Solved all the puzzles but the portraits haven't changed!!!!

[Schristine]

Just got this game, love it so far, but I'm really frustrated now. I finally solved all the puzzles, although not in perfect order. Very fragmented actually! The last one I did was the library books (which took forever because of the GLITCH that allows that purple sparkle on the top shelf in the middle of the room that you can't get to due to books all over the floor in front of it!!!!!!!!!!!!). Deep breath.....now, I have done all the rest but for some reason don't have the piece with the code for the gate on it that you get when you input the # into the panel in the closet. I tried climbing out the window and going to the tower and looking through the telescope again, but it doesn't happen the same way because I've already done it. Does this all make sense? I can't re-open the closet or anything because it's already open. I tried to re-do that too and it didn't work. Consequently, I am STUCK right where I'm at. I am going to be really pissed if I have to start all over again because of this. I'm hoping someone will have a suggestion......................Thanks.

[Minos]

Let me just get this straight... you've opened the secret room in the library by using the number on the back of the torn photo (3926) on the control panel... you've opened the switch box inside... you've been to the tower room and looked through the telescope... you've entered this number (1692) into the switch box panel... but Jeremy Morton's portrait hasn't opened?

OK, as far as I know the order in which you do the portrait puzzles doesn't matter, though Howard's has to be done first or you won't be able to get to other rooms.

Howard: Push the bust in front of the mirror to get the code – HM – and enter it in the mechanism. Get the Small Rusty Key to use in the attic.

Archibald: Fill the flask with water from the amphora in Obed's office and put it on the scales in the glass display case. Get the Gilded Key that opens the door to the Smoking Room.

Richard: Press the four books in the library in the correct order, as detailed in Richard's will (found in Obed's office).

Jeremy: As shown above; enter 1, 6, 9 and 2 (in any order) in the electrical switch box in the library's secret room. You should hear a 'click' and when you go to the lobby the portrait should open to give you the engraved metal plate with the combination to the bridge gate.

If you have done all this then Jeremy's portrait should open. However there IS a bug in the game that occurs sometimes (no one is quite sure what exact sequence triggers is – most people are not affected) that means that after this you are unable to enter the final set of dates in the portrait mechanisms – the final step necessary before you can leave the mansion. However I've never heard of this bug stopping the portraits themselves from being opened. All I can think of at the moment is that you've entered the number incorrectly – you seem to have done everything else right.

If, after all this, you still can't get it to work, you could as a last resort load a saved game made after all the portraits have been opened. This can only be done if you're playing on the PC. For details on how to do this please see my reply to iupmelly a couple of messages ago ("Problem!! Help!!").

[Schristine]

OK, I feel really ridiculous and don't want to even admit this, but I figured out the problem. I had saved my game at some point (after getting the key and metal plate from Jeremy Morton's portrait), and then came back later and finished the book puzzle and killed the lizard. So I think I'm all finished, and I go to the portraits, but they still have the blank plates at the bottom. Then I discover that I am missing the engraved metal plate and the key that I had gotten earlier from opening Jeremy Morton's portrait. So instead of trying to just open the portrait, I went back and tried to do the whole sequence over again, which of course didn't work. Since I couldn't even put the #1692 into the panel with the switches, I ASSUMED that I wouldn't be able to get the key and plate again. Make sense now? I feel like such a moron!! :rolleyes:

I'm really not an experienced gamer, but I hate the way this game saves. Otherwise, I am really enjoying it. The only other game I've really played a lot is Diablo - which i love, and when you save and go back later, you start exactly where you left off. I think that is what threw me here. Like I said, I hate to even admit it, but I'm glad that that is all it was. Thanks for your reply!!
Shelly

[Minos]

No problem – and as to making mistakes, I've made ones a lot more embarrassing than that, so I wouldn't worry about it. ;)

And yes, the game saving method is really irritating, and obviously due to idleness on the part of the game's makers. Usually it's the console games that put annoying restrictions of saves, where PC games allow you to save as often as you like without penalty.
Mind you, there are exceptions. With Ishar, a puzzle/adventure game from years back, making a save required you to find an inn to stay at for the night which cost 1000 gold pieces... :eek: ...now that was painful. :cry:

[deerslayer]

i can not figure out all four codes i really need help with Obeds code

[Minos]

The dates under the portraits, which are to be found in the Morton Family Biography (in the library), are Richard 1852, Archibald 1874, Jeremy 1899 and Howard 1931.