Found an alternative solution for the North 3 Pandora Puzzle

[cklodar]

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3077579445
Which probably has been discovered a million times already by now.
Some details:
In order to make this solution work, I smuggled a connector out of Puzzle 4, appropriately titled "Prison", by using the same 3 boxes that first broke the one connector out of its solitary confinement and taking the connector out of the puzzle area by jumping above the front energy gate. Honestly, it was this puzzle name that inspired me to find a way to free that connector from the puzzle area entirely.
The source of the green beam then comes from the Lost Puzzle to the left (or right?) of Puzzle 4. After beating that Lost Puzzle, create a green source using the RGB converter, and place it either close to or past the metal gate that leads to puzzle end. Then head back to Puzzle 4, use the smuggled connector to connect to both the green source and the receiver on the Pandora Statue. You'll be able to find a place on one of the elevated grounds around Puzzle 4 (can't climb up there, but can place a connector there), that has a clear line of sight to both the green source and the receiver.
BTW, I also used this smuggled connector to turn on the fan and get the flame near Puzzle 6. I can't think of other ways to turn on that fan, so at the very least the developers must have intended for players to smuggle a box out of Puzzle 4. Perhaps, then, my Pandora Puzzle solution was also envisaged by the developers after all...

[Liam Pope]

My trolling Pandora version...

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3096647962

:)

[Chika Ogiue]

Originally posted by cklodar:

BTW, I also used this smuggled connector to turn on the fan and get the flame near Puzzle 6. I can't think of other ways to turn on that fan, so at the very least the developers must have intended for players to smuggle a box out of Puzzle 4. Perhaps, then, my Pandora Puzzle solution was also envisaged by the developers after all...

IIRC there should be a silly looking robot somewhere near the structure with the flame on it that, once activated, will walk onto the pressure plate. But it might be bugged, as it didn't spawn for me on one playthrough.

[Pocahawtness]

There are a few cheats here and there. There is one where you can jump to a ledge and walk to the exit bypassing all the mechanics. But, why buy a puzzle game and cheat?

[joridiculous]

I too used that puzzle on top (in your screenshot) to fire laser across the map.
Convenient cube and opening.

[cklodar]

Originally posted by Liam Pope:

My trolling Pandora version...

https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561197970644619/screenshot/2308719713315010650/

:)

Noice! Where did you get that from?

[cklodar]

Originally posted by Chika Ogiue:

Originally posted by cklodar:

BTW, I also used this smuggled connector to turn on the fan and get the flame near Puzzle 6. I can't think of other ways to turn on that fan, so at the very least the developers must have intended for players to smuggle a box out of Puzzle 4. Perhaps, then, my Pandora Puzzle solution was also envisaged by the developers after all...

IIRC there should be a silly looking robot somewhere near the structure with the flame on it that, once activated, will walk onto the pressure plate. But it might be bugged, as it didn't spawn for me on one playthrough.

Indeed! Didn't realize that thing existed, right behind the wall, until I later watched someone else's playthough. It's always fun to see how others approach the same problem: someone else managed to get a jammer out of another puzzle, and used that to turn on the fan.

[Liam Pope]

Originally posted by cklodar:

Originally posted by Liam Pope:

My trolling Pandora version...

https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561197970644619/screenshot/2308719713315010650/

:)

Noice! Where did you get that from?

Thanks! I found this amusing to pull off - Pandora's all 'I challenge you to find a way to direct a green beam into my receiver', and I'm 'hold my beer', walk off, walk right back later with a green laser source and shoot it in her smug face :). None of that long range redirecting nonsense!

I found two places you can loot an accumulator. First, forget the number off the top of my head, but it's the one that has two 'swap item' tables in a corner and an accumulator on the floor. You go in, swap out the accumulator onto one of the tables. Then go out and from outside you can jump up onto the wall using your handy looted box from 4. You need to be carryoing something else to exchange, then walk round the wall and exchange your whatever for the accumulator. Or you can grab one from 7. Don't need anything to exchange, you can just have a box inside the main door, one outside, and transfer the accumulator out by standing on the inside box and placing it up on the wall, then go outsode and hop on your outside box and grab it.

Then you have to charge it green. I did this in 6. You need your trusty box and a connector from 4. Jump into the puzzle from outside using your box and carry the connector in. Hook it up to the green laser source and place it up on the 1st level you can fan jump to. Then you can charge your accumulator through the front door. The first part of your OP solution would be another way you could charge the accumulator from outside 4 with the green source created in the lost puzzle.

