PC game manuals

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Elkazar Posted: 11-11-2009 1:23 PM

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Now this is just MY opinion, BUT...

I prefer to have the manual on the disc as a PDF, instead of a printed one (especially the telephone book manuals for RPG/Strategy games).  Because if I'm searching for something, with the PDF, I can do a search for particular word*s, and be able to find it quickly, while not haveing to almost read the whole thing to find what I'm looking for.

Most times I don't even open the manual, let alone take it out of the case.

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timpysan replied on 11-11-2009 2:13 PM

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Maybe I'm old school, but I prefer a manual I can hold in my hand.

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ElfShotTheFood replied on 11-11-2009 2:14 PM

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timpysan:

Maybe I'm old school, but I prefer a manual I can hold in my hand.

But if you're holding the disc, you're technically holding the manual too. Right?

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Maskim replied on 11-11-2009 2:16 PM

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The same as I'd rather own a physical copy of the game, crack open the box, insert disc and install, I'd rather have a physical copy of the manual.  When they do a pdf version, they're just being cheap.

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timpysan replied on 11-11-2009 2:18 PM

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ElfShotTheFood:

timpysan:

Maybe I'm old school, but I prefer a manual I can hold in my hand.

But if you're holding the disc, you're technically holding the manual too. Right?

Well played, sir. Well played.

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PieMonster replied on 11-11-2009 2:33 PM

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With a paper manual you can easily flip through it without exiting the game. With a PDF manual, you have to exit to the desktop, search the disc for that PDF, memorize what it is you were looking for, then go back into the game and pick up where you left off. You need to do this everytime you need to refer to the manual. I guess you could print the manual out but that defeats the purpose of not having a paper manual.

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Kenny007 replied on 11-11-2009 2:40 PM

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timpysan:

Maybe I'm old school, but I prefer a manual I can hold in my hand.

Agreed.   Also agree with Pie.

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GreenManGaming

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Elkazar replied on 11-11-2009 2:52 PM

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It's not being cheap. It's saving the forests from being made in to paper. :)

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Maskim replied on 11-11-2009 2:57 PM

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Luckily trees grow back.  My respect for proper business practices, and shortchanging me on my dollar spent by not including what is considered nothing more than the standard, however, does not.

Maybe they should use recycled paper for manuals, to appease everyone. 

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Lynchcrew replied on 11-11-2009 3:04 PM

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PieMonster:

With a paper manual you can easily flip through it without exiting the game. With a PDF manual, you have to exit to the desktop, search the disc for that PDF, memorize what it is you were looking for, then go back into the game and pick up where you left off. You need to do this everytime you need to refer to the manual. I guess you could print the manual out but that defeats the purpose of not having a paper manual.

Ummm...get a 2nd monitor and move the pdf over there..I thought everyone did that.

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Elkazar replied on 11-11-2009 3:14 PM

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Most games you don't even need to look at the manual to play, since it will run you through the how to play in the first few levels.

So there will come a time when PC games will come without printed manuals. There's already a few out there that do not come with manuals. Then there's Digital Downloads, Steam...you don't get printed manuals, UNLESS you print out the PDF.

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timpysan replied on 11-11-2009 3:19 PM

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What happens when the digital format that was used for my manual is no longer supported and I can't open the file because of compatibility issues? I'll never have to worry about that with a printed manual.

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Lynchcrew replied on 11-11-2009 3:21 PM

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timpysan:

What happens when the digital format that was used for my manual is no longer supported and I can't open the file because of compatibility issues? I'll never have to worry about that with a printed manual.

Google will still be around so youll be able to find a workaround.

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timpysan replied on 11-11-2009 3:22 PM

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Lynchcrew:

timpysan:

What happens when the digital format that was used for my manual is no longer supported and I can't open the file because of compatibility issues? I'll never have to worry about that with a printed manual.

Google will still be around so youll be able to find a workaround.

You're enjoying playing devil's advocate, aren't you?

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Elkazar replied on 11-11-2009 3:26 PM

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They beat me to that google answer.