A while back i was reading the manual to Redguard, and i was very surprised to see the amount of info that was included regarding history and race relations etc.. But also were letters asking questions about what i think were magazine issues past and future. So did TES start of as a magazine?

You're talking about the comic at the front and how the Elder Scrolls talk about the past an the future of Tamriel What you have to remember is back in the early 90's if you sent in your registration card you actually got newsletters sent to you regularly. The internet was also around then, in the form of BBS's (Bulletin Board Systems), but many gamers wrote and posted actual letters to publishers back then (and got replies), as there was a closer relationship between the publishers and gamers a couple decades ago!

I was a gamer and worked in the games business back then. It was good times. The Redguard manual just shows a glimpse into that world!

I miss my hip 90s childhood.

Part of the Redguard manual was the first Pocket Guide.

is there any way to get ahold of some of those early dated newletters? maybe an arcive somewhere online? or am I hopeing for too much?

TES began as a DnD setting at Bethesda in the early 90's.

I miss my hip Ted Peterson.

Thanks for that

The only Pocket Guide and the reason to buy Redguard if you can!

its not the only one its the 1st the second one witch is actually the 3rd came with oblivion.....ok there is only one real pocke guide.

With respect, you have obviously never seen the Pocket Guide that came with Redguard if you think the Oblivion manual is anything like a Pocket Guide!

I have redguard so I've seen the old pocket guide why do you think I said what I said? and the 3rd pocket guide wasn't oblivions manuel but your right its still nothing like the orginal. filled with all the propaganda and all. and the notes written on it make it even better.

Well, my Oblivion only came with the manual. Maybe you got the collector's edition or something, which is not a comparison..

yea I did and it came with pocket guide to the empire 3rd edition and a septim. but that guide is in no way compareable to the orginal. the orginal was full of lots of propraganda and I really liked the notes in it gave it a more like its from the world feel.

Well,I would say that is a sign of how games have changed. What you used to get in a regular game, you now have to get in a collector's edition!

For those that have not seen the Pocket Guide

http://www.imperial-library.info/

ah yes, back then you sent in your final score and what not when you completed a game to the devs and got a diploma back signed with your name and a handwritten congratulation by the head dev for completing their game.

i still have my Might and Magic 1-5 diplomas signed by Jon van Caneghem in a box somewhere.