Slitherine

quote:

ORIGINAL: abj9562

I thought I would present my idea for the game manuals and documents. I may be asking for too much. However, please share your thoughts so we can make the documentation usable instead of burnable.

*All A4 and 8.5"x11" documents should include ample space for 2, 3, or 5 hole punching as desired by the game purchaser.

I. Small game mechanics manual to include:
   A. How to install the game.
   B. How to configure your game for:
     1. Resolutions
     2. Mouse
     3. Keyboard Mapping
     4. Configuring joysticks and other input devices.
     5. .ini settings and what they mean with options available
   C. How to start and save a game.
   D. Setup guide for the tutorial(s).
   E. Tutorial guide with step by step instructions.

II. Additional Manuals
   A. Setup guide for all scenarios
     1. In .pdf and .rtf format for both A4 and 8.5"x11" or printed if feasible.
       a. Scenario commentary explaining the historical situation and the goals each alliance and nation (including minors) wanted to achieve.
           (Creates historical perception and frame of mind for the scenario to be played.)
     2. .xls spreadsheet for unit setups and available counters
       a. Filter and sort capable by alliance, country, unit type and scenario.
   B. Rules manual.
     1. In .pdf and .rtf format for both A4 and 8.5"x11" or printed if feasible.
     2. Rules commentary to exist in boxed areas with the appropriate rule for additional understanding.
         (Clearly annotated to the clarifying source.)

III. Modders manual
   A. In .pdf and .rtf format for both A4 or 8.5"x11" and printed if feasible.
   B. .csv file explanations. This could be gleaned from programmers embedded comments but this should simplify finding the right .csv file.
   C. Bitmap formats and specifications for counters, hexes and maps for all zooms settings.


edit on thread name.

quote:

ORIGINAL: brian brian

I've kind of expected mostly electronic manuals. Seems to be the trend in computers. I mean if it is all on a CD rather than paper, the price can be lower for everyone, and if you want a hard copy you can make it yourself?

I also expect to just purchase the game as a digital download. With a good internet connection I would much rather do that than get yet another plastic-wrapped box and CD w/jewel case made and shipped to me.

Are these expectations probable? I haven't purchased any computer games since Avalon Hill sold me a couple on cassettes. But this is the 21st century and it would seem that media content can be delivered without using up more oil and trees.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Shannon V. OKeets


I myself prefer getting a printed manual with software. My current personal aggravation is with the new release of Delphi (2007) where the 'manual' is a bunch of help files, but they are inaccessible by me for some unknown reason.

quote:

ORIGINAL: SamuraiProgrammer

quote:

ORIGINAL: Shannon V. OKeets


I myself prefer getting a printed manual with software. My current personal aggravation is with the new release of Delphi (2007) where the 'manual' is a bunch of help files, but they are inaccessible by me for some unknown reason.

In case this helps...

Do you have Delphi For Win32 (2007) or the full RAD Studio 2007? It was released 11/15.

I know there was an update (Patch) to the RAD Studio help system. It might even work to install the help update for RAD Studio even if you only Have Delphi For Win32 (2007). Apparently, they are the same product with the Win32 personality having been 'pre-released'

Link:

http://www.codegear.com/downloads/regusers/radstudio
At the top of the list - notes say 'Provides bug fixes and other improvements to the Help system'

Also, if you use groups.google.com you will be able search the borland newsgroups (borland.public.delphi.*). Also, the borland news server (I think it is news.borland.com but I could be wrong) is public and that community is VERY good at helping each other and would welcome you if you have any specific questions about how something works... especially if it is because you can't get your documentation to work.

If you need anything else along these lines, let me know and I will do all I can to help.

Good Luck!

quote:

ORIGINAL: abj9562

Steve,

BTW call me AJ or andy, abj9562 was quite a problem in grade school . High school was murder but in college nobody really cared.

quote:


In #1 you have left out a lot of crucial stuff: optional rules, for instance.  I have also clarified the sequence of play from the way it is presented in the WIF FE manual, such as, using graphics to show flow and modifying some names/labels to make them more understandable.  When the material becomes wordy, I will place it in an appendix.  It will still be printed, but by placing it in an appendix, the rest of the manual will be shorter and easier to read/use.

Perhaps item the first manual should be two seperate manuals. One for game play and the other for simple instalation and configuration. I understand most documents may be electronic. For myself I prefer printed manuals in binders. 

As for item 2,  yes the idea was a clean and usable spreadsheet similiar to the setup sheets on ADG's website. Just cleaned up and presentable for MWiF.

It seems there is not much disagreement on what to include. Principaly just on how to include all the material.  I would be willing to pay a premium for the printed docs as my trifocals just do not work well with computer screens. Perhaps someone could contact Prima or Brady Games if Matrix is not capable or unwilling.

Also, this goes without saying that I hope all docs will be localized for languages.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Shannon V. OKeets
- I also read through the complaints about the newly released EIA manual and I've tried to avoid them for MWIF.

quote:

That is to say, I will not attempt to write clarifications to the rules into RAC (for several reasons, but an important one is that doing so always runs the risk of changing the rule).

quote:

ORIGINAL: lomyrin

That sounds like a lot of manual, necessary beacuse of the game's complexity. Just hope that the sheer size of it does not scare away new potential players.

