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Faron BiT

Discovered by gymnast86 on May 30th, 2019

Description

Normally, trying to load the Sky during Back in Time crashes the game, since most layers of the Sky cannot be loaded properly in BiT. However, the layer corresponding to the loftwing tutorial can load correctly, and therefore this tutorial can be accessed during BiT. This would normally not be useful, as that tutorial has a boundary that cannot be crossed while on the loftwing. However, the Eldin Light Pillar is within the boundaries of the tutorial.

Using the Story Flag RBM variant of the Early Light Pillar glitch, it is possible to enable the Eldin Light Pillar on a file that can access the loftwing tutorial during BiT, and therefore reach the surface during BiT. This allows for the Back in Time state to reach the Sealed Grounds, Faron Woods, and Lake Floria, greatly expanding the list of available scene flags for use in Reverse BiTMagic tricks. It also opens up a variety of new statues for new BiTWarps, and allows for Reverse BiTWarps into areas of the surface, such as Ancient Cistern.

It is also possible to reach the Faron light pillar during the loftwing tutorial if you have the diving ability unlocked on a file that has access to the loftwing tutorial. This method is more complicated to setup.

Note: If you clear the cutscene for entering a light pillar for the first time with your file that can enter the Wing Ceremony in Back in Time, then you can attempt to enter the Eldin Volcano in Back in Time. That however leads to a crash.

Setup

While the original Faron BiT was found using the Early Eldin Pillar, it is also possible to enter the Faron Light Pillar in Back in Time. Three useful setups are described below.

Method 1 - Early Eldin Light Pillar

To access Faron during BiT, using the Eldin Light Pillar you need a specific file setup. This file must have the following characteristics:

Be saved after the loftwing tutorial with Zelda but before watching the Wing Ceremony Cutscene or obtaining the Hero's Tunic
Have access to the Eldin Light Pillar

These two things are normally mutually exclusive, but we can save a file at the prompt after the loftwing tutorial, copy it to a spare slot, and later enable the Eldin Light Pillar on that file. To perform this version of the Early Light Pillar trick, we must have:

A Tablet File that has the Ruby Tablet, but not the Amber Tablet (this will usually be our speedrun file)
Our Target File saved after the loftwing tutorial (usually on the save prompt before the Wing Ceremony).

Then we can load the Ruby Tablet into BiT by obtaining a Stamina Fruit with the Tablet File selected. We then enter the goddess statue with our Target File selected, then place the loaded Ruby Tablet into the pedestal (possibly having to Skyward Strike the crest to raise the pedestal). The light pillar cutscene will begin in BiT, and by starting our Target File at the right time (about 1 second after the second camera change, as the light pillar forms), we can gain access to that pillar on our early game file.

Method 2 - Early Faron Light Pillar & Sky RBW

The setup time for this method is lengthier than the Eldin Light Pillar method, but this one has the benefit that it can be done before even leaving Skyloft. It is therefore useful in a Low% speedrun to skip the Hero's Tunic, or in any% where skipping the Slingshot is possible.

The Faron Light Pillar is out of the boundaries you can reach during the Loftwing Tutorial. This means you need to set the story flag for being able to jump off your loftwing on the file that is saved on the Wing Ceremony Prompt. This is usually not possible, as you only unlock that ability when talking to Fi after obtaining the Hero's Tunic. This is however possible with clever routing.

You will first need the following file setup:

File 1: Hero Mode file
File 2: Has saved the loftwing but not obtained the Hero's Tunic yet
File 3: Hasn't saved the loftwing yet.

Perform Early Faron Light Pillar on File 3, using the Story Flag RBM technique. Make sure File 3 also has the goddess sword.

You are now going to RBW into the Sky. This requires being saved at a save prompt. The fastest way is to use a trick known as File Duping. Activate BiT. Select File 1 (the Hero Mode file) and go back to the splash screen, and then Save at the Bazaar Statue while opening the splash screen. This will file dupe File 3 over File 1, but File 1 will still say "Hero Mode". MAKE SURE NOT TO GO BACK TO THE SPLASH SCREEN OR SELECTING FILE 1 TWICE. Now BiTSave File 2 to load the Loftwing. You can now jump into the sky, mount your loftwing, and start File 1 as you enter the Sky loading zone in order to RBW into it.

