The Pillar of Autumn

### Depicts

The discovery of Installation 04 and the Covenant's subsequent attack on the *Pillar of Autumn*

### Enemies

* Covenant
	+ Grunts
		- Minor
		- Major
	+ Elites
		- Minor
		- Major
		- Ultra
		- Stealth
		- Zealot
	+ Brutes
		- Follower
		- Leader
	+ Hunters
		- Major

### Weapons

* UNSC
	+ M6G Pistol
	+ MA5E Assault Rifle
	+ M7 Submachine Gun
	+ BR54HB Battle Rifle
	+ M393 Designated Marksman Rifle
	+ M9 Fragmentation Grenade
* Covenant
	+ Plasma Pistol
		- Void's Tear
	+ Plasma Rifle
		- Brute Plasma Rifle
	+ Needler
	+ Shredder
	+ Brute Shot
	+ Hunter Fuel Rod Cannon
	+ Plasma Grenade
	+ Gravity Grenade
	+ Cluster Grenade

*"Escape intact as Covenant forces board your ship."*

**The Pillar of Autumn** is the first mission of the Installation 04 Campaign in *Halo SPV3*. The UNSC *Pillar of Autumn*, having escaped the destruction of Reach, has arrived near a strange object in orbit around the gas giant known as Threshold. Unfortunately, the Covenant, who are here as well, have beaten the *Autumn* to the object and proceed to attack the ship. Master Chief Petty Officer SPARTAN John-117 is awakened from his cryo-sleep and makes his way to the ship's bridge to be briefed by Captain Jacob Keyes about their current situation. After the brief meeting, the Master Chief, with his new AI companion Cortana, makes his way off the ship via a Bumblebee escape pod.

## Overview & Background

This level is set in the UNSC *Pillar of Autumn* where the main objective of the mission is escaping the ship. Unlike *Halo: Combat Evolved*, the training portion is automatically disabled for Normal difficulty and both the motion tracker and grenades are enabled.

The layout of the level has been greatly expanded. Large open spaces, such as cargo rooms, hangers and more cryo chambers have been added into the geometry, including a visit to the oval elevator seen in The Maw. This makes the mission twice as long as it was in *Halo: Combat Evolved*.

## Gameplay Information

Being the first mission, it introduces players to the first half of the expanded weapon sandbox and many of the new enemies *SPV3* includes. Most notably, the Brutes of *Halo 2* and *Halo 3* fight against you alongside the Grunts and Elites. Hunters are also encountered here, ahead of their introduction in The Truth and Reconciliation in *Combat Evolved*.

New mechanics are present in this mission only. Firstly, ceiling mounted auto guns can be found throughout the ship. After the bridge cutscene, any auto guns the player comes cross can be activated by nearby control terminals to aid fellow Marine allies, and the player, in fighting against Covenant insurgents.

The second added feature is control of the ships artificial gravity. Crewmen can be seen operating gravity terminals throughout the level. If they are killed, the gravity in these areas will destabilize at general intervals. This changes how many aspects of physics work, such as jumping capabilities, projectile and grenade velocities and movement patterns, explosion recoils and more. The player can reactivate gravity terminals if this happens to keep the gravity normal and constant. Alternatively, players can opt to kill the operating Crewmen themselves if they desire the low-gravity effect.

There is also a secret control terminal that acts as a Cross-Map Unlock. In later missions, it replaces Chaingun Warthogs that are dropped off by Pelicans, to Heretic Warthogs. The low-gravity effect is needed to reach the terminal.

## Developer Information

The SPV3 Dev team shifted the focus of this mission away from the tutorial nature of *Halo: Combat Evolved*, deducing that players should already be familiar with the original game before playing *SPV3*.

The newly added areas were designed and implemented to be large, open, unique and original, to help break away from the repetitive corridors of the missions appearance in *Halo: CE*.

Cortana has had some of her dialogue altered throughout the level. Cut dialogue, that never made it into the final game, has been added. Most notably, a number of her lines during the bridge cutscene have been swapped in favour of a few of her lines from the leaked *Halo: Combat Evolved* 1749 Beta build.

## Trivia

* There are 12 terminals scattered throughout the level.
	+ 3 Covenant Datapads belong to Noga 'Moramee.
	+ 3 Covenant Datapads belong to Isna 'Nosolee.
	+ 6 UNSC Datapads belong to Jacob Keyes.
* The new *SPV3* layout of the level brings players to the oval elevator that would later be seen at the end of The Maw. In The Pillar of Autumn though, it takes you to a different floor.
* The Moon Skull makes its only appearance in this mission as a hidden Easter egg in the level geometry, only appearing on Legendary or Noble.

## Walkthrough

None Left Behind • The Commander • The Commander: Evolved • The Maw