(This is my own opinion, don't blame SD for anything I say here.)
I agree that a full, accurate manual (oh, probably about 300 pages maybe?) would be a very nice thing. I find it hard to believe anyone would argue about that.
It is also, at the this stage and for the foreseeable future, a pipe dream. The game is still changing very quickly, and it will continue to do so for several years; which is a very good thing that I think most of us are very happy about. The direct consequence of this is that anything printed will be out of date before it is published, at least anything beyond basic start up instructions and some basic troubleshooting and references as to where to get more help and how to submit tickets, and perhaps some general orientation on how to play the game.
Detailed formulas for the myriad operations in the game, such as suggested here? I think the most up-to-date will be the Wiki, to which I have been contributing along with a number of others. But it's a ton of work. Just getting stuff into it is a slog. Keeping it even close to current is going to be a challenge.
For example, there are (as of this morning!) 119 different ship equipment parts (guess how I know this) that can be built into new ship designs, each of which is defined by roughly 8-12 parameters, and which are subject to change with every update. And that is just one topic area of a great many.
With patches being released almost every other day, documentation is going to be something like climbing Mt. Everest everyday to stretch your legs. There are two things I can think of that people can do.
1. Be Patient. The formulas you are talking about were different before the weekend (as far as I understand). Nest weekend, don't know. Balancing will go on for a long time.
2. Try to see if there is some way that you can help; perhaps for example by suggesting things (as you have, indeed) that might be appropriate for the Wiki or by posting actual data that would seem appropriate for it, if you have access to it or have worked it out.
Please understand, I am on your side. Otherwise I wouldn't have put the work in that I have on the Wiki. And if the stuff you want isn't there yet, well, go ahead and blame me if it helps. I volunteered to help with the Wiki so I assume I have earned the right to share in the blame.
