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Infopage
The Myst and Riven Unofficial FAQ
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Subject: [4] Myst Information
Date: 12/21/1995
This section relates to the game itself. Please contribute freely!
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Subject: [4-1] Pre-Game
Date: 05/01/1996
This section gives you an introduction before you buy or start the game.
Personal recommendation suggests that you skip this part completely and just
fire up the game. :-)
------------------------------
Subject: [4-1-1] What is Myst?
Date: 05/23/1997
Myst is a mystical island place which holds alot of history, mystery, and
fantasy. You will be involved in a non-linear story with beautiful and
impressive scenes to explore. Puzzles are highly related, and sounds and
music are professionally created and blended in.
It is also the name of the book which you have supposedly found back in
Earth.
From the WWW site <URL:http://www.broderbund.com/200/atoz/myst.html> (no
longer available):
"This hauntingly beautiful game features stunning 3D photorealistic graphics,
a compelling storyline and mind-bending puzzles. The non-linear gameplay lets
players go anywhere, at any time. Unlike other adventure games, there is no
inventory, and players never die.
Incredibly detailed, Myst offers more depth than any CD-ROM game to date."
From Mark H. DeForest:
"Anything you do can be undone. Even though there is a save game feature,
there is no need to do a save/restore cycle to solve puzzles."
Any better descriptions?
------------------------------
Subject: [4-1-2] How did I get into Myst?
Date: 01/12/1996
By clicking on the Myst icon? :-)
From Mark H. DeForest:
"Local software stores, some department stores and software mail order."
------------------------------
Subject: [4-1-3] Will I meet people in Myst?
Date: 01/07/1996
Yes, you will. Even though there is limited interaction, they will tell you an
interesting story that will help you discover how to complete the game. The
actors are also the creators of Myst.
As they are talking, you can click on your mouse button to stop them from
continuing.
------------------------------
Subject: [4-1-4] What is the goal of Myst?
Date: 02/01/1995
When you enter Myst, you will not know what is happening. And this is why
your preliminary goal is to find out about the situation. As you begin to
examine objects and readable material, you should be able to understand.
As you explore Myst, it should be obvious to you that the fact that you
hardly have a clue as to what is going on is what makes it an enjoyable
experience.
From Mark H. DeForest:
"Initially, you will have no idea what is happening in Myst. Explore! Go
every where you can. Try to manipulate as many objects as you can. Read the
books in the library (you might want to print them, if you can) and the note
left by Atrus for Catherine. This is part of the game, to figure out what to
do."
------------------------------
Subject: [4-1-5] What is the history of Myst and its universe?
Date: 10/25/1996
If you have finished the game, please refer to the sections
"Post-Game (Spoilers! Please Read the Warning Therein)" and "Myst History"
below.
------------------------------
Subject: [4-1-6] What makes Myst so special?
Date: 01/12/1996
Unlike many modern computer games, Myst is not being advertised as much as
others. Even so, Myst has acclaimed great success in sales, reviews and
recognition. It is believed that Myst has sold more copies than any other
PC game.
Myst's interface is very unique, though this can be partly caused by
technical limitations. There are no full-screen animation when you navigate
in the game, but you will see beautiful and detailed scenery. Since your
movement is not entirely continuous, this encourages you to think more and
appreciate the environment. That is why classic text-adventure INFOCOM games
often leave deep impressions on people who have played them.
From Mark H. DeForest (edited):
"This will be different depending on the person. To me, it is:
(1) the attention to detail which are graphics, sound and user interface;
(2) puzzles that interact with or are a part of the environment;
(3) tries to promote exploration, that is, does not hurt to try things, no
need for save/restore cycles (except for the end);
(4) tries to stay within the storyline."
After years since its release, Myst is still in the Internet PC Games Charts.
This means that gamers are voting and recommending the game as one of the top
100. Refer to this web site:
(1) Internet PC Games Charts
<URL:http://www.xs4all.nl/~jojo/pcgames.html>
------------------------------
Subject: [4-1-7] Who created Myst?
