So Close, Yet So Far
Act I: Pillar Trials
A single player puzzle, by Noxiw.

Index

READFIRST
FAQ
Backstory
Objective
It's Meant to be Easy
Checkpoint System
The Long Haul
A Quick Forge-Through?
No Dinos Allowed
Player Traits
Types of Checkpoints
Teleporter Checkpoint Sender/Receiver Locations
Need Help?
Walkthrough
Change Log

‪Pillar Trials‬&rlm; - YouTube

READ THIS WHOLE POST.
I know it's long, but if you ask me something I've already covered then I'll make sad faces.

FAQ:

Q: I'm in the game, what am I doing?
A: Solving puzzles and completing challenges to get yourself closer to your goal.
Q: Right, but what is my goal?
A: Oh, to get the Focus Rifle from your spawn room to the waypoint.
Q: Neat, anything I should know about the specifics of the gametype?
A:As a matter of fact, yes! Custom power ups grant you the ability to destroy explosives, which generally unlock checkpoints. If you see a CPU somewhere, you have something SOMEWHERE that you need to exploderfy. It/they won't be hidden--usually they're quite obvious.
Q: Why do my weapons/armor abilities/golf balls keep disappearing?
A: Because the answer was no.
Q: Oh, alright, I think I'm good to go then.
A: NO! READ THE WHOLE POST. Other informatives are below.

Backstory

So, a while back there was this puzzle map called Pillar Trials, it was broken, time and time again, although well received . Iteration after iteration, it was patched until a break the size of California was found--Pillar Trials was abandoned. Months later I returned to it, determined to fix it, tearing sections down completely, reworking others, adapting a different gametype to make it function better, a lot of work has been put fourth, and it's about time the second version of my little puzzle baby, Pillar Trials, comes forward.

Objective

Your Objective: Get the Focus Rifle from your spawn room to the waypoint above you. Good luck.

Pillar Trials uses the new HaloBall game variant, which allows me to force what objects go where. You may have some clever idea to use 'this' to do 'that' only to find that whatever it was you planned on using has suddenly disappeared. Don't worry, this is just me telling you not to do that. :D

It's Meant to be Easy!

Pillar Trials requires no knowledge of glitches within the game's engine (save for one--the Active Camo armor ability is the ONLY fixed (float upon switch) pickup on the map), rather: logic, thought process, spatial awareness, and trial and error. Modelled closely off of Mander's Poseidon's Lair puzzle, this puzzle is capable of being solved by every caliber of puzzle player, from the first timers, to the puzzle-pro's. One unique difference Pillar Trials brings aboard is that instead of having a room-to-room styled puzzle (where you complete a task at X, move onto Y, complete a task at Y, and move onto Z), there is more of a "localized repetition". You'll find yourself repeatedly returning to the same 6 rooms, doing different tasks throughout the length of this "adventure". With this kind of progression exploration is crucial. Don't ever assume that just because you've used one object that you're done using it, you're probably not. Continually think of ways to use the same thing in multiple situations. If you find yourself confused or lost, go walk around what you have readily available, looking high and low for places you haven't yet gotten to. And while there are no hidden weapons, grenades, or armor abilities (this isn't a scavenger hunt), you'll find more often than not you know what to do, you just weren't aware of it.

Pillar Trials is meant to be easy. ... Once you know what you're doing. Use what you have to get where you need to go, once you're there you'll find that it wasn't actually THAT difficult...

Checkpoint System

Pillar Trials uses a "localized", or short-cut checkpoint system. Being that, as mentioned before, this puzzle takes place using just a few rooms, an actual spawn checkpoint system just doesn't cut it. Instead, as you progress you'll find that certain areas are blocked off by fixed fusion coils and some teleporters just aren't teleporting. These are two different forms of checkpoints that you'll have to find out how to unlock (Don't worry, they unlock as you make your way toward your goal.), and once you have you'll notice if you should mess something up, you won't have to repeat that last little bit you just completed.

The Long Haul

I encourage you to go at a slow pace, completing a challenge or two every day or so. If you think you're going to get through this in one short sit-down, you're going to get quite annoyed. As mentioned before, once you've completed something it's not difficult to repeat what you know how to do. Don't burn yourself out on the map and you'll find you'll enjoy yourself more upon completion. Once you know what you're doing an average length run through will only take about an hour. My personal best time is twenty minutes.

A Quick Forge-Through?
If you get to a point and you just haven't the faintest idea of what to do and think a quick Forge-through will help you progress, think again. Unless you were to physically alter the geometry or supplies the default map gives you, forge will not help you. (It's not recommended that you change anything (actually, just don't do it.), being that you revisit areas so often you never know what might not work later on should you change something.)

No Dinos Allowed
This puzzle requires that you play as a Spartan. No dinosaurs roaming around here! As mentioned before, this is a single player puzzle map. Playing with multiple people break some challenges and should there be a connection-host switch mid-game one of the final challenges may actually not work. Take it alone.

Player Traits

Trait | Base Player Traits | Custom Power Up Traits (5 seconds)
Player Speed | 100% | 0%
Jump Height | 90% | 150%
Gravity | 150% | 150%
Infinite Ammo | Enabled | Bottomless Clip
Damage Resistance | Invulnerable | Invulnerable
Damage Modifier | 0% | 100%
Primary Weapon | Pistol

Types of Checkpoints
As mentioned before, Pillar trials uses localized checkpoints, or "Shortcuts". The types of shortcuts are as followed:

Doors blocked by fusion coils or grenades
Mancannons blocked by fusion coils or grenades
Teleporters blocked by fusion coils or grenades

Remove the blockade and it won't respawn.

Teleporter Checkpoint Sender/Receiver Locations

Sender A...Receiver A
Sender B...Receiver B

Need Help?

Give it a play through, if you become so incredibly stuck give me a shout either in this thread, through a personal message, or over XBL, I'll be sure to give you some advice. :D

So Close, Yet So Far
Act I: Pillar Trials
A single player puzzle, by Noxiw.

Walkthrough
21215849

Change Log
07.25.11 - Minor bug fixes
08.02.11 - Bug fixes

So Close, Yet So Far
Act I: Pillar Trials
A single player puzzle, by Noxiw.