[spoilers] Solved the Compass puzzle, but not sure how

[Wok]

In Stoneship, I have solved the Compass puzzle (achievement unlocked). However, I am not entirely sure how.

There are the rooms of the 2 brothers which are underground. On the paths leading to the room, there is a corridor leading to a room with a compass. You can see the North direction. There are regularly spaced buttons on the circle surrounding the compass. When the electricity is ON, you have to choose the right button to press on the compass to solve the puzzle. If you choose the wrong button, you have to toggle the electricity ON again (which is cumbersome) and try another button.

The underground room must be at the vertical of the mountain. At the top of the mountain, there is a spyglass and you can see different points from there: the small mast at 120°, the electricity generator at 125° (not sure if I recall right ; edit: it was 135°) and the large mast at 185°.

I think I chose the second red arrow thinking that would be 120° (when that should be 135°, right?), and that was correct.

Any explanation about the logic behind that decision? And the physics behind the way the puzzle solution helps provide electricity for a longer time?

[Baggy MacDouche]

First, the point of solving the puzzle is to engage the underwater lighting system. Why? Because you need it to see when you go down the passage opposite to the one that leads to the boys' rooms(where they MYST linking book is). So you are using the spyglass to find the direction of that location, right? You obviously stumbled on the right answer(135deg or due SE), but that is why.

As for the logic of why it keeps the power on from that point forward is anyone's guess. Maybe it engages another generator system underwater instead of the lighthouse. Solving the puzzle is also delivering power to open the desk with the linking book, so it's more than just turning on the underwater lights. Like I said, it's probably engaging some steady power source.

[Wok]

Thank you!

[starshadowx2]

In Classic mode the lighthouse is at 135° when you look through the telescope. There's 32 buttons around the compass. If you take 135/360 and then multiply by 32 you get 12, so you pick the 12th button. That's the one at the second red arrow.

[tgahearn]

I randomized the puzzle so that the lighthouse is at 190 degrees. Doing the math gave me 16.8 which rounds up to 17. So I pressed the 17th button but it didn't work. What did I do wrong?

[Wok]

Originally posted by tgahearn:

I randomized the puzzle so that the lighthouse is at 190 degrees. Doing the math gave me 16.8 which rounds up to 17. So I pressed the 17th button but it didn't work. What did I do wrong?

As a first try, I would press the buttons before the one which you pressed, so the 16th (in case the game decides to floor the angle value, rather than rounding/ceiling it).

Otherwise, I think you did good. A graduation step is 11.25° (8 gradutation steps for 45°). Basically, yours should be half-circle (180°) plus one graduation step, so 17 in total.

Make sure i) that the angle is correct (because I find it weird that it is not a multiple of 4, ii) that it is indeed the lighthouse generator which is at 190°, and not one of the two masts, iii) that you count the buttons clockwise, iv) that the lights are ON when you press the button.

[tgahearn]

Originally posted by Wok:

Originally posted by tgahearn:

I randomized the puzzle so that the lighthouse is at 190 degrees. Doing the math gave me 16.8 which rounds up to 17. So I pressed the 17th button but it didn't work. What did I do wrong?

As a first try, I would press the buttons before the one which you pressed, so the 16th (in case the game decides to floor the angle value, rather than rounding/ceiling it).

Otherwise, I think you did good. A graduation step is 11.25° (8 gradutation steps for 45°). Basically, yours should be half-circle (180°) plus one graduation step, so 17 in total.

Make sure i) that the angle is correct (because I find it weird that it is not a multiple of 4, ii) that it is indeed the lighthouse generator which is at 190°, and not one of the two masts, iii) that you count the buttons clockwise, iv) that the lights are ON when you press the button.

I tried pressing the 16th and got the same result.

[em_t_hed]

LUL... it's the 13th button moving clockwise from North. (EDIT: the 1st Island has a clock. This we do know)

Compass be damned ... 'As above so below... ' junk be damned ... Making a connection with the surveyor and the compass be damned

EDIT: There's nothing to suggest that 'assuming' real world knowledge of how magnetic North and a compass work nor the degrees associated. Along side the reading in the game. The 1st island has references to sail boats, but also references celestial navigation. The constellations.

The only thing suggesting this is the solution itself.

In short... The game suggests the characters of the story could measure Linearly. (the journals)

All of a sudden you're presented with a tool that has degree markings and you go assuming things and your mind fills in blanks the game left blank. So you start thinking 'oooo compass, degrees, headings....'