Now, go towards the Faron Light Pillar and watch the Fi cutscene around it. That cutscene unlocks the ability to jump off your loftwing. After that ability is unlocked, go back to Skyloft and rescue your loftwing for real. Save at the Wing Ceremony Save Prompt, or escape the tutorial thanks to your newly gained diving ability. File 1 can now access the Loftwing Tutorial in BiT and dive to the Faron Light Pillar.

Video forthcoming

Notes:

Instead of using File Duping, BiTSaving File 3 on the Emerald Tablet Save Prompt and then doing a standard RBW into the Sky is also a possibility, although it is slower.
With this method, you have a file that has unlocked the loftwing, can dive and does not trigger the Sky loading zone immediately on Skyloft due to not having the Hero's Tunic. Thus you can also use your loftwing to reach any place on BiT Skyloft you want. For exemple you could use it to reach the top of the waterfall without clawshots, or to get to Batreaux's house without opening the shed.

Method 3 - Bed Trick to the Surface

This setup takes longer than the others. It requires already having access to Faron. In this method, we will unlock the ability to jump off the loftwing on a file that did not save the loftwing yet, and then we will save the loftwing on that file. This will grant us a way to reach the Sky in BiT and be able to dive. Remounting your loftwing in BiT can be used to load story flags, and thus light pillars.

The file setup is the following:

File 1: Usually the run file
File 2: Saved anywhere on the Surface where bed trick is possible
File 3: Hasn't saved the loftwing or done anything that would make saving the loftwing impossible

Now activate BiT. Perform bed trick by starting file 2 and file duping file 3 over file 2. File 2 will now be an early game file on the surface. Now chose to fly to the Sky and go near where the Faron light pillar is supposed to be to trigger a Fi cutscene that unlocks the ability to dive. Now fly to Skyloft and save your loftwing. You can escape the loftwing tutorial thanks to the ability to dive, and save anywhere. You now have a file that has the loftwing tutorial layer and the ability to jump off the loftwing on file 2.

Reaching Faron Woods in BiT

Once we have our file setup correctly, to reach Faron Woods during BiT we can take the following steps:

Activate BiT.
Save a file that has the loftwing available at a statue during BiT (we will frequently use the Faron BiT file for this).
Jump off a platform and call your loftwing.
Fly into the loading zone for the loftwing tutorial (near the village windmill) with the Faron BiT enabled file selected. Alternatively, you can select a later game file while calling your loftwing, then quickly select the Faron BiT file before the fadeout happens. This will automatically load you into the sky, but if you fail to open the file quickly enough, the game will crash.
- If method 1: Fly the loftwing to the base of the Eldin Light Pillar. You must fly to the base of the pillar specifically; you cannot dive off your loftwing, but hitting the base of the pillar will automatically jump you off your loftwing. This is interpreted as your first visit to the surface, which automatically loads you into the Sealed Grounds in Faron.
- If method 2: Dive to the Faron Light Pillar. Enter the pillar with a file that has not watched the Sealed Grounds Introductory Cutscene or with a file that has the harp in order to avoid the statue selection screen, which would crash BiT. After Link gets past the cloud and right before the loading you can swap to whatever file you prefer.
- If method 3: Immediately jump off your loftwing and remount it while selecting a file that has the Faron light pillar opened. Then dive to the Faron light pillar (which is invisible). Enter the pillar with a file that has not watched the Sealed Grounds Introductory Cutscene or with a file that has the harp in order to avoid the statue selection screen, which would crash BiT. After Link gets past the cloud and right before the loading you can swap to whatever file you prefer.
Note that you will not be able to dash until you finish scrolling through the tutorial text, but don't scroll through too quickly or you will activate the cutscene at the end of the tutorial before reaching the light pillar.

