Civ V retail WON'T be in a box

[StStutter]

Much of the complaints over virtual ownership and virtual manuals etc. I understand. It's a new way of doing things. People don't like it. They state complaints like what would happen if Steam went under, or they like the feeling of holding something they own. But this is just the future of sales in general. As time goes by and digital activities consume more and more of our time, it is natural that anything that can be virtual will be sold as such. It is less expensive than a retail storefront and despite what I've heard will provide more versatility.

You will be able to read your manual anywhere you have a computer by uploading it to the web or emailing it to yourself. Same with Steam, you will be able to access your games, including your saved games from anywhere you have access to the internet (or a computer that at one point has had access to the internet).

It's hard to change one's mentality over what ownership is, but it will have to happen.

 

[Schuesseled]

digital is the way of the future.

 

[thelibra]

Ummm... I'm surprised no one has mentioned the existence of CD-inserts (aka liner notes for albums). You know, the little glossy paper booklet that is stuck in the front of a CD-case? Or that the thickness is 1/2 inch, not 1/4 inch. So there's probably a manual, but it's been shrunk down to CD-liner size. It probably also only has bare-bones information in it because they know from previous versions that patches, mods, and DLC/Expansion packs will almost immediately obsolete the unit and building information. More than likely, if there is a manual, it will just explain the basic tenets of gameplay, and maybe some history about changes they made to the game (like how Sid's introduction to Civ4 explained why they went the new direction they did) and they'll just leave unit information up for in-game references.

 

[Syndrome Zed]

I don't think this has anything to do with encouraging digital versus physical distribution, but rather it is a single change that both cuts costs and clears the way to milk us for more money later.

Specifically I am expecting to see a nice thick juicy manual (labeled as a strategy guide) for sale shortly after release. It will contain all the info that should have been in the manual, together with a few strategy suggestions that will already have been proven poor and superceded by better ideas on fansites such as this.

Predictable as well as logical, sensible and profitable from 2Ks perspective but still makes me sad.

The Dalek speaks the truth, methinks

Disappointing though it may be. I hope they at least provide a list of keyboard shortcuts in-game, if they're not going to have a manual for reference. I think I've still forgotten a good dozen of them in Civ4.

Ummm... I'm surprised no one has mentioned the existence of CD-inserts (aka liner notes for albums). You know, the little glossy paper booklet that is stuck in the front of a CD-case? Or that the thickness is 1/2 inch, not 1/4 inch. So there's probably a manual, but it's been shrunk down to CD-liner size. It probably also only has bare-bones information in it because they know from previous versions that patches, mods, and DLC/Expansion packs will almost immediately obsolete the unit and building information. More than likely, if there is a manual, it will just explain the basic tenets of gameplay, and maybe some history about changes they made to the game (like how Sid's introduction to Civ4 explained why they went the new direction they did) and they'll just leave unit information up for in-game references.

Yech - where'd that puking emoticon go? If there was one negative to the advent of CD's, it was the loss of so much great liner art and album cover art. Take a look at Iron Maiden's album covers some time - Riggs' details were so impressive, and now you need a magnifying glass to see them (and I'm not even that old yet!). And you'll never see a CD liner with a working zipper (Stones fans know whereof I speak).

I can't picture the Civ4 manual as a CD liner booklet. It was a good quarter-inch thick as is - paged to fit in a CD jewel case, it would have required packaging it in a double-CD case, leaving the entire first half of the case open for the booklet. Might as well just throw in a book instead.

 

[AriochIV]

Games have been coming in DVD cases for many years now... the only printed material you need is a booklet explaining how to install the game (and you shouldn't even need that).

Printed manuals are pointless. Because of the time it takes to print them, they are frequently out of date with current game information when the game ships, and will certainly be out of date after a few patches.

 

[SammyKhalifa]

hmmm thats a tought one.

How can this dilema possibly be solved.

Eureka!

Use a printer.

(Here's some free advice: when being snarky and insulting, make sure you're at least typing the right words and using correct punctuation. Most people will shrug such things off unless the person typing them is being unnecessarily abrasive.)

Did I say that this was the hugest deal in the world? No. I only think that having a manual is kind of a nice thing.

