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New manual.. - 6/10/2015 5:59:36 AM

Rainsong94

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Seeing how this game is their most popular and still gaining attention, it would be great if Matrix could rewrite a hardbound manual for AE in the style of WITW with updated information through to the current version and make it more user-friendly. They can then sell it with new purchases of AE and also separately. Just putting this suggestion out there. What to you guys think?

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RE: New manual.. - 6/10/2015 6:18:46 AM

wdolson

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Good idea, only one problem: nobody with the time and will to write it.

Bill

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RE: New manual.. - 6/10/2015 1:57:21 PM

dr.hal

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Actually last I heard Bill was that Alfred was attempting to rewrite it on his own time. He asked for us to supply updates or points of clarification to him in a specific thread. I'm not sure where the project is, as I've not seen an update. Hal

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RE: New manual.. - 6/10/2015 4:07:23 PM

Lokasenna

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I've wanted to get a Wikia up, or perhaps a Google sites wiki, but just don't have the time

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RE: New manual.. - 6/10/2015 5:44:19 PM

wdolson

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quote:

ORIGINAL: dr.hal

Actually last I heard Bill was that Alfred was attempting to rewrite it on his own time. He asked for us to supply updates or points of clarification to him in a specific thread. I'm not sure where the project is, as I've not seen an update. Hal

I was thinking about that when I replied. I haven't seen anything on the manual update in some time, so I assume his life got too busy for him to continue, or something else came up. It's the ongoing problem with anything that requires volunteers. People's lives get in the way and the volunteers drift off. I've run into the same phenomena elsewhere.

Bill

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Post #: 5

RE: New manual.. - 6/10/2015 5:48:03 PM

Dante Fierro

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Sounds like a revision would require hiring someone. And that would take money. And it seems like the only one with money these days is like the .01 percent, while everyone else is getting poorer, and can't even afford to buy beautifully designed games.

That - or you simply can't pay someone enough to rewrite the AE manual.

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Post #: 6

RE: New manual.. - 6/10/2015 5:59:08 PM

wdolson

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Probably a bit of both.

Matrix is more a publisher than a content producer. AE was produced by Henderson Field Designs based on a core produced by 2X3. 2X3 has no interest in doing anything remotely like WitP again and they are essentially out of the picture. Henderson Field Design isn't really a company in the classic sense, it was a group of WitP players who wanted to make the game better. Everyone has moved on to other things, and most people are too busy to focus much energy on even playing the game these days. If the manual is going to be updated, it's going to be a volunteer effort, or some forum member is going to have to pay someone for a rewrite.

Somebody did start a Wiki, but I suspect it's been a while since it has been updated:
http://witp-ae.wikia.com/wiki/War_in_the_Pacific:_Admiral%27s_Edition_Wiki

Bill

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RE: New manual.. - 6/10/2015 6:37:27 PM

Symon

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Pretty much what Bill says. Won't be done by Matrix or HFD, for obvious reasons. Won't be done by the forum either. Lots of people have tried but have been filled with inertia by the 'wonderful' response. One or two people want it, hell, everybody wants it, but they won't do jack all to make it happen.

It could happen, but the only reason it doesn't is because ya'll would rather complain than do something constructive. You folks want every "cheat" accounted for and that's just not going to happen. But that's just my take on the matter. Ciao. John

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RE: New manual.. - 6/10/2015 7:11:11 PM

warspite1

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.

< Message edited by warspite1 -- 6/10/2015 11:24:20 PM >

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Post #: 9

RE: New manual.. - 6/11/2015 12:09:53 AM

dcpollay

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Are there any college profs out there who could recruit a Journalism or Writing major to do it as a portfolio project?

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RE: New manual.. - 6/11/2015 12:40:45 AM

dr.hal

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Now that's an interesting proposal, you get an "A" for creative thinking. However none of my students would touch it!!!!

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RE: New manual.. - 6/11/2015 11:07:19 AM

Bullwinkle58

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It's not the "writing", it's the "knowing."

