The Crystal Skull - Beans?

I have the gameboomers w/t. It says I need 20 (cacao) beans in order to buy/trade in the market and trying to win this shell game is darned near impossible (have gone CROSSEYED already trying to follow my bean!). I have approached this one just like I do in a game where I have to use my limited resources to gain more of same. Like in Dust/Wired West I won very easily enough at blackjack because I save after each win, or reload if I lose, thereby guaranteeing I end up with enough money, marbles, beans, or whatever. However, in trying to do that here I seem to be getting nowhere - the bean is not under any one of the 3 shells - is this guy palming it and I am not seeing it? Is this game totally random as to where that bean ends up? It seems (as near as I can follow) that he makes the same number of moves every time and my bean starts out in the middle but it does not seem to be under any shell when he stops. Can anyone HELP ME? please! And thanks
Love, Betty Lou

BLBJ,

I have to sit and try to remember how I did this because like you I was very frustrated about it.

Try looking at the hints by the shaman - I think there's a bypass in one of the major hairpulling puzzle - this might be it.

I will check if I still have a saved game on this one after the computer died.

MaG

Thanks MaG! Your saved game has 'saved the day' - you are the GREATEST! Just fired up the game and loaded your 'bean' save and am going to "check my inventory" to be sure but looks like I have what I need thanks to you. I LIKE this game a lot. Except for getting frustrated with this shell game and disappointed I could not figure out how to win, the game goes rather smoothly for me. Thanks again. (I am hanging on to the boat save just til I get past it then I can toss it).
Love, Betty Lou

That's great, BLBJ! I liked this game. The dialogue are sooo funny!

The boat save must be just for the start of the next puzzle, so that can be discarded. I wasn't sure, if I got all the beans in the last save.

MaG

It's me again. I need some clarification please for the 'shield combination'. The walkthrough says "push the shield two 360 degree to the right and one more to the left" Does this mean turn the shield to the right 360 degrees, twice then turn it to the left 360 degrees? It is not very clear to me what is meant here. Thanks
Love, Betty Lou <img border="0" title="" alt="[Confused]" src="confused.gif" />

I think that's what it means, Betty Lou. Here is a quote from another walkthrough I found: "Push the shield two 360-degree turns to the right and one more to the left". That seems to be exactly what you said...

Thanks MaG. When I tried this the first time I got that old shield spinning so fast and around and around it made me dizzy. This time I placed the 'hand' in a slightly different spot and was careful to do it right. And it worked.
NOW - I have been to see the emperor, and am finished with our conversation, he has left. I walked to the Calmecac and tried entering behind the guards back, got to set the white cloth on fire and donned the black robe, but when I step out to talk to the other Monks I get killed by that same guard. Yet trying to gain entry by talking to that guard first also gets me killed. And using the map won't work as when I stand in front of the palace and check it Calmecac does not have a 'photo' with it so I can gain entry with the map. What am I doing wrong, or what have I missed? The walkthrough tells me to go to Calmecac after visiting the Emperor....can't do that and don't know why. HELP PLEASE
Love, Betty Lou

Ok, BLBJ - Been trying to recall the sequence of how I did this part because I also get caught.

The place won't show in the map until you have entered some of the places - might be true for this place.

Now, enter, go right to see the white cloth, burn it, take and wear black robe, wash your face and then go out. This dirty face is what got me caught but when you can do that I'm not sure - I think it can still be done inside the building.

Can you also check the Shaman clue to see what he says.

MaG

Good Morning MaG. I solved this part last night and here is the answer: After donning the black robe use ash from the burner on my/your face and arms to look like one of the Monks. THEN it is safe to go out where the monk and the guard are. Talk a bit then leave, then wash face in that pond outside the courtyard on the way out. This way I did not get killed.
Am now at the 'meeting' and trying to figure out how to shift change to a bug and leave to the jail without getting smooshed by someone. This is a bit tricky. Will fiddle with it a bit before church this AM. See ya later. Have a great day.
Love, Betty Lou

Oh, Yeah - that's why I had to wash my face - I know I was caught because of the presence or absence of a dirty face. Gee - memory is so rusty.

