I bought the game off ebay used and it came with no manual and none on the disc either. I installed 1.4 patch, set up combo mod 3.03 beta and am ready to go but I would like to know what the frak I am doing before I start to play. Any kind soul willing to send me a copy of the .pdf manual that was supposed to be on the disc?

O reason I got the game? Well I loved X-Com and when this game came out i didn't get it because of the pretty bad reviews. I figure the patches and mods must have fixed a lot that was wrong by now and I have been reading good things about afterlight which I will get after this. I wanted to start from the 1st game though. Probably will get Aftershock next too.

Thanks

Zod

Welcome to the boards zodden!
Try the turtorial mission and keep your game tips on.
That way you should get into the game.
You might step wrong a few times but that is all part of the learning curve.
Sorry no pdf'ed manual here...
Just remember that this game is much different then the X-COM games since it uses the SAS system. So if you get angry over all of the pauses adjust them to your liking in the options menu.
And if you do any questions at all feel free to post them on the board.

If you've played X-Com, the game is extremely easy to get into, just play and learn best way to do it.

Thanks for the tips guys, I am sure I will be back with questions.

The seller told me where he got the game and they (Red Ant Enterprises) were nice enough to provide me with the manual so I will get the chance to read it. The seller told me he got it from them after he bought it but did not even read it and thinks he deleted it. He did search his drive for me but could not find it. I always try to read the manuals since so few games even come with one these days

That's odd, my copy of Aftermath is published by Red Ant and it has a pdf manual on the cd. Could be a regional edition. Or perhaps I'm confusing my copy for some other game.

Running the turorial missions should be simple enough to get you started. The manual is frightening to read anyway. Aftershock's even more frightening. Also, take some time and experiment pressing buttons on the keyboard.

Actually, the SAS system is no diferent from the pausable real-time mode in X-Com Apocalypse, you just get a lot more auto-pause conditions to choose from. Seriously, after you've learnt most of the ropes, you'll want to switch most of them off.

- NKF

P. S: Two very important tips:

The first is that you won't always be told that new technology will be available for construction. So scan through the list occasionally after new research is completed just to see if there's anything new to build. I completely missed the fact that I could build some advanced power armour until I was almost through the game this way.

Later in the game you'll get some 'deployable' weapons that can only be carried by soldiers wearing power armour. Don't handle them like normal weapons. They're inefficient this way. The real trick is to have your soldiers deploy the weapons by - uh, kneeling was it? It has been a while so I've forgotten what action performed this. In any case, this fixes them in position. They're much more effective his way than if you were to fire them like a normal rifle. Also don't be fazed by their lack of spare magazine clips. Most of the Terran deployable weapons can last the entire mission with their default magazine.

thanks for the advice! Your right the manual is frightening to read! lol

Any other mods that I should include besides the combo 3.03 beta on top of 1.4 patch? I noticed there was a seperate rebalance mod but I read the combo mod has what was in the reblance mod and more?

Thanks again!