Reaching Faron Woods itself requires either going through the Sealed Temple, or climbing a log to access the Behind the Temple area directly. The log is generally used for this purpose; BiTMagic can be used to have the log pushed down.

Reaching the Lumpy Pumpkin in BiT

Depending on how you set up Faron BiT, reaching the Lumpy Pumpkin (or any place in the sky for that matter) could be trivial or difficult. To reach it in BiT, follow the next steps:

Activate BiT.
Save a file that has the loftwing available at a statue during BiT (we will frequently use the Faron BiT file for this).
Jump off a platform and call your loftwing.
Fly into the loading zone for the loftwing tutorial (near the village windmill) with the Faron BiT enabled file selected. Alternatively, you can select a later game file while calling your loftwing, then quickly select the Faron BiT file before the fadeout happens. This will automatically load you into the sky, but if you fail to open the file quickly enough, the game will crash.

If Faron BiT is set up with method 2 or method 3, you can simply get some height then dive to the Lumpy Pumpkin. It's if you set it up with method 1 that it becomes trickier:

You do not yet have the ability to dive off your loftwing, thus you cannot simply dive to it. In this case, fly the loftwing to the base of the Eldin Light Pillar. You must fly to the base of the pillar specifically; you cannot dive off your loftwing, but hitting the base of the pillar will automatically jump you off your loftwing. This is interpreted as your first visit to the surface, which automatically loads you into the Sealed Grounds in Faron.
Check the Statue and Select Going Back to the Sky. Make sure to select the Faron BiT enabled file before the Sky loads.
The animation of Link calling and mounting his loftwing will take place. Before it finishes, select a file that has the ability to jump off the loftwing. This will load that information and you will be able to dismount your loftwing to reach the Lumpy Pumpkin.
Get some height and dive to the Lumpy Pumpkin.

Uses

Faron Back in Time is slow to access, meaning that the only tricks that employ it are ones that skip a significant portion of the game. These tricks are possible via Faron BiT, among many others:

BiT in Other Areas

Using the Groosenator

Both the Lanayru Light pillar and the Thunderhead are very far from within the boundaries you have access to during Back in Time, and as such you cannot simply dive to them. However, using the Groosenator in Back in Time, it is possible to launch yourself to both Lanayru and the Thunderhead. This requires a file that can use the Groosenator, called the Groosenator enabled file. The requirements for it are the following:

On the normal Sealed Grounds Spiral (before beating Sky Keep):

The file must have beaten Ancient Cistern (for the racetracks), Fire Sanctuary, and one of two things:

Imprisoned 3 defeated and "scene flag 9x80" on load (usually a file saved in sealed grounds with scene flag 9x80, or by using a death reload if the file is not saved in sealed grounds). This is the Flooded Faron Groosenator.
Or all 3 Song of the Hero parts collected and "scene flag 9x80" on load. However, in this case, you can skip the scene flag 9x80 requirement by using BiTMagic to set the zone flag for whatever launch you desire (see Zone Flag BiMagic below). This is because in this specific case, the scene flag is only needed to get the correct text from Groose, but you can be launched without talking to him by BiTMagic-ing the correct zone flag. This is the Lanayru and Thunderhead Groosenator.

On the Sealed Grounds Spiral with the Statue of the Goddess (post-skykeep map):

If you reach the Sealed Grounds Spiral in BiT in the post-Skykeep state, the requirements for the Groosenator are different. On this map, the racetracks exist even if you did not beat Ancient Cistern. Thus the requirements are the following:

Skykeep beaten (to be able to reach this specific map)
Demise defeated (for Groose to appear)

And just like on the other map, you need one of two things:

Imprisoned 3 defeated and "scene flag 9x80" on load (usually with a file saved in sealed grounds with scene flag 9x80, or by using a death reload if the file is not saved in sealed grounds). This is the Flooded Faron Groosenator.
Or all 3 Song of the Hero parts collected and "scene flag 9x80" on load. However, in this case, you can skip the scene flag 9x80 requirement by using BiTMagic to set the zone flag for whatever launch you desire (see Zone Flag BiMagic below). This is because in this specific case, the scene flag is only needed to get the correct text from Groose, but you can be launched without talking to him by BiTMagic-ing the correct zone flag. This is the Lanayru and Thunderhead Groosenator.

