Raise you hand if you actually read the manual

[willgamer]

O.K. time to check you homework!

Has anyone, other than Beta testers, read, not just skimmed, the entire manual (I'd love to see a poll, if someone knows how)? Please stand and be recognized!

Personally, I began reading as soon as I got the game and I'm still 100 pages from the end. (The first half is a little dry, but a lot of the stuff you NEED to know is in the second half.)

The old adage "Easy to play, tough to master" is Grand Canyon wide for WitE.

Judging from the questions being asked, a FAQ would be very helpful for elementary things (RR repair, factory evacuation, HQ C&C ranges, supply) that the tutorial stopped short of.

Conclusion: The Beta testers aren't "just whistling Dixie", as we Southerners might say, when they strongly encourage us to RTFM!

[Belphegor]

read it, and have it handy for reference.
Thank you whoever did the index.

[Lützow]

I did the entire manual in about 3h to get an overview. Reading English takes some longer for me.

[Terminus]

ORIGINAL: willgamer

O.K. time to check you homework!

Has anyone, other than Beta testers, read, not just skimmed, the entire manual (I'd love to see a poll, if someone knows how)? Please stand and be recognized!

Personally, I began reading as soon as I got the game and I'm still 100 pages from the end. (The first half is a little dry, but a lot of the stuff you NEED to know is in the second half.)

The old adage "Easy to play, tough to master" is Grand Canyon wide for WitE.

Judging from the questions being asked, a FAQ would be very helpful for elementary things (RR repair, factory evacuation, HQ C&C ranges, supply) that the tutorial stopped short of.

Conclusion: The Beta testers aren't "just whistling Dixie", as we Southerners might say, when they strongly encourage us to RTFM!

You'll probably not all the testing team has read the manual cover to cover.

[karonagames]

I am sure every player will have their own approach to learning the game. When I started testing in February, the manual was probably about half the size it is now, and there was a very basic FAQ in the developers forum.

I spent the first 3 days in what I call "Goldfish" mode, going OMG,OMG, and swimming against the tidal wave of data that was being thrown at me. I ignored the tutorial and all the smaller scenarios and just started playing the 1941 campaign. In February, HQs used to displace about 30 hexes, so I had a lot of fun catapulting them back to Warsaw when I left them alone in hexes. By the time I got to turn 8 I started wondering why my panzer divisions had only 9-12 MPs, when they had 50 on turn 1. Oh, they need supply? And supply comes from railheads? And these FBD things move the railheads - it took me 2 days to figure out you had to click on "RRC" to actually repair the railway! OK restart time.

In my next attempt I did a bit better and got close to Moscow by Turn 17, then the mud arrived and AGS was isolated, then the blizzard arrived, and my army vanished in 4 turns, and that was my clue to actually read the manual.

After 2 weeks, I think I had a handle on the basics, and since then it has been a journey of discovery of the nuances and the many layers that this incredible game contains. There is something new to learn every day.

[IdahoNYer]

Skimmed through it the night I downloaded. Played the tutorial "by the numbers". Read the manual front to back. Played Minsk a bit. Re-read parts of the manual. Still hasn't all sinked in!

[Stugots]

I have not read the manual cover to cover in one sitting. Personally i dont think i would of got as much out of it that way. I learn more by seeing how things work in game by trial and error and then refering back to the manual when somthing stumps me. Also you cant discount these matrix forums. Ive learned so much from them. AAR are always helpful aswell. Matrix definetly has some die hard gronards with a real passion for these games. One of the best gaming communities ive expierenced.

Call me wierd but i enjoy reading the manual in bed before i got to sleep. Wish i had the full copy in hard copy.

[hgilmer3]

I didn't read every part of it because explaining the informational screens - I don't need that.  I know what losses mean and stuff like that.  I know what save game means.  So, I skipped a lot but tried to read all of the parts about HQs and actual gameplay and other parts.

[hgilmer3]

Did you play it "normal" on your first try? I think I could beat it on easy, but I have doubts about normal.

[Northern Star]

I have to admit that I didn't read very much of the manual. When I joined the testing team in December 2008 there was only a basic guide, written by Rafa (rjh1971). I printed it to learn quickly and after that I followed all the new rules and changes when they came out. When I was in difficulty I read everything was written in the manual and then I asked in the forum. This allowed me to find out and experiment a lot of different strategies.

[PyleDriver]

This may sound weird, I've never read it. I have been here since day one of testing, and the rules have changed so much since then and I have kept it all in my brain. It has got cluttered at times...lol...Hell I may just read it now that that changes have stopped.

[Krec]

I already said "i dont do manuals" thats why i like this game , easy to play, just read a few boards here & there on stuff you need to fill in on then your good to go. I know the game looks big and scary , but the beauty is the way its designed. These guys have made a really complex game looks really slick and simple. I love it. Just dive in and dont sweat all the small stuff. 1 major thing is keep all your HQs at least 5 hexes from there units. For the Gmen , flank, encircle, destroy and repeat. but do it fast lol.

[Phatguy]

ORIGINAL: Lützow

I did the entire manual in about 3h to get an overview. Reading English takes some longer for me.

At least you can read English...Three quarters of the kids I deal with in the Buffalo Public School System cannot do so......

[Rosseau]

I agree. That's impressive, Lutzow. I used to love reading the manual in my younger days, but now want to just play. So I read it as I need to. A credit to the game you can play it without a read. Also, editing smaller scenarios and then playing to learn a bit. Fact is, when you have everything figured out about a game, you become bored. No risk of that here.

[jimkehn]

LMAO Apathetic

[Zovs]

I myself am a reader, my icon/avatar may give away my favorite face to face board war game (Advanced Squad Leader, which I play every Thursday night for the most part with my good gaming buddy, we both love ASL to this day) the manual or tome for ASL is rather large and in my professional life I have always been a RTFM type of person. It's okay either way (to read or not to read, that is the question) it just comes down to personal taste and ones learning abilities.

Back in the old days we did not have an internet and we either used a phone or wrote a letter (to the editor, sorry bad pun) and would wait for 5-7 business days (if we were lucky) to get a reply, now-a-days we have these wonderful forums where hundreds or thousands of us can communicate and learn, so besides the manuals we got the forum to help, learn, figure out stuff on.

[Dr. Foo]

Reading it now and playing I plan to do one complete read through and keep it open for easy reference as needed.

[PaulWRoberts]

I'm halfway through the 400-page manual. I actually printed it out (2 pages/sheet).

[randallw]

I'm almost done, just another 300ish pages to go. [:'(]

[PMCN]

Read the manual up to the tips for strategy. Will read it again over the next week. Pointless to try and play a game of this magnitude without the rules...I can't wait for the box to arrive and the printed manual. I may also look into getting the manual printed somewhere and bound for easy reference.