Home Trending Latest threads New posts Developer diaries

I just bought the game and.....

Jump to latest Follow Reply
  • We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.
U

unmerged(3184)

Recruit
Apr 19, 2001
2
0
Visit site
I'm feeling stupid, because I cannot figure out how to load troops onto ships. I've tried everything intuitive, and the ships refuse to load troops (and vice versa). Thus, this has greatly inhibited the gaming experience for me. And it's not like I haven't played RTS games before.

The manual is really not much help, since it seems to me that I am trying to do what it says to load troops. I must say the help section and guide aren't very helpful.

Someone please help the simpleton!

Thanks
 
Originally posted by the_patrick
I'm feeling stupid, because I cannot figure out how to load troops onto ships. I've tried everything intuitive, and the ships refuse to load troops (and vice versa). Thus, this has greatly inhibited the gaming experience for me. And it's not like I haven't played RTS games before.

The manual is really not much help, since it seems to me that I am trying to do what it says to load troops. I must say the help section and guide aren't very helpful.

Someone please help the simpleton!

Thanks
Click to expand...

I had the same newbie problem. Have fleet leave
port into adjacent sea zone. Click on troops
then right click on fleet. Troops will now
board. You can't load ships while ship is in
port.

Next thing, go to the "Faq" forum. Download all faqs
and read them over and over. There is also a "Table
of Contents" faq for the manual. The troop loading
thing is in the manual, but specific info is hard
to find without the ToC. The manual isn't a lot
of help with game mechanics. These forums and
assorted Faqs are. Also read those little pop-up
in-game hint boxes.

Welcome to our beautiful world.
 
You have to move the ships out of port and into the seazone, once the ships have reached the seazone, then you can load the troops on the ships.

Make sure that the size of your troops dosen't surpass the cargo capacity of the ships, if this is the case, then you can't load the troops.
 
Can anyone think of a worse manual for any game they've ever played? I've tried, and nothing compares to this dismal piece of garbage they call a manual.
 
Originally posted by Turkish Emperor
Can anyone think of a worse manual for any game they've ever played? I've tried, and nothing compares to this dismal piece of garbage they call a manual.
Click to expand...

Yes. Age of Sail 2 ships with this little "Gingivitus
and You" dentists office pamphlet that doesn't explain
half the features of the game. Then again, 3\4 of
aforementioned features don't work anyway. Assuming
you can actually get the game to run.

Actually, I don't think EU's manual is that bad. I
think the designers planned it that way. Learn the
game through playing it. Ruling an empire in this
era wasn't an exact science.

Frankly, I'm tired of the, "gotta get just one
more infantry platoon into the battle so I can
get 6-1 odds and no chance of a negative result"
stuff.

The EU way is much more immersive.
 
Kennison,

I tend to agree with you about the quality of the manual, although I think it should be a bit more technical and less descriptive... it seems we are reading a romance when what is needed is something more objective.
 
Manual could be a bit more help

I think that where the manual misses is in the actual explaination of all the interfaces. How do I set this, that, or the other thing. It does hold alot of info, but I had to play for a long time before I got a grip on the interface. I'm still learning =)
It can just be quite frustrating in the beginning
 
Originally posted by ubik
Kennison,

I tend to agree with you about the quality of the manual, although I think it should be a bit more technical and less descriptive... it seems we are reading a romance when what is needed is something more objective.
Click to expand...

You are correct, but lets face it. There is so much
depth to this game a proper, all inclusive manual
would probably be the size of a college textbook.
Including some technical "how to's" about this and
leaving others out would make people just as angry.

I think one of the things that has helped the popularity
of this game is people like you, me and everyone else
on this forum exchanging their ideas on how this and
that works. I've said this before on another thread,
that this game has so many variables involved in everything, that it's difficult to accomplish something
the same way twice. I personally am a "rules freak".
I love big fat juicy manuals brimming with historical
data, designers notes, etc. I have dozens of those
old Avalon Hill board games that I've never even played.
I just like to read the manuals.

This is the first game I've ever owned that I've not
been disappointed with the sub par manual.
 
Now, everyone is probably going to hate me for stating this, but many of the D&D-based RPGs have TONS of information to give on the game, and there is one that does a Wonderful job, Icewind Dale. Every stat is explained, every bit of information that you could possibly want on the game (except for maybe a walkthrough ;))is in the manual.

I definitely think that there could be MUCH more on the interface (and a TOC would have been a big help).
 
