Piracy Textfiles: Soft Documentation

Why many software programs are self-evident or contain help sections within the program itself, many others are complicated enough that the use of them is not self-evident. To counter this, piracy groups would transcribe the manual of the program so that anyone who got a copy of the program would know how to use it. In this say, Software-Based Documentation was born. It was shortened in name to "Soft Documentation" and then "Soft Docs", and even "dox" in some cases.

An interesting side-effect of this process, which was pretty tedious by any standard, was that the writer/transcriber would include a lot of interesting side-comments about the program, or the BBS world as they saw it, or any amount of gossip/opinion they could fit in.

This is not the only section with Soft Documentation; there is a very large collection of Apple II-Based Documentation in the Apple II section.


Filename
Size
Description of the Textfile
$readme.txt 8919
Soft Documentation for Broderbund's License to Kill by The Firm (October 12, 1989)
$readme2.txt 4974
Soft Documentation for Taito's Operation Wolf by The Firm (September 15, 1989)
688.txt 156457
SOFTDOCS: 688 Attack Sub User Manual
a-10tank 61934
Soft Documentation: A-10 Tank Killer
aaargh.txt 4301
SOFTDOCS: Aaaarg, by Arthur Dent of M.A.A.D.
abdtg.nfo 3062
Documentation for the Arrested Bus Drivers Tone Generator
adandd.cards 12772
Soft Documents: Magic: The AD&D
alienleg.asc 17656
Soft Documentation: Alien Legacy by Dynamix
allnet.txt 3809
Documentation for Allnet Hacker v4.0
appendix 13955
Documentation for Crack Version 4.1 by Alec Muffett
arkanoid.frm 1278
Soft Documentation for Arkanoid II: Revenge of Doe by The Firm
atrain.txt 131950
SOFTDOCS: The A-Train
aultrafd.txt 22367
Soft Documentation to Archon Ultra, by Lorus
autoduel.txt 13376
Soft Docs: Autoduel
azure.sol 60274
SOFTDOCS: Curse of the Azure Bonds
bakcht{}.not 3892
Betrayal at Kondor Cheat Version 1.0, by Null Set
batchess.txt 13894
SOFTDOCS: Battle Chess
batman.txt 9175
SOFTDOCS: Batman, typed by Golden One of the API
beast2.txt 29108
Soft Documentation: Shadow of the Beast II Docs, by Fizban of G.O.D.
beast3.txt 7304
Soft Documentation: Shadow of the Beast III
bic-sol2.dox 26490
SOFTDOCS: Bicycle Solitare v2.01 by Swfte, Documentation by Genesis of HumbleDox (May 29, 1991)
bluegrey.txt 23246
Soft Documentation for The Blue and the Gray
bp.txt 18615
Soft Documentation: Balance of the Planet (199)
buckroge.txt 22246
Soft Documentation: Buck Rogers: Countdown to Doomsday
cas-trg.txt 6933
Soft Documentation: Command Adventures: Starship Version 1.0 Technical Reference Guide
caveman.txt 21078
SOFTDOCS: Caveman Ugh-Lympics by Azreal
centudox.txt 27350
Centurion "Defender of Rome" by Electronic Arts Documentation (1990)
centurio.txt 13120
SOFTDOCS: Centurion by Gironimo of the Something Different BBS
champion.txt 42304
The Champions of Krynn Adventurer's Journal by Archon
chessii.txt 2944
BattleChess II Game Codes
civi.txt 161402
Full Documentation for Civilizations
civiguid.txt 371990
The Official Guide to Sid Meier's Civilization, typed by Baser Evil of Alliance
civildox.nfo 9349
DOCUMENTATION: Complete Civilization Documentation from United Software Association and Mokedage/Organism
civiliz.dox 160101
DOCUMENTATION; Complete Civilization Documentation
conr-dox.nfo 10826
DOCUMENTATION: Jimmy Connor's Pro Tennis Tour from United Software Association/Fairlight PC
control.txt 3229
Explanation of the Code-Name ICEMAN Control Panel
cruisdox.nfo 4113
Cruise for a Corpse: Complete Documentation by Delphine Software
cruisref.txt 13598
