Let's Play Riven (2024) - part 2 - The rotating room

We try to get to the golden dome, but a devious room stands in our way.
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Playlist: • Let's Play Riven (2024)
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[@piggerpower]

"Lamest catchphrase anyone has ever had" Never underestimate the power and difficulty of making something simple, memorable, and likable.

[@TheInkPitOx]

There are plenty of catchphrases that are worse. Did I do that?

[@jonnyfavors7585]

Dude, its your voice that sells watching the videos for me. Must be your accent. Hello from Mansfield, ohio.

[@tuschman168]

"Welcome back" and "...in the next video" are great catchphrases. Simple and iconic. Nobody else uses them and they feel wonderfully familiar. Like coming home. Edit: Well, maybe some others might use them or something similar, but nobody says it like you do!

[@JessMichael150]

I recently played uru where his videos only were about 10 minutes each and he did say it every time even while reading through all of those journals. I have become accustomed to it! 😀

[@I_Am_Killer_B]

Someday these phrases will be used in a pop culture reference and we will all be vindicated.

[@DJGrossman]

I use something similar. Sven's LPs were my firsts, and because those intros/outros are indeed simple and iconic, I kind of absorbed them. They just seemed like standards. So mine are always "Hello, and welcome back to [game name]..." and "I guess we'll [something] - in the next video!" 👀

[@caittscott]

@@JessMichael150 I just finished his Dreamfall Playthrough the other day, and my kiddo asked why there were so many videos in the playlist. I had to delve into "old school" internet, storage capacity, and upload times lol... That kid has only ever known High Speed ISPs and FIber. 😄

[@StaubAufDenKnochen]

I love the way Dilan says both of these phrases for some reason.

[@traceyh4803]

The title brought to mind one of my favorite of Sven's comments from the original playthrough: "Who needs monsters to fight in a game? We've got rooms to rotate. It's much more exciting." 🙂

[@HeruKane]

"We don't know who wrote Myst" me not even a second later "Ti'ana" you not even a second after that "we actually do know, it was Atrus grandmother Ti'ana". hehehe - Love it!

[@84Ccate]

After episode 1, I was going insane searching for episode 2 and thought I couldn't find it... turns out it didn't exist yet, and as it turns out, I'm not crazy.

[@tuschman168]

First time catching one of his play-throughs from the start? Yeah, me too. I usually only notice he's doing another one when he's already on episode 7 or something.

[@SApcGUY]

Glad to see you still continuing your channel , and glad this remake turned out so well! Good time to be alive

[@Merril_39]

Wish the VR was a bit more polished, but yes aside from shadow issues the 2d version is a dream come true!

[@johanseinen8245]

Well, that lever did lower the bridge........

[@Dilandau3000]

@@johanseinen8245 Technically correct, the best kind of correct.

[@micahbush5397]

The direction of the bridge collapsing is a bit odd, though. I could understand the steam being applied to the broken engine causing vibrations that cause the near side of the bridge to collapse, but I can't see why the bridge would start collapsing at the far end.

[@generrosity]

​@@micahbush5397 it's much more impressive that way, and as Riven is written in a "book", thus posted by narrativium! 😜

[@johnboats9075]

@@Dilandau3000 Hermes Conrad.

[@I_Am_Killer_B]

​​@@Dilandau3000I got that reference. One of my favorite quotes.

[@JaneXemylixa]

I shall now call the five-point-pen-tip motif... The PENtacle

[@ScooterBond1970]

that was the penacle of puns. Sorry to steal it but I had no inkling for a better one (hides face and runs away)

[@JaneXemylixa]

@@ScooterBond1970 Your attempt will now BUG me for a long time. I guess it sounded better on PAPER

[@BigGator5]

(pulls lever and bridge collapses) Well, you couldn't cross it anyway.

[@iamtimmay90]

When that bridge collapsed, I was sitting here literally woth my mouth agape. Wow! I wish my stepdad could see these new animations and changes.

[@hallowwolf3599]

Your original Let's Play of Riven was what introduced me to Let's Plays and KZbin gaming content in general probably about 10-12 years ago. All because I wanted to replay all of the Myst games but could not persuade my old DVD-ROM version of Riven to not crash frequently. And not too long after that, I spent a year not having my own gaming PC and wound up using a bunch of your Let's Plays and others to fill the void.

