The mystery of the missing strategy guide.

[Didz]

This is actually getting a bit spooky now.

Having failed to find a decent manual on the disk, I thought that I'd invest in a strategy guide to go with my ETW, and I actually can't find one available for sale. Both Amazon and Play say its unavailable, and Brady Games who publish it says its no longer available. I've also tried several price comparison websites and it seem no bookseller in the UK has a copy for sale.

So, what the hells going on?

If anyone spots one post a link here plz.

[Karash]

How do you make a strat guide to a game that is not finished?

[BeenPlayingSinceRTW]

How do you make a strat guide to a game that is not finished?

Same thing I was thinking.

[Didz]

Well they seem to have managed it, its just that you can;t get your hands on it anywhere.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Empire-Total...8000863&sr=1-5

[quadalpha]

The fact that they release them more or less when the game is released should tell you plenty about how good they are.

[andrewt]

How do you make a strat guide to a game that is not finished?

Almost every commercial strat guide that exists is for a game that is not finished.

Think about it. Even if the game is really finished on schedule, there is still the matter of writing the guide. That means the Brady games of the world are writing their guides based on versions that are months outdated compared to the release version.

[Rufus]

Since there's a number of pages listed on the Amazon link, presumably the strategy guide is written but not published yet, for some reason.

[Karash]

I find the lack of sarcasm filters on this board disturbing.

[MikeV]

This is actually getting a bit spooky now.

Having failed to find a decent manual on the disk, I thought that I'd invest in a strategy guide to go with my ETW, and I actually can't find one available for sale. Both Amazon and Play say its unavailable, and Brady Games who publish it says its no longer available. I've also tried several price comparison websites and it seem no bookseller in the UK has a copy for sale.

So, what the hells going on?

If anyone spots one post a link here plz.

It's the 21st Century, the information is online: http://shoguntotalwar.yuku.com/topic...Total-War.html

[Didz]

It's the 21st Century, the information is online: http://shoguntotalwar.yuku.com/topic...Total-War.html

Yeah! I did see that but its not a proper guide. I can't sit and read it on the train to work, or take it to bed with me so its pretty useless. The best I can do is try and print it out.

[Nope! it won't print directly from the website and causes Word to crash if you try and copy the content across, so its back to wating for something in book form.]

[NimitsTexan]

It's the 21st Century, the information is online: http://shoguntotalwar.yuku.com/topic...Total-War.html

No offense, but that is not a professional, paper, published guide/manual, which is what players are looking for. Specifically, it does not have the handy access to unit stats, etc. that I can reference either in game, or look at while away from my computer. When I am sitting at my computer on the internet is exactly the time I do not need to use or want to bother with a strategy guide.

FYI, after contacting them, Bradygames informed me that the E:TW strategy guide was cancelled (whether at Sega/CA's request, or by Bradygames's call, they did not eleborate). There will be no published strategy guide for E:TW to the best of my knowledge, which is a crying shame if you ask me.

[Didz]

So they haven't bothered publishing one, but they won't let anyone else do it for them.

That makes sense.

[foop]

Specifically, it does not have the handy access to unit stats, etc. that I can reference either in game, or look at while away from my computer.

For that, you need The Fusil. I agree with you, though, there's nothing like having a physical object to read when you're away from the computer.

That said, I haven't bought strategy guides since MTW because the only useful bit in some of them has been the unit stats. The rest of it is pretty much "this is the naughty end, point it towards your enemy". Instead, I print stuff from these forums to read on the train to work (including Froggy's excellent guides).

[MikeV]

Yeah! I did see that but its not a proper guide. I can't sit and read it on the train to work, or take it to bed with me so its pretty useless.

Well, the best discussion of strategy and tactics is online. You might want a better wireless connection for your train ride. As for bedmates, I prefer someone more cuddly than computer game data

For a dump of the unit data files, you can try downloading the FUSIL: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?kyzmymunagl

[Didz]

Well, the best discussion of strategy and tactics is online. You might want a better wireless connection for your train ride.

Uugh! can't stand people who use laptops in trains, is the modern form of posing and is totally anti-social. Not only that but every man and his dog can see exactly what your doing, which doesn't matter so much if its ETW, but I've sat next to lawyers reading condifential case reports, doctors reading case notes, all sorts. If I was going to indulge in that sort of behaviour then I'd play ETW not read about it, plus of course if my clients knew I could be contacted on the train I'd never get a minutes peace, its bad enough keeping my moblile number secret.

