First Impression(s)

I just got my copy

I havent installed it yet, prolly wont untill a few days.

But I did unpack the seal and open the manual to see if it is as poor as stated elsewhere...

It's going to take sometime before I can take myself to read it.

The fontsize is so super tiny that it makes it hard to read. looking quickly over the english pages, well that didnt take long there is only 7 of them compared to my old one from the EU/UK retail which is 35 pages, I can tell that a lot of stuff has been left out.

Also I dont like the dvdcase, that [1] square in the middle of the case where the CD is is fricken impossible to press down and I have to force the disc out of the cover. next time go for a standard box, like the old retail ones or the even cheaper ones.

About the manual - I counted only 11 pages in English of which only 4 had anything to do with how to actually play the game and there are no images whatsoever. Very poor indeed, it doesn't even hack it as a quick start manual as it leaves too much basic stuff out. And yes, I know there is a .pdf manual, but less people read those than actually read the paper versions. Totally agree with the DVD case design. That central knob holding the CD meant that much frustrated pushing and leverage were required to remove the CD. I wouldn't be surprised if some people crack or fully break their CD trying to get it out.

Yeah i'm not a fan of PDF manuals. It's a bit hard to pick one up while playing to find that bit of information you need. I remember my Silent Service 2 (Years ago) came with a full key chart that you placed over your keyboard. I know that would be pointless in Enigma due to the voice controls but it's an example of the little extras that can make the buyer happier.

I like paper manuals for reading material in the "office", but can never find them when I need them, so I don't mind the pdf manuals (unless I can't alt-tab to get to it!)

See also: the much greater costs for a paper manual, and TAG's current financial situation. Since this is a "reissue + patches + a little extra", the cost can't be driven too high.

I have to say that I tend to print out the pdf manuals anyway so i dont mind as long as the cd works:) It is expensive to produce a great manual of civ proportions so I am not expecting to much anyway.

I don't see why TAG can't utilize the community to help re-write the manual.

How about we have an Unofficial Users Guide to Enigma that is available to download? Hell, if we do a good enough job maybe TAG can sell a printed version of it (more money to TAG is more money to multiplayer).

/bux

Sounds like a good idea, to me!

hi all ,one thing does the manual pdf ver go into any tatics or at least some basic info on peri use; using the markings to judge distance ect; or maybe even diagrams on setups for attacking convoys etc; maybe not as good for sp where your always stuck in the thick of it but for mp?. even then ive read some great tips and general ideas on the forums here and have taken the best and applied them to my own stratergys. even an simple tute to guide you through the first mission might get rid of an lot of newbies frustrations. for ex; just to know about the easy or diff setting as it seems to work the opp way to other games in one sence.

cheers. & happy hunting

You may only be counting the pages in english, but that quick start is 45 pages long. We had to work very hard to get it that small. Because of the lower price point for GOLD we had to get it to a certain size with all 4 languages in it - not easy.

Sorry you guys don't like it.

Buxton, that's a brilliant idea. We have been working on a standalone Enigma manual, but it's only in the fledgling stages. If you guys are willing to do it, (and the quality is good) we will print and publish it. We'll also put our incoming writer to work on it as your inside liason.

--East

The community manual is a brilliant idea. How will this work? One person writing the whole thing or people chipping in with their particular interests ?