Howdy!

Unlike the other GOG games I have bought (and, just now completed backing up, thank you very much), when I purchased this game today there were no "extras" as I have come to expect from GOG.

Frankly, no manual would have been a deal killer had I noticed this before I bought this game this morning. (ok, somewhere in this room I may be able to find my old box purchase of this game and may be able to find a manual, who knows?).

Did anyone else have this happen, or did you all get the manual and other niceties that GOG always provided in the past?

Yes, I also got it today and there is only a download link.
The shop page does not mention any bonus content, but I'd say a manual is essential material in this genre.

edit: Here's the manual. Enjoy!

http://www.replacementdocs.com/download.php?view.280

Thank you DodoGeo (and my apologies for being just part of the problem, and not the solution!). I now have all 97 pages of the manual, in all its glory ... : )

Thank you! Because of the PR stunt I bought AoW through Impulse and it had no manual. I'm suprised to learn the GoG version had no manual.

Just bought this myself , thanks for the link to the manual. :)

Many thanks. I gifted the game to my pact brother and just bought it myself. We both are most grateful for the link.

Yeah, GOG really needs to host their own manual for this game. How difficult must it be to secure a digital copy of the game's manual and upload it for future AoW purchasers?

I have much good to say about GOG, but after purchasing AoW and expecting the usual GOG goodness to accompany it, I was greatly disturbed to find the game didn't even come with a manual.

Even the Steam version's got it's own manual for crying out loud!

http://store.steampowered.com/sub/6365/

Steam package is the same as here: soundtrack included, no manual.

Admittedly, I just browsed through the contents of the package as listed on the page. But as you say, just a couple clicks away there is indeed a link labeled as "View the manual", which points here:

http://cdn.steampowered.com/Manuals/61500/AoW1_QuickGuide.pdf?t=1287193172

this is in fact a 8 page quick guide with information regarding setup, keyboard shortcuts, etc; there is another link on top of this one labeled "View the quick reference" pointing to the same destination. This guide, by the way, is also included with the GOG AoW installation package, and is pretty different from the real manual which is nearly 100 pages long and can be downloaded from here:

http://www.replacementdocs.com/download.php?view.280

Now I don't want to be anal or anything; but having that this is like the n-th post about the subject here on GOG, and having also that none of the sites selling the AoW bundle (someone mentioned Impulse) have the manual, I'd say there must be a good reason for it not being here. Maybe the rights are held somewhere else, it's funny that on the first page of the manual says "written by the Stratos group", whoever they may be.

Holy crap you're right. Steam has deceived me into thinking they had the real deal!

The Stratos Group no longer actually exists though. And apparently neither does Mars Publishing, who produced and printed the manual. Well thank goodness for replacementdocs at least.

It would be nice however to see GOG go the extra mile in securing the rights to the manual someday.

Well, it seems that due to some unknown legal stuff the manuals can't be properly provided with the game/s. But I wonder if GOG staff would cross any dangerous line if they sticky a thread here in the game forum with the manuals' download links. That would be maybe a 2nd best option.

This doesn't have a manual, but it should be useful:

http://www.gamefaqs.com/pc/189120-age-of-wonders/faqs

Hello everyone ... :)

One question about manual - replacmentdoc.

I tried to print it .. but wierd thing happens about pages .. some are vertical .. some horizontal .. and soo .. if any know some solution .. would be thankful ..

thank you ...

When navigating to that replacementdocs link, my anti-virus blocks an intrusion attempt. So I downloaded a manual at Age of Wonders Heaven It's tough to read though. It's a text file which opens with Notepad or other text editor. Before I use it much I'm gonna have to edit it to for better reading.

There is also alot of information at Age of Wonders Heaven. As well as forums, and fan created maps, units, items, mods etc.