I know this is old, but ShadyParadox figured out that the layout of the rooms is what you described here, with the compass rose room sitting under the rock + stairsteps that sits next to both entranceways to Sirrus and Achenar's tunnels: czcams.com/video/MKM9AaG1J_E/video.html
If Sirrus and Achenar were systematically plundering and then destroying ages, I think it makes sense that the intact journals and linking books would match. It would be in their benefit to, before linking to the ages, first read Atrus' journals about them to see if there is any information in them that could be used to their advantage.
@meiklman I tried that. With the no-fly cheat there are a few places where you can go through the ceiling, and you can also drop down beneath the island. Unfortunately, the island, the tunnels, the secret passage, and the rooms are all separate models. They're not actually connected. So if you go below the island, ther's no tunnels. If you go outside the compass room, there's no island or tunnels. So you can't see how the layout works that way.
Beautifully done! :-) It occurs to me how many of the ages that Atrus wrote/linked to had significant portions underground. Growing up in the cleft, and then visiting the great underground city of D'ni, clearly left it's mark.
@WhisperDeeply The idea is that you can only make changes where no one can prove that they weren't about to happen anyway. The other part is that small changes can have big results. Gehn changed something so the ocean water would heat up (e.g. a seismic event creating a geothermal heat source), which resulted in those cataclysmic events. It borrows some ideas from quantum mechanics and the uncertainty principle, though that's nonsense since that only applies at subatomic level.
@HDGamingReplays Yes, the bits during my "revisit" of the age were recorded afterwards. For editing I use a combination of VirtualDub, AVISynth and Audacity.
Or, more likely, they are all part of the same model and are different references - the game hides areas you can't see when you aren't in them. Because the game isn't showing these areas it allows it to run faster, and it makes no visual difference to the player. This is still the case even with modern games. It's less likely an error in layout, but a feature mean't to keep the game running smoothly on older machines.
"WhisperDeeply 3 years ago What I still don't get....if the art doesn't create worlds, just provides links to existing worlds, how is it that writing in linking books can make such cataclysmic changes to that whole age? Such as Ghen accidentally depriving age 34 of all their water..." This is a good questions... I don't understand the mechanics. They can link into existing worlds (so worlds/planets) they do intergalactic travel through the books? How though and why would their writing make SUCH changes AND what inspires them to write? They get a vision of a world that already exists?
The way I've always felt it must be understood is that, when "writing" a change into an age it must be done in a way that the change always could have happened in the age as it presently exists. As Sven references in this video, Atrus experienced his father's changes to an age - the first change linked to the same age with the changes, the second change was not successful and linked to an altogether different age. In this case, the cataclysmic weather event that happened after the first change must be something that always could have happened; however, it was then not possible to undo this change: since it was not possible for the change in climate to reverse itself naturally, the link necessarily had to be redirected to an alternate universe where the event never happened to begin with. With this in mind, that means at least 2 ages always existed and writing into the first age directed its path down the tree of infinite possibilities rather than actually changing it
I have issues with the nature of linking and writing, in this series. Sometimes its like the Millers couldn't decided whether the D'ni had a kind of science or sorcery, or maybe a mix of both. The predominant idea is certainly that all possible worlds exist in a realm of potential possibility, and the Art merely creates links to those worlds that already exist, based on the description used. But Gehn, Atrus, and Yeesha are, to an extent, able to physically manifest/alter those existing worlds in ways those worlds weren't before the writing. Despite the claim the D'ni weren't gods, you have to admit that is a rather godlike ability. Especially when you consider the consequences, whether the attempts to make those changes were good or bad.
Actually, I think the changes to the corridors were corrections! If the tunnels coil tighter then your diagram suggests, then the original door layout would never meet up. However, changing the sides that the hatches are on would not only fix this, but place the compass room directly outside the Myst book vault! Therefore, the lights by the compass would be the same lights outside the linking chamber. Your original map would have the original lights lighting nothing at all.
Also, making the tunnel angle shallower would place the compass outside the ship with the original door layout. Further proof is that the compass room has a faint blue glow, which can be seen from the ship when the floodlights are out. In other words, that’s not rock outside the ship’s windows, it’s glass!
It would be helpful if we could use some kind of no-clip cheat in realMyst to see how the underground portion looks like, and where all the rooms are placed. Then we could also check whether the direction of north on the compass matches with the telescope's. But I only know of a fly-cheat - not allowing you to fly through walls. Maybe someone else here knows more...?
why not just represent the d'm or whatever letters/symbols with other symbols or letters, like english letters, boom, bckup book in case you fuckup in changing the age
RealMyst is a more recent remake of Myst, mostly noted for its open-world style movement rather than going from point to point. It also features a bonus age if you beat the game.
God I love how deeply you investigate and think about this game. You're like a Myst scholar.
I know this is old, but ShadyParadox figured out that the layout of the rooms is what you described here, with the compass rose room sitting under the rock + stairsteps that sits next to both entranceways to Sirrus and Achenar's tunnels: czcams.com/video/MKM9AaG1J_E/video.html
If Sirrus and Achenar were systematically plundering and then destroying ages, I think it makes sense that the intact journals and linking books would match. It would be in their benefit to, before linking to the ages, first read Atrus' journals about them to see if there is any information in them that could be used to their advantage.
