All There in the Manual: Difference between revisions
Rescuing 6 sources and tagging 1 as dead. #IABot (v2.0beta9)
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** A rather heartbreaking elimination by lost passport (rendered all the more heartbreaking by the fact that the team in question had finished the leg first before they discovered it was missing) was properly explained in an online video, where the team admits that they took a wrong turn and must have lost the passport in the dark (which also justified not showing it in the actual episode).
* The motivations of the players of ''[[Survivor]]'' are often utterly inexplicable to those who have not watched the supplementary videos on CBS's website (and sometimes remain inexplicable even then until interviews with the players after the game has ended make things more clear). This is often the case for 24/7 [[Reality TV]] shows which only use a tiny percentage of their filmed footage to form the narrative of the show.
* Some of ''[[Carnivale]]'''s mythology was given in information and notes from series creator Daniel Knauf outside of the show, later presented by the fans via [https://web.archive.org/web/20120208131345/http://savecarnivale.org/html/rousties_month_thalidar_gospel.htm The Gospel of Knaufias]. While it's not essential reading for the show, it does answer some mysteries and fill out some gaps concerning the show's plot and characters.
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** ''[[Mortal Kombat]]'' has an amazingly complex (not to mention amazingly ridiculous) storyline, for example, but you wouldn't know it from playing the game. Not to mention the players don't find out which characters' endings are canon until the next game in the series is released. Mostly the main plot involves [[The Starscream|someone betraying someone else]] and trying to conquer the multiverse, only to be betrayed, only for the betrayer to be betrayed, only for the original betrayer taking back his throne, rinsing and repeating. Everything else involves the heroes trying to defeat/free themselves from the current overlord, and being blindsided by the next usurper. This one doesn't resemble the movies at all, either.
*** The [[Gambit Pileup]] is extremely hilariously [[Lampshaded]] in the intro movie of ''[[Mortal Kombat Armageddon]]'': ''Everyone in the series'' is attempting to rush towards and climb some sort of ziggurat, happily killing each other along the way.
** ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]. Brawl'' is an example of a fighting game that ''tries'' to explain everything in-game, but due to lack of dialogue, multiple plot threads, and a cut sequence, it still requires [https://web.archive.org/web/20130617052223/http://www.smashbros.com/en_us/gamemode/modea/modea17.html the explanation page] on the game's official website for a reasonable understanding of the plot. Most notably, because a scene featuring Meta Knight and King Dedede was cut from the game, you'd never know how the Subspace Army obtained the battleship Halberd, or how {{spoiler|Dedede knew about Tabuu}}.
*** Furthermore, the only way that one can find out the actual names of the Special Attacks for all of the characters is by either reading the instruction manual (which is incomplete as it lacks certain characters) or visiting the aforementioned official website for ''Super Smash Bros.'' This is averted for the original ''Super Smash Bros.'' (Nintendo 64), however, as animations accompanied by the Special Attack names are briefly shown at intervals when one reads the biographies found in the Data section.
** The ''[[Rival Schools]]'' series simultaneously averts and plays this trope straight. On one hand, the fighting portions of each game have introductions, cutscenes and endings that (for the most part) explain what's going on and the motivations behind most of the characters' actions; on the other, the [[No Export for You|Japan-only]] character creation modes in each game actually reveals even more background info about each character, as well as little known facets of their personalities (though none of it is required to understand the story). If you only play the games in English, you'd never guess [[Gentle Giant]] Boman is a fan of sunbathing, or [[Musical Assassin]] Yurika can identify a person by the ''[[Super Senses|sound of their footsteps]]''.
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** The ''[[Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots|Metal Gear Solid 4 Database]]'' is has received some criticism for not resolving some things, getting some info wrong, and retconning some things.
** The Japanese manual for the MSX2 version of ''[[Metal Gear (video game)|Metal Gear]]'' included bios and artworks of the main characters and bosses (including an explanation of Schneider's motive for creating the resistance movement), and gave the specifications of TX-55 Metal Gear as well as the designs for it. A fan translated version can be viewed [https://web.archive.org/web/20060818123628/http://www.msxnet.org/gtinter/mg1remi/mg1reme.htm here]. In contrast, the English manual for the European MSX2 version only included the standard playing instructions, although it's not as bad as the English translated version of the NES port's manual, which pretty much butchered the story.
