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.