Lars

quote:

ORIGINAL: Shannon V. OKeets


On the other hand, I do want to enable players who are new to WIF to learn MWIF as quickly and easily as possible. In that regard, it seems to me that a good manual is a very important item.

I also expect that learning MWIF will be a lot easier than learning the board game by reading through RAW. Perhaps even an order of magnitude easier?

quote:

ORIGINAL: Froonp

Seems like it is a disaster. They say that a player who don't already know EiA can't play the game. I though about you when reading that. I heard that there are no tutorial either.

quote:

ORIGINAL: lomyrin

The text lookx very nice. A couple of points though:

Last impulse page the text talks about the initiative marker moving spaces, In the game environment there are no spaces to move but a track of initiative bonuses is kept.

Ground strike talks about rolling a die, the game does this automatically, perhaps the game rolls dies to determine the outcome.

Lars

quote:

ORIGINAL: Shannon V. OKeets
I also expect that learning MWIF will be a lot easier than learning the board game by reading through RAW. Perhaps even an order of magnitude easier?

• The manual needs an overview section geared towards players new to the game. This section would give the user an idea of what steps it takes to play a turn, what objectives they should have, and some indications of what sections of the rules are most important for a new player. Most of the time, the rules are laid out in the order of play. This is as it should be because the manual will serve as a reference much longer than it will serve as an introduction. The overview will help mitigate the problem that a reference is usually ineffective as an introduction.
  
• Tutorials. These will help introduce the interface better than the written word can ever do. Also, they can give the green recruit an idea of what he/she can do while he is learning what he/she should do.
  
• Many times, a manual only tells the player how to do something. Expanding the manual so that it also tells the player why something needs to be done, when is a good time to do it, and how to do it well will be a great thing. For example, just before describing how to accomplish a breakthrough attack with the software, explain how a breakthrough attack is where the armor units break through a hole in the line and exploit their speed to capture as much territory as possible while helping surround the enemy that is fighting on the front lines. Just after describing how to accomplish a breakthrough attack with the software, describe how to recognize when it is a good time to attempt it and when it is a poor choice. Some manuals put this information into shaded boxes to segregate it from the regular rules.
  
• Most importantly for a game of this size, I think there needs to be some published information that give a new player some fairly detailed instructions of what they need to do for the first couple of turns in the campaign game for each of the major powers. This will help players 'jump in the deep end of the pool' and survive. I have always tried to read the manual casually before starting the game. Then, after playing my first game, go back and reread part (or all) of the manual. Repeat as needed. Giving them some hints as to what a grand strategy might be will help them learn by doing.
  

quote:

ORIGINAL: SamuraiProgrammer

quote:

ORIGINAL: Shannon V. OKeets
I also expect that learning MWIF will be a lot easier than learning the board game by reading through RAW. Perhaps even an order of magnitude easier?

There are several things that I think will make MWiF easier to learn than the boardgame.

I am one of those struggling players of EiA that have never played the game before and am truly overwhelmed. There are several things that I find myself wishing I had. I don't especially feel that all of these are feasable or have not be addressed already, but here they are.

• The manual needs an overview section geared towards players new to the game. This section would give the user an idea of what steps it takes to play a turn, what objectives they should have, and some indications of what sections of the rules are most important for a new player. Most of the time, the rules are laid out in the order of play. This is as it should be because the manual will serve as a reference much longer than it will serve as an introduction. The overview will help mitigate the problem that a reference is usually ineffective as an introduction.
  
• Tutorials. These will help introduce the interface better than the written word can ever do. Also, they can give the green recruit an idea of what he/she can do while he is learning what he/she should do.
  
• Many times, a manual only tells the player how to do something. Expanding the manual so that it also tells the player why something needs to be done, when is a good time to do it, and how to do it well will be a great thing. For example, just before describing how to accomplish a breakthrough attack with the software, explain how a breakthrough attack is where the armor units break through a hole in the line and exploit their speed to capture as much territory as possible while helping surround the enemy that is fighting on the front lines. Just after describing how to accomplish a breakthrough attack with the software, describe how to recognize when it is a good time to attempt it and when it is a poor choice. Some manuals put this information into shaded boxes to segregate it from the regular rules.
  
• Most importantly for a game of this size, I think there needs to be some published information that give a new player some fairly detailed instructions of what they need to do for the first couple of turns in the campaign game for each of the major powers. This will help players 'jump in the deep end of the pool' and survive. I have always tried to read the manual casually before starting the game. Then, after playing my first game, go back and reread part (or all) of the manual. Repeat as needed. Giving them some hints as to what a grand strategy might be will help them learn by doing.
  

I hope this is helpful and am interested in any others opinions. Remember, though, I am not saying that all of these are feasable. Just that they would be helpful for the new player.

quote:

ORIGINAL: composer99

Looks pretty good, Steve. I would comment on the Fleet to Pearl Harbour USE option mentioned above, but if others have already gone through RAW with a view to how it will translate to RAC, then nothing further need be said.