No instruction manual? What a load of crap.

Well I don't see there being a point to having one anyway, as all the directions could quite easily be put on a loose card.
 
honestly you cant type out a post like that and call other people dumb mrman
 
I think he was being sarcastic but I don't know. Anywho, yeah what a letdown... too bad we can't do anything about it. ;(
 
he Meant Walkthrough, Not Manual!!! There Wll Be A Manual Check What It Says For Half-life 2 Contents In The Retail Edition
 
Ok so manuals are usually included with games BUT;
Gordon does not wake up with a "HL2 Manual" in his hand, it does not tell him which weapon is the most powerful,
it does not tell him the characters he will meet,
and it does not tell him who his enemies are BECAUSE
through his experiences in the world he will find this out for himself.

Why would you want to read the manual and be told the specifics of a weapon, if you use it in game you'll find out how it works.
This is why i bought the Steam version, no box and no manual (+ it's cheaper for Australians).
But this is all my opinion.
 
As long as there is text containing (back)story somewhere, I do not care about paper.
 
I think we're all missing the point here.

Valve have set out to redefine the FPS with Half Life 2. This means breaking with traditions. For example:

1) Game can be purchased and downloaded online from release date
2) Game requires Internet activation before you can play
3) Bog standard death match is not included
4) No manual

Personally, I think it's all a step in the right direction. The manual often never reveals anything useful anyway, and if it did, people would then complain about 'spoilers' before they've even played the game. I'd rather find a gun and figure out what it is rather than already knowing what it is because I'd read the manual.

There are no cutscenes, the characters tell the story in real time (another reason for not needing the manual) - this is another approach which has only been touched upon by other developers, who may intersperse this type of thing with cutscenes. Isn't it refereshing to never lose control of your player, and be constantly involved in the storyline as it evolves around you?
 
iamaelephant said:
Just posted in the Valve Info Thread.



That's bullshit. Why no instruction manual? When was the last time you bought a game without a manual? Furthermore, he tells us if we do want an instruction manual, we have to go out and pay more money for it.
Click to expand...

As if everyone even has access to the strategy guide.

Valve's new policy seems to be to charge extra for everything they possibly can. I guess they're out of money or greedy.
 
czrsink said:
Valve have set out to redefine the FPS with Half Life 2.
Click to expand...

They did? Then when are they going to do it?

There are no cutscenes, the characters tell the story in real time (another reason for not needing the manual) - this is another approach which has only been touched upon by other developers, who may intersperse this type of thing with cutscenes.
Click to expand...

System Shock did it in 1993. Nothing new there.
 
jimbones said:
Check back after November 16th..
Click to expand...

Yawn.

You need more than Havok to "redefine" FPS games... Half-Life 2 may be good, but not groundbreaking.
 
Good manual, now im happy. but where was the "how to use the crowbar" box? :(
 
czrsink said:
I think we're all missing the point here.

Valve have set out to redefine the FPS with Half Life 2. This means breaking with traditions. For example:

1) Game can be purchased and downloaded online from release date
2) Game requires Internet activation before you can play
3) Bog standard death match is not included
4) No manual
Click to expand...

how the hell is not including a manual a redefinition of FPS games? it just means there is no manual. this sounds like a bushism...

u uber fanbois need to go get a girlfriend...or at least have sex with a sister or close relative...
 
Making fun of fanboys doesn't get you anywhere on this forum, KBharvester. And putting a kind of weed in your name makes you seem like an idiot, not cool.

Who cares if there isn't a manual? I'll type it out for you:

W - Move forward
A - Move Left
S - Move Down
D - Move Right

E - "Use" Key
MOUSE1 - Primary Fire
MOUSE2 - Secondary Fire
MOUSE3, 1-0 - Switch Weapons/Items

F - Flashlight
Q - Talk
Y - Chat

See, it's not a problem. The only thing anyone ever reads a manual for is for the cool little fluffy parts, like in the HL manual, there was a letter to Gordon from the supervisor at the Black Mesa Facility about his new job.
 
what is a kind of weed? kind bud is a particular way weed is grown...it has nothing to do with genetics...who sound like an idiot? r u saying fanbois rule this forum? how sad...

and thats not a manual....thats not even a txt file(which doesn't count as a manual either) and no one cares if u want a manual...its not about u...
 
omg omg !
I'm not buying the game now valve hasnt put a manual in! ;p

...and civilisation III which I bought didnt come with a manual!
 
