Armored Core 5

[The Dark One]

so maybe the overed weapon can be used for stealthy one hit kills (or major damage causers) similar to sneaking up on someone in Demon's Souls? I kind of like the thought of creeping up on an enemy MT or what not and impale it thru the back with a laser blade,which BETTER still be this game,I need my Moonlight blade.I have a gut feeling they might take out laser blades in this one.I sure hope not.

[Mr. Bucket]

Armored Core 5: The Transforming Mech Drilling Simulator.


Trailor leaves me underwhelmed...but we shall see !

[Ditto 88]

So uh.... will it have underwater fighting?

[Village Baka]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtQzak9dOd0

0:44 - 0:47

[Deemer]

holy crap its Baka

Yeah, im gonna agree with the general “meh” mentality. Aside from the shiny new goofy looking giant red rotating....chainsaw...things(over weapons). There isn’t a lot in there to get fans blood boiling like they used to manage to do.

I really hope they don’t try too hard to follow the whole stealth idea. doing so would require they either remove radars, or try their hands at some form of EMP again. and every time they try some kind of EMP, they always screw it up making it way too broke.

[The Dark One]

oh,wow,it's Baka.I never noticed,lol.

and,don't you mean ECM,Deemer? I have never seen anything EMP like in AC,altho AA could kind of be considered it,since it screws up your HUD.
As far as I'm concerned,AC has only ever gotten stealth right with those extensions on AC3 and SL.The dual shoulder thing on AC2 was a joke and didn't work at all,and stealth was taken off in NX-LR only to be replaced with ECM levels.That was okay,but it wasn't stealth.

[Deemer]

yeah your right, my mistake, ECM. they have tried their hands at ECM and other radar scrambling abilities thru the years. and it never turns out well. the stealth extensions in AC3 were so broken, and though not all tourneys banned em in SL, a lot of people considered em broke then too. in the NX era they had ECM pods as inside parts....and again, they were busted as hell.

[Griffon]

Aside from the shiny new goofy looking giant red rotating....chainsaw...things(over weapons). There isn’t a lot in there to get fans blood boiling like they used to manage to do.

Well that's hardly the trailers fault or the website or anything, just the mentality towards FROM themselves.
After the disappointment that was AC4/fA, we need something more, like screenshots and gameplay footage. Until then, we remain wary of them making the same/different mistakes, rather than just going "OMG NEW AC GAME" like we used to. Yeah, we're still inspecting this one before we start jumping for joy, but that's because of us, not because of "even their marketing sucks now".

[Ditto 88]

I also want dual radar / stealth arms. and the dual stealth backpack from AC2.
and radar inside parts/extensions. radar optional parts as well.

[The Dark One]

why not just have various frame parts made of RAM and have different radar absorption ratings,so you can build an AC that has natural stealth ability.

[Deemer]

that’s.....kinda how ECM pods in the NX era worked. Rather then a guaranteed radar and lock kill. When you dropped one, they had a sort of radar absorption percentage rate depending on what ECM pod you had equipped. How much it scrambled enemy locks and radar depended on his FCS and Head parts. it never guaranteed your opponent couldn’t see you, or lock onto you. But depending on all the factors a specific level of scrambling happened. All of that was an inside part that you had to use, had a limited duration, and could run outa ammo, but it was STILL broken as hell. and you want them to include that sort of function you could equip and have on all the time?

the series at its core, revolves around the radar. Armored Core is far too fast paced, and three dimensional to have the whole “sneak up on your opponent” FPS or other run and gun style mechanics. AC combat has never been, and never will be as restricted to the ground as stealthy games are. Its that crazy three dimensional combat that always makes any form of lock or radar invisibility way overpowered.
If you ask me, in order to implement any form of true stealth, that isn’t merely the same old broken radar and lock scrambling. They would need to slow down the series considerably, and dramatically cut how easily AC’s could fly. but at that point I think I would give up on teh series completely.

[The Dark One]

hmmm,I never thought about it like that,but you're right.The ECM level crap on NX-LR annoyed me,too,so guess my stealth suggestion might annoy me as well,if it worked along those same lines.

[Kharos]

ECM is in the PS3/Xbox games as well. It kinda sucked, 'cause usually you could see them anyway. ECM serves no purpose. Instead they should have an OB engine that instead of overed boosting makes you invisible. You could sneak up to someone and blade their ass off. Of course, firing a significant number of shots from any given weapon would deactivate it, eg 10 bullets from a machine gun, 3 from an assault rifle, 1 from a blade, missile, rocket or grenade launcher etc.

[Midnightsky]

ECM is in the PS3/Xbox games as well. It kinda sucked, 'cause usually you could see them anyway. ECM serves no purpose. Instead they should have an OB engine that instead of overed boosting makes you invisible. You could sneak up to someone and blade their ass off. Of course, firing a significant number of shots from any given weapon would deactivate it, eg 10 bullets from a machine gun, 3 from an assault rifle, 1 from a blade, missile, rocket or grenade launcher etc.

