No print friendly manual?

[Adam Parker]

I thought all Matrix titles were going to include two versions of the manual - Ebook to suit the professional print shop and simpler PDF (LIGHT) for home printing?

CaW seems to have only included the full color Ebook.

If this is an oversight, could someone please post a link for the light version? I can't justify the expense to print the full color page backdrops at home.

Thanks,
Adam.

[fabforrest]

i can't even get it to open.  adobe reader just seems to be hanging.

[CTB123]

Fabforrest,

Try manually browsing to the manual.  You should find it at something like c:\Matrix Games\Carriers At War\Manuals

Tony

[e_barkmann]

Fabforrest, have a read of this, it may help your manual issues:

tm.asp?m=1474888

[Marc von Martial]

ORIGINAL: fabforrest

i can't even get it to open. adobe reader just seems to be hanging.

1. Make sure you run latest Adobe Acrobat Reader. You can get it fro free from adobe.com
2. Make sure that you only have one version of Acrobat Reader installed. And make sure that when you install Acrobat Reader older versions are uninstalled first. There are known issues with Acrobat Reader when you install a newer version over and older version.
3. Make sure you firewall or security software does not block the event that an application "A" (Game Menu) starts another application "B" (Acrobat Reader).
4. Restore file opening preferences. Right click on any PDF you have, check "Open with", select Acrobat Reader and the "always use this application" box. click "okay".

If all fails you can access it from the Windows START menu or from within the "Manuals" folder of your CS installation.

[Adam Parker]

<bump>

Marc, Erik, David,

Any official word on this?

Will there be a print friendly manual supplied by download?

Thank you,
Adam.

[Erik Rutins]

If by that you mean one without the graphics, then no - we don't provide that type of version typically.

Regards,

- Erik

[Marc von Martial]

ORIGINAL: Adam Parker

<bump>

Marc, Erik, David,

Any official word on this?

Will there be a print friendly manual supplied by download?

Thank you,
Adam.

Erik posted his reply before he read my email [;)].

We will provide the light version via the Members Area for people that registered the game, for this time only.
In the future we will not provide these anymore, since we offer fully nice colored printed manuals since December 2006

[SlapBone]

ORIGINAL: Marc Schwanebeck

ORIGINAL: Adam Parker

<bump>

Marc, Erik, David,

Any official word on this?

Will there be a print friendly manual supplied by download?

Thank you,
Adam.

Erik posted his reply before he read my email [;)].

We will provide the light version via the Members Area for people that registered the game, for this time only.
In the future we will not provide these anymore, since we offer fully nice colored printed manuals since December 2006

The people who DD the game don't get the highest ?qality PDF

[CTB123]

[/quote]

The people who DD the game don't get the highest ?qality PDF

[/quote]

The downloaded manual is the high quality version. Marc was pointing out they don't provide a lower quality version to print yourself since they know provide a great printed manual with the physical version.

Tony

[Adam Parker]

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

If by that you mean one without the graphics, then no - we don't provide that type of version typically.

Regards,

- Erik

No Erik. In Forge of Freedom there are 2 PDF versions of the manual contained in the game's Manual folder called:

"FOF-Manual-[Ebook]"
"FOF-Manual-[LIGHT]"

The "LIGHT" version is the same game manual as the Ebook but with plain white paper for the page backgrounds.

There was an official Matrix post somewhere around the release of FOF, that "LIGHT" versions were to be included in all Digital Downloads, so that people could print their manuals without wasting color cartridges on colored backdrops contained on every page.

What Marc is saying is that digital download customers will now not be able to do this.

Marc- when will this LIGHT CAW manual be available? I've registered my game and I can't see it yet.

I personally can't see me buying any future Matrix games via your store front now if what Marc is saying is true. The postage to Australia for the physcial manuals will kill the value.

Thanks gentlemen,
Adam.

[CTB123]

Adam, Forge of Freedom was the first game to have a printed manual available, but it did not become available until after Forge of Freedom was released, hence the light manual.

