Manual

[Livo]

There has been a recent trend lately to include the manual on the CD itself in .pdf or similiar format. Would you want this for Doom 3, or the good old fashioned manual of years gone past?

Also, how detailed do you want the manual to be? As detailed as Quake 2 for example, where details and simple strategies for EVERY weapon and enemy were included, and thus spoiled your first encounter somewhat with certain enemies? Or a manual like Half-Life, where it only briefly describes 3 weapons and enemies, and lets you be surprised by the rest of the enemies in the game?

[Fredrik]

A game that requires a manual to play isn't worth playing. Good games let you learn as you progress.

In my opinion, DOOM 3 should only come with a technical manual in text or HTML format.

[GS-1719]

I expect a decent quality colour booklet for the 40-odd quid they're going to charge me.

As for content, I'd prefer minimal detail on enemies and weapons, but I'd like to see other stuff such as art.

[dsm]

I prefer the good ol' booklets - it feels great when you've just bought a new game and you leaf through it while waiting for the installation to complete.

Content: Not as detailed as Q2 but still fairly detailed, having a nicely written backstory, basic (note: I said BASIC) info on the weapons available (like what weapons there'll be and a small bit on what they do - no strategy tips), basic info on enemies WITHOUT pictures (just enemy name and what their weapons are - no tips, but still a funky description, e.g. imp: This brown S.O.B. shoves balls'o' fire down your throat or likes to open you up like a can o' meat). I also like some info on what powerups/items you'll encounter - this is probably the most important as there is nothing I hate more than getting a powerup that I don't know what actually does before it is too late to get the benefit of the effect.
Oh yeah, and some story-related info on what the UAC is and stuff like that, not to mention the same ol' stuff about movement, hazardous environment things etc. for the FPS beginners to get a chance to familiarize themselves with it.

[Dark-tenshi]

-a brief story
-an NPC detail,like marine`s oen commander,carmack scienist..
-brief history about UAC
-detail about Martian research.
-Enemy detail-->see dsm`s post
-weapons:only basic weapon like shotgun,minigun.no BFG detail.

[MRB_Doom]

I would like to have the old fashion style booklet that includes just about everything dsm mentioned in his post. It's annoying to see repititions :)

[Tetzlaff]

It should also include a COMPLETE list of console variables / commands for the game.

Some basic info would be cool, but not too many spoilers about enemies / weapons... instead of screenshots some concept art maybe?

[dsm]

Tetzlaff said:

Some basic info would be cool, but not too many spoilers about enemies / weapons... instead of screenshots some concept art maybe?

I don't even want the slightest concept sketch to show off the enemies before you play the game, but that's just my opinion.

[Disorder]

Then we share the same opinion on that subject.
I don't want to see the enemies at all before I start playing, however, I did take a look at the latest screenies :(

[Shaviro]

If I have to choose, it must be the booklets, but I never really read them unless they have some special extra info.

[Coopersville]

A booket with some DoomGuy journal entries or work reports that lead up to where the game begins, maybe a biograpghy too. Descriptions of the basic military weapons that are used. Some control and tactics tips. Pages showing how the game works and descrbes the HUD features. It could have the differences between the difficulty settings. No monsters though, but the back could have some cool concept art in it.

Some players guide could do the rest.

[Lord FlatHead]

I bet they'll do something cool-looking like the Quake 2 manual, which really looked like a soldier's field manual. They shouldn't include all of the weapons and monsters though - the manual should just provide a backstory, give enough information to get you started and include some technical details.

[Prime]

The best thing about game manuals (something Blizzard never ceases to do) is the concept art inside...


'Course, being an artist, I may be biased...

[AirRaid]

I wouldn't want them to put loads of detail into the manual. It'd kinda ruin the game. The Unreal manual was pretty good... it gave basic info while leaving a lot to the game.

[Darkstalker]

I would't complain about a small, nice manual like the snes, but I'd prefer a html readme file. It would be kind of useless to have a short story in the booklet because most of today's game show you the story when you start a game and it has some kind of tutorial level to learn how to play. And you can go in the control menu to know what button do what, and showing enemies descriptions would spoil some of the gameplay.

[Perforator]

I think there should deffintly be a readme on the cd for all people that need help running doom 3. While I look books also, that wasn't your question. I think it should be old school all the way. They should leave all the tech' manuals as the layout of the url.

But on another note I think it would be funny if they did the dos style credits outro in the window like doom95 for doom 3...thats just me though.

