Anyone going to read the manual before playing?

[Big J Money]

If you buy the digital download, a paper manual isn't useful because you just download the game. Steam provides PDF versions of the game manuals. The Civ 5 one is 334 pages. If someone does want a print copy, they can print out the PDF.

PDFs are easier to search.

I might just go read a bit of the Civ V manual soon out of curiosity. I didn't even know there was one.

 

[Wolle68]

Read a manual? In 2016? Not bloody likely.

 

[Barathor]

Hell no. I've even been avoiding a lot of the gameplay videos, my first game on Deity will be vicious, I will get crushed, and I will love it.

Hah, same here! I'm diving right into Deity and hoping for a beatdown. I've been trying not to learn too many details on the game and am looking forward to discovering things while I play.

 

[beorn]

If the manual comes out prior to the game, I sure will.

 

[Stilgar08]

I'll dig through the civilopedia checking out what occurs in the first game(s) - on the fly so to say. I like to know the background and game-mechanics of course. I expect a looong first game...

 

[Abraxis]

Manuals used to be an almost sacred tradition of mine! I grew up gaming on console with the NES. I'd rent and trade games with classmates, playing something new almost every weekend. Those and my two monthly magazines were my allowance. I'd always dive straight into the games once I got home of course, but the manuals I'd sneak into bed to study every last detail as my mind raced furiously still thinking about them well after bed time.

Later around 1990 we got a computer! Computer game manuals were just so much better -packed with information. Each publisher's manuals had its own unique scent that brought up all the joyous memories of the previous games from them I had played.

Then there were Blizzard's manuals with all the lore and art, the Fallout vault tec manual and survival guide complete with real recipes to cook, and so many countless others that succeeded in being worth reading in their own right. The manuals really started to become a treat well past the age of bed times and scrounging for as much information as possible to placate a restless mind.

But, then digital distribution happened. I have not read one since getting a Steam account. Definitely something I miss, but not something I could ever return to.

 

[whirlwind91]

Firaxis please release the manual a couple days before the official game release!

 

[Lord Yanaek]

Wait, there will be a manual ?

I mean, a real one, not one a 12 pages manual with 6 pages explaining how to navigate through the menus (complete with screenshots), 2 pages of epilepsy warnings and the rest being cover and blank pages to put your "notes" (very helpful on a pdf manual).

If there is a real manual, i'll definitely read it (probably not before playing) but i doubt there will be.
The Civilopedia is probably as close to a manual as we'll get so , i'll refer to it during games.

 

[shyPiano]

Man, reading the manual for my old boxed games is such a good memory from me. I used to be really excited for the game when I bought it that I would take a good look at the manual during the ride back home.
Nowadays, I don't really have to leave in order to get a game - and I can't really read the manual while downloading the game - so the times of reading the manual before starting the game have passed now. It doesn't help that most manuals nowadays are very barebones and barely worth the read.

I'll definitively take a look at Civ VI's manual, maybe read it all if it is worthwhile. But not before playing the game - I'm far to excited to play the game to delay it further.

 

[pietro1990]

How do you read the manual on steam?

 

[MistyRonin]

If the manual comes out prior to the game, I sure will.

Pretty much that. In any case, I've seen few streams and played all civ games but 1, so I think it shouldn't be too much of a hassle to understand the new mechanics.

 

[FooTooAy]

While we're going down memory lane with paper manuals -- anyone remember the hard copy strategy guides? I used to buy every one and devour them. This was in the '90s before there was so damned much info online.

I miss books. Until I move, then I remember what a pain in the ass they are to lug around.

 

[FooTooAy]

How do you read the manual on steam?

In your Steam app, go the game page in your library. On the right hand side of that page, there is a list of LINKS. Like Community Hub, Achievements, Discussions, etc. Among those links is "Manual." Click that link and it opens the manual in the Steam App.

You can also go to the game's Store page in a browser and and see a link for the manual there. That way you can open the manual in a browser. Then you can download that manual as a PDF file.

The Civ V manual is a very nicely done color manual with lots of clear examples and good info. I imagine it's extra useful to players new to the franchise.

I read it, even though I've been playing Civ since the first one.

 

[pietro1990]

In your Steam app, go the game page in your library. On the right hand side of that page, there is a list of LINKS. Like Community Hub, Achievements, Discussions, etc. Among those links is "Manual." Click that link and it opens the manual in the Steam App.

You can also go to the game's Store page in a browser and and see a link for the manual there. That way you can open the manual in a browser. Then you can download that manual as a PDF file.

The Civ V manual is a very nicely done color manual with lots of clear examples and good info. I imagine it's extra useful to players new to the franchise.

I read it, even though I've been playing Civ since the first one.

Thanx you a lot i noticed older games like age of empires 3 dont have manualn steam thats a bummer

 

[dturtle1]

While we're going down memory lane with paper manuals -- anyone remember the hard copy strategy guides? I used to buy every one and devour them. This was in the '90s before there was so damned much info online.

I miss books. Until I move, then I remember what a pain in the ass they are to lug around.

Remember them... You can still buy them today , Last one i bought was for FFXII
I luv book too, books are da bomb....screw you digital

 

[Disgustipated]

It would be nice if they release the manual a couple days ahead, I most certainly will read it. I still read manuals. I just don't like taking away from playing time these days. I will play as soon as I am able. Would be nice if I could read it at work when it is slow.

 

[Dark_Jedi06]

I remember the Civ 3 manual was a ponderous tome I used to flip through as a kid, I especially liked the headings at each chapter that had one of the leaders and a quote relevant to the chapter.

 

[beorn]

Let me rephrase the question from the OP and see if there is a different response.

If 2K Games were to release a manual or the official Civilopedia on Friday after the NDA is up and most of the secrets are revealed from the YouTubers, how many people here would be reading over every stat and detail in the weeks leading up to the official release? I would enjoy watching the YouTube Lets Plays as well, but I would really enjoy diving into the specific rules that I am interested in.

Thanks!

My fantasy is that come Wednesday we will be able to pre-load the game, and although we can't play the game til Friday, we would be able to access an online version of the manual. I'd spend a lot of hours reading the details.

Instead, I'll probably end up collating the details gathered here. As far as possible, I want to know the rules going into my first game. I don't want to play an hour or two and discover something major that makes me want to start all over.

 

[Manifold]

My Civ1 manual is a holy book. But I did not expact more then a foldable Techtree and some installation instructions with the link to steam within Civ6. I guess younger gamers starting with civ6 didnt care about books, or?

 

[Zenstrive]

You have all the knowledge you need with CivFanatics and CivWiki.