Missing Manual?

Greyflyer · Post by **Greyflyer** » Thu Jun 24, 2010 1:44 pm

Can I assume, that apart from the help file, there is no manual for this game? I can't find a .doc or .pdf anywhere in the FoG folder. Can anyone recommend a good scenarion to use as a tutorial game please?

batesmotel · Post by **batesmotel** » Thu Jun 24, 2010 1:50 pm

The Starter Army scenarios are a good place to start. There is a pdf available from the Slitherne site which is a compiled version of the on line help but I'm not sure if it's the most up to date version.

Chris

Greyflyer · Post by **Greyflyer** » Thu Jun 24, 2010 2:42 pm

Any clue as to where I might find it Chris? Been through the downloads area a couple of times now.

Scutarii · Post by **Scutarii** » Fri Jun 25, 2010 7:02 am

I think that is time to have a TRUE game manual where we can read how reallly works things in the game, help isnt a manual and i can say that FoG help is the worst file of this type that i ever seen. After 8 months i see that is time to do a good manual and have it update to the last patch, is time to work in this part of the game because now i dont know if the tactics that i am using works because dices want it or not or if are a game rule in this.

prunesquallor · Post by **prunesquallor** » Thu Jul 01, 2010 4:06 pm

Couldn't agree more. Whilst Field of Glory is an excellent game, one area where it falls down badly is the lack of a manual. OK, it has a help system - but this is of questionable quality.

I think, especially for those coming to the Field of Glory PC game who haven't played the table-top version a manual is a must.

Come on Slitherine organise a PDF manual and make the whole experience even better!

MesaDon · Post by **MesaDon** » Thu Jul 01, 2010 5:28 pm

the lack of a manual has left me confounded sometimes with what is going on. to learn all the little things within the game can a very painful lesson to my digitally created armies. I am considering buying the TT rules since that is what it is based on. I agree it is time for a comprehensive manual as the game has progressed beyond the original TT players.

deeter · Post by **deeter** » Thu Jul 01, 2010 5:34 pm

You might start with the Quick Reference Sheet from the TT rules which are downloadable for free. (Check the minaitures forum.) The TT rules really do help and they look great!

That being said, the PC help is of such little help, I seldom look at them and have little idea what may be in there from one update to the next.

One other thing: with 1.2.8 there is a new entry in my progams for FOG in addition to the usual Slitherine one. It only conatins the awful help file and an update button. What's up with that?

Deeter

petergarnett · Post by **petergarnett** » Thu Jul 01, 2010 5:42 pm

I did do a quick reference guide & submitted it to Slitherine some time ago but have not heard that it's available. I'll ask them again.

In addition I am trying to make a start on a player's manual (with offer of help from batesmotel) but it's proving difficult to find the time currently.

Morbio · Post by **Morbio** » Thu Jul 01, 2010 10:16 pm

MesaDon wrote:the lack of a manual has left me confounded sometimes with what is going on. to learn all the little things within the game can a very painful lesson to my digitally created armies. I am considering buying the TT rules since that is what it is based on. I agree it is time for a comprehensive manual as the game has progressed beyond the original TT players.

Noooo! Don't do that, if everyone bought the TT rules because of the poor online manual then what incentive would there be to Slitherine to fix the online manual.... indeed, there'd be an incentive to leave it in it's current state!

deeter · Post by **deeter** » Thu Jul 01, 2010 10:37 pm

I see no incentive for them to produce a manual.

Deeter

Blathergut · Post by **Blathergut** » Thu Jul 01, 2010 10:42 pm

I think the HELP has 90% of the answers...though they can be tricky to find sometimes. It does need a major updating.

I think what would be more helpful, esp. to newer players, would be a tactics manual. Illustrated examples of how to use LH or how to use Roman heavies or how to use that Bosporan horse-filled-bow-filled nightmare!

Maybe we could start (if there is interest) a thread here where anyone could post either visual (screen shots) or verbal tactics that one or more of use could put in a more polished, tweaked form.

deeter · Post by **deeter** » Thu Jul 01, 2010 11:21 pm

Please don't encourage more people to use Bosporans. They don't require any skill to use. Just shoot, shoot and scoot all day.