Zone Flag BiTMagic

If you meet the requirements for using the Groosenator in BiT, there are two ways to trigger the Groosenator:

You can talk to Groose normally to get launched. In this case you are limited to the places Groose suggests launching you. This means that if you have a Flooded Faron Groosenator you can only be launched to Flooded Faron Woods (which crashes the game in BiT), and if you have the Lanayru and Thunderhead Groosenator you can get launched everywhere but Flooded Faron Woods.
If you have the correct zone flag set on your file, you can BiTMagic it to automatically trigger the launch related to your zone flag (but keep in mind that this only works if the Groosenator requirements are met). This allows you to get launched to places Groose doesn't even suggest (for exemple to Flooded Faron with the Lanayru and Thunderhead Groosenator). The zone flags in question are:

Room 1 Zone flag 1x01	Launch to Flooded Faron Woods (Crash in BiT)
Room 1 Zone flag 1x02	Launch to Fun Fun Island
Room 1 Zone flag 1x04	Launch to Bug Heaven
Room 1 Zone flag 1x08	Launch to Bamboo Island
Room 1 Zone flag 1x10	Launch to Skyloft (Crash in BiT)
Room 1 Zone flag 1x20	Launch to Lanayru Gorge (Crash in BiT)
Room 1 Zone flag 1x40	Launch to Thrill Digger (Crash in BiT)
Room 1 Zone flag 1x80	Launch to Shipyard

Zone flags are room dependant and the room number must match.

Using the zone flag BiTMagic technique, it is possible to skip having to BiTMagic "scene flag 9x80", but ONLY if your Groosenator works via 3 Song of the Hero parts (Lanayru and Thunderhead Groosenator). If it works via the Imprisoned 3 (Flooded Faron Groosenator), you will still need that scene flag. That scene flag corresponds to the Impa Text after beating the Imprisoned 3 and is needed to have been committed upon loading the Sealed Grounds Spiral area. Due to this, a Sealed Grounds file is highly recommended. If you do not have a Sealed Grounds file, then you have to perform a death reload (see Death in Faron BiT in the Miscellaneous section at the bottom of this page).

Note: "scene flag 9x80" could be on a different file than the Groosenator enabled File, thanks to the death reload possibility. However, for simplicity, we will consider it to always be on the Groosenator enabled File.

Thunderhead and Lanayru BiT with the Groosenator

Discovered by azer67

File 1: Run File
File 2: Faron BiT enabled File
File 3: Lanayru and Thunderhead Groosenator enabled File

Once the setup is ready, follow the next steps:

Activate BiT.
If you need to BiTMagic "scene flag 9x80": If file 3 is saved in the Sealed Grounds, commit its flags. It is important to do this before entering the Sealed Grounds Spiral, where the Groosenator is, because you want scene flag 9x80 active on load.
Go to Faron in Back in Time.
Enter the Light Pillar in Back in Time with File 3 selected.
If you need to BiTMagic "scene flag 9x80": If file 3 isn't saved in the Sealed Grounds, die with file 3 to reload the area and have the scene flags take effect on load.
Talk to Groose with File 3 selected, or BiTMagic the zone flag.
Select going to the Shipyard for Lanayru BiT, and to Bug Heaven for Thunderhead BiT.

This allows for entering many new areas within BiT: The Thunderhead and the Isle of Songs, the entirety of the Sand Sea (except for the Sandship and the Pirate Stronghold Interior), the Lanayru Caves and the Lanayru Mines. Since this requires all 3 song of the hero parts, this is generally not considered very useful.

