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Thread: Manual of bridge building. higher meaning?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Posts
    12

    Default Manual of bridge building. higher meaning?

    I was thinking recently about the manual of bridge buidling and it's true purpose in the game. Experienced players eventually find out that the skill and so the manual is mostly useless. Although the skill can be used technically it takes up too much game time and real time to use effectively.

    So I was thinking maybe the true purpose of the manual's existance is as a methaphor. a subliminal reference to the actual manual of the game itself. To remind the player that a manual is there and reading it could be useful. Also the line when you read it "It still contains information you have not learned" could be interpreted as a reminder of the game manual that you are not likely to read once and then just completely remember everything. Rather you are supposed to go back to it now and then reading bits.

    Reading the manual can be viewed as building a bridge, so to speak between the player and the game. Since some of the controls are not as intuitive as other games maybe, or the game mechanics in general. And there are so many commands to learn. Reading the manual becomes vitally important to actually becoming succesful in the game past the early game stage. I do remember reading, and enjoying reading it quite a bit as I was learning the game.

    What do you think, is the manual placed in the game to remind us to read the game manual? Or am I totally making thing up. Also I would be curious if there are other methaphor in the game I have not noticed before.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Location
    Detroit, michigan
    Posts
    931

    Default

    Sadly... no deaper meaning. Although I've had many characters carry it from start to end for no reason. I gave myself a gold star for my accomplishment though. Yay.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Europe
    Posts
    1,157

    Default

    Maybe to teach us that some stuff aren't worth the trouble of learning
    Ie focus on the skills that matter.

    Would be useful if we could dip it into water for a handful of blank papers.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    San Francisco, CA
    Posts
    675

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    I always wanted it to be useful. I wasn't sure if it could be used to train literacy as much as bridge building.

    It's also ironic that Trolls start out with Bridge Building but can't advance the skill without having it on them. Now I have to try running an illiterate troll that has the book, see if just holding the book lets me do train it.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Posts
    2,828

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    There are some rare cases where it is useful. If your route is blocked by rivers early in the game, before you found a wand of cold, you may have to rely on bridge building.
    You steal a scroll labelled HITME. The orc hits you.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Posts
    235

    Default

    Also if your carrying way too much stuff and are worried about enemies stealing dropped items.

    "you are the only cactus in the garden of my life" Gomez - Adams Family

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Finland
    Posts
    36

    Default

    For me the only use for the manual of bridge building is to get some quick cash by selling it at the black market.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Posts
    5

    Default

    I always thought it was weird but the metaphor idea didn't occur to me, I love it.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Posts
    334

    Default

    You have to read it through a piece of glass equipped in the tool slot while in the wilderness on Silvernight, then the moonlight will shine down on the pages and you can see the invisible ink which will instruct you on how to find the scroll of omnipotence, where you will encounter the final challenge. My dear Lubaf.

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