[@JennieOkami]

The bridge lowered so much that now you can have an ocean adventure! Woo! I remember the 'Welcome back' catchphrase from when I first found you for the original myst and riven run! I do believe it was when I had the dreaded H1N1 (or a bad gastro illness not sure which) and I wanted to watch someone play Myst again as I loved it as a kid. My brother was gone to work so he couldn't play it so I found you and binged watched the Myst series on your channel during and after my illness. To you it might feel like a lame catch phrase but to your older viewers it's brings up a sense of nostalgia, something familiar.

[@HalaBasinah]

I remember learning that Richard Vander Wende was the production designer for Disney's Aladdin, then thinking back to this rotating room and thinking ah yeah, that makes sense.

[@Dilandau3000]

Yeah, his style is definitely recognizable once you know

[@meddlerfilms2585]

That certainly explains the Cave of Wonder vibes I get in the Rotating Room!

[@Zoltair_Jerry]

Glad to see you back Sven! You were missed :)

[@weirdalexander8193]

Laughed my keister off when that bridge imploded when I played the demo. Welp, that’s one way to fix the “too long to walk in 3d/5 clicks to cross in 2d” issue.

[@micahbush5397]

Interestingly, trees "shedding" paper would probably make more sense to the "real" Stranger than shredding trees to make paper, because while the idea of wood pulp paper did exist by 1807, it wasn't until the 1840s that it became commercially viable. By contrast, the fibrous inner bark of certain trees, like mulberry trees, had been used for centuries to make paper, although most paper in Europe and the Americas was made from pulped cotton, linen, and hemp rags.

[@SethACampbellMusic]

44:47 My sister has actually had the time to play this remake while I haven't yet. She hinted that I'd be surprised by something seen while still on Temple Island. When I saw the book in the middle of the Great Golden Dome and the eye symbols on the windows, I assumed that's what she was talking about and essentially let my guard down. Then THIS happens!

[@vagrantstory4551]

Most of youtubers want to be funny and likable, which doesnt do it for me most of the time. Your videos are always very informative and fleshed out. Thats what i like about you my friend. You put your ego on last place, first comes the game. A Rarity on youtube these days.

[@StrimClocks]

In the next video is such a good catch phrase. I think it makes the entrance and exit to videos great. Perfect transition

[@WarthogDemon]

I can't recall being this shocked by the end to one of your videos since Dreamfall.

[@elenaG1208]

the prayers to Gehn in the gate room, all his symbology, his mythology story, he really went all out to instate himself as a god

[@StaubAufDenKnochen]

This is a solid, underrated channel.

[@meddlerfilms2585]

I think the real reason the bridge collapses is because as far back as the starry expanse project they were trying to reconcile the fact that a bridge that long would be extremely tedious to cross in real-time 3D.

[@Jellepepe]

Id think if that was a concern they would make the walk speed less awfully slow. I was basically permanently running in all the new 3d cyan games.

[@micahbush5397]

It's not that bad, even if you leave the bridge up.

[@ScooterBond1970]

I recall the SEP's blog posts about this problem. They were considering several workarounds, like scaling up the overall walk speed, a temporary speed boost just for that particular bridge, or even an old-school zip mode. Ultimately they decided that all these would be immersion breaking. @Jellepepe Yeah, I also tend to run in these games, but the first time thru it's prudent to move more slowly lest you bypass something important. In the original Riven there was a switch in the middle of a catwalk banister that people kept running straight past.

[@l9day]

I wish the remake also had a lever to utterly destroy the rotating room

[@tuschman168]

Yaay! I might be a little bit addicted to your uploads. ...Just a little bit.

[@BelbozUnderhill]

I’ve played tons of adventure games, with their inventory based puzzles (or variations of the ‘fifteen puzzle’ or riddles similar to the Tower of Hanoi), but when I think of THE BEST PUZZLE my personal award goes to the Pentagonal Room in Riven. I still keep my pencil scribbled notes inside the original box.

[@Jellepepe]

Id argue that while it was definitely a puzzle in the original (albeit a simple yet unique one), with the new windows & 3d its more of just a traversal challenge. There is no 'puzzle' aspect to it anymore other than finding the hinge can be removed.

