Rather simple, you getting a Strategy Gude or not. Explain. Also, would you reccomend a gamer new to RPGs to buy the Guide or not?

EB made me buy. I'm going to return it to another EB when the copy of KOTOR I ordered online arrives today. I already did a PFB.

http://www.gamefaqs.com

I will buy it when I buy the game.

I might buy the strategy guide after I finish the game a few times. I don't enjoy knowing everything before I play, although I know some people who do. I also try not to read too much of the reviews, just enough to see if I'm interested in the game.

I never buy strategy guides. It spoils the game, and you can get the same information for free on the internet.

I never buy strategy guides either, simply because the info is free and better on the internet. Usually the "official strategy guides" lack alot compared to gamefaqs.com in my opinion.

Often this is because in order to make publication deadlines, strategy guides are written against a beta or even alpha build of the game. It's only compounded when patches and other additional content is released.

no. much as others have said ^^^

i also find that if i have a faq or something, it sort of handholds me thru the game. so instead of me really investigating things, i just follow along.

i do find some references helpful though. like the moves list of a fighting game; i bought tekken 4's guide at best buy for a penny a while ago even though i don't even have the game i just like to look at the pretty pictures...

Deleted. Please be a little more considerate when throwing around terms that may be offensive for other DVD Talkers. - Static

I never buy the strategy guides. They take all the exploration out of a game. You go from point A to B... I'd rather play the game without any help and only resort to the internet if all my efforts fail. If I spend 3 days stuck at one point going on the internet.

How incredibly mature of you.

There are at least two areas that I can think of where printed strategy guides are better than Gamefaqs...

1) As someone mentioned before, fighting games. A good fighting game strategy guide will show all the moves and combos, and I can't stand ASCII representations of controller motions...

2) Maps. For exploration rpgs (like Metroid Fusion) and racing games, especially. Though someone on Gamefaqs did do a really good job with the GBA castlevania maps

I also find that it's impossible to find 100% of the "secrets" in most modern rpgs without referring to either a strategy guide or an faq.

I agree, but it's a great star wars game and the full color guide looked so pretty. I ended up getting it just for the printed stories, pictures, and for reffering to the weapon/item point system and attributes. I won't use it to make my way through the game but it will be fun to flip through when away from my xbox.

I think EB usually discount the guides when you purchase the game.

Why do people even use stradegy guides? I hear people complaining about how easy a game is or something but the reason it was so easy for them was because they used a guide. Game were meant to be played and figured out not walkthroughed by a book. BTW im not saying that useing a guide is a bad thing, I have used a couple myself before, im just trying to make a point

I don't buy strategy guides because they are evil. Well, unless they have a poster of some hot chick. :P

Naw - not only does it spoil things, and that you can get the same information for free, there's one more tidbit that you may not know about. . .

Guides are often wrong!

See, I work as a game tester, and once in a while I get the chance to work with the folks at Prima, proofing their material for errors (I worked on the Motor City guide, amongst others). I was always more than happy to point out problems and better tatics. And they were always more than happy to ingore my advice and proceed with whatever the hell they wanted.

This happened a couple of times - leading me to the conclusion that they dont give a rats ass about quality - only about making a quick buck on people who dont know about gamefaqs.com.

Brady Games guides are the only one's I ever consider picking up for RPG's as thier are pretty spoiler free with solid map and item location pictures. Thier FFX guide was pretty nice but it did have a few errors but nothing major.

I look at it like this, if you read the entire strat guide without even playing the game of course its going to ruin your experience of it. But if you only look at it when your specificly stuck then there is no shame in it. I dont see how using something to aid you like a book is weak. Now using a cheat device...thats low.

seriously, games should be fun. if you're stuck and it's frustration city, by all means, get a faq or something to help out. just like how people ask in forums for help.

jokingly, this never happens to me... i am so smart that i never get stuck. not even in that myst game! bwhahahahaha.

I'm not buying one. Never have. Gamestop offered me their last copy but I passed. I'm just going to use you guys if I get stuck.

Actually I'm stuck right now.