Where's the MANUAL!?

[wassup]

Don’t get me wrong - I love HL2 and respect VALVe very much

But where is the Manual?, I bought the Collectors DVD but I don’t count that prima book as a manual. And the poor CD owners all they get is that stupid piece of orange paper.

One of the reasons I bought the game was to read the Manual, because in most manuals they give u an idea of the story. Also, in most manuals are instructions on basic game options - I would think some kids still need these instructions.

I understood when PC games started coming in DVD size boxes because that way a store can hold more stock but you cant rip us off on the manual. I have not seen a good manual since Diablo II or Mechwarrior. But still today the smaller DVD boxes usually come with a manual - most with about 40 pages. I us to love going home with a new game and reading the manual to get me into it, but that prima book is just spoilers - it should say "100% GUARANTEED TO SPOIL GAME" on the front!

What happened to the manual (was one ever planned)??

 

[Reaperman]

best game manual ever: "Aces of the pacfic"


1992, flightsim, 350 page manual

 

[Asus]

Don’t get me wrong - I love HL2 and respect VALVe very much

But you probably don't care for Vivendi right now since you want a manual that they didn't package. :\

 

[RomeoJGuy]

there is some manual on valve site I dont remember the link.

It was a pdf and was like 2 or 3 pages.

 

[destrukt]

right click on hl2 in the steam menu, and click manual. that is all we get.

 

[Iced_Eagle]

Yea it's more of a quick reference.

What you are used to is what normal developers do and lay out the story on paper and such...... VALVe absolutely hates that I tell you! They want ALL story to be told in-game, through the eyes of Gordon Freeman.... That's why they never take you out of first-person perspective and all that.

If you don't know what the options do, either experiment, or stick with defaults. Or use google

But things like showing you your enemies would be totally horrible in this, no surprise in-game from them!

 

[wassup]

But you probably don't care for Vivendi right now since you want a manual that they didn't package. :\

Does this mean there was one but Vivendi actually didn't package it ??

And yes we all hate Vivendi it goes without saying, if i had ADSL i would have gone with STEAM. VALVe only get about $6 or $7 from each retail sale. They deserve over 50% of each sale, leave the $6 for Vivendi give the rest to VALVe

2 or 3 pages does not count (although i would like the link). I believe this is most likley the orange "quick reference card" http://www.half-life2.com/manual/HL2_quickrefcard.pdf but as i stated this is not a manual just a guide on how to get it to work offline.

Was there a manual with HL1 and how many pages was it?

 

[Ownzed]

Aaah, psht. You don't need a damn manual...It's simple to play. The only manual it has is that sheet of paper.

 

[mines a stella]

imo u dont really need a manual just the controls will do me,
makes it better i think

 

[TrevorGrigg]

I swear, if Valve started including an ass kicking with each purchase, there would be people on the board who would say "Makes it better it think, I liked it." You are the reason Communists take over governments.

A guide could have trouble shooting, offline mode help, steam instructions, story line stuff, weapon info, pickup info all the good stuff that is nice to read and keep.

 

[siorai]

Why do you need a manual? Seriously. You pick up weapons. You kill the bad guys. You go from point A to point b to point c. This game is about as basic as it gets.

 

[TrevorGrigg]

You don't need one. They are nice to have. It's not as basic as say pacman. I love it when manuals have pictures and explanations of the badguys, guns and pickups. I don't know anything about counter-strike, maybe some stuff about that seeing as they did pass it off as the games multiplayer.

 

[Calm_Blue_Ocean]

Yea it's more of a quick reference.

What you are used to is what normal developers do and lay out the story on paper and such...... VALVe absolutely hates that I tell you! They want ALL story to be told in-game, through the eyes of Gordon Freeman.... That's why they never take you out of first-person perspective and all that.

If you don't know what the options do, either experiment, or stick with defaults. Or use google

But things like showing you your enemies would be totally horrible in this, no surprise in-game from them!

I totally agree. I quite honestly didn't want a manual. All a manual would do is give away the plot and spoil the story for you. I never use the default keyboard setup, and I like to tweak all the options myself, so I really don't see the point. Now that I've finished the game twice I would consider buying the Prima Guide or Raising the Bar. But what I really want is the modmaker's manual that was promised early on...what happened to that?!

Now if I bought an in depth strategy game that didn't contain a paper or electronic manual, than I would be peeved. The Civlopedia (sp?) for Civilization III was one of the very best in my opinion...a truly great game, devoured weeks of my life.

 

[NapalmAndFriends]

I swear, if Valve started including an ass kicking with each purchase, there would be people on the board who would say "Makes it better it think, I liked it." You are the reason Communists take over governments.

A guide could have trouble shooting, offline mode help, steam instructions, story line stuff, weapon info, pickup info all the good stuff that is nice to read and keep.

On the subject, how do you get it to run offline?

 

[The Mullinator]

On the subject, how do you get it to run offline?

Make sure you are either NOT connected to the internet, or you block Steam from having access to the internet. If steam can't detect a connection it will start itself in offline mode.

 

[NapalmAndFriends]

Is that all? So having to be connected to the internet to play is false?
Or do I just need the first update or something?

 

[The Mullinator]

Is that all? So having to be connected to the internet to play is false?
Or do I just need the first update or something?

You need to be connected for the first time you play Half-Life 2 right after the installation, thats so that Half-Life 2 can be validated. After that you can start in off-line mode whenever you want for however long you want and play Half-Life 2 to your hearts content.

