Finding a Good Handbook

...by creating it

from Elemental Forums

Hi everybody!

So... remember that fat book that came out a bit after MOM? Called "The Official Strategy Guide"? That's what a handbook should look like, a large book, 460 pages thick, filled to the brim with really useful data... it was wonderful.

You don't know it? Never heard of MOM? Don't worry, this post is interesting for you anyway  ;-)

 

Of course handbooks can't be that wonderfully detailed these days - lot of effort, high shipping weight. Thus many people who complain about the lack of a solid handbook create a Wiki page. Which I personally don't like so much - I like holding a book (or a fat PDF printout) in my hand, sitting in a bus/plane/beach and reading it.

So, two questions:

1) Stardock, your PDF handbook is nice, but waaay to small and not enough detailed. The ingame-help is very nice, but still not sufficient, especially for beginners. Are you planning to bring out an FF (Fat and Free) handbook? I mean, of course some company will have the rights to write and sell a Strategy Guide, but these days these books are usually not particularly impressive. And they cost quite a bit of money.

2) Players, I hear complaints about lack of handbook. I've heard suggestions for a Wiki. How about we write a fat, solid PDF handbook, distributed for free, filled to the brim with useful info, tipps, tricks? Explaining the whole thing from scratch for beginners, but with enough solid info to delight the experts, too?

I'd be willing to do this, if 1) Stardock allows me to and 2) you chaps send me all the info you've found out, anything you'd like to see in the handbook. If Stardock doesn't mind, perhaps we could even have a sub-forum here? 

I'm reasonably good at using the LaTeX system, thus the PDF would look rather solid and easy to read. I also have a bit of time on my hands.

Initially the PDF would come out every few days, but as we'll keep updating it for quite a while (adding newly found info, extensions and the like), we could keep it up to date for a long time :)

 

Greetings from octoberfest-crazy Munich,

Klaus

10,162 views 7 replies
Reply #1 from Elemental Forums Top

Needs to cover basic concepts first

- walk through the interface - what each tab does

- command list (lucky guess that B builds a city)

- reference for common tasks (equip weapons and armour etc.)

- early strategy and opening moves (build the farm - build some housing, build the economy, early tech options)

- how to do common things (attack , design a unit, build on a basic and special square in a city)

 

Reply #2 from Elemental Forums Top

Yup, I'd probably (if permitted to do so!) use their handbook data for some basics.

By the way, the do have a page at the very end, showing the keyboard short-cuts - including the 'B'  |-)

 

Ciao,

Klaus

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Reply #3 from Elemental Forums Top

Great  idea!   What might  be  cool  if  you/we/whomever could  use  a website,   or if Stardock could provide web page  space to  make a polished professional online handbook (public,  or private  for buyers of the  game), to make a very good,  expandable tutorial.  This  can include  FAQs, movies, etc. Because Elemental as well as the  fan community is so  dedicated  to  making  this game  special, I think Klaus'  idea (as well as other posters'), is  a no-brainer and should  have  been  implemented  before  day  1.

Just  a few simple  thoughts; Initially, the handbook,  should  be  for  beginners or at least  concentrate on them until you  can  expand  with hints, tips, advanced modding,   etc.   And most important, the  handbook  should  address in the most K.I.S.S. (keep it  simple, stupid) way possible,-  a detailed  explanation of the interface, because a lot  is hidden. Remember  beginner  customers  are what  game  companies  want and  need   to  bring in,  to create  a larger fan base, as well as eventually  more  advanced  game  players.  This  will help immensely in terms  of  publicity  for  the  game, because you  do  want  frustration.

Wikipedia  is  okay,  but  with  a website, you  don't have  to  adhere to  any  pre-formatted  look, template, etc.  If the  site  is  on  this  one, I  assume  that  you'd  get  more  support or it  would  be  in-house. It would have  the  potential  to  be  better  organized  and  a feather in the  cap  for Sardock.  Artistically, the pages can  have the  same  look  as the  rest of  the  site.

Just my opinion, I  could be  wrong...   LG

Reply #4 from Elemental Forums Top

Might I also suggest adding a few AAR's? Well written After action reports certainly seem to get "new" players attention and can be a fun way to learn the gameplay features without staring straight at key commands-ect.

 

I for one got into Elemental when I started reading the AAR about king roland that was posted up not too long ago. It was informative and helped me know what i was doing (indeed even helped me discern stuff not directly mentioned too) early on.

 

compiled with some nifty tip's and tricks and it will be a new players dream and an experianced players pass-time :D

Reply #5 from Elemental Forums Top

The day-0 version will have much better tutorial messages in the campaign. Stay tuned.

Reply #6 from Elemental Forums Top

Hmmm... nobody else interested in a PDF handbook?

Reply #7 from Elemental Forums Top

Knowing how often StarDoc changes stuff at first I would wait at least half a year before asking for such book.