Plus Escapee

I've read you're posts in the first two pages, and you're not adding anything. I understand that a tank, basically a gun sticking out of an armored box, could hit any part of a mech and that mech would have all sorts of problems. A modern F-22 would just swoop by and pop the overly expensive, slow and complicated AC. Too many moving parts, not aerodynamic, ect. Anyone who doesn't get that has got to be a fool. I understood that from the onset. Yes, I stepped into this thread knowing that mecha would never be practical as a weapon of war, and what a warm welcome I get for entertaining a hypothetical question. Pardon me, Lord Ferg, for tresspassing on your most holy ground. I even agree that modern weapons are superior and that the giant mech is extremely impractical, but these one-word responses and repetitive insults make participation impossible around here. If I have to plod through posts like yours to find good content in this thread, then you can shove this thread up your ass.

That's fucking rad. I have to get a PS4 soon.

Awesome response. I'll do it for you. http://static.fjcdn.com/pictures/Peekaboo_3ef209_640992.jpg

My comment wasn't aimed at anyone specifically. As the saying goes, "only the offenders should be offended." So if it doesn't apply to you, don't take it personally. A smoopy is a small poopy. You may now palm your face.

Well, the big problem with this thread is that the first two pages are extremely discouraging, and don't lend well to entertainment, so given the tone set on the first two pages, I assumed you guys were just a bunch of smoopy naysayers without imagination. Sorry for the quick assumption, if what you say is true I might dig through this thread to see what was said, especially if you guys eventually came around to talking about potential future nuclear technology and VASIMR thrusters.

I don't think that the questions asked in the OP are destined to do anything but gather stark opposition. I think a better question to ask would be CAN it be done and not SHOULD it be done. So, I will posit that question; CAN it be done? In the game environment, even in AC4/AC4a, the game does not showcase the awesome power that our modern military has, but it does make one ask questions about what technology is capable of doing, and what would an AC using real-world technology end up being like? The answer; a real world AC would be much faster, would have weaponry with much greater range, would rely on agility and countermeasures to avoid taking damage rather than armor, and would not be practical by any means unless it featured an edge over current technology. In other words, today is not a good day to make an AC, but it's a good day for prototypes and wishful thinking. So, the most interesting feature of the Armored Core for me is it's power system. It's the one component of the machine that modern technology has trouble explaining. How do these robots produce the energy, thrust, and continuous activation of their propulsion systems? What is used as fuel? How many continuous hours can an AC unit operate before it needs a refuel? This system must be able to both emit thrust and power the electronics of the AC, which limits the candidates for power supply/generation. I can make some guesses as to what an AC does NOT use as a power source, but I'm not a trained scientist in any field so I can only guess. We need to narrow down what sort of power plant produces electricity and thrust for the AC platform. Nuclear power doesn't seem viable from what I know. Even though a sub-marine uses a nuclear core roughly the size of a golf ball, the power plant in total is massive, and a power source like that would not offer itself well to a propulsion/booster system like the one seen on an AC since the nuclear plant is based on steam. Although any organization who deploys an AC would likely not give two shits if their hired assassin failed to complete their mission, thereby leaving a smoking nuclear disaster at the doorstep of their enemy, having a nuclear dog-fighting platform is a huge liability when the enemy brings the fight to you. So, although there might be an alternative type of nuclear engine that is more compact and doesn't create as much fallout if destroyed, the nuclear power as we understand it now that uses plutonium and uranium 235 is not viable for AC technology. Alternate forms of nuclear engine might be viable in the near future, but as of now our nuclear technology is in a very early stage of development, similar to when fire arms consisted of jamming black powder into a crude tube of steel hundreds of years ago. Nuclear power as of now is too unrefined. Gasoline turbines might be able to do the job as far as thrust and basic electrical supply, but there are a couple issues. First, gasoline turbines devour fuel very quickly. Second, the AC requires a massive amount of power, even the early generation games featured defense ratings against both conventional projectiles (shell) and super-heated particles (energy) that suggest a sort of force-field factor, and laser weaponry that would demand massive amounts of voltage to operate. While gas turbines are proven to provide enough energy for perhaps a small array of laser weapons or a prototype force-field generator as already seen in some modern experimental aircraft, can the gas turbine offer the power needed for a beast like an AC? While the modern F-22 has cruise speeds that are beyond sound, the AC is not an aerodynamic design yet still seems to compare in cruise speed as of it's 4th generation game incarnation. I have doubts that the gas turbine meets the demands for a real AC. Perhaps a specialized fuel, or special undeveloped "unobtanium" metals could produce a turbine that could meet or exceed the demands of an AC, but just as today's nuclear plants fall short, the viability of the gas turbine, although more viable than current nuclear, may require more advancement in technology. Oh but there's one other thing that, like gas turbines, looks like it comes close to a solution if not meeting it entirely. Perhaps a miniature version of the VASIMR technology would offer both power supply and sustained thrust for an AC unit, but like the previous two candidates for a power source, VASIMR engines are a new thing. Dr. Franklin Chang Diaz and his company are working with NASA on the VASIMR engine, and the engines built so far are named in ways that remind me of the conventions used for parts in Armored Core. Doesn't VX-200SS sounds like a badass booster from Armored Core? Well, it's real. Look it up.

