The Virtual Manual Museum

What this is: The Virtual Manual Museum (VMM) is intended to be a repository for high-quality transcriptions of original, dated game materials to HTML format. The idea is to create a sort of on-line museum for older game products that many people have never seen in original form but might still get some value out of reading now.

What this is not: The VMM pages are not a location to download the software itself described in the manuals. Some of the games that are/will be listed here are experiencing a revitalization of sorts with the advent of widespread emulation capabilities in modern computers. This is great (that there is interest in these games), but it is not the purpose of the VMM to become a distribution point for them illegally. Wherever possible the VMM will obtain permission from original authors in presenting game materials.

The status of the VMM: The VMM is currently just beginning. It will expand, probably slowly, over time. The stark nature of this introduction page is simply due to a lack of time to dedicate to window-dressing outside of the game materials themselves. Eventually that will be corrected.

Creating one of these pieces yourself: If you want to contribute to the VMM, please do. View a couple of the pieces here and see what we are striving for. If you think you can do the same or better work (remember accuracy to the original materials is the key goal) with your favorite old-time game, try to contact the original author(s) about permission to reproduce the game materials. Direct them to this site so they can see what you are trying to achieve. And if that goes well, please e-mail rich@cstone.net with a discussion of what you intend to transcribe (try including "VMM" in the mail header to catch attention).

Without further ado, here is the first VMM transcription available, Temple of Apshai. ToA was a popular role playing game that spawned an entire series of sequels using its DunjonQuest system for various 8-bit systems. It was popular enough that it survived well into the 32-bit machine era, and versions existed for machines all the way from the original Apple II to the Amiga.

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