READ THE GODDAMN MANUAL

Vassago · Post by **Vassago** » 11 Jul 2006, 00:05

No, it's NOT common sense. Not at all.
"readme.txt" is an internet STANDARD for being a wasteful, USELESS file.

It's as common as "OMFG" or "WTF". Just because it's the only file there, doesn't mean it's the game's manual. That's like someone saying "WTF" to you, but you're somehow supposed to know that it means Wild Thistle Fern, instead of the internet 'norm'.

Call the files MANUAL.TXT for the love of god. Is it REALLY that hard?
Or much like KDR suggest, HTML documents. That's the much better way to go, anyways.

Min3mat · Post by **Min3mat** » 11 Jul 2006, 00:49

i ALWAYS flick through readmes. ALWAYS.

Vassago · Post by **Vassago** » 11 Jul 2006, 00:58

You're missing the point. MISSING IT.

Name the file GAME_MANUAL.txt instead of readme.txt.
Is that too hard?

Min3mat · Post by **Min3mat** » 11 Jul 2006, 01:37

readme.txt

i think, i should read that. probably contains info about the mod in general

game_manual.txt

i think, that probably contains a load of BS advice by someone who doesnt even play the mod as well as a crappy backstory to the mod and a ghey disclaimer.

readme.txt...lol it is sort of self evident the action in question demanded...

Vassago · Post by **Vassago** » 11 Jul 2006, 01:39

Well then it's going to be 50/50 then I suppose.
I never read 'readme' files. Ever. 95% of the time they are pointless.
There has to be a better method. HTML/Wiki/PDF - whatever. Something that's obviously a game manual and/or instructions.

Min3mat · Post by **Min3mat** » 11 Jul 2006, 01:42

maybe there should be the following structure of the AA folder when unrared

/TASpring/Mods/AA/READ/THE/FUCKING/README/IT/IS/A/DOT/T/X/T/FILE/NO/REALLY/READ/IT/NOW/AASpring vsnxx.yy

with a copy of the readme in everyfolder cept TASpring and mods in both HTML, weblink, txt, MS word 95, MS word 98, MS word pro, PDF and paint.

that should do the trick xD

Post by **Tim Blokdijk** » 11 Jul 2006, 01:47

OpenDocument!?

Archangel of Death · Post by **Archangel of Death** » 11 Jul 2006, 02:02

Vassage, don't readmes normally have troubleshooting info in them? (Or perhaps this is a regional difference, since here in the US all the legalese usually finds itself in a eula.txt)

But yes! The cheat.txt file is definitely the win! Better yet, name it "cheatcodes.txt", no way they could pass up a file with that name.

Then again, I can already see the completely serious and dilerious posts in the AA thread complaining about how there are cheats for this mod that people are using in multi to pwn them, and they think the cheats need to be removed. And nothing you will tell them will be able to convince them that there are no cheats, and they won't want to read the file because pre-emptive quote "they don't want to be tempted to use the cheats themselves, because its obviously not fair".

Vassago · Post by **Vassago** » 11 Jul 2006, 02:19

Archangel, yes. They usually have troubleshooting info in them, not gameplay info.

And Min3mat - no need to be a smartass.

I'm simply saying that there's no easy way to make people read the manual. No matter what you call it.

Scikar · Post by **Scikar** » 11 Jul 2006, 03:46

1) Have a FAQ and game manual in html form.
2) Have a readme.txt with the same info, just less pretty.

Et voila, people who always read readmes will read it, people who ignore "troubleshooting" readmes will read the manual, people with questions will read the FAQ, and idiots will still post in general discussion asking "WTF is a Liche?"

Min3mat · Post by **Min3mat** » 11 Jul 2006, 04:26

a Liche is a useless piece of nerfcaeked trash. thats what! EMP bombers are 2^783 times better when combined with land or air forces

Felix the Cat · Post by **Felix the Cat** » 11 Jul 2006, 04:42

I've gone through every folder in my Program Files folder and read every readme.txt file.

Here are some statistics.

Total Readme.txt Files: 17

Introduction Info: 10
General introduction. What the program is and what it does. As if you wouldn't know this if you're reading the readme file...

Warning to Epileptics: 1
Yay for flashing graphics and seizures.

Installation Instructions: 6
Press button. Install program.

Uninstallation Instructions: 1
Press button. Remove program.

Registration Instructions: 1
Press button. Give life history to unnamed data-mining corporation.

License and/or Distribution Info: 5
By using this program, you agree to become Bill Gates' personal towel boy.

Package File List: 2
What's in the folder that contains this file, if you're too lazy to look.

Website Address and/or Contact Info: 9
Self-explanatory.

System Requirements: 4
This application requires Microsoft Windows 3.1 or higher.

Purchasing Info: 1
How to give people money if you're too lazy to find a crack.

Troubleshooting/Warnings: 6
If the application does not start, disable your anti-virus, because the application installs "vital tracking utilities" upon starting.

Application Version Only: 2
Readme file contained only a set of cryptic numbers and letters.

Community Info: 1
Join us in on our bulletin board!

Customization Instructions: 1
If you want your messenging program to have a fuschia background, here's how!

Instructions for Use: 3
Tells you how to use the program.

FAQ: 1
Q: How do I start the program?
A: Double-click on it.

Changelog: 2
A detailed list of every single change in the program since 1991.