[@BelbozUnderhill]

​@@Jellepepe Definitely, you're right: the little viewports oversimplified the puzzle. Sadly. I’d like to point out that I found the Pentagonal Room to be “the best puzzle” not because it’s the most difficult (in Riven or in any other game) but because of its ‘realism’, the lore associated to it, the atmospheric score of Robyn Miller and the little stained glass pictures portraying the story of Ghen.

[@pipperrytook2314]

That is such a cool addition with the bridge falling!! 😮❤ Edit: And your "lamest" catch phrase makes me feel sort of nostalgic sometimes when you don't post for a long time 😂❤ It's not the worst 😅

[@christopherzastawny7498]

Welcome back sven :)

[@lunavalentine9233]

Always exciting to see a new upload! I can't wait to see more of this remake!

[@trapez77]

Walking across the long bridge is one of the best parts of the original game.

[@sinus2220]

Rotoscope, that thing reminding you of the old school animation.

[@johnboats9075]

Welcome back! Ahh I missed that.

[@rjb1714]

The bridge collapsing was my big WTF of the game. I turned the lever on and got the Steam achievement that I collapsed the bridge, leading me to say “WHAT?!”. Took me the rest of that day to recover from that shock! 😅

[@I_Am_Killer_B]

Hehe... "steam achievement."

[@PerryWhyte]

18:41 When this first happened to me I thought "Atrus , I don't know why you went back to Myst, but the Riven book needs you!"

[@BastionProd]

I am thankful for you returning to do this LP, and I admit I did not put any effort in reading the (near impossible for me to read) diaries in-game, 'cause I figured I'd listen to them when Sven read's 'em.

[@InThisStyleGMinor]

"welcome back"

[@I_Am_Killer_B]

Best salutation ever.

[@TheWindcrow]

Dilandau: "unknown symbol in the middle" Wink Wink

[@JessMichael150]

I'm just so happy your videos are longer than 10 minutes. Uru was a hard one! I bought the new Riven today, and already I'm excited because there are so many more graphics and details and puzzles that I don't recognize from the old version!! Yay!!

[@Dilandau3000]

Recording those under KZbin's old time limit was tough too, though other games with conversations that sometimes had to be split over multiple videos were even worse!

[@RedKnightm]

it's the greatest thing to see a fresh video of yours.

[@tacoman1690q8]

we got you on video we know what you did to that bridge

[@LeonTheSaint44]

Happy this is getting uploaded frequently thought next friday would be pt 2 thanks Sven!

[@Mako2401]

You are a legend Sven .

[@theendofit]

Still rember the first mysterium i met you at. You were sitting a row or two behind me and i recognized your voice and took me a minute cause it had been a bit since the last video i had watched at the time

[@christopherzastawny7498]

Always beautiful views in riven ❤ brings back Memories of old

[@tompinks_]

I'm enjoying revisiting this game, feels like I'm 15 again when I watched your original playthrough

[@davidbowers521]

Wow, the improved graphics and free roam really make this a nice atmospheric experience. Like the tweaks to accommodate VR and the fact the puzzles aren’t all the same as the original gives play value for reasons other than nostalgia. I can’t imagine walking around the spinning dome in VR with no railing, can I put on my fall harness first? I can buy the rail broke in a tremor in that later scene and a quick fix was made until they would rebuild it. The bridge though, that was the first WTF moment of this let’s play. Knowing cyan they don’t let you make the game unwinable so either there is a way to reverse that, or it’s a red herring put in just to shock the player into knowing this isn’t the same game you played before. Like the additions to help you reason out some of the puzzles. Evil me says - wouldn’t that be fun if Cyan took a page from sierras book and you just made the game unwinnable, but you won’t realize it until much much much later

[@henke37]

A puzzle truly worthy the lockpickinglawyer.

[@generrosity]

Interesting insight about spacial awareness. You pointed out the stream stack that i never associated, and how the radial struts from the book are the piipes 🤦 little observations like that make the game every more wonderful 👌💚

[@MwdaShadow]

Welcome back indeed!

[@HeruKane]

Yeah when I first saw that bridge thing I was like "woah!" Its an interesting first 'major' change.

[@ScooterBond1970]

I laughed out loud, it was so unexpected.