Note: Attempting to go to the Thrill Digger Cave in Eldin will crash your game. Attempting to go to Fun Fun Island or to Bamboo Island without selecting the Faron BiT enabled file will crash your game. With a slightly different file setup it is possible to get launched to Flooded Faron Woods as well in Back in Time. This however also crashes the game

Early Thunderhead Groosenator Launch

Using zone flag properties about where the Groosenator launches you, it is possible to reach the Thunderhead in BiT right after unlocking the Groosenator for the Flooded Faron Woods. The file setup is the following:

File 1: Flooded Faron Groosenator enabled File
File 2: Saved in Skyview Temple right after talking to the stone tablet in the first eye room (for room 1 zone flag 1x04).
File 3: Faron BiT enabled File

Once the setup is ready, follow the next steps:

Activate BiT.
If file 1 is saved in the Sealed Grounds, commit its flags. It is important to do this before entering the Sealed Grounds Spiral, where the Groosenator is, because you want "scene flag 9x80" active on load.
Go to Faron in Back in Time.
Enter the Light Pillar in Back in Time with File 1 selected.
If file 1 isn't saved in the Sealed Grounds, die with file 1 to reload the area and have the scene flags take effect on load (in particular, "scene flag 9x80").
BiTMagic the zone flag on File 2.

Despite the fact that you only have the Flooded Faron Groosenator, you will be launched to the Thunderhead in BiT.

The Groosenator checks zone flags to know what area to load. These zone flags are normally set during the Groose text. However, in Skyview Temple it is possible to save a zone flag that corresponds to the one that is for going to Bug Heaven in the Sealed Grounds Spiral. By selecting that file and using BiTMagic, we can hijack that value and get launched to the wrong place. Note that this similar idea can theoretically be performed for every launch as long as it is possible to save the zone flag needed anywhere in the game. So far, this is the most useful zone flag launch.

Areas that Crash BiT

Figured out by lepelog

When activating BiT, the stage files are loaded first and then the keyboard arc is. When loading a new area into BiT, the stage arcs are unloaded successfully, but the keyboard arc is not. This causes the heap to be fragmented. If the arcs for the area you are trying to load don't fit into the heap then the game will crash.

When Skyloft first loads when activating BiT, layer 0 is loaded first (since it contains the stage data), then the info from layer 28 is loaded (the title screen layer). Skyloft layer 0 is 6,983,520 bytes big (decompressed), while layer 28 is size 728,256 bytes. The keyboard arc is loaded afterwards. Thus, when you try to change area in BiT, the heap is fragmented into 2 free slots: one that is size 6,983,520+728,256=7,711,776 bytes, and an another that we know is of size about 2,400,000 bytes. For exemple, the knight academy on layer 4 will crash in BiT because while the knight academy layer 0 arc will fit into the first free slot, the layer 4 arc will not fit into any of the 2 remaining slots.

The decompressed arc size for each stage and layer can be found here.

The following section lists all the places that should be accessible in BiT but instead will crash:

Every Skyloft layer except layer 28 (title screen layer), 2 (night-time before tunic/imp 1/imp 2) and 9 (night-time after Skykeep)
The Knight Academy on layers 3 and 4 (after the hero's tunic)
Every layer in the Sky except layers 3 (Loftwing Tutorial) and 4 (Night time)
Sealed Grounds layers 2, 3 and 4 (After playing the Ballad of the Goddess with Impa, after Fire Sanctuary and after triggering the Imprisonned 3. Defeating the Imprisonned 3 sets layer 5 and this place won't crash anymore).
Sealed Temple layer 4 (After defeating the Imprisonned 2 but before meeting Levias), and the cutscene that takes place inside the Temple after defeating Demise
The True Master Sword Cutscene in Hylia's Temple
Every layers in Hylia's Realm except layers 0 (default) and 3 (after Ghirahim 3)
Flooded Faron Woods (all layers)
Skyview Temple (all layers)
Ancient Cistern (all layers)
Eldin Volcano (all layers)
Bokoblin Base (all layers)
The Pirate Stronghold Interior (all layers)
The Sandship (all layers)
Lanayru Desert (all layers)
Lanayru Gorge (all layers)

Other than that, every other area reachable knowing these limitations shouldn't crash Back in Time.