Oh, I made a booboo, then. I found the garage forum, so I'll make a thread there with a slightly different format. These two AC's will be there. I'd like to post the parts list followed by a demonstration video for the garage thread. So I guess I'll go back and change the title of this thread and return to talking about the basic pixie3/vixen AC I began with.

What I wrote already tells the whole story though. Pretty simple, cheesy concept for who I am as a pilot, and where my pilot comes from. The trailing off of my voice there at the end basically means that the old fart known as Plus Escapee could ramble on for hours about his near-death (and death) experiences to the point where it would only end up becoming boring. I have an AC in my fifth garage that I've been having fun with. Playing AI isn't so fun unless your AC is somewhat weak. This design struggles against the "Destroy the Convoy" mission, but does very well in the "Eliminate the Enemy AC" mission. It fires a pursuit laser and is a nimble energy rifle build. I enjoy how the low-energy drain body parts match up visually, which to me is important (spoiler; I'm a dork). CR-YH7052 ~ ecm CR-YC99UL ~ weight CR-A92XS ~50% weight, 50% aim CR-LH79L ~ max leg weight CR-B81 ~ boost power/B05-GULL ~ booster heat CR-F73H KONGOH ~ condenser capacity/LOTUS ~ energy output R01-HAZEL ~ cooling/ANANDA ~ energy drain - FUNI - WB270-HARPY2 WR21PU-ROC3 WL14LB-ELF2 YWH14PU-ROC4 - Options: O01-AMINO, CR-O69ES, CR-O79L+, O03-CODON, O07-PRIMER, O04-GOLGI, O05-HISTON Strengths - Energy gauge recovery speed allows for rapid energy weapon use in addition to highly efficient boosting. A mobile platform with lots of ammunition. Weaknesses - Prone to stun, ECM, and has low defense and AP. Concept - An AC built to be nimble enough to evade incoming fire while applying pressure with a combination of energy attacks from the Roc3 and Harpy from medium range. The Funi extension part allows missiles to assist the Harpy2 for each volley fired so that both can be purged for a massive agility and energy supply gain during extended fights. The Roc4 pulse rifle supplies the AC with more than adequate firepower to finish extended fights. Alternate (generator, radiator, and boost) loadout reduces turn speed in favor of raw mobility with almost no compromise to energy supply despite reduced energy output, and requires only small changes in deployment tactics.

http://yourfaceisstupid.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/bros-1.jpg OK I've been messing with another lightweight. As usual, I avoid medium weight legs even though the design might end up more powerful on dingo2 (dingo2, so op). I've never had a pursuit laserpod design that I liked until this build, so it's been fun messing with it. My favorite test bed is the "Eliminate the Enemy AC" scenario, so I'll have a breakdown of this experiment soon.

I feel your pain. :3 I couldn't find a way to do a spoiler, else the nerd shit could have been packaged up in a pretty little tab.

Nothing's stopping you guys. My videos are boring PVE on an emulator that doesn't run well on my (four year) old 4 core AMD, but the Vex series is done with no cheats. Episode 3 is probably the more interesting episode because it's notorious for being cruel to noobies. If I may role play a little bit like a nerd, I have a story for you. Remember, I escaped the plus program, then got my ass promptly kicked during the Controller war. I was cloned shortly after by the same special interest group that helped me escape, and the black box in my MT and later in the AC's I piloted allowed me to retain memories of my previous lives. Even then, I'm very lucky that over all these years my team has been able to recover the black box that allows me to remember how and why I've died in the past. There have been times when I could have easily been lost forever. I've been to Mars and back, and when my body grows old I discard it, have my DNA reconstituted, and then have my new body placed in suspended animation until I'm needed again. Although my memories are over a hundred years old now, I've never thought of myself as immortal. I've suffered too much pain and too many close calls to claim to be more than just very lucky. Pilot enhancement surgery really sucks, and I avoid it at all costs (those early days at Murakumo still haunt me). It wasn't until the Next AC program that pilot surgery was required, the G forces involved with the latest AC's are far too great for a normal human body to tolerate, but at least at this point the methods are refined enough so that it isn't a nightmare to recover from. Back in my day,

I'm in bacontown! You're on your own!

