Some of these puzzles are so obtuse.

Super mild spoilers, not really spoilers at all.

Like the first time I got stuck in the game it was because I couldnt get the elevator to go up because I didnt know you had to close the door. This had me stuck for an hour until i watched this Lets Play by some terribly unfunny guy following a walkthrough.

Then I was just playing with my lil bro helping me, it was a lot of fun we were doing all the different puzzles around the island. We get to the music one.

I played piano when I was younger, I diagramed out the keyboard drawing and went to play the notes. I go and play the notes perfectly but I find out thats not what you need. You need to set some freakin switches to the correct notes.

Im playing realmyst theres 0 precision in moving those sliders. Plus the way you set them up is really obtuse anyway ( i checked a walkthrough). If all these damn puzzles are gonna be like this than Im clueless, and done =(

Whats up with these 'ages'?

I also found one of the books youre trying to find, watched the little movie for a long time, but I guess didnt watch it long enough because then when I clicked on it next after like 2 seconds a whole path opened up after I did all these other puzzles. How am i supposed to know what these ages are and what to do first? sigh.


Im 29 years old, I thought Id like this game but damn, I guess im spoiled.

Oh well neat experience but just too damn much work for me with the terrible controls and obtuse design by todays standards. I mean really? The Piano Puzzle? Really? Cmon.

Anyways help me, or Im just venting, or Im a shitty gamer, I cant decide. I think im disappointed in myself lol.

This is another reason I don't particularly care for Real Myst. But I think the piano puzzle is probably the worst offender for the things you're talking about. As for which age to do first, it doesn't matter at all.

I've played Myst a lot so I'm probably not a good judge of what's difficult since it's been a while since I didn't know what to do for each puzzle. But I think it's worth it to give it a shot.

thanks for your opinion. im going back in.

When doing the piano puzzle, I generally count the times I move the sliders and compare it to the piano key. So if I need the 13th key from left to right, I move the slide 13 points down. It takes time and effort to count it right, but it works in the end.

well weird i replied to this like 9 times and none went through

So I beat the game last night. Not the extra stuff from realmyst but I did beat it. Once I figured out what I needed to do like the formula of the game it wasn't that bad. (I.e. look for a red and a blue page in every area).

Got out a pen and paper and went to town for some of those puzzles.

I wont say I didnt use any walkthroughs. But for at least the last 3 ages I did I pretty much did them by myself. Id just check a walkthrough if I liked solved all the puzzles in an area but cant advance because I missed clicking on something (tree age is a good example, solved the pipe prob, didnt see the switch in the treehouses).

Overall was really rewarding! I actually might move on to Riven =)

I always got by the piano part by counting the number of keys until the one that needs to be played, and then counting the pitch changes until I arrived at that number. Has never failed me.

well yeah lol, as thats the solution to the puzzle

I did it by singing the note. :)
Well that's one way of getting there but you don't need to count anything if you can hold a pitch. :P

its still the same solution, just one of them isnt bragging about having perfect pitch or whatever

Oh yes, it's the same solution just no need to count anything. I don't have perfect pitch, I'm just not tone deaf. I'd be surprised if you couldn't hold a note given that you played the piano.

I wasn't bragging, it just seems a lot simpler than counting the notes.

I totally agree. And it's very immersive to hold the notes and complete the puzzle that way. (I'm on my first ever playthrough right now, solved that puzzle last night in less than 5 minutes.)

Just use your children's keyboard or an app that holds notes if you think you can't sing it.

If anyone is still stuck or having trouble with the piano puzzle, I found that this is a fairly good explanation of how to solve it even if you don't have a trained ear:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-y3aj7aJQy0&list=PLABB18F1C44D5F9D9&index=11