rec.autos.simulators

>Umm buy the real retail version and you will get a manual.

> Umm buy the real retail version and you will get a manual.

> --

> Darrin Stevens
> www.Stevens-Racing.com
> www.TeamECR.com
> www.SimRaceCar.com
> www.Thomas-SuperWheel.com

> > I recently visited an old Flight Sim friend of mine I haven't seen for a
> > while. I noticed he had the latest version of MS's Flight Sim on his
> system
> > but only had a self-printed manual for it. I suggested he must of had a
> > 'shady ' copy of the program to have to print out his own manual. He
then
> > showed me the original disk and pointed out to me that for the last
> several
> > versions Microsoft has only provided an on-disk version of the manual
that
> > you have to print out yourself. The same with their Train Sim I
> understand.

> > I also recently bought a retail genuine copy of N4 - only to be very
> > disappointed by find that it didn't have a real manual - only an on-disk
> > .pdf file one :-(

> > It seems that we get less and less for our money. And some might say,
less
> > and less reason to bother with buying a genuine version of software.

> > Interestingly, these providers have been saying for years that if they
> could
> > only reduce piracy they would then have the resources to add more value
> for
> > to their produces for everyone. But, in the worst traditions of
commercial
> > hypocrisy, it seems that now they are overcoming piracy they have now
> > realise they can provide the absolute minimum value possible as now
their
> > clients have no alternative. It seems that the pirates were actually
> > providing the essential, all-be-it unofficial, 'commercial' competition
> that
> > keeps suppliers honest.

> > It seems that software piracy actually provided a real service to end
> users
> > after all - even the ones who always bought genuine. Apparently piracy
> > forced the providers to add value to their original products to make
them
> > more attractive than a pirated version. They did this by the added
> desirable
> > things you got in the box with a genuine version - such as a real manual
> > amongst other things on occasion.

> > If it takes piracy just to get the providers to give their customers the
> > rather minimal item of printed manual then may the pirates live long and
> > prosper. Then I will still buy the original anyway to get a genuine
> manual.

> > Furthermore ...

> > If Papyrus are going to treat their clients like dirt by making them
print
> > their own manuals, then the very least they could do would be to provide
a
> > manual version that actually prints in a half way reasonable fashion on
a
> > standard modern B&W ink jet printer. Instead we get the cheapest
possible
> > solution by just getting a standard manual on a .pdf file ( which can't
be
> > altered in any way to suit your printer ). It has many light grey text
> > paragraphs which DON'T EVEN ***Y-WELL PRINT SO YOU CAN READ THEM.

> > Who on Earth is the quality control man at Papyrus ? Didn't he ( or
she )
> > even try printing a copy of the pathetic excuse for an on-disk manual ?
> > Apparently not. There is NOTHING on-disk worthy about the provided
> > print-it-yourself manual. No cross references, no hyperlinks, no
nothing,
> > not even enough quality control to make sure that it was even actually
> > printable.

> > Do I now have to go and buy a high resolution printer just so I cant
print
> > the manual in a way so that all of it can be read ?

> > Again I have to say... If it was the influence of software pirates that
> gave
> > us real manuals etc in our purchases then more power to them. Papyrus
> really
> > suck on this point.

> > Phillip McNelley

> I'm not sure where you got your copy, but AFAIK there are not any
> versions of N4 currently released in stores with a PDF manual (though
> it's been a while since I originally complied the N4 US and
> International installers, I'd like to think that I would have remembered
> including one).  Note that there are certain retail outlets who require
> the use special packaging such as smaller boxes or even DVD style keep
> cases which can prohibit the inclusion of a full paper manual, but this
> has not yet been necessary for N4.

> - Eric

> > I also recently bought a retail genuine copy of N4 - only to be very
> > disappointed by find that it didn't have a real manual - only an
> on-disk
> > .pdf file one :-(

> I am in New Zealand and brought N4 form Canada. It was pas package in
clear
> shrink wrap cellophane  with m printed manual.

> I notice that the game is now available in NZ  at EB stores in normal
> "box"type packaging . I have no idea as to whether the manual is included
or
> not.