O, NO! The terrorists! Get the AK-16 AR-47 MP12345 Navy Socom Army Marines helmet grenades before they ISIS Islam our Israel those stinky sneaks! Why they has M-16 (oops)?

Presentation - 3/5 Moody music and cold, no-nonsense voice acting create a serious tone that isn't for everyone. I personally loved it. The graphics are the best among Armored Core titles for PS2, and while it looks great, the PS2 offers better graphics in titles that are older than this one, and there is a bit of frame loss during intense moments. All in all it is a well executed work of art, but not everyone is going to see it as special, and the FMV's are very misleading. Interface - 4/5 Customizable controls, simple menus that reveal extremely deep mechanics, fast paced shooter action, and a ridiculously customizable main character (your AC) combine to offer an experience that is rare outside of the Armored Core series. Last Raven's interactive experience, from it's difficult missions to it's huge arsenal of murderbot body parts conclude the lifespan of the PS2 with a service to the fans of Armored Core in nearly every way. I even agree with the exclusion of Human Plus, this title calls to the hard core, number-crunching AC pilots out there. Replay Value - 5/5 Multiple endings and the coolest customizable virtual robot action figure on PS2, which allows you to put fresh spins on old challenges, makes this a game I've regularly revisited for the last seven years, and as the PCSX2 emulator improves little bit at a time on a weekly basis, I don't expect to be putting it down permanently. Overall - 4/5 This is one of my favorite games of all time, but instead of giving it a perfect score, I can't overlook the game's flaws. It suffers from frame loss and has a mood that isn't for everyone, and most would see it as nothing special at worst. It recieved scathing reviews in most publications, because the mainstream world tends to lean toward games like Flappy Bird, "Same But Different Assault Rifle FPS" or "World War Two in a Shoebox" shooters. Armored Core: Last Raven is a hard-core gamer's game, and it takes a certain sense of taste to fully appreciate it. The challenge can be frustrating for those unable to do relatively simple math, and deep games like this one are easy for casual gamers to drown in.

Better way to describe pattern D; Boost in a path shaped like a capital D (forward, then half circle back) around an AI without turning in a fast AC. The AI will turn around, and you'll be behind the AI. Works best against AI with broken legs (ofc). In other words, break their legs and give them the D.

I see. I assume you mean that AC's controlled by humans have enough stability to resist stun from blades, and pilot in ways that avoid blades entirely, so in that case my advice is empty. Also, if the thread is about piloting Tank ACs, then the whole idea of using a blade sort of goes out the window. The blade/bomb combo sort of relies on the blade causing a stun (note: rapid blades like the elf or moonlight can do a blade/bomb/blade combo against units with low stability). Also, I'm not trying to insult anyone when I say you should blade/bomb with an inside weapon. Just saying you might like to try it for fun. I can see how what I said would come across in a shitty way, so sorry if I ruffled any feathers. So, now that I have pulled my head out of my ass (I was thinking of my pilot style and not the thread topic), I'm interested in doing some missile dodging experiments with an over-boost tank. On tank legs I have only ever avoided missiles in three ways; Well timed over boost. Rising into the air and dropping like a rock at the right time. Missile jammers. I suppose you can try anti-missile extensions as well, but I don't trust those things myself. The question for me is what sort of Tank AC configuration avoids missiles the best and is dangerous enough to take out multiple AI ACs? That will be the subject of future experiments.

I'm not really worried about anything as far as this AC goes. I've accepted it's weaknesses, with it's biggest issue being stability. Leightweight builds like this can't handle attacks that stun or cause heat stress, and while I could load up dingo2 legs for raw stats (just for example) I am happy with the attributes this AC has as it is. It's my baby.

I use type b also, and have used it since 1998 (or was it 97?), so I'm very familiar with the classic control scheme as many here are. Doing the blade/bomb is similar to doing a special move in a game like Street Fighter or Virtua Fighter (press circle, hold cross, release cross, triangle, triangle, square, combo may vary depending on your weapon load out) and the damage payout is very worth it. Spraying your target with urchin bombs or planting a floating mine in their face right after a blade/wave strike is very satisfying, and makes the low-damage laser blades as deadly as the Moon Light, and makes the Moon Light even more dangerous (ofc). The scatter bombs aren't as reliable, but they are also devastating if you can land them. I'm one of those guys that can do the "raging demon" from Street Fighter at will, so switching to my inside bombs during a blade attack is no big deal. More than fifteen years of classic Armored Core will do that to you... Also, practicing the blade/bomb is tricky because the game's fast pace doesn't give you a chance to try the combo very often in the first place, so don't feel bad if you can't. The inside parts can give you a nasty edge, but if you can't utilize a weapon like the urchin or the CR-17SFM then save the weight or load up ECM/decoys. So I guess the point I'm making here is this; The best anti-missile tactic is to blow up the target AC before it hits you with it's missiles.