Deeter

(How come there's no emoticon for YAWN?)

prunesquallor · Post by **prunesquallor** » Fri Jul 02, 2010 2:15 pm

When I first downloaded Field of Glory I had a look through the folders for a manual - obviously in vain. Then I looked at the Help section but was left unimpressed. OK, I thought, I'll have to search the forums for information. But there is no search facility! Well, if their is, I haven't found it yet - has anyone found it?

It seems to me that not only is their no manual but you can't search the forum either for further info. Seems, rather limiting.

Writing a manual is obviously time consuming and is somewhat a specialist art, at least to do it well. In my experience programmers don't/can't write good documentation and the work needs to be farmed-out to someone who has the skill. However, having said that, any manual would be better than none.

MesaDon · Post by **MesaDon** » Fri Jul 02, 2010 3:11 pm

deeter wrote:I see no incentive for them to produce a manual.

Deeter

I think it would put a little smile on my face ... now that is a incentive to the highest degree (in mymind anyway)

suntzu · Post by **suntzu** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 8:11 pm

i have just bought a copy of the mac version and have made my own manual from the help files, i have extracted the help files and make a clickable pdf , since this is copyrighted material there is no way i could post the file here, or anywhere for that matter unless i am allowed to do so by slitherine of course

Rob

jhkrischel · Post by **jhkrischel** » Tue Dec 28, 2010 12:20 am

Yeah, I'm trying to figure out what the heck the rules are for movement - when can I turn, why can't I turn after moving, why do some units seem magically resistant to having anyone move up to them...a genuine "these are the rules by which the game is played" manual is sorely needed. Figuring this stuff out by black box observation just isn't all that fun.

76mm · Post by **76mm** » Tue Dec 28, 2010 3:34 am

Blathergut wrote:I think the HELP has 90% of the answers...though they can be tricky to find sometimes. It does need a major updating.

Maybe it had 90% of the info after RoR...now much less. Slitherine's refusal to produce a manual or to adequately update the help file are not acceptable to me, I'm not buying any more modules until they do so.

The fact that they are probably incentivized to not create a manual so that people might buy more TT manuals just adds insult to injury, as does the fact that they have not enabled searching of the forum.

There are lots of games (er, actually, all of them that I've bought recently other than FoG) that do provide adequate manuals, that's just something I expect.

keithmartinsmith · Post by **keithmartinsmith** » Tue Dec 28, 2010 9:52 am

Try

http://www.hexwar.com/field-of-glory/help/default.aspx

for help. All of the in-game help is available on-line there and can be printed off. All charts etc.

Keith

jhkrischel · Post by **jhkrischel** » Tue Dec 28, 2010 10:44 am

keithmartinsmith wrote:Try
http://www.hexwar.com/field-of-glory/help/default.aspx
for help. All of the in-game help is available on-line there and can be printed off. All charts etc.

Keith

Yeah, that's a far cry from the actual rules the game observes. For example:

http://www.hexwar.com/field-of-glory/he ... -move.aspx
-no information on when facing changes can or cannot be made
-no information on why it is sometimes impossible to close with the enemy

The hyper-link to it claims it is "Movement Rules", but in fact, it's simply "How To Move In The Game". I want to know exactly when I'm allowed to move what and how, not just "click on your guy, look at the white field of options, and click on a hex in the white field".

If I can't move somewhere for some reason, I'd like to know *why* so I can plan better in the future. Is my problem that I'm turning in the wrong direction too often? Is my problem that I'm using a troop type that is not allowed to close in on another troop type? Is my problem that the terrain is preventing me from turning or closing?

stockwellpete · Post by **stockwellpete** » Tue Dec 28, 2010 11:40 am

I can understand the people who say they want a comprehensive manual (most games seem to have this), but I actually quite like the "mystery element" in the game. I would also say that I have been playing the game online for about three months now and most of the things that were "mysterious" at the beginning have become commonplace and obvious to me now - although, of course, there are always new puzzles to ponder.

Of course, this is a game rather a programme for historical simulation, but there is just one thing I would add - players do have much more control over their ancient and medieval armies than a real commander would have had - so things like "anarchy charges" and the various "mystery elements" do tend to offset this to a certain degree. In the end it just comes down to personal taste, I think.

Missing Manual?

Missing Manual?

Manual definitely needed