Re: Manual could be a bit more help

Originally posted by Othello
I think that where the manual misses is in the actual explaination of all the interfaces. How do I set this, that, or the other thing. It does hold alot of info, but I had to play for a long time before I got a grip on the interface. I'm still learning =)
It can just be quite frustrating in the beginning
Click to expand...

The designers\publishers would have relieved alot of
this newbie pain by including the Table of Contents
with the manual when the game shipped. I know when
I first started playng it took me 2 hrs to figure
out how to load troops on ships. It's in the manual.
You just can't find it easily.
 
Originally posted by viper_force
Now, everyone is probably going to hate me for stating this, but many of the D&D-based RPGs have TONS of information to give on the game, and there is one that does a Wonderful job, Icewind Dale. Every stat is explained, every bit of information that you could possibly want on the game (except for maybe a walkthrough ;))is in the manual.

I definitely think that there could be MUCH more on the interface (and a TOC would have been a big help).
Click to expand...

I agree. Baldur's Gate 2 was my drug of choice before
EU. It had a big fat 250+ page manual even though
that game was a lot more self explanatory than EU.
 
My only complaint about the manuel is that there is neither a table of contents or an index. However, both can be downloaded.

The link for the ToC is in one of the top threads.

The link for the index someone did (I forgot who - sorry) is, uhm, somewhere.

I really hate those mental post-it notes. They just don't stick around! ;)
 
There needs to be WAY more substance to the manual. Its kinda cool to have all that extra stuff throw in (anyone who's playing EU has an ample amount of time on their hands anyways), but the manual is really, really lacking. What good does promoting a legal counsel to cheif judge do? Haven't found it in the manual yet (there's a debate on the board whether it gives you 1 ducat a month or 1 per year). Want to load troops onto a ship? Good luck. Everyone seems to have trouble with that at first. Like an explanation for why fifteen counties are attacking me at once, when I did nothing to them? Good luck finding it in the manual. Table of contents? LOL! Having a table of contents might actually save some time. Index? Even funnier. All that said, EU is still one of my favorite games of all time, but the manual is the worst I've ever seen.
 
I agree with most of what you have said. I am as Kennison a great Avalon Hill fan and would like to have seen the interface better explained. Now I kind of browse with the mouse to see which buttons you and cannot click. Like Religion for example. Took me about sixteen revolts to find out it was time to find the State Religion button. I just thought that one could control from any province. Well, when I found the button (look at the religion map) then it made sense. By that time the whole of Sweden was Protestant except the State!

Loading/Unloading troops.
When say returning home from a foreign war, make the fleet move straight to a (home) port to unload the troops. Note that if rebels or enemies control the province capital you will not be able to take your ships there.

Don't go sending you troops too far away now ;)
 
I love big fat juicy manuals brimming with historical data, designers notes, etc. I have dozens of those old Avalon Hill board games that I've never even played.
I just like to read the manuals.
Click to expand...

This seems to be a common practice on this forum :)

To be on topic...

Actually, I don't think EU's manual is that bad. I
think the designers planned it that way. Learn the
game through playing it. Ruling an empire in this
era wasn't an exact science
Click to expand...

I liked the way the manual depict the time frame too. And i didn't have great problems with the interface, may be this is due to my pleasure in reading manuals :). Undoubtedly a ToC and an 'interface section' would have been welcome, the tutorial is not that good.

What i really disliked was the 'learn the game through playing it' approach. I know it's a matter of tastes, but i don't think it's a suitable approach for this kind of game.
If you want convey the uncertainty of the age you must implement it in the game (i.e. dice roll), not hide rules to the players. And uncertainty is HIMO already well implemented in the game, no one player action is given for sure, 'trial and error' is a steeeep way in this case.
Moreover, how many hours does it take to master the game? Not to mention frustration! And our path is a lot easyer, due to the bulk of information available in these forums and sites well known to forum members.
 
A 10-20 hours game to pik up rules is not suitable to everyone IMHO. May be it's me, but i don't think i'm alone judging by the content of many posts.

Not to say that a well detailed manual leaves you the choise to learn by doing, suffice not to read it :D. The other way is not true :)

Above all it's a great game, it's a pity someone couldn't appreciate it because of this 'lack' of information.
 
Last edited:
I'm the kind of person who tries to figure things out himself. And read manual later to discover what i have missed.

IMHO the manual gives a good overview how the game works, but not specific How to's. Good reading, but not very helpful... Liked the history part though...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back