Date: 01/12/1996
From the "About The Authors" section of the User's Manual:
(1) Rand Miller
(2) Robyn Miller
Here are the people involved in Myst:
Designers: Rand and Robyn Miller
Graphics and Animation: Robyn Miller and Chuck Carter
Sound: Chris Brandkamp
Musical Score: Robyn Miller
Technical Construction: Richard Watson
Producer: Laurie Strand
Assistant Product Manager: Matt O'Hara
MPC Version
Lead Programmer: Grace Kim
Programmer: Ben Ceschi
Programming Project Lead: Lance Groody
Image Processing: Wendy Johnson
Sound Processing: Tom Hays
Sound Direction: Tom Rettig
Senior Market Manager: Bruce Friedricks
Marketing Coordinators: Maia Stangeland, Dexter Chow
Quality Assurance Lead Technicians: John Crowell, Warren Yamashita
Testers: Marcus Duerod, Lisa Irwin, Dan Kelmenson
Special Thanks To: John Baker, Doug Carlston, Mickey Mantle, Glenn Axworthy,
Mike Foulger, Kent Daniels, Frankie Ford, Leo Hourvitz, Glen Rotan, Heidi
Jonk, Dave Lucas, Allan Young, Bob Gulian, Shirley Cochran, Esteban Ahn,
Stewart Apelzin, Mike Collins, Ginny Walters, Shannon Ward, Kathleen Burke,
Jessica Switzer, Joyce Anderson, Glen Coats, Kris Nuich, Guillermo Ortiz, Dan
Skeen, Kurt Short, Craig Fryar, Marcus Badgley, and the Myst Focus Group
Testers.
------------------------------
Subject: [4-1-8] What is the cast list of Myst?
Date: 01/13/1996
From Mark H. DeForest:
"Achenar - Rand Miller
Sirrus - Robyn Miller
Atrus - Rand Miller"
------------------------------
Subject: [4-1-9] Myst is known to have a poor ending. Should I worry?
Date: 01/28/1996
(Quite empty)
This is a much-discussed topic in Usenet.
From Greg Ubben (edited):
"That depends on whether your goal is to finish the game as quickly as
possible (you're a closure-oriented person) or if your goal is to enjoy the
game while playing it. If it is the latter, you may be a little disappointed,
but the game is so good in all other respects that this is negligible."
------------------------------
Subject: [4-1-10] How much does Myst cost?
Date: 01/12/1996
In the United States, Myst costs $54.95.
In Singapore, Myst costs around $70.
From Mark H. DeForest (edited):
"In the January, 1996 issue of CD-ROM Today, they say the average price is $47.
But I have seen a typical street price of $45."
------------------------------
Subject: [4-1-11] What do I get when I buy Myst?
Date: 01/12/1996
(1) 1 CD-ROM, including:
(1-1) Myst
(1-2) The Making of Myst (14 minutes of QuickTime video)
(2) User's Manual
(3) Journal for taking notes
(4) Lots of Fun
------------------------------
Subject: !4-1-12! How was the game Myst created?
Date: 06/13/1998
If you have the CD-ROM, watching the "Making of Myst" should give you alot of
information on the development process. The software and equipment Cyan used
are listed in the credits when you exit the game.
You can also refer to this URL:
<URL:http://sirrus.cyan.com/online/AllThingsMyst/Myst/MakingMyst>
(Edited) From: Mark H. DeForest <markd@cyan.com>
To: riven-lyst@shell.inconnect.com
Subject: Re: Re-Myst
Date: Fri, 26 Sep 1997 02:24:15 +0800 (SGT)
"graphics(all) and gameplay was developed on Macs.
Mac runtime engine written in HyperCard
PC runtime engine written C."
------------------------------
Subject: [4-1-13] Can I capture the sceneries in Myst?
Date: 01/13/1996
(Quite empty)
Yes, you can create screen captures when you are playing Myst, and save them
as graphics files.
I use Rezsolution for Windows, which works along with Windows' clipboard
feature. Other programs known to work include:
(1) PMView 0.92 for OS/2.
------------------------------
Subject: [4-1-14] How many copies of Myst have been sold?
