I think the docs are both good and bad (how's that for making a stand?
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For someone who never played Dom 1, those first 10 or so pages are actually rather useful; I found out a few things I hadn't known before. And at least, unlike some manuals I could mention, the rules in the manual and the rules actually in place in the game are more or less in sync.
However, the list of spells and magic items has some deficiencies. First, that it isn't in alphabetical order, and second, that it's there at all instead of a list of units and their stats by nation. Some description of themes would have been nice as well.
I see no particular reason why spell descriptions and costs should be ok, but unit specs, etc. are "pandering to laziness." The game is either opaque or explained....