A suggested item for the Boxed copy (the CE at least)

[Sensuki]

One of the coolest things I've ever gotten in a boxed copy of a game was by far ...

 

The Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings Civilization Attributes fold-out (4-piece cardboard foldout)

 

 

 

 

 

It would be cool to get something like this included in the Collector's Edition Box of Project Eternity

 

it could include

 

Race and Class information, Stats information, and Skill trees or something like that (just general race and class foldout of some sort)

 

But yeah just a hint, paper doesn't last like cardboard does.

[Piccolo]

That's some oldschool toilet reading material right there.

 

Something similar would definitely be nice for PE.

[jarpie]

I don't think they should add something like that since if they change something with the patch then it would be basicly obsolete.

[Brockololly]

Maybe something like a timeline of the lore of the world on one side and information on the various classes and so forth on the other.

 

I actually found that exact fold out for AoE the other day. Its like a nice laminated cardboard. Pretty cool.

[rjshae]

Great, more crud I have to store away in a drawer.

[Gecimen]

That's some oldschool toilet reading material right there.

 

Something similar would definitely be nice for PE.

 

I just **** myself

[MiCkO]

ROFL @ the toilet comment.

 

Yeah, that **** was ****ing wicked. They really should do something like stats/races/classes or something like you said.

 

Perhaps info about some legendary items (not where to find them though). Or perhaps that's a bit spoiling.

[Haerski]

I would love to see something like that. Every physical reading and learning material is always welcome, because digital stuff like overlong in-game tutorials or pdf-manuals give me headaches. It's just not the same feeling when you read it from computer screen. The more physical information they can give us the better.

 

Other thing I've wanted to see in todays games for a long long time is physical stuff which you would need to complete the game. Maybe good quality hardcover book functioning as your journal from where you can study bits of lore and find information on certain situations. Kind of scrapbook, containing ancient writings, descriptions of monsters, places or notable people, history books, letters, what ever developers imagination could pull together. (EDIT: Of course these texts should be written into lore, so no numerical health points, damages or other technical stuff here.) How much more immersive would that be than just some in game codex or journal entries? It just would have to be something that doesn't get lost easily.

 

But that might be just fool's hope as more and more games are distributed digitally and I can imagine how annoying it would be to browse through that epic with Adobe Reader.

Edited October 10, 2012 by Haerski

[Wirdjos]

Maybe something like a timeline of the lore of the world on one side and information on the various classes and so forth on the other.

 

I actually found that exact fold out for AoE the other day. Its like a nice laminated cardboard. Pretty cool.

 

I am loving the timeline idea! That combines with...

Other thing I've wanted to see in todays games for a long long time is physical stuff which you would need to complete the game. Maybe good quality hardcover book functioning as your journal from where you can study bits of lore and find information on certain situations. Kind of scrapbook, containing ancient writings, descriptions of monsters, places or notable people, history books, letters, what ever developers imagination could pull together. (EDIT: Of course these texts should be written into lore, so no numerical health points, damages or other technical stuff here.) How much more immersive would that be than just some in game codex or journal entries? It just would have to be something that doesn't get lost easily.

nicely. The thing I always wanted from DA:O was a finely bound version of Brother Genitivi's travel journal. I would have (probably still will) paid a stupid amount of money for that.

[Shades]

Other thing I've wanted to see in todays games for a long long time is physical stuff which you would need to complete the game. Maybe good quality hardcover book functioning as your journal from where you can study bits of lore and find information on certain situations. Kind of scrapbook, containing ancient writings, descriptions of monsters, places or notable people, history books, letters, what ever developers imagination could pull together. (EDIT: Of course these texts should be written into lore, so no numerical health points, damages or other technical stuff here.) How much more immersive would that be than just some in game codex or journal entries? It just would have to be something that doesn't get lost easily.

nicely. The thing I always wanted from DA:O was a finely bound version of Brother Genitivi's travel journal. I would have (probably still will) paid a stupid amount of money for that.

 

So... Kinda like the Diablo 3 Book of Cain? I think it's written from a characters perspective (Cain), explaining a lot of the bits and pieces of lore in the world. And it has detailed sketches throughout it too. I love the idea of something like this, though I don't think it would be wise for the player to need it to play the game. It could be something that you could use to find out extra and read up on the lore more. I'd certainly prefer something like that to an in-game codex, DA and ME smothered me in so much information that I just stopped reading it all.

 

The downside to another book of course is it costs money to make, and we already have a Collectors book which will probably serve much the same purpose. And the Book of Cain for example didn't come with Diablo 3 at all, you bought it separately from the game.

 

Though with mentioning physical stuff that can be used in game... That brings to mind the old... What were they called, key wheels? The things with a whole lot of numbers and several wheels that you turned around to figure out the code to put in. They were a form of copy protection I think (in Star Control 2?), Ultima 7 had something similar asking for specific words also as a form of copy protection. But I think one of the Ultimas may have had a rune system of writing that it either gave you in the box so you could translate stuff yourself, or you might have had to figure it all out yourself completely. I can't remember.

