History Main / AllThereInTheManual

** ''RevengeOfTheSith'' begins with Coruscant under attack and recently "kidnapped" Chancellor Palpatine a prisoner on General Grievous's ship. While it's not strictly necessary in order to understand that setup, the first series of CloneWars cartoons (the GenndyTartakovsky ones, not the CGI ones) actually showed his kidnapping. The last episode of that series ends the moment the movie begins. The same cartoon has the introduction for General Grievous; going only by the movies he appears out of nowhere and his presence is never explained.

* ''DonnieDarko'' itself. One of the reasons it has become a cult LoveItOrHateIt film is that it is not self-contained at all. Nothing about the Manipulated Dead or Tangent Universe is ever explicitly (or implicitly!) stated, requiring you to read the script-book or check out the director's commentary at length to have any hope of getting the plot.

* [[WesternAnimation/NinE 9]] was only 75 minutes long, but it has entire websites dedicated to it in which you could do all sorts of interesting things.
* The first ''MadMax'' film has the character of the Dark One. Originally, he was Max's partner and May Swaisey's husband, but for whatever reason he was removed from the final draft, appearing only as the man they take [[AnArmAndALeg Cundallini's severed hand]] to who reports it to MFP, Max's line "May, call the Dark One" when Jessie is chased through the forest, and the names "M. Rockatansky" and "The Dark One" on the Interceptor's fender (though this is best seen in promotional stills).
* While it was one of the most faithful comic book adaptations, ''SinCity'' had to leave out some dialogue and a couple scenes didn't make it to the theatrical cut (though are in the director's cut). In particular, how Hartigan found Nancy's apartment, Dwight's monologue about why he can't use his own Cadillac and how the Thunderbird used to be a CoolCar, but has been abused to its present condition.

* The Graphic Novel ''[[Film/PacificRim Pacific Rim]]: Tales from Year Zero'' is a series of {{flashback}}s about some of the characters from the movie and how they came to be part of the Jaeger program.

* ''Literature/LesMiserables'' contains vast amounts of information on most of its named characters, regardless of their individual significance in the story. Although no adaptation of the novel thus far has made use of all the information, several of them, in order to remain canon, therefore end up retaining the names of the many minor characters and therefore confusing the intended audience. Possibly the instance where the background information in the novel has most effect is in the importance of the real historical figure Lamarque as a pivotal part of the plot. As this historical figure is only every referenced rather than actually appearing, it is virtually impossible to understand this sequence in any adaptation without reading either a historical source or the original novel.

** The supplementary files also contain a fair amount of information on the plot. Not only does the ''Manga/StrikerSSoundStageX'' explain how many of the spells work, but it also provides information such as how the [=N2R=] [[SiblingTeam squad]] [[LineOfSightName got its name]], and specific information on the long-standing consequences of [[spoiler:Teana's partner [[DetectiveMole being outed as the real killer]] in the Mariage case]].

** Done. http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Baccano

*** To be fair, though, the book is still somewhat vague on some of the more ambiguous elements. While it provides more of an explanation for the ending, it still says almost nothing about the aliens beyond the fact that they've evolved to unimaginable levels.
*** Clarke's Law says that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. It apparently continues "... and therefore we needn't bother even ''attempting'' to explain what the hell is actually going on." Clarke never actually came right out and said that last bit, but it's a pretty apparent ''leitmotif'' in his works.
* An InUniverse example: The complex and confusing rules for ghosts in ''Film/{{Beetlejuice}}'' were apparently all explained in the Handbook for the Recently Deceased. Unfortunately, notes the Maitlands, it's so technical that it's nearly incomprehensible. This nicely [[LampshadeHanging moots any criticism]] of apparent contradictions in the movie's cosmology, since the audience hasn't read the manual.

*** This "super secret reveal" was spoiled a long time before that. Like, when ThePhantomMenace came out and has a guy named Palpatine in it. I suppose he ''could'' have turned out to be Emperor Palpatine's father or cousin or something.

