Muzman on 19/7/2009 at 20:39
Probably goes without saying but:
System Shock 1 & 2
Bioforge had a big patient history of someone you're not quite sure who (until you play the game and realise it's the guy in the cell next to you. Who you just killed. Possibly with his own severed arm. And stole his precious fork).
Recently Far Cry 2 has some decent material. It's not much in the fun world building stuff we're talking about, but it's decorative and there's big map and things.
june gloom on 19/7/2009 at 20:56
Fallout 1 and 2's manuals are glorious.
MorbusG on 19/7/2009 at 21:21
Monkey island (2 atleast) and Police quest's, but I guess that they would kinda go into the "they don't make copy protections like they used to" -category.
Matthew on 19/7/2009 at 21:37
Railroad Tycoon and Civilization had huge manuals that explored the real-world history and personalities involved in the game settings. They were glorious.
Thirding the Starsiege and Homeworld manuals, along with the Ultima series.
Thirith mentioned Wing Commander I; not just a play guide, but also a mock-up of the carrier's in-house magazine and technical posters for the four main Terran fighters.
I'm told that Baldur's Gate II had a nice manual, but in Europe we got a horrendously condensed version that cut a raft of information out (see also: Neverwinter Nights).
Falcon 4's huge doorstop of a manual probably deserves a mention too.
raevol on 19/7/2009 at 21:46
Many already mentioned and Baldur's Gate 1. I keep my old manuals in boxes in my desk. Oh, and Starcraft! Holy crap!
Malleus on 19/7/2009 at 21:48
Quote Posted by Matthew
I'm told that Baldur's Gate II had a nice manual, but in Eurpose we got a horrendously condensed version that cut a raft of information out.
That 140 page manual was a "horrendously condensed version"? Or I have the American version of the game?
Quote:
Falcon 4's huge doorstop of a manual probably deserves a mention too.
I'd think all old sim manuals deserve a mention - although sometimes they do make them nowadays too, like they used to, it's just that you have to buy them separately.
demagogue on 19/7/2009 at 22:08
I remember
Steath Fighter on the C64 had a 200 page (
http://www.flightsimbooks.com/f19stealthfighter/) manual with a lot of detail on the physics of flying and dogfighting tactics ... But the graphics were basically vector lines. And if you actually tried the maneuvers, it was basically just swinging an outlined Mig one direction or another until you got him in the center. That didn't stop me from trying every tactic I read about.
The Pawn had a 70 page (
http://msmemorial.if-legends.org/games.htm/scans.rsc/kerovnia_tale.htm) novella with a backstory that was more or less irrelevant anyway to the game, except for anti-piracy, but I found it quirky and having its own charm. Its successor, Guild of Thieves, came with a faux journal, a bit shorter, but it also came with a few toys like a certificate, a weird cube you find in the game, and your fake bank card.
edit: found (
http://www.geocities.com/jeremyalansmith/level9/) this
Fafhrd on 19/7/2009 at 22:12
Quote Posted by Malleus
That 140 page manual was a "horrendously condensed version"? Or I have the American version of the game?
The American manual was 250 pages and was practically a 3rd Edition D&D sourcebook.
Matthew on 19/7/2009 at 22:15
Quote Posted by Malleus
That 140 page manual was a "horrendously condensed version"? Or I have the American version of the game?
As Fafhrd said, the American version was considerably longer than even that.
Aja on 19/7/2009 at 22:23
I always loved it in Super Nintendo game manuals when they'd take the sprites from the game and get their artists to draw more realistic versions; and you'd read it and think "oh so THAT'S what they're supposed to look like!"
Super Metroid was always my favourite.
Oh, and for the Home Improvement SNES game I rented once, the manual was just one page with giant letters: REAL MEN DON'T NEED INSTRUCTIONS printed over it.