Edited October 10, 2012 by Shades

[Wirdjos]

Other thing I've wanted to see in todays games for a long long time is physical stuff which you would need to complete the game. Maybe good quality hardcover book functioning as your journal from where you can study bits of lore and find information on certain situations. Kind of scrapbook, containing ancient writings, descriptions of monsters, places or notable people, history books, letters, what ever developers imagination could pull together. (EDIT: Of course these texts should be written into lore, so no numerical health points, damages or other technical stuff here.) How much more immersive would that be than just some in game codex or journal entries? It just would have to be something that doesn't get lost easily.

nicely. The thing I always wanted from DA:O was a finely bound version of Brother Genitivi's travel journal. I would have (probably still will) paid a stupid amount of money for that.

 

So... Kinda like the Diablo 3 Book of Cain? I think it's written from a characters perspective (Cain), explaining a lot of the bits and pieces of lore in the world. And it has detailed sketches throughout it too. I love the idea of something like this, though I don't think it would be wise for the player to need it to play the game. It could be something that you could use to find out extra and read up on the lore more. I'd certainly prefer something like that to an in-game codex, DA and ME smothered me in so much information that I just stopped reading it all.

 

The downside to another book of course is it costs money to make, and we already have a Collectors book which will probably serve much the same purpose. And the Book of Cain for example didn't come with Diablo 3 at all, you bought it separately from the game.

 

Though with mentioning physical stuff that can be used in game... That brings to mind the old... What were they called, key wheels? The things with a whole lot of numbers and several wheels that you turned around to figure out the code to put in. They were a form of copy protection I think (in Star Control 2?), Ultima 7 had something similar asking for specific words also as a form of copy protection. But I think one of the Ultimas may have had a rune system of writing that it either gave you in the box so you could translate stuff yourself, or you might have had to figure it all out yourself completely. I can't remember.

 

I know this is the 'what should be in the CE thread', but really, I'd just like someone to do a book like that. I would buy that separate of the game and preorder it and what not. I just think it would be a great add on.

[Haerski]

Other thing I've wanted to see in todays games for a long long time is physical stuff which you would need to complete the game. Maybe good quality hardcover book functioning as your journal from where you can study bits of lore and find information on certain situations. Kind of scrapbook, containing ancient writings, descriptions of monsters, places or notable people, history books, letters, what ever developers imagination could pull together. (EDIT: Of course these texts should be written into lore, so no numerical health points, damages or other technical stuff here.) How much more immersive would that be than just some in game codex or journal entries? It just would have to be something that doesn't get lost easily.

nicely. The thing I always wanted from DA:O was a finely bound version of Brother Genitivi's travel journal. I would have (probably still will) paid a stupid amount of money for that.

 

So... Kinda like the Diablo 3 Book of Cain? I think it's written from a characters perspective (Cain), explaining a lot of the bits and pieces of lore in the world. And it has detailed sketches throughout it too. I love the idea of something like this, though I don't think it would be wise for the player to need it to play the game. It could be something that you could use to find out extra and read up on the lore more. I'd certainly prefer something like that to an in-game codex, DA and ME smothered me in so much information that I just stopped reading it all.

I haven't played any Diablo games, so I wouldn't know. But if some game was to have this kind of book I would like to see the idea taken to extremes. You just don't play that game without the book. I can only imagine what talented designer could do with that symbiosis. Some RPGs require you to read huge amounts of text anyway so why not put some or most of it between real covers? That would of course require it to be retail only and probably be little more expensive, but I would pay for it if there was brave enough developer to make it.

[HeedlessHorseman]

Other thing I've wanted to see in todays games for a long long time is physical stuff which you would need to complete the game. Maybe good quality hardcover book functioning as your journal from where you can study bits of lore and find information on certain situations. Kind of scrapbook, containing ancient writings, descriptions of monsters, places or notable people, history books, letters, what ever developers imagination could pull together. (EDIT: Of course these texts should be written into lore, so no numerical health points, damages or other technical stuff here.) How much more immersive would that be than just some in game codex or journal entries? It just would have to be something that doesn't get lost easily.

nicely. The thing I always wanted from DA:O was a finely bound version of Brother Genitivi's travel journal. I would have (probably still will) paid a stupid amount of money for that.

 

So... Kinda like the Diablo 3 Book of Cain? I think it's written from a characters perspective (Cain), explaining a lot of the bits and pieces of lore in the world. And it has detailed sketches throughout it too. I love the idea of something like this, though I don't think it would be wise for the player to need it to play the game. It could be something that you could use to find out extra and read up on the lore more. I'd certainly prefer something like that to an in-game codex, DA and ME smothered me in so much information that I just stopped reading it all.

I haven't played any Diablo games, so I wouldn't know. But if some game was to have this kind of book I would like to see the idea taken to extremes. You just don't play that game without the book. I can only imagine what talented designer could do with that symbiosis. Some RPGs require you to read huge amounts of text anyway so why not put some or most of it between real covers? That would of course require it to be retail only and probably be little more expensive, but I would pay for it if there was brave enough developer to make it.

 

That was the impression I got of the Book of Cain- that it was basically background material. Although, I am not sure that you actually have to pay any attention to the plot in Diablo games.

 

As to a game needing a book to play it, the original Wasteland did. However, it contained parts of the story (descriptions and dialog), due to space limitations on the disk, so that isn't exactly what you are talking about. (If you want to see it, it is here.)

 

I like your idea- it would certainly make a game interesting. I guess that the closest I have come to it is with some of the Zelda games- I wouldn't have been able to play them without a strategy guide.