UT 2004 had a manual, AND had one on the disk in .PDF format. Maybe that's what they'll have... although what i really enjoyed in the HL manual were 2 things, the letter in the front and the fact that they didn't tell you all the enemies or weapons.
 
KBharvester said:
what is a kind of weed? kind bud is a particular way weed is grown...it has nothing to do with genetics...who sound like an idiot? r u saying fanbois rule this forum? how sad...

and thats not a manual....thats not even a txt file(which doesn't count as a manual either) and no one cares if u want a manual...its not about u...
Click to expand...
Well, I'm not a pothead, so I don't know much about it other than KB is a type of weed - even if it's just weed that was well-grown. The manual thing was a joke, and I'm not going to continue since I'd rather not get reprimanded for flaming. As for not caring about my opinion, that's a dumb statement, since this is a thread in which people post... their opinions. Go to www.yahooka.com or something and stop wasting database space.

If some of you really want a manual, then someone else will probably make one for you.
 
Growing it a certain way makes it a kind of weed, even if it isn't a particular hybrid. Just classifying it as "KB" makes it a specific type.

Either way, this is off topic. What is it that you all look for in strategy guides anyway?
 
no audiophile...u don't know what ur talking about...sorry i been growing for over a decade...
 
Let's say the manual costs $.25 to print. Valve sells 2,000,000 copies retail. That means that Valve spent $500,000 on manuals.

Or, if they don't include them, they SAVE $500,000.

Of course, I dont' really know how much manuals could cost, nor how many copies Valve will sell.

The fact is, it's not such a surprise considering the way Valve wants the player to immerse himself in the game and learn things as they go. Plus they are greedy and if they can decide to not include a simple DM game, then why expect a manual?
 
so valve is so cheap and greedy they are gonna not give their customers a manual so they can save a few bucks? even when their games are some of the best selling games of all time? i could understand if this was some new company with no money and a crappy game. makes no sense here and i call bs on this. there will be a manual...unless the guys at valve are complete and utter morons...
 
At one time i continued to hold out hope for a HL2-themed MP game. What a naive fool I was! I certianly learned much since those day. *pause for nostalgia*.

So, here is the actual question and response just for a bit more detail:

"maniacoli:
Hi Doug,
First, Congratulations for completing Half-Life 2, and realising it in the near Future! I've ordered a copy of the Half-Life 2 Gold Pack via Steam. Now I have some Questions:
As I won't get a Gamepack with DVD and Instructions Booklet, how can i get one? Will there be a 'Half-Life 2 Instructions Booklet.pdf' via Steam or Support, or will the Steam Users don't get one ?

Doug Lombardi:
Hi,
There is no instruction booklet in any version of the game. However, Prima will be publishing the official strategy guide.
Thanks for your interest in our games and for taking the time to write to us.
Cheers"

And from that I gather that although there may be a slip of paper to help a person install the game, and possibly another slip with a short list of key bindings, there will be NO instruction manual included with ANY version of the game.

It may be that Valve has decided that by including such written material, they may inadvertantly influence the otherwise pristine gameplay.

Personally, even though I do enjoy reading manuals, and for some reason just having them, I do think that they can detract from the gaming experience to a certain degree. I enjoy a certain amount of exporation in games.
 
homercidal , how can a manual detract from the gameplay? sorry but i dont get that at all!!. Another example of how hl2 fanboys will go out of their way to agree with everything valve does aaaaaaaarggghhhhh free ur minds people free them!!!
 
Wow, I can't believe this thread has gotten this long. You people are posting the same crap over and over.
 