Zinny can be out-turned once you damage her legs, so back-pedal/back-boost until her legs break and then circle-fuck her. Zin[locked] v You[locked] v + evade When her legs break do "pattern D" Zin boost v turn < You boost ^<^>v turn < or Zin boost v turn > You boost ^>^<v turn > It should turn out like Zin[locked] turn< boost< [zin's lockbox empty] turn> boost < You If she locks on to you, repeat "pattern D" The AI of ALL ACs can't handle "pattern D" if done correctly. Yeah I know. My diagram sucks.

Someone doesn't blade/bomb combo Try using a blade that does enough damage to stun, then follow up with the Urchin (or your choice of bomb/rocket) inside part for a very rapacious combo. Master that rapid weapon switch. I always run light bipedal ACs. If missiles hit me at all, it's my own damn fault for failing to pilot myself out of the way. Dodging missiles is fairly easy even when using heavy bipedal. I still need to work on my dodging skills with hover legs, which seem to suck only at first (braking and changing direction seems to be the key). I once wrote off hovers as horrible, until I started "boost-stopping" to suddenly change direction. A tank must have over-boost to dodge missiles, and even then you're more than likely going to eat swarms of heat-seeking explosive metal cocks. Over boost works at long range, but the charge delay makes it useless at medium/close range for dodging missiles unless you are damn near psychic. Tanks are best at stun-raping lighter ACs with heavy weapons, but they also have obvious drawbacks. If you have B or better mobility ranking, you should be able to dodge whatever missiles come your way at will. The launch range and timing for perfect missile hits is hair-thin in AC:LR. Few missile systems offer a point-blank range trajectory in AC:LR, but those that do open up stun-blade combo possibilities. Learn to "pull" missiles one way, then change direction at the last second, and move TOWARD your opponent at the right time so that the missiles swoop behind you and miss. This works best if you're using an agile bipedal (even heavy bipeds can easily dodge if they have good boost speed). At certain ranges you can even get the missiles to (very rarely) hit the AC that launched them (this requires supreme boost speed, skill, and luck)! If you want a good missile system for close range combat, I recommend the Nymphe, CR-WB7SMT, CR-WBW94M2, and CR-WBW89M for close-range direct fire missiles. You can "shotgun" point-blank (point blank is not to be confused with melee/blade range*) with those missile systems and can stun most medium/light ACs. Don't overlook the GAR extensions, RM3 is awesome and all but the E02RM-GAR is light, has good ammo stores, and has a good trajectory. Also don't forget to use your verticle leap on RJ's and Bipeds to save energy and stay mobile. You will need the energy for when those missile swarms are comming your way (practice vs Rim Fire, Zinaida, and Principal). I could talk about just missile dodging methods all day I happened to like the challenge in Nine-Breaker very much. * The difference between point-blank and melee range is often a fraction of a second, so try to transition from point-blank to melee for combos whenever possible.

