Zealous

Wow, hey RED. ACG and Ancient ACO immediately come to mind, coupled with a healthy dose of MOC talk. Tearsin and I no longer podcast, but I share a pretty similar sentiment with ya on IV and V. IMHO, I doubt we'll get anything mech-related out of FROM for a long time, but who knows? Oh and btw, any idea where Sandman went? Take it easy.

*Fist Pump* I've been praying for one since the Last Raven era ended. Rix, don't forget to while you're at it. Drop me a line if you ever need someone to discuss audio assets with. Godspeed, peace out.

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone that entered, organized and took part in this event. Very fun batch of designs presented here, best wishes.

The hype is so real! Can't wait, thanks for the startup.

The audio version of our final episode is available. Thanks people.

^ I thought you had a bipedal meatshield too...on MHX-VOLAR with ext. sides? Maybe they were Crest legs, I don't recall. In any case, the audio version for the part 3 of the LAN discussion has been posted. I also wanted to note that it turns out the next episode (in 2 weeks) will be our final podcast for TRV. As we've said in previous shows before this one (anniversary episode and more), we've been looking to expand topics while maintaining the TRV name. About 45 min. ago though, Tearsin called to let me know that he's done with TRV. Subsequently, that also means that I'm done as well; this is a joint project, and we've decided to move on. With that in mind, our the next episode will focus on closing things out. We will also be updating the episode archive on our site to reflect the same content the youtube page has. Thanks to those that listened and peace.

Really interesting seeing NB and LR comparisons. I'm personally aligned closer to Bishop's camp in terms of preferring LR over NB, but NB did have a "fun" factor that was oddly reminiscent of AC2 for me. Even madness like running underweighted FA was pretty funny, as opposed to the volatile reactions people had to TP/PEG backpedaling, etc. Part of me wonders is this all because LR had such a brief tournament life here in the states? It just feels like NB got more exposure, and players had more time to get into it's groove. On top of that, I've never met anyone that got hardcore into the PSP LR re-release either...that seemed to grant the title some extra life, especially in the JP scene.

The audio-only update for part two of the Tournament discussion is now available on theravensvoice.com Thanks.

^ Thanks for the breathing room, Penguin. So the plan was for Tearsin to come by with updates so we could both get in on this thread (as he wanted to do so but no dice yet), but I could also have done a quick reply just to say its posted - I'm not going to sit here and argue or make a sappy excuse for anything though. I'll just say thanks once again and duly apologize for any inconvenience caused. This discussion has meant a ton to me personally, and hopefully for other AC fans too. lol Drac. You can always put down your popcorn and come play too. Dota though? No thanks. On another note, there's a clear demand for show updates posted here, and I'll be glad to make that happen from here on out.

I assumed someone would adopt the line of thinking that I'm hopping in to siphon resources. Correction though - ACU is not the only place that can make provisions for this kind of old school topic (a little odd to hear this from you really), but the fan base here is why I consider it the first-rate pick...the dibs should be here IMO. For one thing, you heavily discount Raven's Haven. This isn't a hunt for extra fluff, but rather the heart of the topic - I personally see little point in even doing a podcast about this without information from people who were on the scene. This topic is bigger than us or a singular forum, and should be treated as such. You and 'Raxis make very fair points about listenership though, much appreciated.

Bishop, will do ASAP! Thanks for making contact. ^ Straight up, I was thinking he only got an 8-Track recording at this point. He will be hounded to the end of his days about this. This chapter has been missing from the U.S. tourney base for far too many years, good Lord. Ha, hey TM. Those of you that have followed us are usually pretty swift to catch things at the ACL hub point, so we normally consolidate there. Do I hear demand for more ACU rep. though?

Hey people. Tearsin and I want to dedicate a podcast to the Masters of California & West Coast scene for old school AC tourney play - we were wondering if there were any previous competitors, organizers, hosts, bartenders or bouncers around that would like to sit down for a second and share some experiences? If you're free at all this week, just a drop a line via this thread or by PM. Thanks and peace out!

http://www.gamespot....a/1100-6419249/ *Edit* Somehow missed the current thread (my fault), please feel free to lock/delete*

^ Just harassed him this past weekend about it. The king of the hill/vault keeper game needs to end! I caught wind of Harlequin's vids going down too...I should have some backups around, but the Midwest Tourney Video legacy has been a real debacle for years now. The MOC folks have bested us in this area for a long time.

