AC4

[VeilSide]

kk i just got a copy of AC4 a few days ago for the PS3 imported from <a href='http://www.play-asia.com/' target='_blank'>play-asia.com</a>. i was so excited when it arrived that i literally put it in my pants. yes.

to summarize: this game is awesome. i'm not sure if this kind of gameplay can be effectively replicated on a PS2, but it just feels next-gen. the performance and handling of the AC's just feels so far beyond the previous games. keeping in mind that i am unfamiliar with anything pre-NX era, you know how the LR AC's just felt faster and lighter overall to those in NB? it's kinda of like that. but more. much more.

there's just too much to cover and i dunno what you guys have seen and gleaned from the gameplay videos online so... i'll probably do this Q&A style. here's a few of the more common questions i've run into from the ACG and RH but you guys can ask anything else that may come to mind.

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<a href='http://www.gamespot.com/ps3/sim/armoredcore4/news.html?sid=6163587' target='_blank'>Gamespot's preview of the U.S. PS3 version of AC4</a>

hmm... i don't think the reviewer spent too much time playing the previous AC games. if you've ever played AC before, you'll probably have to throw away almost everything you know about AC handling and most tactics.

for example... i really don't think that players will be as dependent on boost hopping as we were before. also, no more genbusting. you have TWO energy bars to keep track of - standard energy and... uh... "primal" energy. standard energy is for quickboosters, and energy weapons. standard ground boosting is free of charge until you want to take to the skies - then it starts draining. energy is drained like it did before, but if you run out, you won't have to wait till it's full again before you can use it. but the refresh is just so fast that i don't even think it's an issue most of the time. your PA shield uses up primal energy (i don't know what the official name for it is... so i call it "primal energy" for now). if you get hit, it drains the energy. if this runs out, you're pretty much SOL. with the new weapon's current level of power, the AC's standard solid and EN defense ratings don't mean squat in most cases and you'll be torn to shreds without PA. if you primal genbust, you have to wait till the primal energy bar is refilled about 1/4 to 1/2 before you can use it again. OB uses up both primal and standard energy simultaneously.

energy management is actually a lot easier than it sounds. the hardest part is keeping an eye on it since you feel so godly most of the time compared to the previous series.

Go to the Images section to see some new pictures. They're a bit blurry but one of them shows a AP count of 39702.

ya it's not uncommon for ac's to have around 40k AP. that's like... midweight range. but to compensate, weapons are a lot more powerful. the weakest rifle has like 1500 power units per shot.

<span style='color:darkred'>From what I read, it seemed like you can purchase an entire AC frame set. I guess if you really want to used what the comp is using, then you can now.</span>

pretty much. you can purchase an entire AC frame set or buy parts � la carte. this actually makes it easier to remember and reference frame parts since each part is named after the original frame it came from. for example,

head: H01-TELLUS
core: C01-TELLUS
arms: A01-TELLUS
etc... etc...

navigation of the ACSIS (AC Setup Integration System) is kind of interesting. spredsheets galore, of course. i wish i could read japanese kanji better so i would know wtf some of these stats are.

stabilizers are kind of weird. they add a whole new dimention of AC tuning.... i think. the goal is, from what i gather, to maintain a balanced center of gravity with your AC for maximum and/or balanced performance and handling. like... if you're too heavy on one side, then you boost to that side quicker than the other. so... if you have an AC that kind of looks lopsided... like... if you have a huge and heavy 'nade launcher on one hand and a handgun in the other, you'll need stabilizers to even out the load.

i'm not sure what other consequenses there are to having an off-balance AC, but i'll report back as i learn more.

this can be a potential headache, so FROM added a neat automatic stability and tuning setting. this allows the computer to give you the most balanced stability by equipping the appropriate stabilizers from which you have purchased. same goes for frame tuning. of course, if you don't trust the computer, then you can do all this manually. auto is great for beginners or if you're not very good at tuning or if you just want to jump to the action without having to mess with all those values and stuff.

I'm not sure if I like the whole no PA = Death kinda thing.
But I spose I might be exaggerating it maybe.

well... not necessarily. i'm sure you can still take a few if the AC's standard solid and en defense ratings are high enough... but i probably haven't unlocked anything or found that right combination with those capabilities yet.

if you can run or keep from getting locked on, you'll prolly be okay. you gotta get the thought that genbust = sitting duck out of your head when you play this game. you still have standard and quick boosters fully operational without primal energy so it's not like you have to sit there and take it.

<span style='color:darkred'>In the old days when you gen. busted, you had to jump in the air and twitch dodge to dodge some of those shots and avoid incoming fire so you don't die. At least this way you can run away with your QB. I'm assuming that OB isn't functional when your primal armor runs out of juice (I like the sound of "Primal energy" just fine. You should get an enternet, viel, if you just so happend to get the name right.)</span>

ya no more having to jump twitch dodge and worry about hardlanding when you genbust. hardlanding is a thing of the past now since the autoboost feature blips your boosters for you just enough if you fall too far too quickly so you won't hardland. you can turn off autoboost if you want tho.


also, there is an arena. you have to beat chapter 2 to access it and it's called a "simulator" now. stun in this game is serious if you get hit full in the face with something strong like a bazooka.