*** ...It's not nearly that bad. The games are all ''full'' of new characters, and those who are carried over from prior media don't really stand out. The only cartoon to get books written about it is WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars, which introduces those characters itself. Most games which aren't rehashes of the films have tie-in novels. Kyle Katarn is the most major game character to get any kind of role in the books without such a novel, and that role is extraordinarily minor - save for the fact that he's never killed, he doesn't stand out among the many other Jedi who are mentioned to be present. It's true that you don't get the whole story if you stay with only the novels - for example ''ShadowsOfTheEmpire'' shows different aspects of the same chain of events in the novel, the comic book, and the videogame - but generally storylines keep to themselves and wrap up without needing tie-ins to complete things, and when aspects are carried from one medium to another they get an explanation.
*** When the ''JediAcademyTrilogy'' was first released, many fans who had only read ''TheThrawnTrilogy'' were caught very off-guard by the repeated mentions of a [[DarkEmpire clone emperor]].

[[folder:Stand Up Comedy]]
* Kumail Nanjiani has a bit on the video game VideoGame/HeavyRain, and how that sort of narrative depth in video games [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XysJjXMzM4c used to be impossible.]]
-->30 years, like 1980, if you were like "I wanna make a video game that's, you lose your son and then you need to track down a serial killer, not just to save your other son, but to finally atone for your past mistakes and be able to look yourself in the mirror," the programmer would be like "Okay. I can give you a yellow circle, eating other, smaller yellow circles. And then the rest of the story we can put in the manual, you know?"
[[/folder]]

* ''Videogame/{{Civilization}}'' took this trope very seriously, albeit as a somewhat primitive form of averting piracy. After a certain number of turns, the player would be asked to take the Civilization Quiz; failing the quiz prevented the player from continuing the game. The quiz was on specific prerequisites to technologies, which in theory could only be figured out by reading the manual. In practice, it was either possible to guess the prerequisites or to have already seen the technology in game. Those who were extra confused could just reload from an earlier save, at which point the quiz would randomize to something potentially easier.

** Not quite so bad, the novels flesh out in greater detail aspects of the story which are easily followed in-game. While the codex is more detailed, many of the topics are usually mentioned at some point in the game dialogues.
** And most of the information in these areas isn't necessary to understand the game's main story, only some of the backstory behind the world (which you can also dig out through conversations).
** One can play through the game without reading the codex at all, but it does kind of beg to be read (with the flashing every time you pause). It's kind of an instance where more detail becomes available as you learn about things (ie, Joker explains the Normandy's stealth drives a bit, the codex provides a bit more), and not so much where you have to read the codex to understand stuff. However, at the end of the game, having read the codex articles on the Protheans helps make things make more sense.

*** ''Retribution'' only confirmed speculation after ''Mass Effect 2''. Harbinger's lines, such as [[spoiler:"we are the harbinger of their ascension"]] and [[spoiler:"[we] are your salvation through destruction"]] make more sense, but it was fairly clear what was going on. Again, this is a case of expanding on something that was briefly covered in the games.

* AmeliaAtwaterRhodes hosts her own [[http://www.nyeusigrube.com website]] with a great deal of supplementary information about her vampires, shapeshifters, and their world. Even more information can be found on her forum.

* ''Fanfic/{{Renegade}}'' features a number of Codex entries similar to the Codex in ''VideoGame/MassEffect'' that details additional notes about the setting.

* ''VideoGame/MassEffect'' seems to be heading this way. The available in-game Codex offers incredibly detailed information on everything from asari biology to element zero. In addition, the two novels offer and expand upon the backstory and provide additional information.

->''"If you need instructions on how to get through the hotels, check out the [[WebAnimation/YouTubePoop enclosed instruction book]]!"''
-->-- '''[[VideoGame/HotelMario Mario]]'''

* The plot of the PC game ''[[VideoGame/JazzJackrabbit Jazz Jackrabbit 2]]''. The villain from ''JJ1'' has stolen the diamond from Jazz's fiancee's engagement ring. You have to get it back before he uses it to power his time machine and erase rabbits from history. Didn't read the comic in the manual? Then you wouldn't know any of this.

* The plot of the PC game ''[[VideoGame/JazzJackrabbit Jazz Jackrabbit 2]]''. The villain from the first game stole the diamond from Jazz's fiancee's engagement ring. You're trying to get it back before he uses it to power a time machine and erase rabbits from history. Didn't read the comic in the manual? Then you wouldn't know any of this.

