[SurvivalistMerc]

I agree, Taqwus.

For instance, it could give you a starting theme and pretender suggestion for a fairly straightforward race like Ulm and then let you go from there while conceding that this is merely one viable example. Of course, most folks will have experimented with the Demo anyway and so will have some idea of how to start.

I do find that with no unit descriptions in the manual I have to start a game with a given race, see what they really have, then make a pretender based on their strengths and weaknesses. But I don't really mind that.

And Gandalf is right...the devs shouldn't try to make a manual. But if they could get an English major who's just graduate college and never played Dominions before and yet who is interested in the game to learn it and ask questions...that would probably result in something very useful.

The manual is useful for stating the type of ammo in the towers of fortresses but, unfortunately, doesn't state how many towers there are per type of fortress. I get that information here. This is really a wonderful site.