Date: 10/22/1996
(Edited) Article: 107399 of comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.adventure
From: "Mark H. DeForest"
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.adventure
Subject: Re: MYST II
Date: Mon, 19 Aug 1996 10:25:14 -0700
"Robin wrote:
> "Mark H. DeForest" wrote:
> >Actually, when Myst was released, Rand thought it might sell as many as
> >30,000 copies. Obviously, we've passed that mark.
> How many copies have been sold?
Broderbund doesn't like to release sales numbers, but I think it is
around 2 1/2 million."
------------------------------
Subject: [4-1-15] Myst Strategies
Date: 01/08/1996
(Quite empty)
(1) Think and act as if you are really in Myst. This method alone should get
you very far into Myst.
(2) Turn your monitor's brightness level higher than usual, as there are a
number of places in Myst which are quite dark. You may miss out objects.
(3) Take down notes, so that you can review puzzles and places faster and
without running the game.
(4) Examine, as well as listen, carefully to the environments and situations.
(5) Many objects have reasons for existence, and have logical mechanisms, so
ponder over them.
(6) Do not try to click aimlessly when you think you are stuck, it will not
get you anywhere.
(7) If you like, you can maintain several savegames. This method allows you
to explore more without risking undesired moves.
------------------------------
Subject: [4-2] Post-Game (SPOILERS! Please Read the Warning Therein)
Date: 05/23/1997
<<SPOILER WARNING>><<SPOILER WARNING>><<SPOILER WARNING>><<SPOLIER WARNING>>
WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS MAY FOLLOW! PROCEED TO THE NEXT MAJOR SECTION IF
YOU HAVE NOT FINISHED THE GAME. YOU SHOULD PROCEED TO SECTION [5].
A SIMILAR WARNING WILL APPEAR AGAIN IN THE LAST MINOR SECTION.
This section relates to discussions on various aspects of the game which
may not be suitable for adventurers who have not finished the game. Please
give me your feedback as to whether this section poses any problem with any
readers.
There have been changes and/or additions to this section.
(This space was intentionally left blank. Please read the warning above
before you proceed.)
As you might have noticed, the table of contents did not show the topics
in this section. Here is that missing portion:
[4-2-1] What are these *.MOV files in the CD-ROM?
[4-2-2] What about the objects in the Mechanical Age?
[4-2-3] What about 3-button "video player" in ChannelWood?
[4-2-4] What do I do on the third floor of the Mechanical Age?
[4-2-5] How do I turn on the lights of the ship in the Stoneship Age?
[4-2-6] What is the name of the "spaceship" Age?
[4-2-7] Was it necessary for Atrus to destroy his sons?
[4-2-8] What was Atrus talking about in the introductory monologue?
[4-2-9] Did Atrus have access to other Ages from D'ni?
[4-2-10] How did Atrus and his sons imprison each other?
[4-2-11] Why was Atrus' face on the floor of the D'ni Age?
[4-2-12] There is so much more to Myst than meets the eye!
[4-2-13] Why is the last world spelled "D'Ni", instead of "Dunny"?
[4-2-14] What was Atrus' conversation in the D'Ni Age?
[4-2-15] What was the exact monolouge in Myst?
------------------------------
Subject: [4-2-1] What are these *.MOV files in the CD-ROM?
Date: 01/16/1996
These are QuickTime animation files, the ones you see when you play the game.
If you have QuickTime for Windows, you can use the player to view these
animations.
To get a QuickTime player, see the section on "Where can I get a newer
version of QuickTime?".
------------------------------
Subject: [4-2-2] What about the objects in the Mechanical Age?
Date: 01/16/1996
(Quite empty)
There are several objects in this age which merit some explanation as their
existence.
------------------------------
Subject: [4-2-3] What about 3-button "video player" in ChannelWood?
Date: 01/16/1996
(Empty)
------------------------------
Subject: [4-2-4] What do I do on the third floor of the Mechanical Age?
Date: 01/28/1996
(Quite empty)
From Greg Ubben (edited):
"Play with the elevator controls and observe what happens to the cursor in
all cases, but that's probably not the way most people think."
------------------------------
Subject: [4-2-5] How do I turn on the lights of the ship in the Stoneship Age?
Date: 01/28/1996
(Quite empty)
From Greg Ubben:
"Turn your monitor brightness up and search the tunnels more carefully."