Tony

[Adam Parker]

ORIGINAL: CTB123

Marc was pointing out they don't provide a lower quality version to print yourself since they know provide a great printed manual with the physical version.

Tony

That makes no sense. A digital download customer should be able to print his manual at reasonable cost.

Here's the current purchasing information on the Matrix store front:

What is a Digital Download?
Our Digital Download service sends you a download link to the master game file once your order is complete. You can use this link to download the game directly to your computer over the internet and start playing right away. The download is available to you for thirty days after your order. No shipping is involved and the game is immediately available for you once the order is complete.

What is a Physical Shipment?
If all you want is a copy of the game without any digital download, select this choice. If you select "Physical Shipment" you will be billed to have the game shipped to you. Our Physical Shipment provides you with a printed CD with your serial number enclosed in a printed DVD case.

The Best of Both Worlds Digital Downloads and Physical Shipment!
When you select this option you can use our digital download option to get the game right away and start playing. Then have a boxed copy of the game shipped to you as a backup for permanent storage. With a backup, you'll be prepared for whatever comes your way-whether it's a system crash, a computer virus damaging your files or the software simply no longer functioning as it should. You will be billed to have the game shipped in a printed DVD box with a printed CD and your serial number.

Nothing here mentions the new manuals, a new policy or changes to past practice at all.

Matrix can start fixing this straight off. I look forward to the CAW "LIGHT" manual (quickly please) - and then Tony, if it is as you say, that's the last Matrix direct order for me. I can't endorse Digital Download from Matrix to Australia anymore. SSG should open its own Express Mail service.

[CTB123]

I agree with you.&nbsp; A light manual for DD would be nice.&nbsp;

Tony

[Erik Rutins]

I'll be posting the "light" manual for CAW later today, just got back from the doctor's office with a sick child.

Honestly, I didn't realize we'd been providing these "light" versions - that's more Marc's area, hence my initial and incorrect reply. We'll discuss internally to see what the plan is for the future.

Regards,

- Erik

[flintlock]

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

We'll discuss internally to see what the plan is for the future.

I feel the two PDF formats for manuals which have shipped with recently released digital download versions of Matrix titles have provided a complete solution. You have the "Ebook" version for those that wish to get it professionally printed (or commandeer the color laser at the office), as well as the "Light" version, devoid of the background watermark, for those that wish to print at home or are content with reading the manual on their computer screen.

The query from the OP stemmed from the fact that while CaW shipped with an Ebook version of the manual, there was no watermark free Light version included. I believe the initial offer from Matrix to provide a graphic free version, inadvertently added a little confusion to the mix.

[Hertston]

Another plea for the 'lite' versions to be continued; I was a tad irritated by their absence here and from 'Campaigns' too. I don't print them, but I DO copy them to my PDA so I can read and play at the same time without ALT-TABing etc. It can't handle them when the whole page is a graphic.

[SlapBone]

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

I'll be posting the "light" manual for CAW later today

Thanks Erik. It's nice to have a game publisher that react so quickly to even seemingly minor concerns. I didn't even realize that the pdf was a problem until I tried to print it myself. I use Foxit because it's faster for reading, and it totally barfed when I tried to print.

[Adam Parker]

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

Honestly, I didn't realize we'd been providing these "light" versions - that's more Marc's area, hence my initial and incorrect reply. We'll discuss internally to see what the plan is for the future.

Regards,

- Erik

Thanks Erik - and family comes first, hope all is ok.

I remember my posting after the FoF manual came out that I was going to adopt the plan:

1. If a game's manual was to be over 120 pages - buy the physical version as the postage would counter the printing cost.
2. If a game's manual was to be under 120 pages - buy the digital download and print it myself.

I also requested then that Matrix lists each game's total number of pages in the Shopping screen to make this decision easier. Eg: "CAW comes with a 70 page manual". It seems other people were wanting this info this time too. Could this still be done?

Thank you again and to Marc for hearing my concerns on this issue,
Adam.