------------------------------

Can we now agree that readme files are, on average, useless? The only things which more than a third of the readmes had were:
-Introductory Info
-Installation Instructions
-Website Address and Contact Info
-Troubleshooting or Warnings

ZellSF · Post by **ZellSF** » 11 Jul 2006, 05:03

Felix the Cat wrote:Can we now agree that readme files are, on average, useless? The only things which more than a third of the readmes had were:
-Introductory Info
-Installation Instructions
-Website Address and Contact Info
-Troubleshooting or Warnings

Considering that I've had use for well over 100 readmes for either troubleshooting, general gameplay information, finding web site address if program lacks about dialog, finding developer's e-mail address and whatnot, I'd say hell no.

Edit: That is for games only.

Felix the Cat · Post by **Felix the Cat** » 11 Jul 2006, 05:11

ZellSF wrote:
Felix the Cat wrote:Can we now agree that readme files are, on average, useless? The only things which more than a third of the readmes had were:
-Introductory Info
-Installation Instructions
-Website Address and Contact Info
-Troubleshooting or Warnings
Considering that I've had use for well over 100 readmes for either troubleshooting, general gameplay information, finding web site address if program lacks about dialog, finding developer's e-mail address and whatnot, I'd say hell no.

Edit: That is for games only.

You sir, are not a true gamer.

Troubleshooting: step 1) press random buttons until it fixes.
If 1) doesn't work, try every menu in the game. Change all settings somehow related to the problem, and most that aren't as well.
if that doesn't work, ctrl-alt-del and restart. reinstall maybe.

General gameplay info: fuck that, just play the game and figure it out.

Finding web site address: wtf do you need this for, are you going to like register your product or something?

Finding developer's email: double wtf. why does this matter. are you going to like email him and congratulate him too? I bet you run Linux too you dirty blasphemer.

Zoombie · Post by **Zoombie** » 11 Jul 2006, 05:21

I actually like pointless, boring back story, and I love reading manuals. I mean the Arcanum and Fallout manuals are a hoot. The Fallout manual even has a recipy for cooking swamp rat in the back. The Arcanum manual has a recipy for Hobbit stew...that is cooking a stew, made by hobbits. Not cooking a stew made OF hobbits. It it had been called a manual then I would have read it immideatly.

ZellSF · Post by **ZellSF** » 11 Jul 2006, 05:25

You sir, obviously suck very much at troubleshooting. Or you're very good at wasting time troubleshooting in wrong ways, whichever it is. You would be pretty unsuccessful in solving many of the issues I have with some games anyway.

General gameplay info: fuck that, just play the game and figure it out.

Which, you know, again wouldn't be very efficent, at all if the game was any complicated.

Finding web site address: wtf do you need this for, are you going to like register your product or something?

No, getting new versions of the game in question, or finding other games by the same developer.

Finding developer's email: double wtf. why does this matter. are you going to like email him and congratulate him too? I bet you run Linux too you dirty blasphemer.

No. Last example was that I today was going to try to e-mail the developer of the Mac version of fuhquake to ask why option wasn't bindable, but mail.app wasn't configured so I forgot it.

Felix the Cat · Post by **Felix the Cat** » 11 Jul 2006, 05:53

Zoombie wrote:I actually like pointless, boring back story, and I love reading manuals. I mean the Arcanum and Fallout manuals are a hoot. The Fallout manual even has a recipy for cooking swamp rat in the back. The Arcanum manual has a recipy for Hobbit stew...that is cooking a stew, made by hobbits. Not cooking a stew made OF hobbits. It it had been called a manual then I would have read it immideatly.

Those are manuals. Manuals are cool, at least the backstory and related parts. I really couldn't care less about screen-by-screen references telling me that the "Exit" button exits, and the "Quit" button quits.

This thread, however, is about a readme, which I have conclusively proven does not contain anything of value to me, and more to the point, typically is not the place one would look for the information Caydr put in it.

Zoombie · Post by **Zoombie** » 11 Jul 2006, 05:58

Well I actually read the readme after Cyder shouted at me for a few miunts with big red script and found that it really is more like a manual then anything else. Hence I think a re-naming would be nice.

Charlemagne · Post by **Charlemagne** » 11 Jul 2006, 06:19

Felix the Cat wrote: Stuff about how troubleshooting actually work.

You, sir, are the voice of a generation. That was beautifully said. =)

Archangel of Death · Post by **Archangel of Death** » 11 Jul 2006, 11:11

I sense a disconnect from Caydr's intent here. I believe Caydr's tyrade was to get people to read the manual for the sole purpose of reading the Installation instructions and Troubleshooting/FAQ, which would answer the bulk of the e-mails/bug reports he gets. I believe both of these fit within the scope of a readme. However I also think they fit within the scope of a manual (unless said manual has a "personality" so to speak, eg the Mechwarrior 3 or 4 manual, which inclusion of such would create a discontinuity in the feel of the manual).

As such I propose a cessation on the meaningless discussion of what does or does not belong in a readme and/or manual, whether or not one personally should or does read the readme and/or manual, and/or which of the standard names for such files or related files it should be renamed to, and instead focus on the far more important question: What name is most likely to cause a gamer, who may or may not have any interest in anything else whatsoever besides this game, to want to read said file before/during/after installation/playing, taking into account the fact that no-one reads anything with readme, manual, license agreement, or eula in the name?

I'm sure we can all see what immense good we can do for society by coming up with a name that no gamer can resist the urge to investigate further.

Spring RTS Engine

READ THE GODDAMN MANUAL