Matrix Games Forums

Dont see the manual listed in the files. Can you give me a hint where I can find it? [8|]

Thanks

I see a text help inside the game, but no manual outside of it. There is a product manual and an Armchair General pdf, but no game manual. The physical version said a pdf manual was included, so maybe for the download price there is none? Big bummer if that's true.

This game needs a manual. The manual in the DL'd version is simply a product brochure. [8|]

ORIGINAL: Old Eagle101

This game needs a manual. The manual in the DL'd version is simply a product brochure. [8|]

Agreed.

The game has really well done tutorials and videos that show you the ins and outs of the game. Honestly after going through the tutorials twice I pretty much knew everything I needed to to have fluent control over my guys.

http://www.frozensynapse.com/tutorials.html

The learning curve can be a bit tough but the games are quick to run through so it's easy to quickly learn from your mistakes. Frankly just playing and failing was the most instructive thing for me. I very rarely failed a game and said "why did that happen." It was mostly because I hadn't developed a knack for that "What's his next move" intuition that is so important.

So no manual with either purchase option?

That's correct.

That has just put me off buying this game.

If it has any depth at all why on earth wouldn't a designer/publisher provide (even a PDF) manual for for a game ?

If it is so simple it doesn't need a manual then it is unlikely to be of interest, if as stated above "the learning curve can be a bit tough" then wouldn't a manual be a very very good idea to help overcome this ?

I'd prefer to spend the limited time I've got to play games actually playing the game rather than hoping through a process of trial and error to figure out how to play it.

I played Laser Squad Nemesis a few years ago, very similar game.  Easy to learn how to play.  The learning curve I believe refers to strategy and tactics.  It has tutorials that explains everything.  It's just a different kind of manual imo.

We are very pro-manual. Believe me when I say this game does not need a separate PDF manual because the in-game tutorials and in-game documentation teach you everything you need to know about how to play. We debated this internally before release, and after playing the game, everyone was convinced that _for this game_ a manual would be completely redundant. The learning curve in terms of how to master the tactics is not something a manual would help with. Perhaps a strategy guide would, but the focus of a manual is to teach you how to play the game and how to use every feature and option. The in-game tutorial and documentation does that very well.

Regards,

- Erik

This was my impression, too.  FS is a lot like Chess in that once you know how the pieces move, the rest is up to you. Since the tutorial does a very good job of explaining just about all the move and fire commands, there isn't a lot left to be said.  [:)]

Now, a manual on how to play better...there might be something there.  [:D]

I just got the game and found the manual.  It's a readme txt file that is the same as the ingame help file.  It's 20 pages and can be printed, something i intend to do later today.  That, with the ingame videos and tutorial, tells everything you need to know to play the game.  

20 pages?

Anything less than a 400-page manual is too little!

I'm still reading my WITP manual to plan the first move, after some... err.. 3 years I bought the game. I suspect my opponent quit by now...