[dsm]

Darkstalker said:

I would't complain about a small, nice manual like the snes, but I'd prefer a html readme file. It would be kind of useless to have a short story in the booklet because most of today's game show you the story when you start a game and it has some kind of tutorial level to learn how to play. And you can go in the control menu to know what button do what, and showing enemies descriptions would spoil some of the gameplay.

Q2 had both a booklet and html.

[Y2theJ]

Booklet is the only way to fly.
When I buy a game I will happily spend $10 extra just for the glossy tin packaging even though I know I will never look at it again.

[Kinsie]

I'd like a book with detailed backstory, Brief info on the guns and baddies, simple descriptions of enviromental hazards, and maybe some classic Doom trivia, like in the RTCW manual.

[dsm]

Trasher][ said:
... and maybe some classic Doom trivia, like in the RTCW manual.

Hell yeah, info on the classic games. There were quite some interesting stuff to read in the Wolfie trivia.

[Wobbo]

Fredrik said:

A game that requires a manual to play isn't worth playing. Good games let you learn as you progress.

In my opinion, DOOM 3 should only come with a technical manual in text or HTML format.

I agree with the first sentence, but i dont see why that means there cant be a good color manual

[DOOM Anomaly]

I dont really care if theres a Manual or not, i usually dont read the manuals for anything.

[Xzyl]

I thought the Quake II html manual was the best of all time. Everything nicely catagorized and easily accessed. What I would like to see in the manual:
Info about base hazzards, power ups, and inventory items.
I would also like detailed information on the weapons (but without a recomendation guide ie: use weapon x on moster y). After all you are supposed to be a security guard there should'nt you know your weapons. Now their should exceptions if they decide to do a half-life and let you use some of the monsters weapons (I doubt this) or if the weapon is experimental (maybe the plasma rifle or BFG).

Monsters, I like to be suprised but I laso like to know the offical name of them too. Instead of having their information in the manual I propose the serious sam approach where you are only given information on a monster after you have fought it. It shows up in a tactical data base that is brought up by a funtion key.

[dsm]

Xzyl said:

I thought the Quake II html manual was the best of all time. Everything nicely catagorized and easily accessed. What I would like to see in the manual:
Info about base hazzards, power ups, and inventory items.
I would also like detailed information on the weapons (but without a recomendation guide ie: use weapon x on moster y). After all you are supposed to be a security guard there should'nt you know your weapons. Now their should exceptions if they decide to do a half-life and let you use some of the monsters weapons (I doubt this) or if the weapon is experimental (maybe the plasma rifle or BFG).

Monsters, I like to be suprised but I laso like to know the offical name of them too. Instead of having their information in the manual I propose the serious sam approach where you are only given information on a monster after you have fought it. It shows up in a tactical data base that is brought up by a funtion key.

I agree on a lot of these things.
The Quake 2 html manual was cool - that's why I'd like to see such a manual for Doom 3 in addition to a cool looking booklet.

Info on base hazards is a must (for beginners), but certain things like lave should remain largely unmentioned - just a mention that "there may be more hazards that we are unaware of, just keep in mind that your environment may become very hostile in every conceivable way". As for weapons, now I read the quoted post, a new idea pops up in my head:
Have basic weapon history, like what it's called, what ammo it uses, maybe some background info etc., but not much on what exactly it does - more like "this weapon is a room cleaner" (BFG) without actually telling how it does its thing. No pictures of the weapons should be included.

There should be stuff in the manual on what the monsters are called - I like to hear the very imaginative names that the id guys are so good at coming up with, but very little on what they are and absolutely no pictures of any kind. (see my other post(s) in this thread).
I don't want that SS approach in Doom - it somehow seems cheesy and why would your computer be able to come up with info on the monsters when they are basically unknown? A computer can only give the info it has been fed already, so no, I have to disagree with that idea of having a computer provide detailed info on the monsters when you kill them the first time.

[Captain Red]

I'm hoping that I'll have a little did you know... at the bottom opf each page a.k.a. RtCW. mind you, I don't think They'll tell me anything I don't already know.

[uniQ]

i want a manual that looks like the original doom one or one thats actually a big doom3 poster in A2/A1 or so with some simple game descriptions on the backside (dsm-style). the latter one would please me most. .../me looks around for a good place on the wall...

now i have to play q2 because u all talked so much bout q2. bastards! ;) i....cant...resist...argh!