[tgahearn]

Originally posted by em_t_hed:

LUL... it's the 13th button moving clockwise from North. (EDIT: the 1st Island has a clock. This we do know)

Compass be damned ... 'As above so below... ' junk be damned ... Making a connection with the surveyor and the compass be damned

EDIT: There's nothing to suggest that 'assuming' real world knowledge of how magnetic North and a compass work nor the degrees associated. Along side the reading in the game. The 1st island has references to sail boats, but also references celestial navigation. The constellations.

The only thing suggesting this is the solution itself.

In short... The game suggests the characters of the story could measure Linearly. (the journals)

All of a sudden you're presented with a tool that has degree markings and you go assuming things and your mind fills in blanks the game left blank. So you start thinking 'oooo compass, degrees, headings....'

The 13th button didn't work either.

[em_t_hed]

Originally posted by tgahearn:

Originally posted by em_t_hed:

LUL... it's the 13th button moving clockwise from North. (EDIT: the 1st Island has a clock. This we do know)

Compass be damned ... 'As above so below... ' junk be damned ... Making a connection with the surveyor and the compass be damned

EDIT: There's nothing to suggest that 'assuming' real world knowledge of how magnetic North and a compass work nor the degrees associated. Along side the reading in the game. The 1st island has references to sail boats, but also references celestial navigation. The constellations.

The only thing suggesting this is the solution itself.

In short... The game suggests the characters of the story could measure Linearly. (the journals)

All of a sudden you're presented with a tool that has degree markings and you go assuming things and your mind fills in blanks the game left blank. So you start thinking 'oooo compass, degrees, headings....'

The 13th button didn't work either.

Bro... just count one by one ... which buttons you've pressed and which you haven't.... Not to mention are you on the original solutions or randomized?

If you count North as 1 and move clockwise counting the buttons ... it is button 13

Also, the arrow in the book points exactly to which button.... The right side arrow.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2589301373

If you want to argue that the screenshot isn't an 'exact' solution... the game dev's behavior to previous puzzles such as the clock code... they give you the exact code to use in the game, what they don't do is tell you 'exactly' how to use the levers.

[tgahearn]

As I indicated before, I've randomized the solution. The lighthouse is at 190 degrees instead of 135. I've pressed buttons 12, 13, 16 and 17. None of them work.

[em_t_hed]

Originally posted by tgahearn:

As I indicated before, I've randomized the solution. The lighthouse is at 190 degrees instead of 135. I've pressed buttons 12, 13, 16 and 17. None of them work.

Oh... i see now... your previous comment is hidden and i didn't bother to read redacted junk....

You want a solution that appeals to your intellect when the original was playing psychological mind games....

You're part of the crowd that wants the original solution to appeal to their intellects when point in fact the solution is in game and your intellect unnecessary.

[LucidEpyon]

If the lighthouse is at 190 degrees you need to click the button that is also at 190 degrees, so one or two clockwise from south.

[tgahearn]

Originally posted by LucidEpyon:

If the lighthouse is at 190 degrees you need to click the button that is also at 190 degrees, so one or two clockwise from south.

You're right! It worked!

[Wok]

Originally posted by tgahearn:

Originally posted by LucidEpyon:

If the lighthouse is at 190 degrees you need to click the button that is also at 190 degrees, so one or two clockwise from south.

You're right! It worked!

Wait, wasn't it what you previously did? South is the 16th button (and North the 32th button). So one step clock-wise from South was the 17th button.

Or was it the 18th button that worked (two steps clock-wise from South)?

Originally posted by tgahearn:

I've pressed buttons 12, 13, 16 and 17. None of them work.

So, it was the 18th, right? It is a bit weird because 190° should fall between the 16th (180°) and the 17th button (191.25°).

Or was it that you were counting with the 0° at East rather than North? Here, the puzzle does not use the trigonometric conventions (0° at East, and anti-clockwise direction of angle), but something akin to a clock (0° at 12 hours, so North, and clock-wise direction of angle).

[Sïckosis]

Originally posted by em_t_hed:

Oh... i see now... your previous comment is hidden and i didn't bother to read redacted junk....

You want a solution that appeals to your intellect when the original was playing psychological mind games....

You're part of the crowd that wants the original solution to appeal to their intellects when point in fact the solution is in game and your intellect unnecessary.

Tf is wrong with you? You didn't actually read their comment but are getting nasty for no reason other than your incorrect assumptions didn't help them.

The game in that level never did the best job of having a trail to arrive at that solution. It took me some time to figure out it was like a protractor, long after I had solved it since I just remembered the right button on reflex(years ago I just did it one by one to find the right button and now instinctively know it).