^ Smooth, Stones. We're just loveless, aren't we? Well hey, check our recent discussion out; I think it's pretty relevant for the veterans out there: http://theravensvoice.com/ (Episode = the most recent, Tricks of the Trade) http://forum.armored...php?f=27&t=1146

Fantastic, thanks for keeping the input coming. Tearsin is in the process of moving and (unfortunately) is currently unable to wade into this thread himself. As a result, I'll be taking point on numerous topics here. Between work that had to be finished and company, the tail end of this last weekend going into this week has also been a mess for me. My apologies for the late replies, we've missed the mark here. As a quick update on part two of the August 9th podcast, I want to be frank with all of you; Cleric, myself and Tearsin are on the same page with axing part two and leaving the discussion with the Q&A transcript that will follow this post. Too much time was focused in the wrong area for discussion and this piece was not reflective of a work that would be beneficial to the community as a whole. Since EJ wasn't able to come speak with us directly last week, we mailed him six questions regarding the community at large, as well his experiences with ACO and Mechaverse as talking points. These notes will be reflected in our channel as well. I hope you have a listen before going by hearsay? Brief opinions were stated, but you were plugged if anything. The two recent uploads should be fixed, btw. Upload speed is a slip on my end, btw. The current recording process does not export sound into an immediate .mp3, and my conversion tool isn't instantaneous (due to real time rendering). No need, but thanks! The sound undercurrent leaves a lot to be desired, but it wasn't tied to amplifying in this case; the background noise actually originated from Tearsin's end. In any case, I do have a replacement in hand for the level issue. Thanks for the feedback. Thanks for weighing in, Pengin. A major reason for having Cleric and Cheng on hand for that episode (especially Cleric) was that they had a better bearing on next-gen AC communities than Tearsin and I did. This is prefaced up front by noting our different states of involvement with 4 & 4A, as well as our presence with ACV. Some of the "cookie cutter" notes didn't resonate with me well either, but I would rather hear opinions fully expressed and let the community dialogue take over from there; your post is a perfect reflection of the responses we search for. Thanks for posting. We'd appreciate it if you got specific about sections you take issue with, like in Pengin's post that was engaged just above. Just to note though, answering user feedback and mail is also advertised with the main topic. I can see your discontentment in our dealing with generalities, but the point is to extend the dialogue into the community as much as possible. Not feeling that vibe, the feedback rocks. A lot has transpired within the last six years for the community, so its natural to expect the terrain to be a little rockier. [ I can see you're also discontent with the coverage of generalities. However, arrogant flippancy isn't the intention here. That notion also tangles ACL's mission and our mission. ACL embodies a vision of strengthening and rebuilding the community through both the legacy and present Armored Core experience. The podcast is not a platform for didactic exposition, but rather a forum for perspective and opinion, driving the discussion and dialogue back to the community. it would be completely naive to expect an open-armed greeting after five years of absence, and the idea of using an audio format as an absolving wand is off base. You don't owe us anything, nor have we asked you to give anything to us outside of honest critique and your opinion. We do, however owe all of you the best podcast we can bring. Re-earning trust isn't something we shirk from. If this initiative sparks others into making their own platforms too, then all the better. Best. Community Q&A Transcript Question 1 (Tearsin): How do you think you've contributed to the AC community over the years? If you had not created ACO, where do you think the community would be? I think that when you look back at Armored Core Online and ask the pilots who have been members for several years what it really means to be a member of the site, some may say that it has been a place where they felt that they were part of a large group of fans who shared their passion and love for the Armored Core series and over the years, I think Armored Core Online grew to be synonymous with Armored Core community, more specifically online forums, and people got attached to ACO, as they invested their time, posted their comments, met friends and shared their designs, fan fics, fan arts etc. To answer the second part of your question, if I had not created ACO, where do I think the community would be? You know I was not the first person to create a fansite for Armored Core. When I created ACO, JinX had an established site at http://ac-x.net/ and Blight'shttp://ACGarage.com had a nice wealth of information and were already online, I simply had a different vision for what an Armored Core website should be, I simply wanted a more immersive experience, and there were several other smaller ones I cannot recall but I can only speculate that other pilots with similar resources, web development skills and most importantly, with passion for the Armored Core series would had continued, as some of them have, to care for the fans and kept their sites online. Although as a site creator, my role is expendable, the community would be flourishing somewhere else, Pilots like me, we are only valuable because of our unfaltering and enduring love for the community and loyalty to the series. Question 2 (Zealous): From your perspective, how has the transition from ACO to the broader umbrella of Mechaverse been successful? It's a work in progress, there are a lot of Armored Core pilots who also enjoy Gundam, Macross and many other mech games, mangas etc, the idea was to start with the Armored Core user base and systematically grow from one mech franchise to the next and over a period of 1-3 years have a much larger community where we could provide an environment where all Mech fans can call home. The amount of time and effort to achieve this is tremendous so it has to be compartmentalized in a way that it's manageable without sacrificing any of the core membership and what people have come to expect from the Armored Core Online many iterations. I think we are doing really good, our Macross fan page specifically is doing really well with over 23,000 fans so far, we will roll a site dedicated to those pilots after I feel the Armored Core part of the site is complete. Question 3 (Tearsin): Its obvious that you're a controversial figure in the AC community at this point, punctuated by your name change to "Hustler One." How do you feel this reputation affects your interaction with the community? That's a hard question to answer because it's about perspective, have I been controversial in that I have done whatever it takes to keep the community and site together, then yes, you can call me controversial. EJ Raven was a name that I no longer felt attached