[cklodar]

Originally posted by Pirate☠️Pocah:

There are a few cheats here and there. There is one where you can jump to a ledge and walk to the exit bypassing all the mechanics. But, why buy a puzzle game and cheat?

Cuz it's fun, of course! And I think I know which puzzle you're talking about. Getting onto the ledge was pretty finicky though, could probably do it once every 20 or so attempts. I did that first, and then properly solved the puzzle afterwards.

[dkamm65]

Originally posted by Pirate☠️Pocah:

There are a few cheats here and there. There is one where you can jump to a ledge and walk to the exit bypassing all the mechanics. But, why buy a puzzle game and cheat?

Smuggling puzzle objects out of and into other puzzles is directly in the spirit of the Talos Principle, and was oftentimes required in the first game. The community finding multiple ways to do things IS dev intended.

[cklodar]

Originally posted by joridiculous:

I too used that puzzle on top (in your screenshot) to fire laser across the map.
Convenient cube and opening.

Quite a fun puzzle too!

[cklodar]

Originally posted by Liam Pope:

Originally posted by cklodar:

Noice! Where did you get that from?

Thanks! I found this amusing to pull off - Pandora's all 'I challenge you to find a way to direct a green beam into my receiver', and I'm 'hold my beer', walk off, walk right back later with a green laser source and shoot it in her smug face :). None of that long range redirecting nonsense!

I found two places you can loot an accumulator. First, forget the number off the top of my head, but it's the one that has two 'swap item' tables in a corner and an accumulator on the floor. You go in, swap out the accumulator onto one of the tables. Then go out and from outside you can jump up onto the wall using your handy looted box from 4. You need to be carryoing something else to exchange, then walk round the wall and exchange your whatever for the accumulator. Or you can grab one from 7. Don't need anything to exchange, you can just have a box inside the main door, one outside, and transfer the accumulator out by standing on the inside box and placing it up on the wall, then go outsode and hop on your outside box and grab it.

Then you have to charge it green. I did this in 6. You need your trusty box and a connector from 4. Jump into the puzzle from outside using your box and carry the connector in. Hook it up to the green laser source and place it up on the 1st level you can fan jump to. Then you can charge your accumulator through the front door. The first part of your OP solution would be another way you could charge the accumulator from outside 4 with the green source created in the lost puzzle.

Noice! Didn't think about smuggling accumulators out, but I'll definitely check these out later!

[joridiculous]

Originally posted by cklodar:

Originally posted by joridiculous:

I too used that puzzle on top (in your screenshot) to fire laser across the map.
Convenient cube and opening.

Quite a fun puzzle too!

Yes it was. When i got my brain out of the freezer and saw the OBVIOUS solution after running around in circles for ever

[cklodar]

Originally posted by dkamm65:

Originally posted by Pirate☠️Pocah:

There are a few cheats here and there. There is one where you can jump to a ledge and walk to the exit bypassing all the mechanics. But, why buy a puzzle game and cheat?

Smuggling puzzle objects out of and into other puzzles is directly in the spirit of the Talos Principle, and was oftentimes required in the first game. The community finding multiple ways to do things IS dev intended.

Speaking of using outside help, I distinctly remember that one puzzle in East 3 called "Preconnected", where after running around cluelessly for like 20 mins, I concluded that this puzzle's name had to mean that I had to use the rather conspicuous obelisk outside the puzzle with a connector on top. So I ran across the map to shoot either red or blue (forgot which) into the other end, and ran back again to solve the puzzle using the "preconnected" outside laser source. Only later, when watching other people solve it, did I realize that "preconnected" actually meant something else, and the level was indeed solvable without outside help! Although, I also suspect that the level designers may have intended both interpretations of the word, lol.

[cklodar]

Originally posted by joridiculous:

Originally posted by cklodar:

Quite a fun puzzle too!

Yes it was. When i got my brain out of the freezer and saw the OBVIOUS solution after running around in circles for ever :lunar2019crylaughingpig:

Yeah, I ended up liking the swap table mechanic a lot more than I expected when I first saw it; it makes you keep track of the total number of items available to you, how many you're allowed to use at once, and also which swap tables are directly accessible, versus requiring other mechanics to reach. Although in some tougher puzzles, like the Golden Gate Puzzle in West 2, the swap table made it really hard to envision the end state of the puzzle, i.e., it becomes hard to guess which item should be left behind in order to solve it.