The Manual

[jreebel]

I'm still learning TOAW, working thru the Korea tutorial and looking for other guidance. Some of that guidance has come from here, and I thank those who have helped.

I'm a TOAW noobie. But I've been playing wargames since the sixties, and computer wargames since the eighties. I admit that I don't devote nearly as much time to them as I used to. One more background factor - I'm a computer geek by trade - programmer, dba, systems integrator, etc. for over 25 years, so computer literacy is not a factor. I lay all this out so that you TOAW vets won't shrug this off as just lazy noobie ignorance.

So here goes: I think the manual stinks. Everyone seems to agree that there is a significant learning curve to the game. I think the inadequacy of the manual is a major factor. It jumps all over the place. It starts off with way too much detail before giving the reader an overview of how to play the game. It has a lot of scenario design related info mixed in with game play info, which can be very confusing. The tutorials look like an afterthought, although they contain a lot of essential information. New information is not incorporated into the manual, but must be found in the various "What's New" sections.

If it weren't for the articles I've found on the web (many of them referring back to the original TOAW) and the information from this listserve, I think I would have given up on the game. The game is complex enough without having to go out and get supporting materials and decide which are worth looking at, when they are germane, etc.

I've seen a lot of "wish list" types of threads here, but I think the biggest help to this great game would be a new, well organized and continuously updated online/electronic/printable manual. It should multiple sections, such as:

1. The basics how-to play and flow of the game.
2. Detailed information on the more complex areas such as supply, shock, etc.
3. Scenario design
4. Several tutorials, in a logical order starting simply.
5. Articles on strategy and tactics.
6. Plenty of examples.
7. Lots of links/indexing.
8. Icing on the cake could be a movie file of the first few turns of a game showing all the moves and explaining just what is happening.

OK, it seems like I'm asking for a lot. But a lot of this already exists, and it's all in electronic format, so putting it together would be nowhere near as tough as it was in the old board game days. If I had more experience with the game I'd even volunteer to try to pull this together myself. I think that it would greatly expand the reach and playability of this terrific game.