I'll pass. Unless its performance in everything else was bad, fair drain, and a system/fcs that locks onto the energy (EM) or w.e

[Timerlane]

I never really had a problem with the AC2/3 ECM pods, which were absolute FCS-jam for targets within range of the pod(good for tanks, and, possibly, good for people using cover with the AC2 stealth back part(which had always-on radar contact masking)). They could have just improved on those.

The biggest problem, IMO, with the NX-era ECM pods was the infinite range; they should either have a moderate range in which it jams hostile radars and FCSes that are in range of the pod(NX-era style, but limited range), OR masks contacts that are within range of the pod(AC2/3 style, also including your radar contact, but a wider radius than AC2/3).

Another balance idea would be to make ECM 'hostile' for everyone. If you want to take advantage of 'I go invisdable and sh00t at j00', you should need to carry ECCM high enough to cancel out your own pods(meaning extra drain and unejectable weight and drain from back radars), or else ECM is just for tactical retreats/repositioning, as it messes with everyone's electronics.

[Deathlok]

ECM is in the PS3/Xbox games as well. It kinda sucked, 'cause usually you could see them anyway. ECM serves no purpose. Instead they should have an OB engine that instead of overed boosting makes you invisible. You could sneak up to someone and blade their ass off. Of course, firing a significant number of shots from any given weapon would deactivate it, eg 10 bullets from a machine gun, 3 from an assault rifle, 1 from a blade, missile, rocket or grenade launcher etc.

Wanted cloaking since AC3. If they did put it in it would...
A) Be a sorry ass broken part
B) Be a sorry ass part by itself ... or
C) Would be banned from VS play

Plus we already have this part minus the cloaking.
It's called CROW

[The Dark One]

Another balance idea would be to make ECM 'hostile' for everyone. If you want to take advantage of 'I go invisdable and sh00t at j00', you should need to carry ECCM high enough to cancel out your own pods(meaning extra drain and unejectable weight and drain from back radars), or else ECM is just for tactical retreats/repositioning, as it messes with everyone's electronics.

That was something I always wished was in NX-LR.I mean,your sending out interference waves,so it should effect everyone,friend or foe.

I never really had a problem with the AC2/3 ECM pods, which were absolute FCS-jam for targets within range of the pod(good for tanks, and, possibly, good for people using cover with the AC2 stealth back part(which had always-on radar contact masking)). They could have just improved on those.

I actually liked the ECM pods of AC3 for tanks,but I never used tanks that much,so...meh.I never noticed the AC2 era version having much effect on anything.As for the stealth back part on AC2,I never liked it.IIRC,it wasn't perma-effect and had a limited number of uses (like 10 or so,I think).Granted,I may be remembering wrong,as I haven't so much as looked at it in a very long time.It usually just sat in my garage.I would much rather have the MoA version,that just had radar blocking,but had no effect at all on lock ons.That is,if they bring such a part back.

[Timerlane]

It(the part) was kind of crappy, but look for video of a quad called Shadowlord(piloted by Joust) at the MoC2 tourney(they might still have those videos somewhere at AC.org).

With the stealth back part, you're always invisible to radar, but not FCS; when you activate it, it gives FCS jamming until you blade or the charge runs out(preventing you from switching weapons away from the Stealth, IIRC). He combined the NIGHT, MOONLIGHT, Stealth back part and ECM pods, on heavy quad legs(and I think, ARTERE boosters).

He could score massive damage with the MOON poke(in AC2, a fully decked out MOON poke(303/S, BLS option) could actually kill most ACs with two solid air hits, IME), and finish it with the NIGHT, or grab the AP lead with the NIGHT or a poke, then use the combination of Stealth function and ECM pods to wait out the standard 5 minute match timer.

He used ECM pods(to prevent his 'detection' by FCS) whenever he was behind cover and staying in one general area, and used the Stealth's FCS-jam function when he needed to break contact or move in for a blade poke. In Etal Base, for example, he'd often use the outer wall to hide behind(still within the arena boundaries).

Admittedly, it was a very special case, taking good advantage of one light, fairly unbalanced weapon(the NIGHT), but still notable and, if nothing else, memorable, for someone building the turkey that was the AC2 stealth part, into a workable design. EDIT: Oh, and of course, near-soundless, moderately quick, energy-free movement from the old sliding-type quads. It probably wouldn't work as well if you were constantly giving away your position via audio cues from boosting or stomping around on normal legs, and hovers can't jump, nor poke.

[Griffon]

Damn, that's..... freakin' genius.

[The Dark One]

makes me kind of glad AC2 was online,in a way.There'd be a ton of god-like Japanese players doing that.It would make for some truly intense blader matches,though...