to, primarily because Armored Core games no longer call the pilots "Ravens" and Hustler One, pilot of NineBall is a more transcendent name that relates to the history of the Armored Core franchise in a way more people may be able to relate. Reputation is fragile component of your online identity. It's important to me, but sometimes I have to take it with a grain of salt and rely on my thick skin and ignore the noise and focused on the bigger picture. I'm not going to lie, I have made some really stupid decisions in my time as caretaker of the Armored Core Online community, but I can tell you with a straight face that everything I have ever done has been for "the better of the community" or at least that's what I think in my mind, again it's all about perspective. And of course sometimes I was wrong and sometimes and when that happens there will always be members who are going to resent, but I understand I cannot always please everyone so interaction with the community when you are EJRaven aka Hustler One is always a balancing act. My mantra has always been that matter what happens you have to continue to learn from your mistakes and continue to do what you believe in your mind to be the smart thing to do, fearing not what it will do to your reputation. Question 4 (Zealous): You recently made a sweeping statement regarding the AC community dialogue, especially in light of your history as a forum leader. During a discussion on AC Universe that covered how and where users can respond to this podcast, you said, quote, "...I think its cleared how the majority of Pilots feel about this. You are 4 years too late. Facebook and YouTube dominate the conversation and drive user engagement. Forums are a dying novelty, luring users away from YouTube or Facebook is futile." Why do you feel social media must replace forum discussion for the AC community? How were ACO and Mechaverse optimized four years ago (or more) to handle this shift? I don't feel that social media must replace forum discussion, but forum discussion cannot be the only medium a brand can dependably rely on to reach the maximum amount of their fan base. What I was really alluding to was the fact that historic conversion rates from social media outlets into actual site membership have declined to the point that most companies have abandoned their own online forums and created a Facebook page, YouTube channel or Twitter account to engaged their users. The reasoning behind this conversation medium shift is that brands have to engaged their users where the majority of their users reside and make their content available on those social media sites, allowing those users to communicate or comment freely. Well, like everyone else who runs online communities, I got caught up off guard 4 years ago when Facebook's popularity soared. The pragmatic shift in content delivery was needed, so I created the Armored Core Online fan page, launched an aggressive advertising campaign on Facebook which over the last two years, before the official page became active, was the largest Armored Core fan pages on Facebook, but the most fundamental question here is how do you lure Facebook users who like your page to become active members of the Armored Core community, to answer this question you have to understand who those users are. The majority of the users that like your page will never join an actual dedicated Armored Core community, that's just a fact, and there several factors that I don't think we have the time to discuss, it boils down to the level of Armored Core love these pilots have. Statistically speaking about a 15% of those pilots who engage you on Facebook and other social media sites will ultimately join and become lurkers on your site, visiting once a week at most and not really engaging other members, at least not publicly on the forums. Hardcore pilots, or those who have been with the series for more than one game will for the most part join the larger community and become voices within the community. To answer the last part of your question, Armored Core Online was designed in such a way that it provides features and an immersive environment, with gamification and RPG elements, where you are truly treated as if you were an actual Armored Core pilot, from the initial registration (Enlistment: BECOME A PILOT) page, welcome MAIL, first mission and unique profile features, Armored Core Online truly caters to Armored Core pilots, something you will not find on any other online forum, website or even less on Facebook. For those that enjoy reading about community and gamification I recommend this resources: http://www.lithium.c...ces/whitepapers Question 5 (Tearsin): If you could, how would you evolve AC community events and interactions? For AC interactions, I will refer back to the last section of my previous answer in which I describe Armored Core Online as an immersive, and interactive place, the closest thing you will get online to being an Armored Core pilot. As far as events, I think the community is very niche and sadly inactive between released games that the focus has to be on creating events on the prime of each Armored Core release. Question 6 (Zealous): Some major changes have occurred within your staff team over the last few weeks. Going forward, what is your management vision for Mechaverse and what do you expect from prospective staff members in the future? I'm 32 now, divorced and with kids, I simply refused to deal with drama and bull shit. As I state on the site rules, there is no need to babysit people on the forums, as long as you treat them as adults and communicate with them in a respectful manner, rules should be kept at at minimum while reminding pilots that the site is a privilege, not their birth right and that if they choose to use it they must learn to act as adults and respect people's opinions or get the fuck out. Over the years I have had many admins who just sat on their ass on the position but never did anything of value for the community, I cannot say that about Edward FromCheng, I admit it was a mistake to fire Edward Cheng from ACO, he is and for what I have seen will always be someone who loves and cherish the Armored Core franchise as much as I do, but it was a matter of principle, a lesson of leadership and accountability, although it was only supposed to be a temporary reprimand, when I asked him to return, he chose not to return and that's that. The doors are always open for his return as Community Manager. As far as the future goes, I have an age limit for staff members and that's 18. Even that I feel it's too young for staff members to truly see situations with a pragmatic, cognitive and unbias view. Too many times I have seen younger staff members have the tendency to more easily fall to peer pressure and exercise powertrips, forgetting that they are simply volunteering to help take care of spammers and other people who truly don't belong on online forums, because the fact is that there are some major assholes who don't give a shit about anyone online and are unable to see that what brings us all together is not where we are from, who we are, or what we believe in, our greatest bond is our shared loved for the thought of piloting a giant destructive Mech like an Armored Core.