MaG

I have made it all the way to Tulam and have the stingray spine and the crabshell but when I return to the beach (as the w/t tells me to) the shark does not show up. Shaman is no help with this part. How do I get the shark to show up and give me his tooth? He is nowhere to be found.
Thanks
Love, Betty Lou

Hi BLBJ,

I can vaguely remember this part, it seems that I moved around back and forth on this one. Maybe, wait a while to see if the shark comes.

I can't install this game but I do still have that saved game file. I have one labeled tooth and one labeled beach. If you want it - just holler.

MaG

Since I had lunch and a meeting to attend yesterday Thurs I saved my game prior to diving into the sea for the spine and shell. So I just replayed from there again once and the shark showed up as I emerged from the water and stood upright. Don't you sometimes wonder what makes something get 'triggered' (finally) when you are repeating the exact same moves each time and finally it just 'clicks'? I do. Anyway, have made my way to the Temple of the Sun, worked that strange slider with the four empty slots in that strange configuration and have entered the secret passage to Pacal's tomb, have read the writing on that large tablet and now am wondering just how do I "Enter the road" - "click on it" = click on WHAT? WHERE DO I GO FROM HERE? And thanks for your help. Sorry you can no longer play this game, I just love that I have it and chose to play it after that Nancy Drew Scarlet/Hand. And I discovered the informatin "i" section on my inventory/tool bar. I need to take more time to read through it.
Love, Betty Lou <img border="0" title="" alt="[Cool]" src="cool.gif" />

BLBJ,

This is going from memory - so bear with me here -
Is this the room with all that inscription on the wall?
Isn't there a heiroglyph that says - Enter the road?
I think that it is what you need to click and then it will automatically transfer you to the underworld.

MaG

There may be but it is so dark beyond the tablet that I can't see anything on the walls. Maybe I need to do a 'pixel hunt'? Tried the curser everywhere but nothing (no eye) shows up. Will try again. Maybe you could 'think some more'? Thanks
Love, Betty Lou

Ok, BLBJ.

You go down after giving the password. You see a tomb. Move the eye cursor on the heiroglyphs all around the edge of the tomb lid and you will get different translations of the heiroglyphs. Click the eye icon on the correct heiroglyph.

SPOILER:
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Middle heiroglyph when you're facing the tomb lid with your back on the stairs - ....enter the road.

MaG

That worked just fine MaG. Now have a new/different problem. Do not know if it is what the game is supposed to do or if I have a tech glitch - Have made it to FACING THE DEATH, have talked to owl, gone south, got fireflies, gone west, talked to owl, used bamboo to cross river, used mosquitoe to distract gods, talked to them and given them 'right' answer, been sent to darkroom and here is where things go awry - the game does not give me time to pull the firefly out of my inventory but puts me and my twin back outside with the gods and I have no cursor, cannot do anything at all, cannot exit the game or bring up inventory/save etc. Have to cntrlAltDel to get to shut down computer. Is this sequence timed? and how do I get a bit more time to do the firefly thing? Stumped.
Love, Betty Lou

Hi BLBJ,

I remember having a difficult time here and I know it was just a very simple 'duh' solution. What did the shaman say about this part?

Can you try to just click on the end of the cigar?

I will see what I can find out.

MaG

Ok, I also experienced your glitches again and it triggered some memories. I think I lowered the video acceleration here. It took a while but I did get the cigar ends with fireflies.

I also have a saved game at the start of the next hairpulling puzzle.

Good luck,
MaG

Thanks MaG. Your save for 19tree did the trick very nicely. All I had to do was just remember how to get back to where the ballcourt was, did a bit of wandering around both on foot and with the map but finally found my way. I have finished this one and will now make time to go back into the (i) file and read more on this culture. Sure is a great classic. More of the newbies should consider finding a copy and playing it. Great game, even with the 'sticky places'.
Love, Betty Lou
Now, on to something else.