[@Quickshot0]

I have to say that when you commented the Symbol was referring to Gehen, I'd already concluded that quite awhile ago. It was kind of obvious when it was put on the god like figure before, who it was already obvious would be Atrust father. I mean who else would do that. And even before that one could speculate it might be a person symbol for who had made the place, and well... who would that be? Though I guess one could have some what held out for an alternate person or group. It's a bit like the symbols in each direction that one sees on the dome, one can already reasonably speculate this some how identifies the individual domes in some kind of control scheme, or otherwise has something to do with that button at the dome one encountered, maybe it indicates at which timing one should press it. As for the linking book, my first idea was that this might be the linking book that Atrus blocked, thus trapping their father there. It would make a certain level of sense for his father to build various instruments to try and study and fix it, as it would seem the only way out of the world they are stuck in. In which case we might just be looking at their failed attempts at fixing it and they just left it there for some reason. I guess an alternate theorem could be that they tried to write a new book to at least be able to leave Riven, in which case they might no longer be present here and thus are instead some what safe elsewhere, this too would make sense for a person that does not seem to care to much about the worlds. In which case the book is still there as they used it after closing all ways to get to the book from the locals. In such a case perhaps the book needs some kind of additional power to activate as well, as that would make more sure people can't just follow you. I suppose I'm working along these theory lines at current, just seeing which way the various bits of evidence fall I guess. I don't know if others would have put less or more together then this already at this point, but I hope it is in some way helpful in getting an idea what some would be thinking about at this point.

[@NikaNakaidze]

Yes sven riven at night will be cool

[@JaneXemylixa]

I do wish the animation of the spinning room was a little more uneven. The sounds have such delightful texture to them but it just slides effortlessly also the bridge supports crumpled like paper... yeah I'm gonna be critiquing animations a lot I guess

[@Dilandau3000]

This game was made on a relatively miniscule budget for its scope and ambitions. I think it having some rough edges is understandable.

[@JaneXemylixa]

@@Dilandau3000 Still gonna imagine it with polished edges! :D

[@PerryWhyte]

I admit, my heart broke a little watching that bridge collapse, it provided one of my favorite views from the original Riven. Can it still be crossed from the Boiler Island side if you don't turn on the steam at the dome?

[@Dilandau3000]

Yes, it can, though obviously you can't cross the raised bridge

[@PerryWhyte]

@@Dilandau3000 I just went onto the intact bridge in a new playthrough, the view is even better than the first Riven. I highly recommend it. I do admit, I was expecting a sign on the lever that lowers the bridge that says "OUT OF ORDER" in D'ni.

[@Snowmation]

I love the "lamest catch phrase that anybody has ever had" lol

[@nickymay9887]

My reaction to the bridge was exactly the same as yours. Oops!! This is not my old Riven. What else has changed? Great start. Looking forward to see you progress much more smoothly than I am at the moment.

[@NikaNakaidze]

Wow sven bridge collapsed i cant believe this

[@NikaNakaidze]

Yes it was not us sven it was some of millers bros

[@wattosdeal]

If this were a King's Quest game, you just made it unwinnable 44:57 😊

[@TheWindcrow]

Dilandau you're doing this again? I loved your original videos.

[@ultimatecorgi3392]

The islands of Riven feel like a land of terrible sunburn and constantly needing to find fresh water. Pretty, but there's so little livable space. (If I recall correctly, the islands are actually much larger in the books, this is just a condensation for the sake of a video game.)

[@Jellepepe]

I dont think its ever explicitly adressed but since the heat-averse effects which are explained through unique 'bacteria' (or something of that nature) are present in all water on riven, It might be the case that all rivenese water is fresh water?

[@micahbush5397]

Keep in mind that it used to be one big, lush island. Gehn has stripped most of the land bare in his relentless exploitation of the Age.

[@NikaNakaidze]

That island is more closer over that long bridge then in original i guess

[@Sglinert]

I hate to point this out, but we have an actual KZbin video of you causing that bridge collapse. Andd trying to hide the evidence, too.

[@brandx01]

HA! Thanks for the laugh-out-loud!!

[@tidallock848]

Hey Sven, any chance Emily will grace us with a cameo? I know the comments haven't always treated her kindly, so I'd certainly understand if she doesn't want to, but the interplay between you two is always so charming. I guess this is also assuming your marriage is still happy and healthy, so here's hoping I didn't bring up a sore subject. All the best, thanks for another episode!

