Re: MoV usage
 

Has anyone actually checked what happens when you combine
MOV with Phoenix?

Re: MoV usage
 

My vague recollection is that most of the Strategy section was derived from comments and suggestions from the original beta testers.

Re: MoV usage
 

I think they were perfect. Good enough to give hints to a newbie but not so perfect that soon he wont feel he can come up with something better. Varied enough to show the wide variety in the game, and tries to make use of each nations special abilities. It pulls players up the ladder, without discouraging them by laying out the "perfect answers" for beating the game (as if there actually were any).

Personally, I feel that they were one of the many great examples of why you should not have game docs written by experts. It was written by someone who was learning the game, and written for people who were learning the game.

Re: MoV usage
 

My issues with the manual weren't with the game specific content-those were fine, and I didn't mind the strategy guide. I didn't use it a whole lot, but it gave my an introduction to each Nation. I don't deny that Mr Geryk knows how to write a manual, and he did do a professional job.

What I didn't like was that the manual wasn't written in a way that made me want to play the game, or even want to spend enough time with the manual to find the answer to a problem.

Mr Geryk may have been learning the game along with the rest of us, but it didn't seem like an activity he particularly enjoyed, or a genre he was fond of. It was a passable job-and actually, I consider the strategic section a highlight-but I've read manuals that it was fun to read, and this manual just wasn't.