Twilight Manual update?

Question, I normally don't look through the manuals all that much which is why I didn't pay any attention until this now, when I was trying to look throught the PDF file of the Twilight manual when I realized that this was just the GC2 Gold Edition Manual with a new cover that said Twilight?  Are we ever going to get an actual updated pdf file with a new manual or are we stuck searching the website for general information? 

Also not a huge issue but, being that your not taking all of the extra cost in printing this manual why isn't it in color, I dislike black and white?  I tried searching for this information already in the forums, but the search button just brings me to the page of where the post is but, I can't find the post that has this in.  Thanks for any help on this.

4,118 views 5 replies
Reply #1 Top
I don't think Stardock said that they were going to make a new manual. Twilight is basically Dark Avatar with more features. However, it would be nice to get a new manual for Twilight.
Reply #2 Top
There are plenty of threads on this, a new one was unnecessary, but here is a brief summary of my previous posts on the matter.

1. GeneralEtrius is ncorrect. We have been assured multiple times by Stardock that Brad is working on an updated manual. There is a .pdf maual included with the ToA package entitled Twilight of the Arnor Manual, but it is merely the old Gold Edition manual with a new cover page. This is annoyingly deceptive even if you think, as I do, the deception is not intentional but merely someone setting up a revised manual, not following through due to time pressure, etc., and forgetting about it.

2. A revised manual, including things like the new tech tree, is needed and should have been available at release. However, Stardock has indicated (wrongheadedly IMO) that such information is more in the nature of a strategy guide. This mindset may partially explain point 3.

3. Whether or not a revised ToA manual sees the light of day is, unfortunately, probably meaningless. Stardock has an unbroken track record (GalCiv, Sins, PM2008) of producing terrible manuals and ingame tutorials. They are poorly organized, very incomplete, and often vague about what is included (possibly due to the mindset noted in point 2). That a manual can be done right (and by a small company) is demonstrated by Stardock's most similar competitor, Paradox. They have produced excellent detailed manuals for their recent games, and the two expansion packs to EUIII have .pdf manuals stating the changes and additions in very detailed and precise terms. Stardock's documentation looks even worse compared to the excellent documentation of Civ4. (Granted, Firaxis certainly had a far larger budget for that game than Stardock does, but I am not sure that excuses the poor manual. Especially when the Civ4 manual is not merely better than that for GalCiv, but better by at least a factor of ten.). More damning to Stardock is the cult fantasy TBS game Dominions 3, developed by a two-man team and published by niche publisher Shrapnel Games. Dominions 3 includes an excellent and detailed 292-page ring bound manual that comes complete with a great walk through tutorial, myriad charts of spells, units, items, factions, and even an index. Granted, that is likely why the intial price was $55, but I'd gladly pay an additonal $5 or so for a similar GalCiv manual. (Please note, that I still think GalCiv should have included a far better manual than it did at no additional surcharge.)




Reply #3 Top
You can go read this:

TA 101

I wrote the guide to help players figure out the different civs quickly, and how to play them good from the start.

As for when the official TA manual being complete, I don't know when thats going to be.
Reply #4 Top
Thanks for helping me out all of you, I think that gave me enough insight in the matter outside of Stardock. Like I stated in the origional post here I had a hard time trying to find the posts on the other topics on the site so thanks.

Also I tried to see if the information in the Databanks link was updated but, I see that those links and information is from the origional game mostly or possibly up to DA but, nothing even hints at TA. Shame I was hoping to at least get a little more insight on the techs and buildings of the other races without having to actually play each and everyone. That takes too much time and with two jobs it's hard to find a race that I like the structures and can understand the weakness's. I keep trying to move away from the Terrians because I don't want to be limited to only really understanding one race.
Reply #5 Top
From a post on ToA a while back

Reply #2
Frogboy


Member No.1
Karma+63
May 1, 2008 10:13:53
If you want to know what's new, read https://www.galciv2.com/twilight

From a manual stand point, there's not many new UI features. It's mostly about content which we don't tend to cover in a manual.

We will be releasing an updated manual though in the near future.