** The ''[[Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake]]'' manual also elaborated quite a bit on the game's story and other things, and was absolutely vital to playing the game and understanding the story (in fact, it was even needed for a certain part of the game that probably made it far too difficult to be beaten otherwise). For instance, it elaborated on exactly how Solid Snake managed to infiltrate Zanzibarland, the history of Zanzibar Land as well as its statistics, including military strength and natural resources, a history of FOXHOUND, and bios for the main characters. It also explained a bit about the landmarks of Zanzibar Land, and the backstories of several bosses, and specifications of several vehicles encountered in the game, including the Goliath tanks, which were originally supposed to be fought as a boss but were removed due to time constraints and kept as part of the scenery on the first floor of Zanzibar Building, the Hind Ds, which explained that these were modified, the Gigant, and the Sikorsky Dragoon (the chopper that was briefly seen in the ending of the game that {{spoiler|took out a platoon of Zanzibar Land personnel when Snake and Holly White were surrounded due to running out of ammo.}}). Like its predecessor, it gave the statistics of Metal Gear D, as well as elaborated on the mass production of Metal Gear G that Dr. Drago Pettrovich Madnar alluded to in game. It also explained how to use tap codes in this game, which makes the manual absolutely necessary to use to get Dr. Madnar's frequency, and thus get further into the game. A fan translated version can be view [https://web.archive.org/web/20120226060110/http://www.msxnet.org/gtinter/Operate.htm here].
** There was also a leaked voice casting document for ''[[Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater|Metal Gear Solid 3]]'' that elaborated on some details on the main characters. It gave the real name of Major Zero (David Oh), and elaborated on a few things about some characters, such as mentioning that the American colleague of Granin was actually Otacon's father (which was later confirmed by ''[[Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker]]'').
** The original'' [[Metal Gear Solid]]'' included a segment where Kenneth Baker tells Solid Snake that the only way to contact Meryl Silverburgh is to look at back of the "CD case" to find out what her frequency. This is a reference to an actual screenshot on the back of the game's boxart, which depicts Snake conversing with the character in question via Codec.
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* Bad or hasty localization can also cause this. The [[Nintendo GameCube]] version of ''[[Ikaruga]]'' only had the basic story outlined in the manual. Everything else was supposedly in game... but it was removed and not even the Japanese remains. Granted, you'd be lucky to even read half of it before it disappeared, but at least it was ''there'' in the other versions.
* ''[[First Encounter Assault Recon]]'' comic has extra information regarding Fettel's cannibalism: {{spoiler|to gain victims' memories}}.
** Also the [https://web.archive.org/web/20100117015531/http://ordainorder.net/fear/ Armacham Technologies brochure (aka "Field Guide")], which was a promotional bonus for US pre-orders of ''[[First Encounter Assault Recon]]'' 2: Project Origin, and contains massive amounts of background and supplemental plot information for the FEAR game world.
* ''[[Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri]]'' has this in ''spades''. Additional information on the faction leaders' personalities, the backstory of the game before arriving on Planet, trivia on the planet and the solar system of Alpha Centauri...you name it.
* ''[[Psychonauts]]'' only recently got a complementary, developer-made Wiki, which you can find [http://www.doublefine.com/news.php/Psycho-pedia/ here]. It also quenches some of the fan speculation, such as revealing the name of Razputin's father (Augustus, for you fanfic writers) and confirming the long fan speculation that Raz' last name is Aquato.
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* Think you've found a plot hole in one of [[Nasuverse|Kinoko Nasu's visual novels]]? Well... [[Fate/stay night/Headscratchers|you may be right]]. But it's just as likely that Nasu has addressed that very point somewhere, though maybe not in the same route or even the same game. There are so many rules to Nasu's universe that even hardcore fans have trouble keeping them straight.