------------------------------
Subject: [4-2-6] What is the name of the "spaceship" Age?
Date: 01/28/1996
(Quite empty)
From Greg Ubben:
"From the closing credits and various hint books, this age is apparently
called "Selenitic" age, though that name does not appear anywhere else in the
game. At least one person thinks this is really the "Osmoian" age which Atrus
mentions in the Channelwood journal, as there are strong ties between the two
journals here (leaving his two sons alone in Channelwood), and Osmoian (form
of osmosis) would be the perfect name for this rapidly-changing age."
The article which describes the argument for "Osmoian" is not included here
yet.
------------------------------
Subject: [4-2-7] Was it necessary for Atrus to destroy his sons?
Date: 02/02/1996
From Mark H. DeForest:
"But the sons didn't die! Just the books that allowed them to link to other
worlds. They are imprisoned there...kind of like we were imprisoned here on
Earth until we found the Myst Linking Book ;-)"
------------------------------
Subject: [4-2-8] What was Atrus talking about in the introductory monologue?
Date: 06/25/1996
Jake's web site contains the exact narrative of what Atrus was talking about.
Please refer to item (11) in the section "Miscellaneous".
From Mark H. DeForest (edited):
"The story of Myst, D'ni, etc. is much larger than 'Myst' the game. The intro
monologue is Atrus speaking 40 years before 'Myst' the game takes place. It
refers to events that will be more involved in the sequel to Myst. Read the
(real) book "Myst: The Book of Atrus" for more details."
------------------------------
Subject: [4-2-9] Did Atrus have access to other Ages from D'ni?
Date: 02/02/1996
From Mark H. DeForest (edited):
"He had access to other Ages, but couldn't get back to Myst until he got the
white page from you. The Age he did have access to was a food age."
------------------------------
Subject: [4-2-10] How did Atrus and his sons imprison each other?
Date: 02/02/1996
From Mark H. DeForest:
"Atrus had layed the 'trapping' red and blue books for any greedy adventurer
before his sons 'tricked' Cathrine and him in D'ni. He did not think it would
be one of his own sons."
------------------------------
Subject: [4-2-11] Why was Atrus' face on the floor of the D'ni Age?
Date: 02/02/1996
From Mark H. DeForest (edited):
"That's not Atrus on the floor, it is an old D'ni writers guild master, named
Ri'Neref. D'ni was not designed by Atrus, but where his ancestry came from.
(Actually, the face in the mosaic is Chuck Carter (a real person) who worked
on Myst. Look again and compare with the "Making of Myst".)"
------------------------------
Subject: [4-2-12] There is so much more to Myst than meets the eye!
Date: 10/25/1996
Please refer to the section "Myst History".
From Mark H. DeForest (edited):
"I think you have found that there is a larger story behind the game, but
can't wait for the story to unfold. Besides "Myst: The Book of Atrus" there
are two more books planned in the series and, of course, there is the sequel
to Myst."
------------------------------
Subject: [4-2-13] Why is the last world spelled "D'Ni", instead of "Dunny"?
Date: 10/26/1996
People say that the last world in the game, with Atrus, is called D'Ni. Then
why is it spelled as "Dunny" in the credits for Myst?
According to the Frequently Asked Questions page at Cyan, the translators
tried to over-Englishize the word by spelling it as "Dunny". Because the D'ni
have a different character set compared to English, Cyan decided to use the
proper spelling while writing "The Book of Atrus".
From Mark H. DeForest (edited):
"Because it wasn't thought of until the novel was being written (and the fact
that a dunny in Australia is an outhouse, Doh!)"
------------------------------
Subject: [4-2-14] What was Atrus' conversation in the D'Ni Age?
Date: 07/28/1996
This section is contributed from a reader of the FAQ. For those who could not
comprehend what Atrus was saying in the end of the game, this may help.
From Tom Rolfes (edited):
"Who the devil are you? Don't come here to D'ni, not yet! Um, Oh, I have many
questions for you, my friend; as you no doubt have for me. Um, where should I
begin?
Ohhh... perhaps my story is in order.