*listens to compass direction theory*
*head explodes*
+Naho Saenoki yeah that was epic
@meiklman I tried that. With the no-fly cheat there are a few places where you can go through the ceiling, and you can also drop down beneath the island. Unfortunately, the island, the tunnels, the secret passage, and the rooms are all separate models. They're not actually connected. So if you go below the island, ther's no tunnels. If you go outside the compass room, there's no island or tunnels. So you can't see how the layout works that way.
Beautifully done! :-) It occurs to me how many of the ages that Atrus wrote/linked to had significant portions underground. Growing up in the cleft, and then visiting the great underground city of D'ni, clearly left it's mark.
I think it's safe to say achenar's in no position to say 'you must obey me' i'd be like 'no you're boring me now i'm gonna throw u away' lol
@WhisperDeeply The idea is that you can only make changes where no one can prove that they weren't about to happen anyway. The other part is that small changes can have big results. Gehn changed something so the ocean water would heat up (e.g. a seismic event creating a geothermal heat source), which resulted in those cataclysmic events.
It borrows some ideas from quantum mechanics and the uncertainty principle, though that's nonsense since that only applies at subatomic level.
@HDGamingReplays Yes, the bits during my "revisit" of the age were recorded afterwards. For editing I use a combination of VirtualDub, AVISynth and Audacity.
I'm glad you're using the maps, I always found them really visually appealing somehow.
I can't believe you touched anything that was on that bed! EEEEWWWWWW
i like your theory on how the Myst world was created
Or, more likely, they are all part of the same model and are different references - the game hides areas you can't see when you aren't in them. Because the game isn't showing these areas it allows it to run faster, and it makes no visual difference to the player. This is still the case even with modern games. It's less likely an error in layout, but a feature mean't to keep the game running smoothly on older machines.
"WhisperDeeply 3 years ago
What I still don't get....if the art doesn't create worlds, just provides links to existing worlds, how is it that writing in linking books can make such cataclysmic changes to that whole age? Such as Ghen accidentally depriving age 34 of all their water..."
This is a good questions... I don't understand the mechanics. They can link into existing worlds (so worlds/planets) they do intergalactic travel through the books? How though and why would their writing make SUCH changes AND what inspires them to write? They get a vision of a world that already exists?
The way I've always felt it must be understood is that, when "writing" a change into an age it must be done in a way that the change always could have happened in the age as it presently exists. As Sven references in this video, Atrus experienced his father's changes to an age - the first change linked to the same age with the changes, the second change was not successful and linked to an altogether different age. In this case, the cataclysmic weather event that happened after the first change must be something that always could have happened; however, it was then not possible to undo this change: since it was not possible for the change in climate to reverse itself naturally, the link necessarily had to be redirected to an alternate universe where the event never happened to begin with. With this in mind, that means at least 2 ages always existed and writing into the first age directed its path down the tree of infinite possibilities rather than actually changing it
Okay thanks!
@Alph4Numb3r Not the bits I drew on it regarding the tunnels.
So, Dilandau, the authors confirmed this communication between the stranger and the entrapped brothers hadn't actually occured in the series?
Not Really. That was a retcon by RAWA and not the original intent of the writing team.
Holy shit good analysis
I like your reference to the Book of Atrus!
Achenar reminds me of HIM in "Power Puff Girls."
One of my favorite characters.
@NCKman09 The stoneship map is built into the game.
Are the Bahro the only ones who are competent enough to change the existing age?
I have issues with the nature of linking and writing, in this series. Sometimes its like the Millers couldn't decided whether the D'ni had a kind of science or sorcery, or maybe a mix of both. The predominant idea is certainly that all possible worlds exist in a realm of potential possibility, and the Art merely creates links to those worlds that already exist, based on the description used.
But Gehn, Atrus, and Yeesha are, to an extent, able to physically manifest/alter those existing worlds in ways those worlds weren't before the writing. Despite the claim the D'ni weren't gods, you have to admit that is a rather godlike ability. Especially when you consider the consequences, whether the attempts to make those changes were good or bad.
Actually, I think the changes to the corridors were corrections!
If the tunnels coil tighter then your diagram suggests, then the original door layout would never meet up.
However, changing the sides that the hatches are on would not only fix this, but place the compass room directly outside the Myst book vault!
Therefore, the lights by the compass would be the same lights outside the linking chamber.
Your original map would have the original lights lighting nothing at all.
Also, making the tunnel angle shallower would place the compass outside the ship with the original door layout. Further proof is that the compass room has a faint blue glow, which can be seen from the ship when the floodlights are out. In other words, that’s not rock outside the ship’s windows, it’s glass!
P.S. I’m pretty sure that the compass room is a puzzle, and nothing else. Feel free to doodle these possibilities to see if it is more than that.
It would be helpful if we could use some kind of no-clip cheat in realMyst to see how the underground portion looks like, and where all the rooms are placed. Then we could also check whether the direction of north on the compass matches with the telescope's. But I only know of a fly-cheat - not allowing you to fly through walls. Maybe someone else here knows more...?
I have one question. Is there any mention of what happened to the boys in this or another Myst game? I've always been curious about that.
@Dilandau3000 Touché, touché.
Hmmm - nice map.
Yes... the obey me thing is like what? Nope!
@JohnSavant yeesha could probably do it pretty successfully.
why not just represent the d'm or whatever letters/symbols with other symbols or letters, like english letters, boom, bckup book in case you fuckup in changing the age
@Phanto5692 I have realMYST.
Real Myst?
+LTheHitmanC3 No. It is master edition or something...
RealMyst is a more recent remake of Myst, mostly noted for its open-world style movement rather than going from point to point. It also features a bonus age if you beat the game.