Ryan, online yet?

i don't think it will let me go online. i tried, but either i'm doing something horribly wrong or it really won't let me by design since it's a different region. AC4 did, however, update itself just a few minutes ago so it can access the internet.

So... How's the AI? Do they adapt or something?

not really sure how/if they adapt, but i've only unlocked the bottom tier of the AI arena "simulator" so they're pretty easy as long as you don't try to fight them head on. getting comfortable with quickboost is a must tho or else you'll just be too easy to track.

AC4's Intro: <a href='http://gamevideos.com/video/id/8134' target='_blank'>http://gamevideos.com/video/id/8134</a>

"Factory Level": <a href='http://gamevideos.com/video/id/8135' target='_blank'>http://gamevideos.com/video/id/8135</a>

yep the factory level is like the 2nd mission you do. basic get-in-there-and-blow-up-everything-you-think-looks-expensive mission.

I am really concered about the online play actually cause all those auto features might be turned off (which is a good thing)

from what i gather from the menus and stuff trying to get online, you can set regulations for the auto features too.

<span style='color:darkred'>One thing I've gotta know. Tanks....how are they? Are they better than LR's tanks?</span>

sofar, the most powerful back cannon i have unlocked is grenade launcher that takes up a single slot and a biped can equip it and fire it at any time OP-I style. tanks can fire them at any time too... the GL is stupid powerful, but i don't think i've unlocked anything heavy enough that only tanks can fire in mid air.

one thing i HAVE learned though is that stabilizers are particularly important to non-tank legs since the back cannons have lots of recoil, firing them will result in like a half second stun or worse if the AC's center of gravity is out of whack.

Yeah, if the PA field is life now, they're going to either have stupid fast regeneration, or AC3/SL GOMAP-like strength.

For that matter, do they boost slide now, or are they they only legs cheated out of the now 'free' ground mobility everyone else gets?

tank legs offer loads of standard solid and EN defense. the tradeoff is often lower PA strength, but coupled with like 10k more AP with just the tank legs alone they seem to be able to hold their own for a short time even during primal bust. tank legs also have ground-boost abilities and seems to be able to keep up with the midweights when massively underweight but their vertical movement is slower.

Hey Veil, do you know if any missile launchers do what these do in the intro?
<a href='http://img126.imageshack.us/img126/8374/picture1yp5.png' target='_blank'>http://img126.imageshack.us/img126/8374/picture1yp5.png</a>

Just because that would be cool.

hmm... haven't unlocked that one yet. so i dunno if it exists, sorry.

EDIT: yep. found 'em. i haven't unlocked them but i found an arena guy that uses them.

you'll be happy to know that i think quads have the sweetest leg animations in the game IMHO.

My only concern are the guns, the blades seem fine, but the ranged weaponry have me confused, are there any negative things we should know about?

not that i know of. dual gunning is as it has been in the NX/NB/LR era. better even since there is no more split second lag between pressing the left gun trigger and actually squeezing off a round. the AC's are all ambidextrous and it's all instantaneous now.

someone please just answer me a few questions.

1) how are missiles??
are they as retarded as they were in LR?? where you could boost in one direction, without changing directions, and dodge a whole swarm of missiles. Or am I gonna be able to enjoy my long range rifle/missile tactics again??

2) why does that red AC's PA break like instantly when he OB's?? is his AC just shit, that it cant handle the OB???

3) Does the new lock system take away the skill of lockbox control???

4) And lastly, please for the love of god, someone tell me if I can have proper Type B controls. Please, I need to know once and for all, if you can assign new functions to analog directions

missiles are... kinda weird now and i haven't gotten the hang of using them yet against enemy AC's. it's hard to describe, but it feels weird. you only require one lock now to fire a whole macross-style missile swarm. bad news is... in place of CAMS, it seems that you can now shoot down missiles manually with regular weapons... so you can't just go and fire them off whenever you damn well please. either the opponent shouldn't be firing at you (or else your salvo will blow up in your face, causing slight damage) or you have to make sure you're not locked-on before letting loose the missiles so... they'll be most effective at either long range (out of the range of machine gun fire) or mid-range at odd angles. i have not yet unlocked any other missiles as of yet that are contrary to my observations but i'm only still in chapter 3 so who knows... i think i still only have access to bottom-of-the-barrel stuff. also, i haven't unlocked deeks yet, so i don't know if they even exist. no inside parts in this game. miscellaneous stuff is now shoulder-mounted.