My name is Atrus, and I fear you've met my sons, Sirrus and Achenar, in the
red and blue books, Myst Island, in my library... my library. Oh, it contains
my works, my writings. Oh, I wrote many books, books that link me to
fantastic places. It's an art I learned from my father many years ago.
Oh, but the red and blue books, those were different. Um, I wrote those books
to... ah, trap overgreedy explorers who might stumble upon my island, Myst.
But I had no idea my own sons would be trapped. Ah, my sons, Sirrus and
Achenar, we have had many journeys together.
Ah, I gave them free reign to the books. Perhaps it was not wise. Ah, I could
see greed growing in them. But I had not told them about the red and blue
books. Their imaginations ran wild. They dreamed of riches and power.
Of course, they did not know the books were traps. They begged me access to
those books. Of course, I denied them. Ah, oh, they devised a plan, an evil
plan.
I had no idea to what extent their greed had... progressed. Their own
mother... please, their own mother... oh, my dear Catherine. Ah, to lure me
into D'ni. Of course, I... I could return to Myst except that they've removed
a single page from my Myst linking Book. I cannot return without that page.
You, my friends, could bring that page to me. Oh, I pray you believe my story
but the lies that my sons have told you.
If you could find it within yourself to return that page to D'ni, I could go
to Myst and bring justice to my sons for what they've done. I must return to
my writing. I pray that you believe me. Please hurry, bring the page, bring
the page with you.
(after returning with the page)
Come here. Ah, friend, you've returned. And the page, did you bring the page?
Ah, give it to me. The page, please, give me the page. Ah, you've done the
right thing. I have a difficult choice to make... My sons have betrayed me. I
know what I must do. I shall return shortly.
It is done. Ah, I have many questions for you but my writing cannot wait.
I... fear that my long delay may have already had a catastrophic effect on
the world in which my wife, Catherine, is now being held hostage. Oh, and
that reward. I'm sorry. All I have to offer you is the Library on the Island
of Myst, the books that are contained there. Feel free to explore at your
leisure. I hope you find your explorations satisfying. You will no longer
have my sons to deal with.
Oh, and, uh, one more thing. I am fighting a foe much greater than my sons
could even imagine. At some point in the future, I may find it necessary to
request your assistance. Until that point, feel free to enjoy your
explorations on my library on Myst. Thank you again.
The book, use the Myst linking Book to return to Myst."
Contributed by the Lincoln Nebraska Bright Lights "Simulation-MYST"
Class!! (Shea Svoboda, Erik Owomoyela)
------------------------------
Subject: [4-2-15] What was the exact monolouge in Myst?
Date: 05/23/1997
"I realized the moment I fell into the fissure that the book would not be
destroyed as I had planned. It continued falling into that starry expense,
of which I had only a fleeting glimpse. I have tried to speculate where it
might have landed, but I must admit that such conjecture is futile. Still,
questions about whose hands might one day hold my Myst book are unsettling
to me. I know my apprehensions might never be allayed, and so I close,
realizing perhaps the ending has not yet been written."
This passage is included in one of the Myst novels.
------------------------------
(This space was intentionally left blank. Please read the warning below
before you proceed.)
WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS PRIOR THIS NEXT SECTION! DO NOT SCROLL UP IF YOU
HAVE NOT FININSHED THE GAME. YOU SHOULD SKIP SECTION [4-2].
<<SPOILER WARNING>><<SPOILER WARNING>><<SPOILER WARNING>><<SPOLIER WARNING>>
------------------------------
Subject: [4-3] Myst History
Date: 05/23/1997
Atrus is partly from the race of people in D'ni, who have the skill and
technology to write books that link to different worlds described within.
Myst, Channelwood, Mechanical, Selenetic, and Stoneship are also books which
lead to a variety of worlds.
To find out more about D'ni, Atrus, his father Gehn, and his grandmother Anna
(later known as Ti'ana), check out the series of real books that Cyan has
written (and let them bring you to their world!). The books should prove to
be a good precursor to Riven for adventurers who are genuinely interested.
You can also read Atrus' journal entries and more from this location:
<URL:http://sirrus.cyan.com/online/AllThingsMyst/DNi/JournalAtrus/WeeklyUpdates>
------------------------------
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