Ooooooh, those are some really good questions that I want to address!
- Whether the manual is complete or not, I'm not sure. I think that it could start complete, but then it could get altered, either with additions or redactions. I think it would be really interesting to add an element of knowledge being censored and outright removed by the Agents, and then this has an effect on consecutive loops. Sort of like how concrete use was widespread until the fall of the Roman empire and then was very rarely used until the technology was redeveloped in the industrial revolution.
- The question if the manual has schematics is a good one. I'm struggling to imagine how to incorporate an element of drawing into the game, to be honest. Straight-up drawing schematics might be too daunting, and making a drawing of just the cover of the manual sounds trivial. Thoughts? My thinking goes along the lines of a manual for car repair, for instance, or a manual for electronics soldering, things like this with practical applications that can be used in a myriad of scenarios (not to limit the players).
- The idea of the contents of the manual being misinterpreted is also intriguing, although I think that instead of misinterpretation I would be more inclined towards misuse. What if they figure out that a particular technology that could be used for good is instead used for bad? Could this also feed into consecutive loops, meaning that a previous iteration has an impact on the attitude of the next Agents, actually becoming the inspiration or motivation to add or redact content?
- I think the last point is one that could be further developed into an ending. I think I've got a tenuous idea for the start and the loop, but I haven't given a lot of thought to the end. I like the idea of the Object having an ultimate consequence. Maybe the start of the game establishes a conflict that may be solved (either positively or negatively) by the Object's travel through the loop.