Editing Reference:RAWA/1998 Lyst posts (section)

== Re: Comments on Myst ==
Date: Thursday, September 10, 1998

Ken T. wrote:
<blockquote>I was wondering about this a little too... either he has an open linking book to the fireplace, so he can see people who are going to link into D'ni (though I didn't see one on his desk)... or it's a special book, or Cyan was simply using a little dramatic license because their research on the Atrus story was incomplete etc. etc... 

One other major thing: I didn't know that sound was transmitted through the gateway images! But it happens for both the D'ni linking book and both of the trap books.

As for the people in trap books being able to see outside of the book... I think that's because you're not actually in an age: you're stuck in the link... so you can see (and hear) what's happening outside through the gateway image (this is definate, because it happens in Riven, which I think of as a much more credible source than Myst... but that's just my opinion :)</blockquote>

My stance for all of the above is "artistic license for gameplay reasons."

Sound doesn't travel through the books, and there is no way that Atrus could have actually seen you from D'ni or for the brothers to see out of their books, or for you to see out of the prison books.

But if Atrus wasn't able to tell you to make sure you had the page before coming to D'ni, bad things would happen (you'd be "forced" to get trapped in D'ni, then travel back in time (restore) to get the page). If the brothers couldn't talk to you, you'd have no feedback on your progress in Myst (and you'd have to try all 300 fireplace combos :)

And if we didn't let you see out of the books, you wouldn't have had a clue what had happened when you released the brothers, you'd just be stuck in a black screen. Not very informative.

Just my opinion,

RAWA