Incentives to patch the game?

Edi · #1 October 17th, 2007, 11:27 AM

Be hard to play the game if it was done that way, as the CD-key comes with the manual.

People who do not bother to read the manual are just going to have to accept that they are going to get the answer of RTFM to several basic questions from a lot of folks.

Humakty · #2 October 17th, 2007, 11:42 AM

And have some problems with tree lovers, who can't accept those trees died for nothing.

Endoperez · #3 October 17th, 2007, 12:52 PM

If nothing else, the manual is really great when you want to try a new nation
(hmm, MA Ulm... page 136... Order and Production, Nature and Death magics, build lots of arbalests, Master Smiths and castles)
or when you want to refine your strategy
(so, what should these Master Smiths cast in battle, pg 242 onward... Alteration has nice buffs. Oh, Evoc levels 4-7 have nice damage spells, and Earth/Astral and Earth/Air spells my Smiths can get randoms in. More Alteration goodness... wow, Weapons of Sharpness! I'll focus on Alteration and Evocation for combat spells, and get Construction to level 5 when my troops have trouble dealing damage!).
The lists for summon spells, globals, battle spells and items can all be used this way.

Folket · #4 October 17th, 2007, 01:12 PM

The game is close to unplayable without the manual. I allways look up different items and spells that are of interest to me.

The patch does not make you see more commanders. But the hunter of heroes bug existing in the original is far then enough incentative to patch.

I have no idea why you need a USB key or what that is, but I guess you do not have internet at home. But surly you have friends with USB memories or just a CD burner that can hand you the patch.

I know I'm somewhat of a patch fanatic , but I allways want the latest patch to be able to play games the way they are suppost to be played.

Sombre · #5 October 17th, 2007, 01:29 PM

RTFM isn't a fair answer when the manual is wrong about several key things though.

I'd use it a lot more if I actually trusted it, but it seems almost every time someone starts quoting from the manual on here like it's gospel they turn out to be wrong.

See retreating from forts, dominion spread checks etc.

Edi · #6 October 17th, 2007, 02:01 PM

The manual obviously does have some errors, some of them fairly significant. Most of those are related to complex mechanics that are not transparent to the user or to behavior that could be classified as bugs (see section on movement and especially siege-related movement and other siege issues in the shortlist). It is rather unfair to expect the author of the manual to be able to know that the mechanics he was told apply are broken or suffer from unusual behavior, especially beforehand. Doubly so since he did not have access to the code so he could verify such things in the writing phase.

For such elemental basics as "How do I cycle through my idle commanders" a snarling "RTFM" is a completely justified response.

thejeff · #7 October 17th, 2007, 02:33 PM

Except of course, that wasn't the question. It was the answer, but that's different.

The OP was hoping for a way to see which provinces had commanders in them, like you can with scouts and armies. Not an unreasonable thought. But not one likely to lead to the hotkeys cycle section of the manual.

I've had "RTFM" snarled at me on software problems after 4-5 hours poring over various manuals, because I didn't know what to look for. Once someone pointed me at the right section I could usually figure it out, but it's not always clear where you need to look.

Sensori · #8 October 17th, 2007, 02:53 PM

I like using the Nation Overview in the Statistics page myself. All my commanders show neatly listed there, I can easily see their skills and what they're doing... Just that if I want to see them on the map, I need to press the province's name rather than just click the name of the commander in question.

Dedas · #9 October 17th, 2007, 02:55 PM

I didn't mean to "snarl" at anyone. If that is what I wanted I could have written "RTFM".

Instead I tried to subtly point the OP in the direction of the manual because I got the feeling he hadn't opened it yet and therefore had loads of similar questions.

I did this not because you MUST read the manual but to save him some time. Time better spent in a Dom3 MP perhaps.

So if I offended anyone I apologize.

Peace

Sombre · #10 October 17th, 2007, 03:05 PM

It's too late Dedas you've offended me.

We must settle this like gentlemen.

Brutal sword fight to the death? I'll go first -stab-