The Humble Guys: Cruise for a Corpse : Reference Manual for the Cimematique System
cw.txt 9200
DOCUMENTATION: Crime Wave, by Access Software
cy3-dox.txt 2504
Soft Documentation: Chuck Yeager's Air Combat, by Gopher of POWR
d-lair.txt 2477
How to Win at the NYCrack of Dragon's Lair
darkleg.txt 6859
Quick Documentation to Dark Legions by The Beholder
darkspyr.txt 1024
DOCUMENTATION: Dark Spyre, by T-Bo
ddragon.txt 1406
Double Dragon Docs, by the Blue Adept
deltav.txt 6336
Solution to Delta V from Bethesda Softworks
diehard.hnt 3792
The Security and Inovcations for Die Hard
digger2.txt 1922
Documentation for Diggers PC v1.49 from Milleniuum Interactive 1993-1994
diggers.txt 9897
Soft Documentation for Diggers from Millenium
dinoterr.txt 5554
Review and Soft Documentation for Dino Park Tycoon
dkok.txt 96768
Death Knights of Krynn Adventurer's Journal Part I: The Players Manual. typed by Repo Man
dmkeys.txt 6211
DOOM key commands (December 16, 1993)
dragonw 61861
DRAGON WARS by Interplay, IBM version (September 1990)
ds-colon.nfo 5820
Documentation for Colonisation by SlackJaw (September 23, 1994)
dsd-canf.dox 11311
Documentation for Cannon Fodder by Virgin
dsd-canf.nfo 4207
Full Documentation for Cannon Fodder by Acid Queen of Dream Syndicate
dsge.txt 7522
Documentation for DSGE v1.00 by ANdrew Pye
dstrike.txt 54439
SOFTDOCS: Documentation to Dragonstrike: The Dragon Combat Simulation by The Redman
dtrack.hnt 6336
Solution to Deathtrack by Activision
dtrack.txt 2707
The Death Track Protection Document
dtrack3.txt 4722
Deathtrack Documentation
dun2trns.nfo 7502
Documentation for Dune II Megatrainer by David Jury (1993)
earthsei.dox 2657
Quick Docs for MetalTech: Earth Siege (October 31, 1994)
ecstatic.txt 9378
Documentation Transcription of Ecstatica
elite2.txt 2745
Quick Documentation for Elite 2
enchant.txt 19804
Documentation for Curse of Enchantia by Scooter of Skid Row
epic-thg.dox 69755
The Humble Guys HumbleDox: Epic: The Complete Game Manual
epic.txt 6777
Soft Documentation for Flight Simulator "Epic"
f-15docs.txt 1638
SOFTDOCS: F-15 Strike Eagle, by The Blue Adept
f15ii.txt 2373
The Underground Council: F-15 II (August 15, 1989) Member List and Docs
falcon2.txt 13704
Softdocs: Falcon Missions Disk II: Operation Firefight typed by Renegade
falfun.txt 5562
Some Strange and Funny Things to Do with Falcon 3
fatal.nfo 2536
Documentation for "Fatal Challenge
ffbtof.txt 30942
SOFTDOCS: Fiendish Freddy's Big Top O'Fun by Mindscape
fistfast.txt 1386
Documentation for Armored Fist by Ars Nova
fl-aoe.dox 14481
Documentation for Aces of Europe by Fanfan LaTulipe
formula1.txt 61175
Soft Documentation for Microprose's Formula One Grand Prix
gamtools.txt 20260
SOFTDOCS: Gametools Version 3.4 by Wong Wing Kin (1994) (Cracks Software Protection)
gshipibm.txt 5470
DOCS: Gunship, by Microprose
gunbelt3.txt 8525
Softdocs: Gunbelt III by Lord Blix (August 25, 1987)
heimdall.txt 24754
SOFTDOCS: Heimdall, by Skid Row and Scooter
idd.nfo 5520
INC: Civilization Hintbook (July 23, 1992)
indymodm.txt 6115
Indycar Racing Modem Play
indypass.txt 6410
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Translation Table
java-esd.txt 25834
Documentation of Empire Soccer from Empire Software
legend.nfo 4577
LEGEND: Full Amazon Train Documentation (July 28, 1993)
legend.txt 7129
Battle Bugs Documentation by Neuromage
links.txt 18013
Soft Documentation: Links Golf by The Skeleton
load-us.txt 2304
DOCUMENTATION: LOAD-US, by SWFTE Fairware (1984)
loom.txt 6254
Soft Documentation for Loom by LucasArts
lotus3.txt 24181
Lotus III: Final Challenge Complete Documentation by Razor Blade
maps-pcx.txt 1201
DOCUMENTATION: The Colony