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Post #: 12

RE: New manual.. - 6/11/2015 11:38:04 AM

Encircled

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Lots of us "know" things, but hell, just how many "know" enough to re write the manual?

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Post #: 13

RE: New manual.. - 6/11/2015 11:56:33 AM

RogerJNeilson

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and some of what we 'know' isn't in fact true.....

Roger

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RE: New manual.. - 6/11/2015 12:56:41 PM

AW1Steve

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I suspect that we'll get a new manual.....with WITP2!

I'm not holding my breath!

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RE: New manual.. - 6/11/2015 12:59:13 PM

Bullwinkle58

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Encircled

Lots of us "know" things, but hell, just how many "know" enough to re write the manual?

That's my point.

It's just Alfred really.

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Post #: 16

RE: New manual.. - 6/11/2015 1:41:26 PM

crsutton

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Symon

Pretty much what Bill says. Won't be done by Matrix or HFD, for obvious reasons. Won't be done by the forum either. Lots of people have tried but have been filled with inertia by the 'wonderful' response. One or two people want it, hell, everybody wants it, but they won't do jack all to make it happen.

It could happen, but the only reason it doesn't is because ya'll would rather complain than do something constructive. You folks want every "cheat" accounted for and that's just not going to happen. But that's just my take on the matter. Ciao. John

Not really.

Most posters here are game consumers and players not designers. We spent our money and that is about the best we are going to be able to do. I doubt any of us are fit to write another manual. However, I would say that this game and any game got better due in some part to the input of members of this forum. I know I posted some stupid assed stuff over the years, but I know that some of my input was OK. That is how it should work on a game forum. Let's face it, if four out of ten of my ideas had any merit then I would be batting 400. That is a great year for even Ted Williams.

That said, a written manual is probably a low priority in my book. Basically, if you apply common sense and read a few AARs, you will get a better grip on it than any manual could provide.

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RE: New manual.. - 6/11/2015 10:02:08 PM

rustysi

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Has Alfred given up on the project or is he still working on it as time allows? Hey, this is a big project and I suspected it'd take quite a long time to complete. As for myself I don't feel qualified to attempt such a project. I wish I could help in some way but I'd probably be more of a hindrance.

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RE: New manual.. - 6/12/2015 8:38:13 PM

geofflambert

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Alfred should be supervising those of us willing to work on a particular section. Get it assigned to you, give it your best shot, put it up for review then after debate and correction Alfred decides, as Editor in Chief. We could have a thread to hash out details on works in progress. I'd be qualified to work on the section concerning phasers and photon torpedoes.

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Post #: 19

RE: New manual.. - 6/12/2015 9:51:59 PM

rustysi

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Not a bad suggestion gorn, but I don't see a section on phasers and photon torpedoes.

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RE: New manual.. - 6/13/2015 1:32:48 AM

geofflambert

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Well, that's because I haven't done it yet. Duh!

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RE: New manual.. - 6/18/2015 12:22:31 AM

CaptDave

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As has been noted, there was (still is!) a wiki, but only the creator -- can't find who that was -- and I ever contributed anything to it. I sort of lost interest as a result, and it didn't help that the permissions were changed so I couldn't add any new pages, only items within an existing page.

We'll see a new version of WitP long before a new manual is done, so I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for it. I think the wiki is the best approach. Besides it being useful for a manual, it could be used to consolidate all the tips and tricks from the forums (i.e., the ones that work). As popular as this forum is, it's nearly impossible to find something from months (or longer) ago unless you remember some exact words for a search.

My suggestion -- and yes, I'm willing to take the lead on this if it's widely considered to be a good idea -- is to start by populating a new wiki with the existing manual. We'd need to get permission first from the copyright holder(s), and then it would take me about a month's worth of typing (taking my calendar into account) -- maybe a little longer for some of the tables. We've waited this long, another month or so is no big deal. Anyway, from that base we could all have at it for updates and corrections. And there's the nice thing about a wiki -- changes are public, so they can be challenged and the corrections corrected, if necessary.

