Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Shoveler]

As I sit waiting for my gathering cool down timer, I began reading the game manual. I'm only on page 7, but the content is good so far. This made me realize why most games are akin to theme park rides. Those games have manuals that are not worth reading because they lack of content. Rather than having to read the fucking manual (RTFM), one can just straight into the game because the game will feature popup tutorial windows in the games intro, and random tips are featured throughout the loading screens. Therefore, it is unnecessary to RTFM.

Because of this structure, gaming has become dumbed down. What does this say about the new generation of people who play video games?

[Michaelh139]

I dun knowz me thinkz we needz ta read moe papor.

But your right gaming has been seriously dumbed down, remember play Zelda ocarina of time guys?  That was the shit and you felt like you really accomplished something because of the difficulty of the puzzles.  

[finishes post]
Plus, back then the bosses weren't bloody pushovers like they are now.  But let's face it, right now we're in the improvement of gaming mechanics and graphics stage, video games in itself is already perfected, they're just focusing on certain aspects of gaming that, although not as important, Is a good thing, because once that's perfected they will be able to make the near perfect game for every type of player in time, which is causing good gaming in itself to slack off a bit as of now.  Can't wait until we finally get back to that one day...

@surf Solar, I've been playing nintedo-gamecube-ps1-ps2-xbox360-computer since I was 3 so yes I know what a good game was back in the day, hell remember twisted metal?  Classic, super mario?  I like Zelda more though.  I play alot of Starcraft as well (The first one) And i have expansion pack for brood wars  .  So, don't judge people on their age so much like many other broken records do please.

[Surf]

It's funny seeing some very young person talking about the "good old days of gaming".

And yes, I agree with the OP, but the manual thingy is just the top of the iceberg of what is wrong with gaming these days.

[avv]

Manuals existed because developers didn't understand how to make such games that it's clear to the gamer what needs to be done. If the controls, signals and whole game world are rational enough, no manual or ingametips are required. Only controls need to be explained.

[Slaver Snipe]

Manuals existed because developers didn't understand how to make such games that it's clear to the gamer what needs to be done. If the controls, signals and whole game world are rational enough, no manual or ingametips are required. Only controls need to be explained.

Actually i have to disagree, baldur's gate and baldur's gate 2 i knew what to do almost as soon as i started (low learning curve) and the controls were easy enough to figure out without the manual but those manuals were crafted with love (especially BG2's) and made me love the game all the more, i wish the games still had manuals that were as great as bg2's.

[avv]

Actually i have to disagree, baldur's gate and baldur's gate 2 i knew what to do almost as soon as i started (low learning curve) and the controls were easy enough to figure out without the manual but those manuals were crafted with love (especially BG2's) and made me love the game all the more, i wish the games still had manuals that were as great as bg2's.

I don't really know what you want from manuals in this case. For me it's all the same how much love was invested in the manual if everything necessary is received from the game itself.

[Shoveler]

The manual should be a book in itself. It should contain extra content such as background information. If a game has a background information then it is a game definitely worth getting immersed into.

One of my favorite past times involved sitting on the toilet and reading the game manual before playing a video game. Why bother anymore if the game manual is just a 15 page pamphlet with the same instructions such as controls and credit that is already included in-gamel.

[falloutdude]

i remember when i first played ff7 and you really did not need to read the manual to learn the game but you read it because it had lots of info on the characters and everyone love the ff7 characters and if you dont just jump off a bridge and die anyway does anyone else think new games scuk and have no storty line wish i had a ps3 just to play the old ps1 games i love like dragoon.

[Sius]

Actually I think well writtnet game manual can push gaming experience into whole new level. F.e. Might and Magic series. Without manual it was hell of a fun but with it the game turned into science and I practically planned my every move six steps ahead. Counting hit chances and damage done at spell vs resistance or armor against sword was always kinda fun for me. But when the game is well designet it might not need manual at all. Take Portal and upcoming Portal 2. Puzzle games but the game teaches you how the world works at the beggining through the series of simple well hidden tutorial tasks. But then you are left on your own to use what you have learned to overcome more complex obstacles. I think in some cases manuals are really not needed since game itself works as a manual.

[Y0ssarian]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XOZgHMVh8Y

69.90.34.69:27015

The good times never die.

[Balthasar]

F.e. Might and Magic series. Without manual it was hell of a fun but with it the game turned into science and I practically planned my every move six steps ahead.

I underline this plus you had this whole map of the game itself (speaking of Clouds of Xeen/Darkside of Xeen and the combined game). Also manuals that time were not only a further help to get into the game itself but rather had contemplary goodies (like the map). Someone remembers Dreamweb? Beside the fact it was one of the best Cyberpunk adventures i ever played, it had a whole additional booklet within the original package called "Diary of a mad man". You could play the game completely without it (except for the copy protection) but it led you even deeper into the story itself and the main character.

Also, in the good example of M&M you had those creative and sometimes really hard puzzles within a RPG game. I don't see any of those in newer RPGs for example. It's always like hack n slay and a bit character planning. But thats another topic .