EDIT (thought of more, didn't want to double post): I don't have a printer at home, and I doubt work will want me to bring the disk to work and print on their network. Not a big deal, though: I didn't mean it to come across that way (now, no manual for my camera is a different story--a CD manual isn't much use when you're a mile and a half into the woods trying to remember what button does what). This is one thing I won't lose sleep over, even though reading through the manual before installing has kind of turned into a Civ tradition for me.

 

[civ_king]

ICivilopedia!

 

[ngraner42]

Hopefully someone will come up with a website with information on the game mechanics and strategies. What would be even better would be a forum where people can discuss strategy ideas and their game results.

 

[DalekDavros]

I was looking at Walmart.com, and under the product description they had this:

Product in Inches (L x W x H): 7.5x5.0x0.5
Shipping Weight (in pounds): 0.3

So for everyone who was hoping for a thick manual, looks like it's not happening.

I also 100% believe this is accurate because of the full product description they had from the publisher, and because walmart would demand this information in order to carry the product(anyone who knows about walmart knows how anal they are).

For comparison, the stats for Civ IV: The Complete Edition were:

Shipping Weight (in pounds): 0.4
Product in Inches (L x W x H): 5.0 x 0.5 x 7.5

and it came with a decent manual and a poster-sized (and error-filled ) tech-tree.

 

[DalekDavros]

It's hard to change one's mentality over what ownership is, but it will have to happen.

I agree: virtual ownership is an entirely new concept and the game companies should just get used to the fact that many people are willing to own a virtual copy that they obtained via bittorrent if they feel that the official version doesn't contain enough nice extras (like a manual) to make it worth paying the extra money.

Oh wait... or did you mean that everyone except the producer should be changing their notion of what ownership means?

 

[The_J]

@DalekDavros: Then there is still some hope .

It's hard to change one's mentality over what ownership is, but it will have to happen.

There's still the option to resist.

digital is the way of the future.

...and nowhere is said that it's good.

 

[DivljaJagoda]

I agree with Aroch. Most games you buy now only come with a 20 page or so manual that shows pretty pointless information. Go civilopedia!

 

[cassembler]

Call me weird, but I love the smell of a freshly printed manual... Reminds me of all of the wonderful times cracking open a new video game, reading the manual while I install the game... Pure bliss

 

[Jaybe]

As long as keyboard shortcuts are easily accessible, I'll be satisfied (preferably on a keyboard layout).

 

[lietkynes]

I still have all the original boxes (smax, smax, civ, civ2, civ3, civ4) with their huge manuals. Im glad they got rid of them, I think I have never ever actually read a single page of any of them.

 

[Provost Martin]

I haven't read a manual in years. I bought the special edition for civ4 and it contained all sorts of goodies, but I never really looked at them, so. I can understand why people will miss a large juicy manual though, since the civ manuals have always been pretty neat.

 

[onedreamer]

Come on, manuals aren't printed anymore. They come in PDF. Better this way btw, less trees to cut just to print something that 80% of the players won't even fully read, and that especially for Civ, is pretty useless.

 

[PieceOfMind]

The uselessness of manuals these days IMO is largely thanks to the more recent way to distribute video games. Now that patching is actually feasible, some issues can be fixed after release. If it's not clear, I would point out that the manual for civ1 was actually useful. With each successive iteration of civ, the manual became less and less important, to the point where with civ4 I don't think the manual any longer qualified as being worth the cost it probably took to make it. If civ5 was released as a complete game I would love a good manual, but as a game that requires further balance patches (highly likely) it's an unrealistic expectation.

If I were to make one request though, it would be that the pdf manual we eventually get be printer-friendly (or there at least be a printer-friendly alternative). I don't know about everyone else but I appreciate it when the background is white so I don't go through a whole ink cartridge printing out a single manual. (warning: this might be a slight exaggeration )

 

[Aeon221]

This thread reminds me that, due to a widespread packaging snafu, I am one of the proud owners of a French tech tree for Civ4.

Civilization Documentation Errata: It will be in your language if we feel like it!

 

[Tylerryan79]

One half inch think is the normal thickness for all DVDs/games. Any manual that comes in that will be basic at best. They do make some cases an inch thick(Fallout 3). This could easily fit a nice manual.

Edit: I would happily pay an extra $10 for a deluxe edition that included a manual. I know that won't happen, but I would. I realize manuals don't make much sense these days, when you can get information at the click of a button.