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DSWargamer -> RE: Books arrived, let me say they are incredible as books go (11/14/2013 7:41:05 PM)
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I suppose it depends on your definition of 'game manual'.
I printed out my War in the East manual in black and white, because eventually an emanual is not identical to an ebook. You might wonder, where is the distinction. Well. in a manual, I might want to go from one page to another back and forth several times and read several others all mixed in there. Sure I could read the WitE manual off my tablet, but, they suck for thumbing through as manuals.
Now, if it was me reading my latest Dune series novel, well the difference is I read a page, I turn the page, I read the next page I turn the page, if I feel I have read enough after 10 pages I put it down, and I might not get back to if for hours or days. But the story remains in my head, although the contents are just that, a story. They are not a manual.
When playing a game, a complex game, I am likely going to be flying back and forth through sections reading and re reading and then re reading some more. And it is just not the same with a efile.
Not all games are this complex. There is a manual for Battle Academy. I never read it. Never read it either. There's nothing to read really. You play the 3-5 minute tutorial to explain the interface controls and after that, the real learning process is in realizing why your friend keeps doing the things they do in game, and how do you pull something on them that takes them off guard. You don't get that in a manual.
Some games, the manual is useful, but it is hard to get worked up over a short brief manual. And in some cases, the tutorial scenario is what you need and all you need. Looking here at the books and realizing, THOSE are the tutorials :)
But I recall many games of the past, and nothing happened till you learned the manual.
I think some of wargaming, loses out on something valuable, when too much of the game is actually hidden under the hood in the program.
I know why everything does what it does in the ASL manual. I have no real idea why so much of what happens happens in Steel Panthers. It's mostly click unit, you can move in the shaded spot only, and no thinking involved. Now an ASLer can tell you precisely why the unit can get to any place in range of it in a single move. They can systematically list off each and every miniscule expenditure of effort.
So much of that is missing in computer wargames and while that can be ok, the thing is, it is still missing.
I like having the print manuals here. I can now dive into this game, and utterly digest this game, and no exactly what should be happening on the screen from the inside out. And pdf files, will just not be as easy to read. The magnitude is too great in this case.
I tried the idea of using my tablet and my laptop to run role games. Thought it would prevent me from being swamped under a stack of books. Thought 'hey cool, I can walk to the game, just the laptop, and not be buried under a ton of books. It didn't work. Eventually, you need the physical in some cases. The tablet is a great idea to read a book at the donut shop, or read a book on the subway to work. They can play video, and they make nice web browsers, and they are ok to read novels from. They are a lame substitute for a manual though.
I think the largest problem besetting computer World in Flames, is the perception it is more computer program, than set of books.
I think there will be a lot of people finding out, that relying on pdf files is just not going to cut it as well.
They are ok for the light reading aspect if you want to get in some study on the toilet, or a lunch break, or at the cottage. But for playing the game, I have no expectations of using anything digital for reference.
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