Abysspillar Trial

Based on game build 714014 | Last updated: 2026-03-04

Overview

The abysspillar_trial prefab implements a dynamic puzzle mechanism in the DST Abyss mode. It manages a grid-based platform system where players navigate through collapsing pillars to complete the trial. The component initializes a pillar grid using configurable geometry, tracks player movement across pillars, spawns and controls AI minions to assist or challenge the player, and handles activation via lever-pulling interactions. It relies heavily on the abysspillargroup component for pillar lifecycle management, activatable for interaction handling, and entitytracker for managing minion instances.

Usage example

local trial = SpawnPrefab("abysspillar_trial")
trial.Transform:SetPosition(x, 0, z)
-- Optional: Set spawn point explicitly
trial:SetSpawnXZ(x, z)
-- Optional: Assign minion prefabs
trial:SetMinion(left_minion_prefab, true)
trial:SetMinion(right_minion_prefab, false)

Dependencies & tags

Components used: abysspillargroup, activatable, entitytracker, inspectable, locomotor, embarker, walkableplatform
Tags: None identified (no tags are added, removed, or checked via inst:AddTag / inst:HasTag).

Properties

Property	Type	Default Value	Description
spawnx, spawnz	number or nil	nil	Explicit world coordinates for spawning the trial grid. If nil, defaults to tile center near the entity.
x0, z0	number or nil	nil	World-space origin coordinates for the pillar grid. Computed at runtime based on orientation.
dirx, dirz	-1, 0, or 1	nil	Direction vector (grid row/column axis mapping) for the trial layout. Valid only if both are defined and non-zero in combination.
grid	table	{}	Maps grid IDs ("row,col") to pillar entities. Used to map world positions to grid coordinates and vice versa.
minions	table	{}	List of PuzzlePiece wrappers for tracked minions participating in the puzzle.
players	table or nil	nil	Tracks players currently in range (for early collision detection and behavior).
contestant	PuzzlePiece or nil	nil	The player currently navigating the puzzle; used for state tracking and minion coordination.
keepsamepuzzle	boolean or nil	nil	Flag indicating that the next grid should reuse the current layout instead of regenerating.
randomspawndelay	boolean or nil	nil	Flag used during grid generation to control animation timing delays for entrance/exit pillars.
collapsequeue	table or nil	nil	Temporary queue used during puzzle resolution to batch pillar collapse operations.

Main functions

SetMinion(minion, leftminion)

• Description: Registers a minion entity as either the left or right guide/minion for the trial. Required for minion interaction during puzzle resolution.
• Parameters:
  • minion (entity instance) - The minion prefab instance.
  • leftminion (boolean) - If true, registers as left minion; otherwise right minion.
• Returns: Nothing.

SetSpawnXZ(x, z)

• Description: Sets the explicit world spawn coordinates for the trial grid. Overrides automatic detection.
• Parameters:
  • x (number) - World X coordinate.
  • z (number) - World Z coordinate.
• Returns: Nothing.

_onplayeroccupiedpillar(pillar, player)

• Description: Event callback fired when a player steps onto a pillar. Initiates the puzzle by spawning minions if the player starts at the entrance (row == 0) and the grid is not yet populated.
• Parameters:
  • pillar (entity instance) - The pillar the player has occupied.
  • player (entity instance) - The player entity.
• Returns: Nothing.

_onplayervacatedpillar(pillar, player)

• Description: Event callback fired when a player leaves a pillar. Used to compute player turns (direction changes) and trigger minion movement when the player hops to an adjacent pillar.
• Parameters:
  • pillar (entity instance) - The pillar the player vacated.
  • player (entity instance) - The player entity.
• Returns: Nothing.

_onremoveminion(ent)

• Description: Event callback for minion removal. Handles cleanup of the minions list and respawns the minion at its default off-pillar if removed during active gameplay.
• Parameters:
  • ent (entity instance) - The removed minion entity.
• Returns: Nothing.

GetActivateVerb(inst, doer)

• Description: Returns the interaction verb displayed for this entity. Always returns "PULL".
• Parameters:
  • inst (entity instance) - The trial instance.
  • doer (entity instance) - The entity performing the action.
• Returns: "PULL" (string).

OnActivate(inst, doer)

• Description: Triggered when a player pulls the lever. Initiates the puzzle collapse sequence: collapses all pillars, plays animation and sound, handles minion deactivation, and schedules the next puzzle phase (respawn or new grid).
• Parameters:
  • inst (entity instance) - The trial instance.
  • doer (entity instance) - The player entity.
• Returns: Nothing.

OnAddPillar(inst, pillar)

• Description: Callback registered with abysspillargroup. Adds a pillar to the grid, updates grid tracking, and listens for occupancy events on that pillar.
• Parameters:
  • inst (entity instance) - The trial instance.
  • pillar (entity instance) - The newly added pillar.
• Returns: Nothing.

OnRemovePillar(inst, pillar)

• Description: Callback registered with abysspillargroup. Removes a pillar from the grid and cleans up occupancy event listeners.
• Parameters:
  • inst (entity instance) - The trial instance.
  • pillar (entity instance) - The removed pillar.
• Returns: Nothing.

Events & listeners

• Listens to:
  • abysspillar_playeroccupied - fired by a pillar when a player steps onto it; triggers puzzle start logic.
  • abysspillar_playervacated - fired by a pillar when a player leaves it; used to track player direction and minion movement.
  • onremove - on player or minion entities; handles cleanup during removal.
  • ms_playerjoined, ms_playerleft - system events; manages the players table and event listeners for new/exiting players.
  • onhop - on player entities; detects early hopping into the puzzle to pre-spawn minions.
• Pushes: None identified.

Data serialization

• OnSave(inst, data): Saves spawnx, spawnz, x0, z0, dirx, dirz, and keepsamepuzzle to the save data table for world persistence.
• OnLoad(inst, data, ents): Restores saved grid orientation and state; sets keepsamepuzzle if the grid was intact at save time.