He said theres no "instruction booklet", which means it could be in HTML format on the CD... Heck, it could even be a full blown insane flash animation manual that talks to you... and it knows you by name!! o_O;;
 
What FPS even really needs a manual anymore? The only thing you would really need to find out are the movement keys which are in the readme.txt anyway.

UT2k4 came with a manual and I personally felt it was the biggest waste of ink, paper, and money ever.
 
ukfluke said:
homercidal , how can a manual detract from the gameplay? sorry but i dont get that at all!!. Another example of how hl2 fanboys will go out of their way to agree with everything valve does aaaaaaaarggghhhhh free ur minds people free them!!!
Click to expand...

LOL! ok, I'm a HL2 fanboy. A first for everything I guess.

Anyway, as to a manual detracting from the gameplay, I mean to say that I prefer to experience the learning of new items myself, not dictated to me by the game's manual. I'm assuming since Gordon is being introduced to alien creatures and machines, he would have no more idea how to deal with them than I would.

I guess I feel that I'd rather go into the game without being fed information, and figure it out on my own.

fanboy... Am I a fanboy? Now I have to start wondering. Yes, I'm excited about the game, but then I was excited about Doom 3 (but I've played Tiger Woods 2005 much more.)

I am practically fuming over their decision to exclude HL2-themed MP, or even HL1-themed MP, opting instead to offer CS:S, a game that I consider unbearable.

I'm livid over the requirement to activate the game via the Internet, apparently without any alternative for those who would be very inconvenienced by that requirement.

But the reviews are veyr high, and in fact some articles practically gushed over the game. So score one for fanboy...

Jeez, I dont' know. Why don't YOU tell me if I'm a fanboy or not.
 
Just another fanboy in to echo the fact that not having a manual is a disappointment. I read all the manuals I get. True, nobody needs a manual to learn to play a game (regardless of genre; just play around with the buttons or open up the button config menu and find out), but the extra information that came at the beginning of the HL and expansion manuals was fun. Point taken that you're supposed to find out what happened as you go, so no backstory to put into the manual, except maybe a recap of the story thus far.

But no, there's no reason for a manual other than some light reading. There won't even be install instructions, I bet. Put the CD in, it runs itself. After it's finished it tells you to install Steam, set up an account if you need one, etc. The installer will hold your hand through the process if you need it.

Also, sort of a sidebar comment...it's funny how a bunch of people said people that need manuals or read manuals are losers, when people buying the gold edition are getting STRATEGY GUIDES.

Lol, strategy guides. "Help, I don't know what to do or where to go and I am getting frustrated!!! HELP ME STRATEGY GUIDE! I can't find the 22nd hidden area!" :LOL:
 
I suspect that the game will ship with install instructions because some people have autoplay disabled and the computer will just sit there going "What?" "Stop staring at me!" "Do something!"

Also, although I think nearly everyone will have no problem, the people new to FPS games may need something to tell them which button does what.

Of course, I dont' care if they include that for me, but if I were making the game, I'd include that. Can't cost but a couple of pennies, if that, to print and stick in there.

This whole thing is getting so "different" from what I'm used to. It is just starting to feel a little bit Strange.
 
I dont need a manual, never uses them to anything usefull, i only read them when the game is installing
 
There's something I don't understand. If there isn't any manual, why isn't the price of the game a little bit smaller? I mean, without manual it should be something like 50c cheaper.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

MFL
Fascinating look at the ongoing psychological evolution of flat hieirarchies.
Replies
2
Views
2K
Tollbooth Willie
Tollbooth Willie
V
Scientific basis of Half-life universe
Replies
4
Views
3K
Voidstranger
V
B
The other cancelled ports of Half-Life
Replies
3
Views
7K
Tollbooth Willie
Tollbooth Willie
B
The cut missions of Half-Life: Decay
Replies
2
Views
21K
Evo
Evo
B
The leaked maps of the Half-Life 2 episodes - Part 2
Replies
0
Views
9K
Barnz
B
Back
Top