Confessions of a Groghead

[MarkShot]

Age has changed my disposition.

When I was younger I was eager to install something new. Now, I consider a learning curve to be nuisance unless the genre and product are very compelling. Othwise, I prefer getting deep into old games for which I already know the game and it has unlimited content/replay.

[Bison]

Sadly I find that I'm beginning to fall more in line with your reasoning Mark, but being a fool I attempt to respond by trying new things before I go back to the old trusty standbys. 

Which reminds me I need to fire up some Campaign Series to get in some hex based gaming.

[Steelgrave]

Unfortunately, I have to say "ditto". I seldom take the time to learn a really complicated game anymore, preferring old favorites or games which I am familiar with because of their linage (Skyrim, Civ, etc....). The deepest games I've gotten into lately are things like SotS, Armada 2526 Supernova, Advanced Tactics Gold and Conflict of Heroes. Essentially I like to jump into a game,  be able to figure out a few things from get-go, then dig around and pick up the finer points of the economic system or whatever. A game that starts up and has me staring at the screen wondering wtf to do often leads to me firing up something I'm comfortable with. Ehhhh.....this from the Avalon Hill Advance Squad Leader dude with the counters all over the living room table years ago  ??? It happens.

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

Same with me.  I used to love getting to grips with a new, complicated interface and slowly mastering it.   I should be madly in love with the DCS line of products, but the thought of trying to figure out how to use a weapons system or radar package just seems like work and I don't want to even try.

[MarkShot]

Of course, years ago games came with a well written tutorial, technical reference, and historical/conceptual reference. Although a lot to read, once you did, you could be playing.

These days you're lucky to get a keyboard reference. If you haven't played many others in the genre or played earlier releases, then your only hope is to learn is from forum posts or YouTube videos.

So, maybe there is more than aging going on here.

[Steelgrave]

^GOOD POINT!

I used to take many a manual into the bathroom to catch up on my reading. Its a lot harder to do that with a computer screen, even IF they had a manual online.   8)

[LongBlade]

Meh. This is an amateur-level omission.

No one these days expects a 200 page manual. However, inserting an extra two pages into a .pdf to explain new units would not be a lot of effort.

The most likely explanation is money. I would bet a dollar that a manual was discussed. Probably making the manual was a job to be outsourced. I know who used to do this stuff. He's excellent. He's reasonable. But it was going to cost money. And I'd wager yet another dollar that the decision was made not to pay for the update. Hence the readme.txt.

Is this a game-killing problem? Depends on whether you've ever played a game where engineers are used to clear mines. And whether you know that pioniere are the Germans' engineers.

If I'm a n00b and I don't know any of that? I'm probably screwed. Even a veteran gamer like Airboy struggled. I don't blame him for being unhappy about the lack of explanation.

[Bison]

I confess that LB might have meant his post for another thread.   

[Steelgrave]

He's mad because I used caps    ;D

[LongBlade]

I confess that LB might have meant his post for another thread.   

NEVER point out when I am wrong.

Not that I was wrong. I am NEVER wrong. That wasn't the post you were looking for.

And I will Force Crush every beer can in your fridge if you do that again!

[MetalDog]

LB, you're killing me with that sig line, dude. 

[LongBlade]

LB, you're killing me with that sig line, dude.

Bison was my inspiration.

[Arctic Blast]

LB, you're killing me with that sig line, dude.

Bison was my inspiration.

That's a horrifying statement.  :o

[Martok]

Age has changed my disposition.

When I was younger I was eager to install something new. Now, I consider a learning curve to be nuisance unless the genre and product are very compelling. Othwise, I prefer getting deep into old games for which I already know the game and it has unlimited content/replay.

Sadly I find that I'm beginning to fall more in line with your reasoning Mark, but being a fool I attempt to respond by trying new things before I go back to the old trusty standbys. 

Which reminds me I need to fire up some Campaign Series to get in some hex based gaming.

Unfortunately, I have to say "ditto". I seldom take the time to learn a really complicated game anymore, preferring old favorites or games which I am familiar with because of their linage (Skyrim, Civ, etc....). The deepest games I've gotten into lately are things like SotS, Armada 2526 Supernova, Advanced Tactics Gold and Conflict of Heroes. Essentially I like to jump into a game,  be able to figure out a few things from get-go, then dig around and pick up the finer points of the economic system or whatever. A game that starts up and has me staring at the screen wondering wtf to do often leads to me firing up something I'm comfortable with. Ehhhh.....this from the Avalon Hill Advance Squad Leader dude with the counters all over the living room table years ago  ??? It happens.

Same with me.  I used to love getting to grips with a new, complicated interface and slowly mastering it.   I should be madly in love with the DCS line of products, but the thought of trying to figure out how to use a weapons system or radar package just seems like work and I don't want to even try.

I share all these sentiments as well. 

These days, if a new game has a complicated UI, I can only get into it if I find it particularly compelling (Distant Worlds and Crusader Kings 2 both being good examples).  I think it's why I continue to struggle with AGEOD titles, despite my interest in both the historical periods and the gameplay. 

LB, you're killing me with that sig line, dude.

Bison was my inspiration.

That's a horrifying statement.  :o

Personally, I think it's hilarious!  :D 

[Keunert]

and i thought Harley must have been the inspiration to LB's sig line.