mastninj.txt 1917
Docs to Master Ninja, by Paragon Software Corporation (1987)
meanhnt.txt 5599
Complete Hints for Mean Streets
meanstr.txt 3295
Cheats to Mean Streets by The Mizer
mega2.txt 211670
Soft Documentation: Megatraveller 2, by The Humble Guys/Rygar
moonst.txt 24684
Moonstone: A Hard Days Knight: Complete Game Manual: Soft Documentation by The Humble Guys
mortal.txt 2790
Mortal Kombat Reference File for SNES
mshelp.txt 14661
Soft Documentation for Mean Streets
n&b_e2fm.txt 140104
Manual for Elite II by Shard 13 (November 13, 1993)
nflchal.txt 1424
Soft Documentation: NFL Challenge, by the Blue Adept
no-aces.txt 5277
Aces Over Europe Quick Reference Documentation by Guardian of New Order
offshore.txt 2977
Soft Documentation for Off Shore Warriors
pond3.txt 13175
SOFTDOCS: Aquatic Games from Millenium, by Razor Blade
popuii.txt 35163
SOFTDOCS: Populous by The Jester
powermon.txt 86106
The Powermonger Amiga Command Summary Card, by RYGAR
pp2qdox.txt 1914
Prince of Persia 2 Quick Dox by Patch (April 27, 1993)
premiere.txt 5156
SOFTDOCS: Premiere
princeop.txt 13588
The Prince of Persia User's Guide
ramboapi.txt 4124
Rambo III Cheat Version 2.0 Documentation
rdr_seed.txt 30690
Soft Documentation: Dark Seed: The Complete Game Manual, from Ministry
readme.dfe 3523
Dark Forces Demo Editor Version 1.71 by Sean Baker
readme.txt 3191
Cheat for The Elder Scrolls: Arena
rebels97.nfo 14389
REBELS: 1997 Generic Release Document
rly_gold.txt 11136
Undocumented Features in RELAY Gold Version 4.0
sensible.txt 27884
Full Documentation for Sensible Soccer by Munchie and LOL (November 5, 1992)
shdwr.txt 4005
Soft Documentation: Shadow Warriors, scribed by Renegade of RAF
silentii.txt 248405
Documentation: Silent Service II by The Jet
simcity.txt 47545
SimCity Version 1.0 for Amiga Soft Documentation, by Ponyboy
slice-10.txt 124508
Slice's Tradewar Manual Version 1.0, by Slice
sm1cha.txt 1040
Wing Commander Secret Missions 1 Chart
sputty.txt 5385
Putty: The Game (Documentation)
spyvspy3.txt 1779
Soft Documentation for Spy vs. Spy III by Epyx (Cracked by Live Wire)
sq5coord.txt 1963
Space Quest 5 Coordinates, typed by Vaiski (February 2, 1993)
stellar.txt 19021
Stellar 7 from Dynamix/Sierra released by The Humble Guys (October 1, 1990)
stellar7.txt 27305
Stellar 7 Documentation
storm.txt 29229
StormMaster User's Manual
striker.txt 2503
How to play Striker
tdn-bn.txt 2380
Quick Documentation to Bloodnet from Microprose (November 6, 1993)
termdox.txt 5052
The Terminator IBM Reference Card, by Line Noise
terrtron.nf1 6460
TERRATRON: Stronghold Complete Docs by Raistlin (July 28, 1993)
thawk.txt 8582
Docs: Thunderhawk AH073M Keyboard Commands Summary
top.nfo 1702
TIRED OF PROTECTION: Soft-Ice Additional Files with Full Scanned Documentation
tunnels.txt 1942
SOFTDOCS: Tunnels of Armageddon by Rifleman
tycoon.txt 10685
Soft Documentation for Railroad Tycoon, cracked by Public Enemy
u72cheat.txt 4389
How to activate the ULTIMA 7 PART II cheat system, by David Lummis
ultrad3.txt 10880
SOFTDOCS: Ultra-Dial: Version 3.0 The Final Frontier by Paul Levy
utopia.txt 86606
Utopia: Instruction Booklet by Scout
warlords.txt 81321
Soft Documentation for the Wargame Warlords
wccheat.txt 3485
Wing Commander Series Cheat
wingcom.txt 7076
Soft Documentation for Wing Commander by Gopher
wizzkid.txt 11075
Soft Documentation by Wizkid
yeager.txt 13208
Soft Documentation for Chuck Yeager's Air Combat, by Humble Guy, 06/24/1991
zeliard.txt 3287
Soft Documentation for Zeliard by Sierra, by UG (1990)
zool.txt 11346
Soft Documentation: Zool, Ninja from the Nth Dimension

There are 144 files for a total of 3,697,829 bytes.