Miscellaneous

Light Pillar Interactions

When loading into the sky, only the pillar that have been opened on the file that entered the Sky will visually appear. However, if you update story flag information from another file (usually by mounting your loftwing) then you can fly to the pillars that file opened, even if they are visually not there.
When it's NOT the first time entering a pillar cutscene: both when entering the light pillar and when the camera changes for a view over Link when he goes through the clouds, the game will check story flag information to know if it should make the statue selection screen appear. This screen crashes Back in Time and should be avoided. The statue selection screen will appear if you've watched the Sealed Grounds introductory cutscene for Faron, the Eldin introductory cutscene for Eldin, and the Lanayru Mines introductory cutscene for Lanayru. If you never check a statue you will also be able to avoid the statue selection screen. Finally, having the harp and triggering the Groose landing cutscene in Faron will also avoid this screen.
Which stage to load after entering a light pillar is determined by the file selected upon entering the light pillar, or the one that was used to enter the sky with if that did not happen. Thus it is not necessarely the last file you select before the loading, which may be counterintuitive. This is important to be able to Reverse BiTWarp into Bokoblin Base, or to enter the Sealed Grounds with the Goddess Statue instead of the Sealed Grounds with the Spiral.

Death in Faron BiT

Anywhere but on Skyloft (where dying always respawns you on layer 28 anyway), death can be used as a reload of the area, and can be useful combined with BiTMagic. When you die, the story flags read at the start of the death cutscene will be frozen and used to determine the layer of the area when you respawn. However if you select another file before pressing continue, the game will load the scene flags from that file instead. This desync of information is not exclusive to dying, but because dying reloads the area, it can be used to cause some environmental changes in Back in Time, that normally require a reload, using a file that is not saved in the same area.

The main use for this is to load the Water Scale Trial Gate in Back in Time without having a file that has opened the Water Scale Trial gate legitimately. Make sure one of your files has the flag for the trial gate to be opened (3x02), and commit it, then go to Faron in Back in Time. Now commit the story flags from a file that has Faron Woods layer 3 (required for the trial gate to appear, commit by saving for exemple) and die with it selected. Before pressing continue but after dying, select the file with scene flag 3x02. Then press continue. You will respawn in Faron Woods layer 3, but with the scene flags from the file selected before you pressed continue active. And because death acts like a reload of the area, the Water Scale Trial Gate will be opened.

Kikwi Elder Softlock & Teleport

There exists a very strange trick with the Kikwi Elder in Faron BiT. If you enter Faron Woods with a file that has the slingshot, and if in the previous area (before entering the loading zone into Faron Woods) you did not have the slingshot loaded, a cutscene with the Kikwi Elder will be triggered. It will also be triggered if the file that enters Faron did not save Machi, but you load the story flag for having rescued Machi afterwards and then point the camera in the Kikwi Elder's direction. This cutscene will softlock if the layer is layer 2 or higher, making you lose control of Link and forcing you to restart.

However, if you do the same things but enter Faron Woods in layer 1, the cutscene will work correctly and can be used as a teleport. However the same teleport on layer 1 has one more requirement: you also need to have saved Machi (either by talking to him at the end of his chase or by beating Skyview Temple).

Machi Teleports

If you enter the Deep Woods in BiT on layer 2 with a file that has not watched the Machi cutscene after Skyview Temple, that cutscene will automatically trigger and teleport you in front of the Temple. This is a very useful teleport when you do not have scene flag 2x20, which is also a teleport to Skyview Temple but using the crystal.
If you talk to Machi in Faron Woods in BiT with a file that has not saved Machi, you will be teleported to the spot where you normally save Machi.

Other Facts

Opening the Lake Floria Doors or the Skyview Temple Doors twice makes you lose control of Link indefinitely.
In the Sealed Grounds Spiral, having the flag related to the huge air vent being active will cause a different camera when near the door to the Sealed Temple. This camera crashes BiT.
Dying to Demise in BiT causes a black screen and a softlock (but not a crash).

Last updated 01/21/2023 – azer67

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