> A friend in Australia has just brought the game which came without manual.

> It would appear that it's purely a matter of what point of origin the game
> has been obtained from. That's not too good  for the paying customer.

> Stu C

> > What is the origin of manufacture on the box/cd? if it's from the USA or
> UK
> > shipping costs to the land of OZ maybe have something to do with a on CD
> > manual. Remember paper manuals ad weight. And we all know shipping
charges
> > are by weight.

> > --
> > R.I.P. - William Joseph Dunlop OBE MBE  2/25/52 - 7/2/2000

>   No manual included in New Zealand - same as Australia.
>   I printed my PDF manual off, and it now resides in my N4 box. Should
have
> been supplied, but I forgive Papyrus (Sierra?), as N4 is such an awesome
> game!! :))

> --

>      Rob.


> > I am in New Zealand and brought N4 form Canada. It was pas package in
> clear
> > shrink wrap cellophane  with m printed manual.

> > I notice that the game is now available in NZ  at EB stores in normal
> > "box"type packaging . I have no idea as to whether the manual is
included
> or
> > not.

> > A friend in Australia has just brought the game which came without
manual.

> > It would appear that it's purely a matter of what point of origin the
game
> > has been obtained from. That's not too good  for the paying customer.

> > Stu C

> > > What is the origin of manufacture on the box/cd? if it's from the USA
or
> > UK
> > > shipping costs to the land of OZ maybe have something to do with a on
CD
> > > manual. Remember paper manuals ad weight. And we all know shipping
> charges
> > > are by weight.

> > > --
> > > R.I.P. - William Joseph Dunlop OBE MBE  2/25/52 - 7/2/2000

> Unfortunately Papyrus really has no control of the International
> distributions.  I simply build the installers as requested by Sierra
> (the Gold CD they were sent did not have a PDF manual and is virtually
> identical to the US installer), and Sierra handles all the replication
> and distribution steps.  I have no idea why they chose to leave out the
> manual and tack a PDF onto the CD after the fact, though I'd assume
> shipping costs might come into play.  Had it been known that this was
> their plan from the beginning, it would have taken about 5 extra minutes
> for me to add the PDF to the installer as well as Acrobat Reader, but I
> was never asked to do so.

> - Eric

> > You apparently aren't aware of what your company is issuing then.

> > Just to confirm ...

> > This is an official version of the retail box version of N4 as
> released in
> > Australian though official outlets.

> > The box is the normal full software-game-size box as you'd see fill
> the
> > shelves of software game shops - so there is no issue about the manual
> not
> > being able to be fit in the box.

> > There is no installer because ... Papyrus didn't even do that minimal
> step.
> > You have to go find the manual on the disk yourself and if you want a
> copy
> > of it on your HDD you have to manually copy it across.

> > There is now less discernable difference between what Papyrus is
> offering as
> > official and a pirate version - in Australia at least.

> You'd need to ask Sierra why the decision was made, not Papyrus.

> - Eric

> > Yes. And we pay amongst the highest prices for software anywhere in
> the
> > world. Maybe Papyrus thinks we're too far away to bother about getting
> the
> > same deal that everyone else in the world apparently gets.

>  HP4000 Laser printer.

>--

>     Rob.


>> What did you use to print it so the light grey text boxes could be read ?
>> Even the darkest settings on my Canon ink jet don't make these dark enough
>> to read !

>> Phillip

writes:

> >  HP4000 Laser printer.

> >--

> >     Rob.


> >> What did you use to print it so the light grey text boxes could be read
?
> >> Even the darkest settings on my Canon ink jet don't make these dark
enough
> >> to read !

> >> Phillip

> Printed at work, did you?<g>  For as much as that printer costs, it BETTER
> print clearly...

> Eldred
> --
> Dale Earnhardt, Sr. R.I.P. 1951-2001
> Homepage - http://www.umich.edu/~epickett
> F1 hcp. +16.36...Monster +366.59...

> Never argue with an idiot.  He brings you down to his level, then beats
you
> with experience...
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