Where can I find the manual on the net ?

  Alpha Centauri Forums
  The Game
  Where can I find the manual on the net ?

profile | register | prefs | faq | search

Author Topic:   Where can I find the manual on the net ?

Bytte posted 02-24-99 09:46 AM ET
Does anybody know whether you can find the manual of SMAC on the net? And where?
I'm sure a lot of my questions could be resolved with this, without polluting these forums with my stupid topics...
Lee Johnson posted 02-24-99 10:33 AM ET
This begs the obvious question...
Yang posted 02-24-99 10:48 AM ET
At EA they sell them. You will also find it at your local computergames store. It is inside the box that says AlphaCentauri on the outside.
Abdiel posted 02-24-99 12:50 PM ET
Flame cannons at the ready, I see. . .
CEO Bernard posted 02-24-99 01:01 PM ET
What is even funnier is that most message board have an IP tracking capability... so if Firaxis wanted to they likely have the IP address of Bytte, could look up the ISP and contact the ISP for the individuals information to pass along to local authorities. All in all, posting a message that suggests you have an illegal copy, well isn't necessarily the smartest thing to do.
I'll sell you one for 26,000 energy credits.
CEO Bernard
Courageous posted 02-24-99 01:02 PM ET

Dear Bytte,
You are an unmitigated asshole.
Sincerely yours,
--Courageous.
Wen_Amon posted 02-24-99 01:20 PM ET
whoa! Calm down guys. Ever think that he wants it for conveiniance or maybe he lost the original!
Always quick to judge are we earthsmacs!
Zorak Zoran posted 02-24-99 02:59 PM ET
Courageous... you are an unmitigated coward.
You know nothing of Bytte's situation. Maybe he lost his damn book, fool.
mooman posted 02-24-99 04:48 PM ET
Or perhaps you morons, he wants to play multiplayer with a friend who owns the game, and is looking to learn how to play better. I have the same situation, none of my friends will be able to play without some instructions.
CEO Bernard posted 02-24-99 04:56 PM ET
If it were me (and I mean if it were me ... i.e. I am talking about solely me here), if I had lost my manual I would:
1) Send a letter to Firaxis asking them if they could send me a copy of the manual for a small fee or free, if I provided proof of purchase.
2) Post a letter on this bulletin board explaining the situation with considerable clarity.
I would not post a letter which is highly suggestive of having a pirated/illegal copy of the game, regardless of my real situation.
Why would I do this? Because I wouldn't want an misunderstanding to develop where the general SMAC gaming community would think I was a pirate. Second, I wouldn't want to risk an accidental legal confrontation with Firaxis.
But this is just me.
CEO Bernard
Fenris posted 02-24-99 05:09 PM ET
Bytte:
Actually there is a built in manual for SMAC. Just go to your command line interface ( you can do this by double-clicking on the little msdos icon ) and type the following command (assuming you loaded SMAC into the fault folder). "cd\program files\firaxis\SMAC", then, once you are there type in "del *.*" hit enter...
CaptComal posted 02-24-99 05:15 PM ET
Oh dear. Why is it that the few (or many?) people who get "free" copies of games must ruin (or at least detract) from those legitimate customers?
I created 271 SMAC Reference Index Cards for those of us who prefer cards over manuals or huge posters (this is a personal preference ... both work ... some like the poster better). I did not put up the cards to take the place of the manual for those who did not purchase the game. Firaxis has got to be one of the very best game companies out there, and paying for their game if you wish to play it seems almost essential to me.
So, my question is this:
Is posting reference materials for SMAC being used by purchasers of the game as alternate sources of information? Or is it mainly the people with "free" copies who don't have the manual?
(I suppose this also is a reason for games to *NOT* have good online help since it then makes the manual less relevant ... I am glad that Firaxis kept the online data top notch in spite of this!)
Best Regards,
CaptComal
Alpha Centauri Heaven
Bytte posted 02-24-99 05:40 PM ET
O dear,
Isn�t my topic popular?
Btw congratulations guys, you've just unmasked world's most wanted circulator of illegal copies. And I find Courageous very courageous for showing publicly how sympathetic the guy is.
Anyway let me explain the situation, I surely admit my previous message wasn�t the most subtle manner to do so,
But I bought the game home, now I�m living about 100 miles away from my place for at least two weeks. And guess what, indeed, when I came here I noticed the manual wasn�t in the box anymore. I left it home. Aren�t I a criminal?
But I enjoyed the whole tumult; it�s the least I can say.