[@ScooterBond1970]

To be completely fair, the steam lever DID lower the drawbridge.

[@Dilandau3000]

Can't lower it much further than that!

[@raph.404]

I believe there is a setting to make the cursor not auto-hide, and you can change the colour of it too!

[@ladyaimeedarcy6670]

Let's do this!!! 😄📖

[@NikaNakaidze]

That rotating room must not stop immediately it must shake left and right slightly because its heavy its law of physics

[@SomeKindaSpy]

It's way more Riven than Black Mesa's Xen was to HL.

[@pixiepianoplayer114]

Thoroughly enjoying another Let's Play from our Sven, and even though I'm mostly listening whilst working in the heat, I did stop to watch this one . So..an observation is that our man at the top of the " not Tetris blocks" panel there..he has an uncanny appearance of Elon Musk...and now I cannot UNSEE that. Still champion to see another Let's Play! Cheers mate. ❤😊

[@tom3860]

I wonder if this was technically easier to make than the original game, because the different states of the rotating room can be handled by the game engine instead of coding for every possible scenario.

[@Dilandau3000]

I'll bet this was easier than having to make individual renders for every possible state from every possible angle.

[@ericvirgo]

there is an interview where the creators talk about this exact thing. the view from inside the rotating room had hundreds of states that should be rendered beforehand. They always reached the point where they said 'we're done' they playtested and they were like 'OK we are missing about two dozen views more'

[@eefaaf]

Other problem with the snapshots is that you can't zoom in on them.

[@NikaNakaidze]

Wow in that golden dome in the middle is something new it was not in old version

[@ericvirgo]

yes it was

[@NikaNakaidze]

@@ericvirgo was?

[@NikaNakaidze]

Why they break that bridge its sad was cool sightseeing from it i loved to walk on that long bridge

[@fliesatdawn]

I will not tolerate profaning your catchphrases, sir.

[@davidellsworth4203]

I'm enjoying this series, but could you please disable the Motion Blur that the game is presumably simulating? It's rather annoying (and isn't accurate motion blur anyway).

[@Dilandau3000]

Motion blur is already turned off, so I'm not sure what you're seeing exactly. It could just be a result of KZbin's video compression, I guess.

[@davidellsworth4203]

@@Dilandau3000 Thanks. That's strange, then. It appears that every frame is averaged with the one before it in your video. I don't think it's KZbin's compression, as the vast majority of 4Kp60 videos don't have this, including ones I've uploaded. Perhaps it is done by the software you used to capture the video. (It was applied to everything, even the mouse cursor at 2:23.) It actually looks like an artifact of frame rate conversion. Was the video you uploaded something other than exactly 60 or 59.94 frames per second? In that kind of frame rate conversion, the weighting of the averaging would be constantly changing. And in your video, it does indeed change, but very very slowly - which could mean it's converted from something very close to 60 (like 59.9998 fps). At the beginning of the video, the previous frame is weighted much less than the current frame, in the middle both appear to be given equal weights, and at the end, the current frame is weighted much less than the previous frame.

[@davidellsworth4203]

@@Dilandau3000 Whether or not it's frame rate conversion as explained in my above reply, it appears to affect all your videos going back years. I checked the Part 1 of several, going back 3 years, and all of them had this artifact to some degree. In many of them, the "trail" is very faint (i.e. the weighting of the previous frame is very low), but I found another where it's quite visible: "Let's Replay Mass Effect Legendary Edition - part 1 - Eden Prime".

[@danielash1704]

Print screen button works the numbers are different in the symbols 3 is this one the dome island

[@personanongrata6262]

I hate how much they simplified the rotating room, and got rid of the paths outside of the Golden Dome. This remake is a maglev-wreck.

[@meddlerfilms2585]

Yeah, I overall love the remake and while they fixed a lot of stuff, they also removed a lot of paths that make sense in-universe. Why can't you open the whark stairs anymore? Whap happens if a guard takes the bathysphere and leaves his buddy stranded at the gallows? WHat's even the point of Survey Island anymore if there's nowhere to survey anything?

