I have to spend 18 euros for official guides???

[Stealthy]

Back in the days, like when I bought the Sid Meier's Railroad Tycoon, manual included info about engines etc. A guide was called manual, big printed book.

Now I'm expected pay for the same info in PDF format? Really?

Sounds like this game will be a hard pass for me.

[coenvijge]

No, that's not needed.

Those guides are extra, not needed to play the game. Everything you need to know is inside the game (tutorial and 'Tips & Tricks', a condensed guide with the most important thing to know). Besides that the game is full of warnings and signalations on what to do and what not to do. And there is a tutorial. The first part of de campaign is also partly used for learning you using more advanged features.
If all that isn't enough you can find good YouTube tutorials.

[Willow Rivers]

Just like strategy guides by Prima back in the day. They contracted a 3rd party to make the guides so they will cost extra if you want them.

There is a in game help section that explains how to do everything. What they are selling is a strategy guide for those who want more in depth help.

[Hooch]

I bought them so others wouldn't have to. There's not much in those guides that aren't already explained elsewhere for free.

1) One is a list of all the data on the trains. That's in game.
2) Another is a mission guide book which are found in the Steam Guides pages and YouTube.
3) The last has some slightly expanded tips, but these don't appear to be anything revolutionary. Much of what is in there is already explained in guides elsewhere.

In short, you are missing NOTHING from not buying those guides. They are written by a 3rd party company to supplement the game. Completely unnecessary. All you need to know how to play the game is found in the tutorials of the game.

[jhughes]

I bought them to support the game.. I haven't even used them. You definitely don't need them to get help. It is more like a commemorative item.

[IroynArrow]

No idea why anyone would buy guides anno 2023. There is so much free stuff to find. Even the Steam forums have user made guides for free.

[mongolteiko]

Don't understand the logic of buying unnecessary extras 'Just to support the game/devs/company' etc.
Don't you think they make enough money already?

[Sagitta]

Originally posted by mongolteiko:

Don't understand the logic of buying unnecessary extras 'Just to support the game/devs/company' etc.
Don't you think they make enough money already?

Simple. If a game doesn´t make enough money to meet publisher goals, it likely won´t be developed further. If you like a game, signalling with your wallet that you would buy more content for it is often the only way to get that new content made in the first place. No guarantee, of course.

If thats worth paying for, everybody has to decide for themselves.

[dasaard200]

I WANT HARD COPY in my lap, so I don't have to leave the game to check something on an 'e-page', and get it wrong !!

[Tsubame ⭐]

I do agree pay to win guide is a complete waste of money. This is in sharp - and negative - contrast with some other sandbox games out there that have their own dedicated website guides or wikis covering much of their game's basics.

That being said, you do not need to buy it in order to play the game.

Any questions you have may likely be answered in this forum or by watching someone play online.