Again, thank you guys so much for the feedback, topic pinning, nachos, and everything in between! We're going to continue to mold this content into what the community deserves, so thanks for pushing us to give this our best. While I'm at it, let me take a second and give you all a heads up for this week's episode: In addition to answering your emails and posts, this week’s show will be focused on our community. We recognize that this a topic we tend to tread upon in a general sense, but the events that have transpired within the last week certainly deserve a spotlight. We'll be discussing the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of communities past and present, along with hopes for our future. The podcast will be posted 8/9 at: http://www.youtube.c.../RavensVoiceACL Thanks and peace out! P.S. Hey TM, I'd like to hear more about your direct experiences with UA hangars in LR sometime. Oddly enough, this core never seemed to achieve mass popularity from the competitive base of players in the Midwest days...I'm not sure why I didn't see it on Kai more during 06' // 07' kai season either, because I'm very aware of how capable the core is. Oh, love the avatar btw.

Hey everyone, just dropping by to give you this week's rundown for the podcast! Scuse' the double post We will be talking about Weapon & Part Bannings; when they are needed, and when they don't make sense. We will look back at the history of some of ACs most notorious parts and weapons, and how the AC Community has reacted to them. Drop us a line at ravensvoiceacl@gmail.com, or post up in our dedicated section at http://www.armoredcorelegacy.com. We will also be responding to emails and posts, and giving out details of how you can win a free copy of Armored Core Verdict Day! Show will be up on 8/2 at: https://www.youtube.com/RavensVoiceACL Thanks and peace out!