[@Jellepepe]

​@@meddlerfilms2585 yep. I think the narrative changes to the fire marble puzzle are good (on the starry expanse/domes side) but the changes to survey island and the actual solution simplify it too much and make the entire survey island feel almost redundant and not make much sense narratively. I didn't even realise that there wasnt a way to open the whark idol on the outside? That also feels weird. Same for the gallows. I'm excited for sven to finish the LP and share his thoughts on the changes, I'm quite conflicted on them personally

[@Mirality]

Too many people know about the "secret" lever at the whark stairs and would have used it to sequence break, so it makes sense from a gameplay perspective. It's not too unbelievable in-world either, they wouldn't want random villagers or rebels to get in that way, only with cooperation from collaborators.

[@Jellepepe]

@@Mirality i don't like the idea that changes to a core aspect of a puzzle game (the layout) are made purely to address returning players knowledge. But maybe that's right. I think it feels too much like an unlockable shortcut now than it does an explainable pathway. Learning something was right under your nose is part of the myst experience imo. I guess we could say that ghen/his followers would primarily use the submarine to travel between this section of the map and jungle island proper? (This also leads to the guard tower so it should be a relatively often used route) Though that would still make the whark stairs semi useless as you'd not be able to close them behind you on the way back unless a second person waits inside.

[@NikaNakaidze]

Yes sven why they even bother to put padlock haha

[@AzurGamer81]

44:48 Oops...😨.

[@htilden42]

18:58I think you mean "paaaaaadlock"

[@NikaNakaidze]

How can we zoom is it possible to zoom our vision in real life? 😂

[@Dilandau3000]

What, you can't do that? 🤔

[@NikaNakaidze]

@@Dilandau3000 ofcourse sven we can 🤣

[@Fenrasulfr]

Do you think they will remake the other games in the Myst series or keep it to Myst and Riven?

[@Dilandau3000]

As much as a remake of Exile would be cool, since Cyan didn't make the original I doubt they're interested in remaking it (if they even have the rights to do so).

[@NikaNakaidze]

Its painted gold i think

[@jeradpaulson771]

Plans on doing Edna and Harvey?

[@tuschman168]

Oooh, that would be cool. But also tough. Sven likes to include all the details and Edna and Harvey has A LOT of dialogue that a casual player might just miss. And I mean A LOT!

[@jeradpaulson771]

@@tuschman168 how about beyond the edge of Owlsguard?

[@tuschman168]

@@jeradpaulson771 I never played that one.

[@jeradpaulson771]

@@tuschman168 Kikoskia did

[@DJGrossman]

@@jeradpaulson771 So cool to find someone else who watches both Sven and Kikoskia! 👋 They're actually all I watch, these days.

[@NoirAngel921]

What the hell is up with that bridge collapse. Did you break the game or something? That wasn't in the original game!

[@MisledNeNick]

Can you put the playlist for these videos in proper order so it starts with the first video please?

[@Dilandau3000]

Fixed, thanks. Weird that they weren't already, I haven't had to do this manually before. Usually KZbin preserves the order I added them in.

[@MisledNeNick]

@@Dilandau3000 Thank you!~

[@TheInkPitOx]

Is that symbol in the center from any real world alphabet?

[@Jellepepe]

We'll find out in a few episodes :)

[@jeradpaulson771]

LOL 😂😂😂44:50

[@NikaNakaidze]

Haha sputnik

[@JaneXemylixa]

Hang on... WHY is there a two-finger salute?? He's not Christian and had no exposure to it... did he?

[@ImagineMeatballs9265]

I think its just creative license to make Gehn look divine.

[@Dilandau3000]

Maybe Gehn was a cub scout? 😉

[@Mythraen]

I do not understand why you believe the gesture of holding two fingers up is somehow Christian-specifying. I don't care if it has anything actually to do with Christianity (I was not aware it did). I'm saying I'm struggling to imagine how this gesture would be improbable for someone else to come up with. Also, within the lore of Myst, where did humans come from? They live in different "Ages." And, within or without the lore of Myst, where did Christians get the salute? Like, why assume they invented it at all?

[@JaneXemylixa]

@@Mythraen I guess it's just a peeve of mine - fictional religions whose lore and visuals are just cartoonish Christianity with the names changed

[@jeradpaulson771]

What 22:04