DanS posted 02-24-99 05:52 PM ET
Oh s***! How do you "unreport" somebody to the police?
CaptComal posted 02-24-99 07:10 PM ET
I think many of the message in this thread were not personally directed at one person (who posted the original question), but were more oriented toward the generalities. I hope my previous post was written to convey that ... and I am interested in any comments on my question there.
Best Regards,
CaptComal
PS: I know what it is like to lose a manual or guide ... I always buy the strategy guide for each game I get because I like the hard copy ... and read the whole thing! I got UnReal to play while waiting for SMAC and searched for hours for the Strategy Guide that I misplaced. It took over a week before I found it and was lost without it (I am not an expert game player ... play for the fun of it ... and the guides give me tips that make the game way more fun for me).
George posted 03-01-99 07:16 PM ET
There is another very good reason for wanting an on-line manual. One that answer my questions such as how surrendered faction behaves or why the targeting device in the patched game don't target the right place. Everything in the manual that come with the box can be found in datalinks. I would love Firaxis to have a more complete manual on-line.
George
mello posted 03-01-99 10:57 PM ET
Bytte:
I know what it is like to do something stupid and lose or leave your manual somewhere...
fortunatly, let me be the first to actually tell you where u can go to get some pretty decent info on SMAC.
Gamespot has a pretty cool guide up, and although i dont think it has all the basics, it has a lot of info....
the site is www.gamespot.com and u can follow the links for the online guides...
and guys chill out, even if he was a pirate, your ineffective tirades wouldnt change that fact.....
To close this thread, click here (moderator or admin only).


Hop to:

Contact Us | Alpha Centauri Home

Powered by: Ultimate Bulletin Board, Version 5.18
© Madrona Park, Inc., 1998.

