Re: Where do newbies go to rant about the game?
 

Actually, I think those parts are what can be most easily learned from the forums. There are guides that describe the strategies where manual was right in much more detail, and there are many strategies in the manual that just aren't that good.

Province defense and castle type lists are also very useful.The manual doesn't have the third PD unit from the few nations that get three basic units, though.

Re: Where do newbies go to rant about the game?
 

I think the manual is pretty useless. To say it's "wrong about some stuff" is understating the situation. It's wrong about /a lot/. Especially if you're looking something up because it's complex, or rare, or not obvious.

And when you have an authoritative document that's so often wrong, when it is right how are you supposed to trust it?

Re: Where do newbies go to rant about the game?
 

I'm with Horst. The manual is very good and it's great to have, expecially for a new player to learn the *basic* strategies and get some first ideas about how the whole thing works.

Re: Where do newbies go to rant about the game?
 

Here's a link to the unofficial Manual Errata thread:

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showthread.php?t=39469

Re: Where do newbies go to rant about the game?
 

I like the manual. Particularly when working out what spells you can cast, it's invaluable. I don't use it any more because, scarily, I've essentially memorised it all.

Re: Where do newbies go to rant about the game?
 

The manual isnt too bad for vanilla players (people playing the game without mods). It does contain important starting information in "newbie" wording, a tutorial, basic information on the most common items in the game.

Its definetly not an experts manual written by experts for experts. But then again I would consider that to be a good thing.

Thanks for the review but its kindof "preaching to the choir" here. My recommendation would be to do a google for Dominions 3. Any site that is talking about it usually allows comments or reviews for newbies to rant about the game. That will benefit the devs much more. :)

Re: Where do newbies go to rant about the game?
 

I find the manual extremely helpful. I do not think it is nearly as inaccurate as the forums suggest.

Even though the nations and the spells are a little behind, 80%+ are still as written and all the items are as written (I 90% sure). The booster chart is the most helpful for me, I am always checking it when I make my pretender.

As for the equations, I found them most enlightening and i am glad I read them (even if they aren't 100% correct, they are all pretty close).