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A good old reference manual

Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2018 8:17 am
by auraes
I'm looking for a well-made game manual that could serve as an example for my game. I like the Windham Classics manuals and I will be inspired by them, but is there a reference manual?

Re: A good old reference manual

Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2018 8:47 am
by Strident
The Magnetic Scrolls games used to have really decent manuals which took players through the basics of an adventure. You could certainly use similar headings to structure your own manual.

See for example...
https://msmemorial.if-legends.org/games ... wn_gpg.pdf

(downloaded from https://msmemorial.if-legends.org/games.htm/pawn.php )

Re: A good old reference manual

Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2018 12:21 pm
by Garry
Look at quite a few and pick the best and clearest elements of each one. Here's a few suggestions:
Welcome to Interactive Fiction
Interactive Fiction Player's Guide, Howard A Sherman, Malinche Entertainment, 2004
Any of the Infocom user manuals

I'm sure a web search will find these. If you can't find the first two, send me a PM and I'll send you the PDF files.

Re: A good old reference manual

Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2018 8:42 pm
by auraes
Thank you for your answers.
Garry wrote:
Wed Dec 05, 2018 12:21 pm
Look at quite a few and pick the best and clearest elements of each one.
Yes, that's what I'm going to do.

I want to put the game vocabulary and basic instructions for beginner players.
I would like it to fit into a double-sided A4 sheet with a landscape orientation, folded in half, so that it can be easily printed by the player on a common printer. It's not much, but I'll try.
I have limited space, so I want to be clear, precise and efficient.

(I didn't find the books you're telling me about, but I'll look for them.)

Re: A good old reference manual

Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2018 5:33 pm
by Mr Creosote

Re: A good old reference manual

Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2018 5:58 pm
by Strident
Mr Creosote wrote:
Fri Dec 07, 2018 5:33 pm
Like this one?

https://pr-if.org/doc/play-if-card/play-if-card.pdf
That's a great cribsheet. :)