Category: Armored Core

Anything and everything Armored Core

A Prologue to Armored Core’s Storied PVP History

Step into the midst of the red-hot plasma jet debris and prepare to be captivated by the tales of legendary battles fought between Ravens, NEXTs, and mercenaries from a bygone era. Let me transport you back two decades, to a time when Armored Core PVP demanded the same level of anticipation as a first date—one that would forever be etched in your memory.

Yearning for True Adversaries

Cast your mind back to the late 90s, to an era when mobile devices only offered basic talk and text features, 1GB of RAM was deemed impractical, and the Sony PlayStation reigned supreme. Armored Core had just made its debut on Sony’s gaming behemoth, and as you overcame the challenges posed by Nineball and Phantasma, a craving for more exhilarating battles took hold.

Or maybe it was in the early 2000s, when you were among the fortunate few who acquired a brand-new PlayStation 2, eager to delve into the console’s hottest launch title: Armored Core 2. You vanquished Leos Klein, dominated the arena, collected all the parts, and emerged as a formidable force against the AI.

Yet, with the urge to fight burning inside you, the absence of worthy adversaries left a void. In those days, you only had two options: relying on the fortuitous presence of a family member or friend who shared your passion for Armored Core, or venturing into the uncharted territory of online matchmaking, cautiously hoping that your opponent had genuine intentions and wasn’t simply after your kidneys.

Given that Armored Core was a console-exclusive game lacking online features, finding worthy opponents online then setting up offline meetups was the only realistic path to engage in multiplayer combat. Beyond the numerous Japanese fansites, Yahoo! searches led English-speaking players to forums and websites such as Core Dump, Core Depot, Raven’s Nest of Northern California (RNNC), GameFAQs, and a host of other smaller AC-dedicated sites.

These platforms served as digital gathering grounds, where players exchanged callsigns/gamertags, revealed their locations, and shared means of communication. In this virtual network, Armored Core enthusiasts everywhere roamed in search of fierce rivals and newfound camaraderie, albeit on a more local scale.

A Retrospective Series

In a forthcoming series of articles, we’ll embark on a journey through time as I unravel captivating anecdotes from the earliest AC tournaments to their modern-day iterations. Moreover, I will make the case that Armored Core, much like the fighting game community, has transcended its grassroots origins, and is poised to captivate audiences on the same scale as renowned fighting games.

Here’s a sneak peek of what lies ahead:

By studying the past, we gain insights to shape the future.

Embracing the Competitive Spirit

Armored Core has carved its niche within both grassroots and official tournaments, boasting a high level of competitive play. We’ll dive deep into the heart of this iconic franchise, tracing its legacy while envisaging an exciting future.

Stay tuned for a trip through history that will ignite your passion for Armored Core once again.

Armored Core VI Gameplay Trailers Galore, Oh My!

Following the Summer Game Fest, the past couple of days have blessed us with a bunch of new gameplay videos to ogle over and dissect. We got to see more of Assault Boost in action, which was previously detailed by game director Masaru Yamamura in an interview with PlayStation. We got to see how the garage interface will look, as well as potential number ranges for part stats. We got to see how the HUD looks.

But we also got to see a couple of one-on-one engagements. The first is with an oversized quad wielding an oversized blade, and the second looks like a boss battle against a cartoonish blast furnace robot from hell.

And dare I say it? Okay, I’ll say it. Particularly in the context of PVE, the more methodical and deliberate pace of combat as well as the telegraphing of incoming attacks, reminds me a lot of Da… kidding, I’m kidding.

Pull up the videos!!!

We’re all up in discussion over it at the Discord if you want to join.

It’s a good time to be a Raven.

[via Gematsu]

Armored Core 6 Releases on August 25, 2023

Oh glorious heavens.

Armored Core 6’s Protagonist is a Raven?

News came up about Armored Core 6’s age rating in Korea, a symptom of a slow news day when the only newsworthy topic is its age classification. However, something interesting pops up when you directly translate the text into English as discovered over on the Armored Core subreddit.

Translating the game’s description yields the following text (ran through Deepl translatior):

Independent mercenary 621 Raven tackles the secrets of the Rubicon in this action-packed game.

The translation leaves a lot to be desired; it is unknown if “Raven” refers to the pilot/character’s name, or if it’s still the term used for the mercenaries who pilot the titular Armored Cores.

At least, it’s good to know that our website’s name will still be relevant for the next Armored Core generation.

PSX Armored Core PVP – Now with Rollback!

Over at Twitter and on our Discord server, val brought this to our attention: HeatXD‘s fork of DuckStation with GGPO, which in turn enables netplay with rollback.

For those unaware, GGPO is middleware/code that is designed to mitigate differences in ping and latency by simulating the next frames of action in games based on previous inputs from the player. If an input arrives that is different from what is being simulated, the game “rolls back” to the frame of the last correct state, and then executes the player’s inputs as intended. What this amounts to is a sometimes jerky, but near-lagless online experience, which is preferred over a delayed on-screen reaction. GGPO was created by Tony Cannon (of the Cannon Bros/SRK/Evo Championship Series fame), and as such has a rich history with fighting games. In fact, a lot of modern fighting games have implemented GGPO code.

HeatXD‘s implementation has been hotly received, and at the time of writing, there are already numerous examples of games benefiting from the addition over on his Twitter – from Tekken 3, to Bloody Roar 2, to Rival Schools, and even Gundam Battle Assault 2. There’s also a written guide to help you set it up, so no excuses.

So, what does this mean for first-gen AC PVP? In val‘s own words:

Seems like a strong case to me.

[via val on Twitter and HeatXD on GitHub]

More of the Sickest Armored Core Music Remixes

You’ve probably listened to The Answer tribute album over a decade ago, and now we found something to tide you over until the eventual release of Armored Core 6.

These are a bunch of Armored Core inspired tracks, amazingly composed by Shok Music. Every single track in the playlist is sure to hype you up for the upcoming AC game, or maybe use those tracks instead of AC:LR’s mediocre sound track. Give them a listen, you won’t regret it.

Do give Shok Music a like, and sub, they deserve it. Now excuse me while I drown myself in this wonderful music land.

Rumored Armored Core 6 Release Window

Further proof that Armored Core 6 is the worst-kept secret in the gaming world, rumors about a potential release window have surfaced thanks to dubious sources. According to these rumors, the game could be released around September-October 2023, just in time for the year-end holiday season, if the release date is indeed final.

However, it’s worth considering that the game may be delayed for further polishing, as was the case with From’s previous title, Elden Ring, which was delayed from 2021 to 2022.

We’ll keep you updated on any rumors or news related to Armored Core.

Thanks Atdsutm for the news source.

Verdict Day Emblem Creation Timelapse Videos

We’re no strangers to love and fancy emblems here at RR, as seen on our past showcases (exhibits A, B, and C), and in our general penchant for boob supremacy in ACV’s maps in years past.

It’s always interesting to take a look at the entire emblem-making process though – how different colors, layers, shapes (and even logographic letters) are intentionally assembled up to the point where a discernible image emerges. Cue in this newly-minted YouTube channel showing just that, in Verdict Day.

It’s kind of like those videos where the artist does some seemingly random swipes on the canvas, only to rotate it 180 degrees for the final reveal. Pretty fucking neat.

[via turtlemaster1993 on Reddit]