Southern Storm Game Documentation Format

The new Cold War turned hot wargame from On Target Simulations, now expanded with the Player's Edition! Choose the NATO or Soviet forces in one of many scenarios or two linked campaigns. No effort was spared to model modern warfare realistically, including armor, infantry, helicopters, air support, artillery, electronic warfare, chemical and nuclear weapons. An innovative new asynchronous turn order means that OODA loops and various effects on C3 are accurately modeled as never before.

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CapnDarwin
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Southern Storm Game Documentation Format

Post by CapnDarwin »

Currently, we are looking at close to 10 manuals or guides to ship with Southern Storm and that volume of information will change over time as bugs are fixed, game play is tweaked, and new features are added to the core game engine. Our plan is to use more of a "living rules" mode going forward. In this case, as updates are generated, we plan to update or add to the existing documentation instead of utilizing a What's New doc like we did for Red Storm. The upside is we push out updated PDF documentation and wiki site (planned for our new website). The downside is a printed manual (just the main game manual like Red Storm) becomes obsolete with the update.

So the question put forth here is the following: In what form(s) would you prefer to see future game documentation? You can choose more than one. If there is another way let me know in the comments.
OTS is looking forward to Southern Storm getting released!

Cap'n Darwin aka Jim Snyder
On Target Simulations LLC
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zakblood
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RE: Southern Storm game documentation

Post by zakblood »

pdf's for me, so it's user choice to print, saves paper, but lets those who wish to have one, print there own imo

edited as also would be nice if it or all could be accessed in game if and when needed etc?

good idea and doable or not?
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CapnDarwin
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RE: Southern Storm game documentation

Post by CapnDarwin »

Zakblood, you can call up the PDFs from the help menu in game now. That feature should should stay in any of the follow on games. Or are you looking for something different?
OTS is looking forward to Southern Storm getting released!

Cap'n Darwin aka Jim Snyder
On Target Simulations LLC
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FroBodine
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RE: Southern Storm game documentation

Post by FroBodine »

I LOVE your living rulebook approach, where the complete rulebooks are always updated with the latest and greatest. The What's New approach was ok, but there got to be too many documents to refer to as each new version came out. Consolidating and keeping the "one rulebook to rule them all" always up to date is awesome!

Thank you!
JPV511
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RE: Southern Storm game documentation

Post by JPV511 »

I'm not inclined to print manuals these days and would prefer to avoid redundant documents on my computer. I think a single pdf that is updated when needed will suit me best. However, I still think a list of what's new is still handy.
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Crossroads
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RE: Southern Storm game documentation

Post by Crossroads »

I voted PDFs on All, but added Printed Main Game manual, too. So while I upload all PDF manuals to my tablet, would be really cool if you guys can get Matrix to have the Southern Storm main manual out as a Hard cover they've had recently on selected games. I believe the world needs a Flashpoint Campaigns hardcover, it really does [:)]
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CapnDarwin
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RE: Southern Storm game documentation

Post by CapnDarwin »

Crossroads, the only thing that scares me on a printed manual, hard or soft cover, is how fast a good chunk of information will be obsolete in a few weeks and just be less accurate as time goes by. Would be cool to see a big hardback guide though. [;)]
OTS is looking forward to Southern Storm getting released!

Cap'n Darwin aka Jim Snyder
On Target Simulations LLC
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Crossroads
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RE: Southern Storm game documentation

Post by Crossroads »

ORIGINAL: CapnDarwin

Crossroads, the only thing that scares me on a printed manual, hard or soft cover, is how fast a good chunk of information will be obsolete in a few weeks and just be less accurate as time goes by. Would be cool to see a big hardback guide though. [;)]

Sure, but that's what the PDFs are for, right. In this digital age, it was really cool that Matrix took this novel approach with hardcover guides.
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Tejszd
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RE: Southern Storm game documentation

Post by Tejszd »

How about a hard cover small binder?
- provides a physical manual
- user replaceable pages so that patches/updates can be provided in PDF files then users print individual pages/sections as required
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CapnDarwin
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RE: Southern Storm game documentation

Post by CapnDarwin »

Tejszd. Two issues I see with that idea. 1) Matrix would have to have that as a publishing option. We can ask. 2) The bigger issue would be updating pages. If we add something on page one that moves information affecting all other pages you have to reprint a ton of pages. Each time it happens. My guess, it would be easier/cheaper to just buy a three-ring binder with the cover sleeve and print from the PDF and insert the cover page into the front of the binder. I've done that in the past for a few games.
OTS is looking forward to Southern Storm getting released!

Cap'n Darwin aka Jim Snyder
On Target Simulations LLC
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OldSarge
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RE: Southern Storm game documentation

Post by OldSarge »

I'm good with the manuals being in a PDF format, most modern word processors support tracking document changes and exports to PDF format so probably easier to keep everything up to date,the idea of a Wiki site is also nice.
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z1812
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RE: Southern Storm Game Documentation Format

Post by z1812 »

Updating the PDF manual would be most efficient. However a whats new should also be available.

I wouldn't want to read through the manual just to see whats
new.
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CapnDarwin
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RE: Southern Storm Game Documentation Format

Post by CapnDarwin »

z1812, as noted above a simple What's New will still happen. Won't be the comprehensive and detailed Red Storm style, but it will list all the changes.
OTS is looking forward to Southern Storm getting released!

Cap'n Darwin aka Jim Snyder
On Target Simulations LLC
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z1812
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RE: Southern Storm Game Documentation Format

Post by z1812 »

ORIGINAL: CapnDarwin

z1812, as noted above a simple What's New will still happen. Won't be the comprehensive and detailed Red Storm style, but it will list all the changes.

Thanks for the reply.
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Stonedog
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RE: Southern Storm Game Documentation Format

Post by Stonedog »

PDF included and the option to purchase the Now Available "Box Upgrade" currently being offered here on the Matrix site. Everyone is happy then . Thos, like myself , willing to pay more for the printed manuals have that option, and those that like the PDF digital format , for a lesser cost also , get what they prefer. Everyone wins !


Stone Dog

Edit ; Maybe a printed version could include a very large and extensive DATA BASE section for units included in the game , that would be less likely to become obsolete instantly and provide a incentive for purchase of the printed version if it was well done and more in-depth than the DB in the pdf. i.e pictures detailed text descriptions and the like as a initial thought.
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rgeiger
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RE: Southern Storm Game Documentation Format

Post by rgeiger »

I'll concur with Stonedog above.
PDFs of all the manuals included with the game (and updated when the game mechanics change) and the additional option to buy a "box upgrade" with a printed main manual - at least for the main manual. Of course knowing that the printed manual will not be updated - it would still look good on my book shelf [:'(]. Also, I just prefer to have a tangible manual beside me while learning to play. Having the PDF open on a second laptop just doesn't feel right. Falcon 3.0 and Harpoon wouldn't have been so much fun back in the days without having to browse through all those books...
JoeMK
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RE: Southern Storm game documentation

Post by JoeMK »

I like all your printer-friendly pdfs! Printed them out on white paper of 90g/sq m, double-sided, I still love "browzing" and reading this analog material. A wiki site should have well designed printing features.

Thank you all.
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