* ''Super [[Metroid]]'' gave Samus two undocumented moves: the [http://metroid.wikia.com/wiki/Wall_jump wall jump] and the [http://metroid.wikia.com/wiki/Shinespark shinespark] (no, not [[Getter Robo|that one]]). These moves aren't in the manual; instead, they're in the demos, and there are also a bunch of ''animals'' who demonstrate them for you (of course, this doesn't tell you what buttons to press). Since then, all the 2D games have included these moves—and maintained the tradition of not documenting them.
** ''Super Metroid'' actually had a ''third'' secret move seen only in the demo: the [https://web.archive.org/web/20140123064926/http://metroid.wikia.com/wiki/
** Ridley, [[The Dragon]] who appears in almost every game, is an extremely intelligent and cunning, if bloodthirsty, military leader. Not that you would know this just by playing the games, as all he's ever done is screech, roar, and claw at Samus whenever he shows up. Further, the way he keeps coming back after being defeated (eating corpses and then absorbing their biomass to heal injuries), is never mentioned outside the manga.
* ''[[Flashback (video game)|Flashback]]'' came with a short comic book explaining the story. The key details are given in the second level, with a few minor characters and events missing.
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* ''[[Misfile]]'' If you really want to understand how the [[Celestial Bureaucracy|Celestial Depository]] works and the effects of reversing the [[Ret-Gone|misfile]], and find out just how Tempest has such a cool mountain racetrack you need to have read the "about" section on the website, read the [[Fourth Wall Mail Slot|Ask Ash column]], and ordered the print books so you could read the liner notes.
* ''[[Supernormal Step]]'' has all the main characters' full names, heights, weights, etc. revealed in the author's reference sheets.
* ''[[The Cyantian Chronicles]]'': There is the [http://shivae.org/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page Shivaewiki]{{Dead link}} that has information about the characters and races of [[The Cyantian Chronicles]], [[Alien Dice]], and Shivae. Although, Alien Dice and Shivae aren't parts of The Cyantian Chronicles, they are still written and drawn by the same author.
* ''[[The Order of the Stick]]'' has a couple of prequel books that explain a few of the more obscure points in the story. The first book, ''On the Origin of PCs'', details what the various characters were doing before they all met, and other details, such as where the name "Order of the Stick" comes from ({{spoiler|because there's a stick on the ground}}). The second prequel book, ''[[Start of Darkness]]'' (which is the [[Trope Namer]], incidentally), gives a lot of exposition on the villains of the story, such as why Redcloak despises the paladins so very much, or how they met the Monster in the Darkness.
** Haley, Belkar, and the Thieves' Guild retrieving Roy's corpse was saved for the printed collection due to pacing issues. However, the sequence also justifies why {{spoiler|Haley seems to murder Crystal in cold blood}}, which was hotly debated on the forums.
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* The [[Whateley Universe]] has a wiki that's maybe four or five hundred pages, most of which came from the secret [[Word of God|Canon Bible]] the authors work from, even though it's maintained by fans. It has tons of detail, even on characters we haven't seen yet and secret threats we haven't even had ''mentioned'' yet in [[Canon]].
* ''[[Trinton Chronicles]]'' also has a wiki page which is mostly kept by the author's, there is no known [[Word of God|Canon Bible]] par-say but there is a web page, a wiki page, and secret documents maintained by the creator.
* ''[[Critical Hit (podcast)|Critical Hit]]'' has an [http://www.majorspoilers.com/critical-hit-first-arc-exit-interview interview] with GM Rodrigo on the Major Spoilers website, and he moderates the [https://web.archive.org/web/20131021035606/http://www.majorspoilers.com/smf/index.php Major Spoilers Forum] where he answers questions people have about the game.
* The [[Anti Cliche and Mary Sue Elimination Society]] has a [http://acmses.wikia.com/wiki/ACMSES_Wiki Wiki] maintained by the authors that details events and characters.
* The official website for ''[[The Mercury Men]]'' provides tons of supplementary material, including blueprints, digital props, and faux-1960’s trading cards.
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