Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - General Printed Manual

Any word if BG3 will include a printed manual like BG2 had? Even as part of a Collectors Edition?

I know some people scoff at the idea and say a wiki is better, and in a lot of ways they're not wrong, but there was something special about playing BG2 with a book on hand full of lore, character information, spell guides tables and charts etc that you just dont get by alt-tabbing out to a wiki

I guess there's an argument to be made that a manual already exists in the form of the Core Rulebook but id still like (and pay for) something a little more "Baldurs Gate"

I certainly don't scoff at the idea, I largely prefer printed material to doing everything on the computer. Well, it depends, just looking up some quick reference, the computer's better, but when it comes to absorbing stuff I prefer it to be in print. When I have the concentration to do either.

Also curious about which Max Headroom! Still have fond memories of the original Channel 4 feature film, but never really got into the US serialisation.

Glad im not alone in that. The one fly in the ointment for the otherwise excellent DOS2 was the lack of, well ANY manual really (and no i dont count that 6 page PDF)

The first MaxHeadroom definitely. I've some affection for the american one but thats mostly down to 80s era Amanda Pays

A printed manual would certainly make potty time more interesting.

The thing with the BG manuals is that they also basically spelled out the current D&D rule set at the time also, which you kind of needed if you were going to play BG. I'm curious this day and age how many will try to play BG3 who have also never played D&D. I imagine it will be quite a few.

If they can incorporate the 'rules' into the game somehow that's fine as long as it's user friendly and all that. But a printed manual would be a very nice incentive for a collectors edition IMO, and I would certainly get it.

I hope there will be a printed manual too, similar to the ones from BG1+2.
It was like a complete players handbook of DnD 2E for this game.

- I prefer reading a paper book compared to reading stuff on screen.
- You can look up things while you see the game screen. No need to alt+tab, which can cause problems sometimes and you always have to remember what you saw on the other screen unless you have 2 monitors.
- It was great to have a players handbook specifically made for this computer game. For many other games, like pathfinder, you have to look at the rules in the internet (or you are a PnP player who has those books) and then you have to guess the differences between PnP and the computer game because some PnP things cannot be implemented or need to be changed for some reasons.

Yes, 20 years ago there were physical manuals in physical games. That was 20 years ago. I'm pretty sure that Larian has switched to digital versions only because of the greatly diminished returns from making physical copies. It's just not profitable enough publishing physical copies for Larian.

Any printed manuals would probably only be for a special collector's edition, or in physical console versions of the game, and even then, the player's handbook is over 300 large pages. Even if that was cut down to, let's say, 150 by not including anything past Level 10, and trimming out flavor and artwork I really can't see a physical manual that big.

I agree it would be a special edition thing only, but BG1&2 did it so it can be done. However, I do assume that no one will bother to actually make one. Those that have never played D&D will have to rely on in-game info to find the game character features, only with on-line FAQ's.

I am one of those people who would totally purchase a collectors edition if it came with a printed manual. I am also willing to purchase the manual separately if necessary; I have purchased the massive Skyrim Special Edition printed game guide and do not regret it. I also loved having printed manuals for Baulders Gate 2, and Neverwinter Nights (I actually have like 4 manuals for NWN because I bought new manuals for each expansion/edition).

Of course there will be no paper book in the normal ( digital ) version.
But I would buy it if there was a collectors edition or if you can buy the book separately.
I have bought a book for several other games too.

Another upside to a physical printed manual is it would shut down the market for these unofficial guides you see on amazon that are little more than a few wiki pages printed out and stapled together. It cant be good for the brand when you search for, say, Divinity Original Sin 2 and see all these things pop up with their 1 star reviews and complaints.
Pillars of Eternity 1 & 2 both have hardback compendiums available separately so there is a market for these things

So maybe there isn't the groundswell of interest for an old school printed manual like I'd hoped
When Larian asked on Twitter a few days ago "what's your burning BG3 question?" I asked were there plans for one.
Zero likes, Zero replies
Meanwhile just below my question someone asked "How gay will it be?"
82 likes, 5 replies!

Gotta love the Internet

If you don’t like alt+tabbing, why don’t you use your phone?

Oh yes please printed manual. That would be awesome.

It's not something I can explain. It's be like trying to explain to someone brought up with ITunes and MP3s why blowing the dust off a vinyl LP and slotting it onto a turntable is better, it just is.

Books lack the immediate searchability of online, and cannot be easily scaled and manipulated for view as online can, but they retain some advantages

- you can hold a book open at a number of different locations, and easily move between them for cross-referencing
- I find I can also mentally "visualise" the structure of a physical book and its content more readily than online
- a large format book can generally present more information than the average computer screen
- books are portable and don't care what posture or location you are in when reading

Both printed and online have their place for different types of content. Personally, I like printed manuals for complex information, but also like a wiki for quick reference.

I do have me some fond memories of coming home from the store as a kid reading the manual of a new game to prepare myself for the experience. Although I don't really value them at all these days, because I prefer the usability of a website to quickly identify information I'm after, I do get a bit of nostalgia when I see one included with a game. I'd definitely throw my money at a collectors edition, which would be the perfect way to include something like this.

Remember the old days when the game manual was like a little comic/novels to help you get invested in the world/setting and get ready to play. I especially loved the ones written from an in-universe perspective.

^ This. Would love to see a Collector’s menu for us old-timers

Wow, Max Headroom. Now there is a throwback. Cheers.

Sorry to bump up this old thread.

As far as I saw there will be no printed manual, correct? I ordered the Collector's Edition and would have really loved to see something like a manual or player's guide in it.

Is there any substitute for someone who would like to read more into the game? I loved reading the manual in BG2.

Would the "Dungeons & Dragons : Player's Handbook" be a good substitute if Larian will not provide any form of manual?

One option would be to drop $50 on PHP if you don't already have one, take a sharpie and strike out "D&D" on the top, and write "BG3" in its place. Then, as you encounter the homebrew changes, just annotate your PHB with the change. A little more $$$ and work up front, but eventually, you'll have a printed manual.

This is only maybe 50% tongue-in-cheek. Annotating something that's already 50% or more what you want isn't the worst option if the other options aren't palatable.

... and then in 2 years when they make a small change in an update, you can annotate the annotations ...