royal Wedding" do?

Just because people who played board games had to interpret the rules doesn't mean we have to. Every competent computer game has a fairly good manual.



GSB

Exactly, of course i know HOW to change/set my VC's when i can't proceed with my turn after i finally fricken placed my fricken units....but WHY? What are the ramifications?

Do you mean something like ... THIS

[Grapeshot Bob]

My question was rhetorical!
&nbsp;
There are some very simple things that should be explained at the start. What do the numbers on the map mean? How about the ports? How about the number of spires on each city? What about the combat tables? Oy, don't get me started on combat tables. Choosing "chits" shouldn't require a Ph.D. in Quantum Physics. A player should have a rough idea about which tactics will have which results in what terrain against certain enemy formations.
&nbsp;
What I have been saying all along is that we need a quick start guide. The manual is over 120 pages long. I'm thinking 10 pages of quick, focussed information.
&nbsp;
I don't want to put too fine a point on it but I've been gaming for over 30 years. Both board and computer games. The lack of a tutorial or, in its place, a quick start guide is a serious oversight in a game of this breadth.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
GSB

[ess1]

There are two distinct groups I think: &nbsp; those who have played the boardgame and suffered the learning process. &nbsp; Those who, perhaps, have not and are used to having a computer game properly "explained". &nbsp; Each has, in their opinion, good reason for these postings.&nbsp; Boardgamers taught each other in FTF presumably.&nbsp; That is how I learnt chess and Diplomacy.&nbsp; Computer players have a manual and, normally, a tutorial showing the interface with an example game.&nbsp;&nbsp; See Europa Universalis and many others.

Fortunately it appears from the assistance given - willingly and at length - by the boardgame players that, with understanding and time those of us in the latter group will get there. [:)]

Many thanks for those undertaking this voyage of discovery[:'(]

[Erik Rutins]

Allright, there have been enough requests for this that we've decided to assign our manual writer to put together a tutorial guide for players that have not played EIA before. As he is also new to EIA, this should be right up his alley. The focus will be on anything a new player needs to know that may not be obvious in the current manual. I expect it will take a couple of weeks to get this ready, then we'll release it in PDF form in the Members Club.

[ess1]

Excellent news.&nbsp; Many thanks.

[sterckxe]

ORIGINAL: ess1
Excellent news.  Many thanks.

Ditto - the game *really* needs one

Greetz,

Eddy Sterckx

[fvianello]

The manual covers the rules, it doesn't tell you what/how to click to get what you need to do done...hell...it doesn't even tell you in what order to do things:

There's a thing called "sequence of play", it's on page 3 I think.

why can't i start? Oh, i didn't place all my units, why does it tell me i didn't set my victory conditions? I need to set them...hmmm...how/what/where?

It tells you didn't set your victory conditions because you didn't set your victory conditions.
There's a button called "set victory condition", the two things are probably related.

[pzgndr]

Why not provide the original board game tutorial? [:D]

[fvianello]

ORIGINAL: Grapeshot Bob
Choosing "chits" shouldn't require a Ph.D. in Quantum Physics.

Why?

[nukkxx5058]

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

Allright, there have been enough requests for this that we've decided to assign our manual writer to put together a tutorial guide for players that have not played EIA before. As he is also new to EIA, this should be right up his alley. The focus will be on anything a new player needs to know that may not be obvious in the current manual. I expect it will take a couple of weeks to get this ready, then we'll release it in PDF form in the Members Club.

Great news! Thanks.

[moopere]

ORIGINAL: TheHellPatrol

....but WHY? What are the ramifications?

Yes, this is my problem as well. Been Wargaming for decades, computer gaming for about as long too. I know lots about Napoleonic warfare but I need to know lots about how the game engine itself interprets things. Should I place all my Depots? If not, why not? If so why? What are the good and bad ramifications of not placing all my troops in the setup phase?

Anyway...looks like something is coming...I saw a post by someone from Matrix today.

Cheers, Moopere.

[Alex777]

ORIGINAL: gwheelock

Could it be better - the answer to that always has to be YES; but
I don't think that it is unreasonable to expect someone to actually
READ the manual before complaining about the deficiencies in it.

(& Someone complained that the manual was "pieces of the original
board game manual" [may have been on another thread] - please
remember that us "oldies" LEARNED THE GAME from that BOARDGAME
manual - no tips; no tutorials & mostly no-one to even ask questions
of)

Well, for the record, I have read the entire manual, highlighted the important bits, and taken some notes. It did not tell me what I needed to know about the UI.

I don't mean to be rude but - Us "newbies" don't care how you oldies learned the board game. We are buying a computer game and expect it to have proper documentation, like any other piece of software which is for sale commercially.