->''"If you need instructions on how to get through the hotels, check out the [[YoutubePoop enclosed instruction book]]!"''
-->-- '''[[HotelMario Mario]]'''

* The SuperSentai ''HyakujuuSentaiGaoranger'' is subject to this. "''Hyakujuu''" is a Japanese word that means "All of the Animals". It literally means "One Hundred Animals". Seventeen show up regularly in the TV series, five make up the ultimate HumongousMecha, another one debuts in TheMovie, another shows up in a [[AudioAdaptation drama CD]], and four more make their appearance in the GrandFinale. The other 72 show up in the series concept art, where a few of them were even conceived to be further {{Mecha Expansion Pack}}s, become their own HumongousMecha, and even more to have short one shot appearances in the finale but were left on the cutting room floor. These ranged from animals like the horse and cobra to the [[EverythingIsBetterWithPenguins penguin]] and reindeer (named [=GaoRednose=] no less).

-->--'''[[HotelMario Mario]]'''

* The first two [[CrashBandicoot Crash Bandicoot]] games had this affliction. If you wanted to know things like Brio's relationship with Cortex, what makes Coco so special and how N.Gin got the missile stuck in his head, you had to read the manual. Various basic gameplay mechanics were also never talked about, which wasn't so much of a problem in the original due to Crash only being able to run, jump and spin, but new moves in Crash 2 such as sliding, High jumping and body slamming are never even mentioned. This got better in the third game where it explains how to pull off new unlocked moves, and better still in CTR where Aku Aku or Uka Uka would have many pop-up tutorials to explain how to do things.

* The movie ''{{Cloverfield}}'' has an entire backstory played out through a prequel online manga and [[AlternateRealityGame a series of fake websites]] including MySpace profiles, corporate sites and even a "love letter" collection of videos.
* A classic example: If you're mystified by movie ''TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey'', try the ArthurCClarke novel of the same name. It even has a nifty ''{{Stargate|Verse}}''.

* ''{{Outpost 2}}'' was an early RTS with very sparse cutscenes, so at first glance, the backstory and campaign mission briefings seem sparse-more an ExcusePlot than anything else. Then you crack open the manual or on-disk manual and find detailed explanations of every unit, structure, and weapon, complete with a [very] short story centered around the structure, unit, or weapon, as well as plenty of backstory. Then you realize the game came with a novella on the CD as well, spinning two very different tales (one for each faction, which are very different) about the ongoing struggle to survive. Plymouth's ending in particular comes out of nowhere if you haven't been reading.
** However, you are shown the information in the mission briefings (you can show the briefing itself, some technical information and a corresponding chapter of the novella), so this is more of an All there in the manual *and* in the game itself.

* This ''would'' have been the case with ''StarcraftGhost'', had it not been cancelled after the novel ''[[ColonCancer Starcraft: Ghost: Nova]]'' came out, detailing Nova's background and how she came to be a Ghost (she happens to be the most powerful human telepath/telekinetic ever, able to mind-control others and emit TK blasts comparable to nukes; even Zerg!Kerrigan can't match her). Interestingly, the end of the novel has Nova joining the Ghost program, knowing that her memories will be erased, which kinda makes the novel irrelevant. The character of Nova is "revived" and used in ''VideoGame/StarcraftII'', and an additional novel has been written about her exploits.

* The ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'' series has several examples, to the point where you should probably see [[TheWikiRule halo.wikia.com and/or www.halopedian.com]] for all the details.

** The full name of the BigBad of half of the franchise, Ganon, is Ganondorf Dragmire, aka Mandrag Ganon, at least in the English version. This is mentioned only in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'''s manual and when you talk to an out-of-the-way white Octorok in the Dark World (though he only mentions the Ganondorf Dragmire name).

* While not at all a straightforward example, ''LemonySnicketTheUnauthorizedAutobiography'' has key information on the mysterious V.F.D., as well as all thirteen of its parent books ''ASeriesOfUnfortunateEvents''.

* The AntiClicheAndMarySueEliminationSociety has a [[http://acmses.wikia.com/wiki/ACMSES_Wiki Wiki]] maintained by the authors that details events and characters.