YH12-MAYFLY ~ ECM CR-C98E2 ~ WEIGHT CR-A88FG ~ COOLING YLH11-VIXEN ~ WEIGHT CAPACITY B05-GULL ~ BOOSTER HEAT MONJU G01-LOTUS ~ ENERGY OUTPUT ANANDA ~ ENERGY DRAIN CR-17SFM E02RM-GAR - WB01M-NYMPHE WR07M-PIXIE3 WL01LB-ELF - - Option Parts; O01-AMINO CR-O69ES CR-O7SLA CR-O79L+ O02-ORGANELLE O03-CODON O07-PRIMER KANGI Overall Concept; This AC is best suited to the situations presented in the missions within AC;LR. I wanted a single lightweight design stubbornly placed on the Vixen legs that could acquire as many S ranks from missions as possible and could defeat all arena and special arena opponents without any modifications. While the end result met my goal, the unit has issues with energy consumption, single-hit attack power, and specialized medium weight opponents. Despite these issues, the visual appearance and careful balance of this AC makes it my favorite AC by far. I like to call it the "prettiest stat whore." Piloting tips; When low on energy, use the impressive jump ability of the legs to stay mobile and reduce energy consumption. This AC unit is underweight by a large margin in order to increase turning ability and boost speed, yet still boasts an A grade ATK rating with extended ammo stores (ATK rating tested against "Eliminate the Enemy AC" and "Destroy Transport Convoy" missions.) Switch to the Inside Part weapon during laser blade attacks for a blade/bomb combo. Apply pressure in "dogfight" range with the orbit cannon and right arm weapon. Use the unit's mobility, extension missiles, and left back weapon for steady attack pressure at medium range (recommended during ECM interference). Get behind the enemy if possible. Do not tank hits. Do not forget to purge empty weapons. There may come a time when you want to purge your missile systems (extension and left back weapon) early in order to increase your dogfighting agility at close range. Why that part? Analysis The Lotus generator features low calorific value and marries well with the Gull booster while it's light weight and large emergency stores increase overall agility. The gull booster offers a very low charge drain to mitigate the low output of the Lotus generator. The CR-C98E2 Core and the right arm weapon offer substantial DPS at "dogfight" (medium to close) range combat. The left back weapon has the highest hit vs miss ratio during ground combat of all back mounted missiles due to it's "direct fire" trajectory and also happens to be very lightweight with a dangerous six lockon capability and low firing interval. The left arm weapon features the lowest energy usage of all laser blades and offers a respectable 3x wave attack, rapid repeat attack ability, and can be used in a blade/bomb combo when combined with the inside part for an aggressive energy/shell combo attack. Shell weapons are favored so that all generator energy can be reserved for boosters and blade usage. ECM defence is rated as "B" or "medium" with a total rating of 800, allowing for regular lock-ons during heavy interference (ECM tested against "Destroy Raging Torrent IV" mission).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpajdIln6w4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Lu0G1xCjEM

The FCS you suggest is interesting. I like the slight increase to ECM defense. Currently I have a total of 800 ECM defense with the Mayfly (tuned for ECM), Monju, and Kangi option. I made this adjustment immediately after I recorded these videos a few months ago (the videos sat on my hard drive because I wasn't sure if I wanted to share them) because I had discovered that tuning the Mayfly for cooling was done out of paranoia induced by the Gull booster and after some testing I found that the cooling wasn't needed. So, Vex is the very first AC I've made that is set in stone so far, which speaks volumes, because I bought this game for PS2 three days after it hit the shelves and it is easily my favorite PS2 title, and Vex had been shaped after years of play, with origins in Nexus and adventures through Nine Breaker. Speaking of Nexus, I've been experimenting with an all-Mirage part build of Stinger. Building it as a pure Mirage animal has proven interesting. I have a video of that, but I feel that my piloting skills and design need a bit more work. Here's the subject for analysis; https://www.youtube....h?v=xdH0NFMH98c As for your challenge, I would love to get schooled. Sadly, I've retired my PS2. I used to play many hours online of Monster Hunter on PS2 years ago, but today I can't imagine going online with it. On the other hand, I never say never, and I appreciate the advice and the friendly challenge.

Miroku doesn't offer the same dogfighting factor in the arena. I chose the Monju because this AC's greatest asset is it's turning speed. It is a shame that the PS2 is such unique and strange hardware that it is more difficult to emulate than the slightly more powerful PSP, which my machine emulates more than flawlessly. It is also unfortunate that I live in an Armored Core desert, I've only ever played first generation PvP. Being the only fan in my neighborhood I've never been defeated, and by the time ACLR came out everyone I knew had completely lost interest in the series. So, all of my builds are geared for the game environment rather than for fighting human opponents. It would be interesting to see how I might fare in a dogfight with a human opponent. I've seen enough videos to know that I am just average. Like my namesake, I'm sure a well trained raven could make short work of me. EDIT: I'd also like to add that while I have completed all of the missions in AC;LR with Vex, and this design gets more A's and S's than any other design I've used, the secret final mission really deserves a specialty energy defense/verticle missile design. The final pulverizer mission is the one mission I expect to fail at when using Vex.

I made a video series showcasing the power of the Vex platform. Since I made these videos, I renamed the AC "Phantom" with the old game "Project Phantasma" in mind. Here is the series. https://www.youtube....sbr3KZ-z7z2BKis I have a weak 4 core processor, and the PCSX2 emulator does not well support the AMD chipset. I cannot use the GPU's on my video card to increase frames for this games because PCSX2, while a great emulator, fails to properly support this specific title and isn't very supportive of the AMD processor in general. Also, the screencasting software slows the framerate while recording. The game is a blast when I'm not recording, but as you can see, I take a performance hit when recording my adventures. I hope that you guys appreciate the Vex/Phantom design platform.