And before anyone brings it up, yes, I would retype everything. I type over 150wpm and find it easier to retype something like this than to have to deal with reformatting when a cut-and-paste doesn't work to my satisfaction.

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RE: New manual.. - 6/18/2015 2:19:25 AM

witpqs

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CaptDave,

I contributed to that wiki too, perhaps even others did?

But more importantly, Alfred is the one doing a new manual. Why the dismissal?

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RE: New manual.. - 6/18/2015 2:40:37 AM

Rainsong94

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Yes..see the update that Alfred recently gave last week in his Manual Revision thread...http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=3689581

< Message edited by FightinJoe94 -- 6/18/2015 3:41:29 AM >

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Post #: 24

RE: New manual.. - 6/18/2015 5:09:16 AM

Jim D Burns

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Roger Neilson 3
and some of what we 'know' isn't in fact true.....

You're not kidding. I can't tell you how many times I've caught myself operating on outdated information. That's the one big downside of this game, it's been around for so long, and is so massive, it is nearly impossible to keep up with all the changes that have occurred since way back in Uncommon Valor days.

It would probably take a very large team of experts sitting around a board room table hashing out the details of each and every new rules paragraph that gets written to make sure what is in the manual is current and not info from 3-6 years past. I think the only real option for players to get the information they want is in this forum. There is some really great info buried deep in the pages of this forum and finding it is the real talent for players to master when it comes to playing this game.

As I�ve mentioned before, Alfred is a real asset to this community. His talents at digging up the information long forgotten that is buried deep in these forum pages is second to none.

Jim

< Message edited by Jim D Burns -- 6/18/2015 6:10:19 AM >

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RE: New manual.. - 6/18/2015 8:03:28 AM

oaltinyay

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

I've wanted to get a Wikia up, or perhaps a Google sites wiki, but just don't have the time .

I can do the site thing if I am supplied the content. Only monthly edits are promised if I am alone left to do it.

< Message edited by oaltinyay -- 6/18/2015 9:09:51 AM >

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RE: New manual.. - 6/18/2015 8:09:06 AM

oaltinyay

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A wiki is the obvious answer...I have a google apps domain that I am not using and can up a wiki I guess however content needs to be filled in. They way I see ;

a. setup wiki - create editor users
b. insert old text as original
c. start livecycle of the 'witp:ae' product
....

a- may take up to a week or so b- I dont know , never used a wiki before c- eternal damnation process

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RE: New manual.. - 6/19/2015 3:44:51 AM

CaptDave

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quote:

ORIGINAL: witpqs

CaptDave,

I contributed to that wiki too, perhaps even others did?

But more importantly, Alfred is the one doing a new manual. Why the dismissal?

If he's actually doing one, then that's great -- I can't think of anyone better! I haven't been on the forums for a while and all I know on the subject is what I read in this particular thread. I only heard of this because another forumite sent me a PM about the wiki.

Maybe it's because I wasn't logged in, but all the categories on the wiki were showing created by "A Wiki user" (their version of A. Nony Mouse). It's been so long that I couldn't remember who else was involved.

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RE: New manual.. - 6/19/2015 4:36:58 AM

witpqs

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quote:

ORIGINAL: CaptDave

quote:

ORIGINAL: witpqs

CaptDave,

I contributed to that wiki too, perhaps even others did?

But more importantly, Alfred is the one doing a new manual. Why the dismissal?

If he's actually doing one, then that's great -- I can't think of anyone better! I haven't been on the forums for a while and all I know on the subject is what I read in this particular thread. I only heard of this because another forumite sent me a PM about the wiki.

Maybe it's because I wasn't logged in, but all the categories on the wiki were showing created by "A Wiki user" (their version of A. Nony Mouse). It's been so long that I couldn't remember who else was involved.

That wiki didn't seem to do what the 'help' or instructions said. I followed the instructions to post an article and it would not go where I was trying to put it. He went in and moved it for me.

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Post #: 29