As for cuddly bed mates, yeah chance would be a fine thing, bit too old for that stuff now. I've reached the dirty old man stage of life where I get to look, reminisce and regret missed opportunities rather than indulge.

[thurjack_mahr]

If only there were a place we could go to get advice for strategy on this game, since there is no manual!

But where are we supposed to go to find a wealth of information about a Total War game?

...

(/sarc)

[Melvish]

@Karash: sarcasm always brighten my days.

IMHO the best source for a strategy guide would be here :The Org guides

It is written by more than one peoples so you get a larger scope of strategy covered. Plus it is totally free.
If something is not covered feel free to post a question, chance are someone already have the answer and will be happy to help you.

[Forward Observer]

It seems odd that Brady would plan a guide and then cancel it, unless they did so based on a lack of a commit to buy from their various retail outlets like the Gamestop franchises, Amazon, and the various chain book stores.

Still, it amazes me that companies like Brady publish, and people actually buy, strat guides for stupidly simple FPS games like COD and the like. Although I've hardly ever use them, I have always purchased the Total war guides probably for as much as a collectible as anything else, so I have them all---from Shogun on.

Of course, it also always amazes me that CA can produce such complex games as the Total war series and then accompany them with brief, crappy manuals that wouldn't even qualify as good cliff notes. I mean come on; a 32 page manual for a game like Empire is almost an insult to the paying customer.

What they could have done for the $20 more expensive special edition is forget the useless special edition units,a the black and white outline map of the game world, and the single volume DVD of a multi-volume set of a History Channel DVDs, and instead stuck in a decent 150 to 250 page well written game manual complete unit stats as of release.

I do remember downloading a copy of the manual for Shogun that went out with the English/European release of the game and being amazed at how much better and more complete it was than one that came with the US version, so I wonder if they are still different?
__________________

[Didz]

There used to be a time when the quality of a computer wargame was judged by the thickness of its manual. Anyone remember Harpoon?

[Ethelred Unread]

I was going to start a new thread on this but not only is my place of residence in the game, but in early 1720 something the game references Longman publishers my current employers!

This may be more than a co-incidence because Longman is now owned by Pearson, who also own Bradygames.

I'll look up the ISBN at work on Monday and let you know a publishing date.

Incidentally the reason people like Bradygames publish strat guides is because the San Andreas one sold gazillions of copies - I saw the sales figures for this title and it basically gave everyone employed by Pearson about £20 in their paypackets at company profit share time.

[Graphic]

Have you ever smelled a strategy guide? Bury your face deep in the pages of one. It smells wonderful.

I'd buy "new strategy guide" air fresheners. And "new socks" air fresheners while I'm at it.

[MikeV]

No offense, but that is not a professional, paper, published guide/manual, which is what players are looking for. Specifically, it does not have the handy access to unit stats, etc. that I can reference either in game, or look at while away from my computer. When I am sitting at my computer on the internet is exactly the time I do not need to use or want to bother with a strategy guide.

Well, there is a nicely formatted .pdf version that you can download and print. http://uploading.com/files/TA02MQBK/...ideV2.pdf.html

But the key point about the online version is that you can contribute to it ...

[Didz]

Well, there is a nicely formatted .pdf version that you can download and print. http://uploading.com/files/TA02MQBK/...ideV2.pdf.html

But the key point about the online version is that you can contribute to it ...

I actually decided to do that last night as I had an hour or two free to sit and read something, but after going through the deliberately imposed wait penalty imposed by the download site to persuade me to subscribe I found that what actually got downloaded was only half the content of the manual. It stopped suddenly just after the diplomacy section. Although the download said it was finished.

[Bob the Insane]

This is an interesting question...

Every other TW game has had a Prima or Bradygames guide release with it. The high point being the MTW Bradygames guide with the actual calculations for combat from the game.

I do support a user created guide, but considering E:TW is topping PC sales charts all over the place it seems like a big loss of potential revenue not to have pumped out some from of hardcopy guide.

It could be that they where working on the game all the way up to the wire (and they are still working of course) and simply didn;t have the time for the guide...

Still, it is a little odd...

[Didz]

I do support a user created guide, but considering E:TW is topping PC sales charts all over the place it seems like a big loss of potential revenue not to have pumped out some from of hardcopy guide.

Absolutely, I actually went credit card in hand to both Amazon and Play intent of buying one, only to find they didn't exist. I mean whose bright idea was that.