There was this time when computer\commodore\amiga...etc games had huge manuals. Now,those manuals are only a couple of flappy pages of information.

The question is: Do you miss the old manuals?

Yeah, but now we can get about five times as many games onto the shelves.

Still, I miss those manuals.

Big manuals are fun. Ecspecially if it got big pictures.

I miss the old manuals too. Sierra adventure games manuals were very cool. I miss stuff like that

They all want to force you to buy strategy guides, these days. Even basic information, like spell and skill lists, are missing from RPG games such as Dungeon Siege II. Gods, I still love my heavy-duty manuals from Master of Magic, the elaborate drawings that graced Darklands' manual, the detail of the Magic Candle series!

I never used a single of the many manuals I have. I don't mind it if they are there but I cannot be bothered to read them. All the info is usually in the game itself in one way or the other.

I do miss the manuals (even if I never used them). It's funny, but I like to find out stuff on my own - by experimenting around in the game (loosing a lot at first). But the manuals were really great. I still remember the Civilization II manual. It even had a wall poster of all the advances you could research (looked really cool). I lost all most of the manuals though (unless they were needed for copy protection).

There are still a few peeps that do it right.
Like Blizzard and all those D&D manuals.
Blizzards aren't huge, but they're so full of useful information and background story that it puts many of the chunky manuals to shame.
And I don't need say anything on D&D video game manuals.

Yes I do kinda miss them.
Especially if it's those perfect GoldBox manuals.

I miss the extras you used to get in boxed adventures like Hollywood Hijinx and Jinxter, even though it was mostly useless it was nice to find a newspaper or sizzle stick in there. Flight sims used to come with a manual that made the complete oxford english dictionary look skimpy and were generally packed full of genuinely useful information. These days you get fobbed off with a PDF and a quickstart guide half the time even though the game costs the same or more.

Oh, I shudder to think of those Flight sim manuals.

"The control scheme for F-14 Jane Heart's Insane Adventures is simple.
A- Start throttle
Z- Assume forward position
F1- Ready wheels for runway
Keyboard Line Q-P ready rudders
etc... for 20 more lines"

I don't miss those manuals at all.

Heh yep, there was one I played - I can't remember what the title was - but it used every key and had a dozen more that you had to hit shift of alt to get at. How you were supposed to remember all that when AIMs and Sidewinders were flying at you I have no idea. F19 Stealth Fighter on the ST came with a nice fold out sheet that went around your keyboard so you could tell at a glance what everything did, that made life easier. Thick manuals still beat a scrappy pdf you have to print off into a foot wide manual or read till your eyes pop out on the screen though.

I love those huge manuals, they really give the impression that a game has alot of content.

The first thing I always do when I get a new game, is open the manual, and start reading whatever interesting stuff they put in it. The best ones are those with alot of backstory in them. I love reading up on the story in a game, and I also love reading about all of the great features the game has.

In my opinion, a game feels very "cheap," if they don't even bother to write a decent manual. The initial impression means alot, I want to be sure it is a great game I'm playing. And a good manual gives a great impression! :D

I love the manuals..they not only told you how to play the game almost completely they had lots of bonus features and good reading.

Now your lucky if your game has an in program tutorial.

I remember with great nostalgia the manuals of Ultima VII and Ultima Underworld. Those were the days! :ok:

I do miss the manuals.
One of the best manuals I ever had was of Carrier Command for the ST. It explained everything in the game, every little button and icon, every action. They just don't make them like that anymore.
Another manual that I was impressed with was Civilization II(don't remember which version of all, I had them all) which had a very book like manual.
KKND had a good manual if nothing else for the humour in it :D
When I get a game with a good manual in it I feel I am getting something good for my money. Even if later I do not even touch the game (Hearts Of Iron).

Hmm, I also remember the manual for F16 Combat Pilot (ST). What a game, what a sim! Hmm, what a game for abandonia!

I just found my BIG Civilization 2 manual :D

Y same, most of the time theres a tutorial anyways, and if not, its normally not too easy to figure out....
*Looks at his Civ 2/3 Manual and Alpha Centauria Manual/Walkthorough for bolth expansion pack and game*
weee....

Age of Empires 2 manual = Quality. Full of facts and things. Got me an A in my year 7 history exam :D

Thats cool, ya if I remember right the AoE2 manual was pretty cool, I remember looking at it at a friends house.