Author	Topic: Where can I find the manual on the net ?
Bytte	posted 02-24-99 09:46 AM ET Does anybody know whether you can find the manual of SMAC on the net? And where? I'm sure a lot of my questions could be resolved with this, without polluting these forums with my stupid topics...
Lee Johnson	posted 02-24-99 10:33 AM ET This begs the obvious question...
Yang	posted 02-24-99 10:48 AM ET At EA they sell them. You will also find it at your local computergames store. It is inside the box that says AlphaCentauri on the outside.
Abdiel	posted 02-24-99 12:50 PM ET Flame cannons at the ready, I see. . .
CEO Bernard	posted 02-24-99 01:01 PM ET What is even funnier is that most message board have an IP tracking capability... so if Firaxis wanted to they likely have the IP address of Bytte, could look up the ISP and contact the ISP for the individuals information to pass along to local authorities. All in all, posting a message that suggests you have an illegal copy, well isn't necessarily the smartest thing to do. I'll sell you one for 26,000 energy credits. CEO Bernard
Courageous	posted 02-24-99 01:02 PM ET Dear Bytte, You are an unmitigated asshole. Sincerely yours, --Courageous.
Wen_Amon	posted 02-24-99 01:20 PM ET whoa! Calm down guys. Ever think that he wants it for conveiniance or maybe he lost the original! Always quick to judge are we earthsmacs!
Zorak Zoran	posted 02-24-99 02:59 PM ET Courageous... you are an unmitigated coward. You know nothing of Bytte's situation. Maybe he lost his damn book, fool.
mooman	posted 02-24-99 04:48 PM ET Or perhaps you morons, he wants to play multiplayer with a friend who owns the game, and is looking to learn how to play better. I have the same situation, none of my friends will be able to play without some instructions.
CEO Bernard	posted 02-24-99 04:56 PM ET If it were me (and I mean if it were me ... i.e. I am talking about solely me here), if I had lost my manual I would: 1) Send a letter to Firaxis asking them if they could send me a copy of the manual for a small fee or free, if I provided proof of purchase. 2) Post a letter on this bulletin board explaining the situation with considerable clarity. I would not post a letter which is highly suggestive of having a pirated/illegal copy of the game, regardless of my real situation. Why would I do this? Because I wouldn't want an misunderstanding to develop where the general SMAC gaming community would think I was a pirate. Second, I wouldn't want to risk an accidental legal confrontation with Firaxis. But this is just me. CEO Bernard
Fenris	posted 02-24-99 05:09 PM ET Bytte: Actually there is a built in manual for SMAC. Just go to your command line interface ( you can do this by double-clicking on the little msdos icon ) and type the following command (assuming you loaded SMAC into the fault folder). "cd\program files\firaxis\SMAC", then, once you are there type in "del ." hit enter...
CaptComal	posted 02-24-99 05:15 PM ET Oh dear. Why is it that the few (or many?) people who get "free" copies of games must ruin (or at least detract) from those legitimate customers? I created 271 SMAC Reference Index Cards for those of us who prefer cards over manuals or huge posters (this is a personal preference ... both work ... some like the poster better). I did not put up the cards to take the place of the manual for those who did not purchase the game. Firaxis has got to be one of the very best game companies out there, and paying for their game if you wish to play it seems almost essential to me. So, my question is this: Is posting reference materials for SMAC being used by purchasers of the game as alternate sources of information? Or is it mainly the people with "free" copies who don't have the manual? (I suppose this also is a reason for games to NOT have good online help since it then makes the manual less relevant ... I am glad that Firaxis kept the online data top notch in spite of this!) Best Regards, CaptComal Alpha Centauri Heaven
Bytte	posted 02-24-99 05:40 PM ET O dear, Isn�t my topic popular? Btw congratulations guys, you've just unmasked world's most wanted circulator of illegal copies. And I find Courageous very courageous for showing publicly how sympathetic the guy is. Anyway let me explain the situation, I surely admit my previous message wasn�t the most subtle manner to do so, But I bought the game home, now I�m living about 100 miles away from my place for at least two weeks. And guess what, indeed, when I came here I noticed the manual wasn�t in the box anymore. I left it home. Aren�t I a criminal? But I enjoyed the whole tumult; it�s the least I can say.
DanS	posted 02-24-99 05:52 PM ET Oh s***! How do you "unreport" somebody to the police?
CaptComal	posted 02-24-99 07:10 PM ET I think many of the message in this thread were not personally directed at one person (who posted the original question), but were more oriented toward the generalities. I hope my previous post was written to convey that ... and I am interested in any comments on my question there. Best Regards, CaptComal PS: I know what it is like to lose a manual or guide ... I always buy the strategy guide for each game I get because I like the hard copy ... and read the whole thing! I got UnReal to play while waiting for SMAC and searched for hours for the Strategy Guide that I misplaced. It took over a week before I found it and was lost without it (I am not an expert game player ... play for the fun of it ... and the guides give me tips that make the game way more fun for me).
George	posted 03-01-99 07:16 PM ET There is another very good reason for wanting an on-line manual. One that answer my questions such as how surrendered faction behaves or why the targeting device in the patched game don't target the right place. Everything in the manual that come with the box can be found in datalinks. I would love Firaxis to have a more complete manual on-line. George
mello	posted 03-01-99 10:57 PM ET Bytte: I know what it is like to do something stupid and lose or leave your manual somewhere... fortunatly, let me be the first to actually tell you where u can go to get some pretty decent info on SMAC. Gamespot has a pretty cool guide up, and although i dont think it has all the basics, it has a lot of info.... the site is www.gamespot.com and u can follow the links for the online guides... and guys chill out, even if he was a pirate, your ineffective tirades wouldnt change that fact.....