 

[NapalmAndFriends]

Cool. Just what I needed to hear. :smoking:

Have you tried yourself?

 

[The Mullinator]

Cool. Just what I needed to hear. :smoking:

Have you tried yourself?

A few times, although I never really saw the need of working in off-line mode with my computer and net connection.

 

[NapalmAndFriends]

I'll need to 'cause I'm going on a holiday after I get the game. :cheers:

Thanks for all the help!

 

[The Mullinator]

It is no problem whatsoever.

 

[NapalmAndFriends]

And now, to apologise to the sidetrack, I'll post my opinion:

I couldn't care less about a manual.

 

[Mechagodzilla]

The only thing of real value in a manual would be to fill in Gordon's backstory.
But, since absolutely nothing happens to Gordon between the end of HL1 and the start of Hl2, there's no backstory to fill in.

 

[CookieCuttah]

Tregor---> Dumb ****s are the reason communism doesn't work.
Ironic eh? Nuf said.

 

[wassup]

On the subject, how do you get it to run offline?

As an example - The way you can ensure offline use into the future is: R-Click on the steam icon select play games, Then R-Click on Half-Life 2 and go to properties, Select "Do Not Update Automatically".

It's this sort of stuff that would have been nice in the manual to stop thousands of people from having to come to sites like these and make such posts. It is not the customer’s fault but the fact that the system has no explanation.

Like many, my game would work offline for some time and then suddenly not let me play offline (CONNECTION REFUSED even when i clicked play offline).

Also, I never said i was having trouble playing the game (i finished it some time ago). But like many i am accustomed to recieving a manual with games i spend money on.

The question was:
Why is there no Manual included in the game?
And was there a manual included with HL1?

 

[urban]

Don’t get me wrong - I love HL2 and respect VALVe very much

But where is the Manual?, I bought the Collectors DVD but I don’t count that prima book as a manual. And the poor CD owners all they get is that stupid piece of orange paper.

?[/COLOR]

will people stop calling it the cd version its a dvd FFS !

but yes it was a rip off, its vivenda's fault...they are the publishers ...they ripped the retails off because of arguements with valve over steam

 

[ChronosWing]

Umm, there is a cd version fool, he was reffering to the non collectors edtion, all they got was a quick reference card, and 5 cd's. But anyway there is backstory in the prima book, maybe if you had bothered to read it you would of realizes its close enough to a manuel.

 

[wassup]

But anyway there is backstory in the prima book, maybe if you had bothered to read it you would of realizes its close enough to a manuel.

At last a good reply - thanks ;0)

As i said in the first post (if you had bothered to read it) the prima book if full of 100% spoilers i would pay cash to have not seen any of that book before i started playing. The backstory in that book is good but they also tell you of all the enemies and in this way spoil much of the game.

The prima book is not A MANUAL.

I dont like 6 CD games but in this case i would have got them if i knew there was no manual in any of the retail packages

Question stands:
Why is there no Manual included in the game?
And was there a manual included with HL1?

Please tell me to STFU if there was no manual with HL1

 

[Pi Mu Rho]

A game like HL2 doesn't need a manual.

 

[StainlessJ-FPGA]

The only thing of real value in a manual would be to fill in Gordon's backstory.
But, since absolutely nothing happens to Gordon between the end of HL1 and the start of Hl2, there's no backstory to fill in.

What about all of us who didn't play hl1 or CS and don't know what the crap we are doing? Because honestly, I prayed to God they at least had controls standard because that reference card doesn't help at all in CS. And it doesn't even have all the controls for hl2. Plus, I don't know how to make a server, what commands I should know, troubleshooting, heck I didn't even know about steam until I ran the game, which pissed me off for about 3 hours after I bought the game. A manual for a bundled game like this is totally necessary.

And although I respect the idea of having the whole story within the game, I didn't play HL1. I still don't know wtf is going on, and there is no story in the game. Everyone is too vague for there to be a story. "I don't go there anymore" well why?!?! I for one think the story is retarded.

 

[wassup]

I did not have any of those problems StainlessJ-FPGA but it's still a very good point. Lots of people would have been new to HL2 and even more would be new to CSS so we almost should have recieved a manual for both.

Question stands:
Why is there no Manual included with the game?
And was there a manual included with HL1?

 

[giant384]

the little orange paper u get in the box is the manual

 

[Asus]

I noticed a trend of cutting costs. CD sleeves instead of jewel cases, no manual, thin collectors edtion and gold package box. If that is not why there was no manual then I wouldn't know.

Of course it was a worldwide release.

 

[wassup]

$129 AU no manual just some "little orange paper"

 

[wassup]

Question stands:
Why is there no Manual included with the game?
And was there a manual included with HL1?

 

[Pi Mu Rho]

Answer stands:
Because it doesn;t need a manual

 

[GRIMEY]

There's no excuse for not making a manual. Seriously what were they thinking?

 

[DEATH eVADER]

Manuals don't have to be big, but be a quality read, The manual for shenmue and shenmue 2 where interesting

 

[wassup]

Every game should have a manual even mario bros - no matter if there is 2 buttons or 10. I wish people would read "some" of the post, i hate the usual there is a manual or we dont need a manual stuff.

Question stands:
Why is there no Manual included with the game?
And was there a manual included with HL1? (i'm more interested in this one now!)

 

[Pi Mu Rho]

This thread is.....pointless.