Hey, Griffon! I'm going to note Tearsin about this...would you mind if we plugged this in one of our podcasts to help spread the word? A week or more is also enough time for me to switch mics, in order to announce this loud and clear (not digging my current levels, haha). Peace!

Much appreciated, Nomrah. This a project we're going to actively strive to improve with every entry, so thanks for tuning in. Wow, hey Rachis! My biggest regret was not getting to play AC with you until my despised era of AC4 (which I invested very little in); its really a shame you never caught me on kai or during the PS2 days. To answer your (and Talentless's) question, we'd like subscribers/viewers to keep the dialogue going by mailing us or visiting over at our ACL dedicated sub-forum (links to each respective spot are consistently listed in the description of our weekly releases). We frequently check those spots as well as the various AC forums for input, opinion, criticism, etc. We want to make this the best show we can. Yung, podcast length is something we're always trying to keep a close track of. I gotta agree with you, three hours would be a pretty lofty, if not brutal expectation for the AC listener base. We typically shoot for an hour, but we split the show into parts if we have an extra long segment (like July 19th's show) Thanks for dropping us a line. Peace!

Thanks for the replies, everyone. Mr. Stones, TMRaven - big shouts to you, long time no see. Talentless & Ninety, great meeting you guys. Sorry its been a minute since I've been able to pull by again, but I want to get to some of the issues you've all posted here. If it makes you feel any better, I see a "banned" notice come up when I head to the forum section of the site...it doesn't vanish until I actually login, haha. As you alluded to, URL issues. I can tell you for a fact that no one registering for that forum is blacklisted, so there aren't any personal attacks here; you can earn that "ranking" by stirring up trouble though. This Just to clarify, Tearsin and I are developing content for ACL, but the primary implementation for the forums was done by Cleric and Maxi early on. Due to host and permissions issues, Tearsin and I did not get access to uploading privileges until recently. Ninety, the banner issue was recognized immediately and its a shame it went live with those dimensions. Its long since been resized and there should not be any further "RAWARNRANFGH IN YOUR FACE!!1one!" banner issues. I think this line of thought misses the objective here; vatcast and Ravens'Voice don't even focus on the same topics. Tearsin and I began Ravens'Voice to provide a dedicated, straight-up commentary and discussion of Armored Core and its community from a veteran perspective...a platform that neither of us saw in place beforehand. Despite Ravens' Voice and Vatcast sharing common roots as podcasts, we're still unique in our approaches here. If you listen to each show, our differences are evident. You guys are the only AC forum community-localized podcast I've heard of though. Out of curiosity, have you actually had a chance to listen to Ravens' Voice yet? This week we're covering topics based off of questions we get mailed to us about ACV, or even last week's topic. Drop us a line if you have a discussion point to bring up. With Verdict Day around the corner, this is as good a time as any to strike up some discussion! This week's show will be up on the 26th at: https://www.youtube.com/RavensVoiceACL Thanks, TM! man, if I went back to LR though I probably wouldn't stop! I loved that title. I ALMOST came by and attended the recent mechaverse event...man, so much nostalgia. I so see what you did there. Mad pro. Peace! --+ Z e a l o u s +--

Greetings, AC fans! I'm posting to inform you all about The Ravens' Voice, an upcoming weekly podcast solely dedicated to the Armored Core community! As Armored Core series and community veterans, Tearsin and I will be co-hosting the show, engaging topics from across the AC spectrum every week. We will bring you forthright, fresh perspective and insight, delivered by AC fans, for AC fans! To follow the dialogue, come check out our YouTube channel at: http://www.youtube.c.../RavensVoiceACL Also, feel free to email the show at: ravensvoiceacl@gmail.com Despite being an independent venture, The Ravens' Voice is also associated with an upcoming Armored Core community website, Armored Core Legacy. While still a work in progress, the forums are primed and loaded for pilots to drop by and discuss anything AC related. Just follow the link below: http://www.armoredcorelegacy.com/forum/ Our first Ravens' Voice show will be posted this Sunday! Drop by and listen on our YouTube channel, and feel free to download a copy of the show from the dedicated forum section on the Armored Core Legacy website. We'll be looking forward to some feedback from you! Peace. --+ Z e a l o u s +--