EDIT: i just now tried using dual missile packs against the AI in the simulator arena. FUN STUFF. i dunno how effective this will be against a human opponent, but it's fun as hell just watching salvos from two missile pods just start flying since they can be independently controlled.

the red AC's PA breaks after OB because OB drains both standard and primal energy. the player just left OB on too long is all i think.

lockbox control is still present... in over-simplified terms, imagine a lockbox - but without a visible box and in its place some crosshairs that automatically move over the opponent(s) when they're inside the invisible box. sounds weird, but it's like almost second nature to me after a day.

<span style='color:darkred'>God, Veilside, I hope your not pulling our legs on that. If you can tilt the analog up to activate your extensions, then tilt it down to lock-on, tilt it left to change left side weps, then tilt it right to right side weps, then AC4 will be my favorite AC game, next to MOA and SL.</span>

oh sh*t... oh sh*t oh sh*t... i JUST NOW looked at typeB controls and they look... just like type A controls...? wtf? controls CAN be customized and the analog sticks don't HAVE to be used for movement and looking and you can assign them to just about anything you want, but it seems you can't assign any values to the D-pad. so i don't think you'll be losing anything.

it's a mixed bag. you can still use the top trigger buttons to look and assign different commands to the analog stick directions such as weapon change, lock, shoulder weapon etc... so at least you gain this ability.

the stock key assignments given by FROM suck roosters, so i think everyone will be spending a bit of time finding a control scheme that's comfortable for them whether they were a typeA or typeB user before.

the good news is that the game does self-update preiodically... so hopefully FROM will have a patch for classic typeB where the D-pad can be used.

One thing I have to know...

How are the analog controls? As much as I like Type A, the one problem that I have is that ithey're not very pressure sensitive. In fact, they're not very sensitive at all. I've found the analog controls to be rather jerky (mmmm...jerky). And, as much as I like jerky, I don't like jerky controls.

hmm... it's kind of half and half. the right analog "looking" stick seems to be pressure sensitive. movment stick is not. but in testing this out, i did learn that if you ground boost and press a direction, your AC will keep going in that direction even when you take your thump off the stick.

<span style='color:darkred'>Are you saying that MG shots can blow up the missles you fire?</span>

anything can blow up missiles you fire - it's just that MG shots are more likely to do so since they spread and fire so quickly and will explode missiles as soon as they are launched. this is less likely to happen at long distances, however.

So, in your oppinion should start trying to use fangled A type controls in LR now for practice in AC4?

you really don't have to. just imagine the scheme you use now, but instead of the D-pad you use the left stick. the top buttons can maintain your preferred functionality.

it may be inconvenient at first, but the tradeoff is that you can now map controls to the other analog stick so you can move it and use shoulder extensions, switch weapons, or just about whatever you want. same goes for pressing (not pulling) the analog stick down into the controller.

Is it possible to get a feeling for what the speed differences is between the nimble and lightly armed ACs and the clumbering bots of doom?

even if heavies are rather nimble, it's still pretty easy to tell the difference between a heavy and a light in terms of handling, performance, and overall feel. same goes for leg types. at least, from the ones i've unlocked sofar.

And also AP difference =]

hmm... here's an example: light arena AC has like 33664 AP
tank AC has 48160 AP. i don't even know if this is a heavy or underweight mid-tank but this particular guy can take a good long goddamn beating before he craps out.


EDIT: i almost forgot to mention, for the 1-player game, you can now actually sample the parts and weapons (or any combination thereof) you choose before actually committing to buy and/or choosing to equip them. great if you're unsure whether or not to shell out the cash on a particular part that may or may not be worth it.

Have you actually tried playing the game in B-type to see? Have you only checked what it looks like in the button screen?
Maybe they just won't allow you to change the D-pads function, so it doesn't appear on the button customize screen?

I'm just having a hard time believing that From would do something like that

ya i actually tried using B-type and it won't let me use the D-pad. or else i'm doing something horribly horribly wrong.

<span style='colored'>1) When you find the next spiritual incarnation of my cannon (the LX), let me know, kay? XD</span>

kay. haven't unlocked it yet tho. but ok.

<span style='colored'>2) Do MGs still have clips? (not sure if anyone asked this already)</span>

i've unlocked two machineguns and one of them is a clipless chaingun with like 600 rounds or so i think. standard clip on the other is hueg. i'll give more info when i unlock and test more stuff.

<span style='colored'>3) How fast is the game? Is it arcade style from the early games, the SL speeds (zomgz) or are we talking Nexus type speed? OR IS IT EXXXTREEEME speed? </span>

hmm... this is a toughie since i'm unfamiliar with pre-nexus. but i guess... you know how fast LR felt overall when played in comparison to NB? the feeling is much much faster than that.

<span style='colored'>4) Overall, how viable are tanks for general missions and stuff? I'd like to use them, and from what you've been saying, tanks have gotten a massive boost and are essentially the godly little buggers I love so much again. </span>

well, i'm only up to the 3rd chapter and tanks seemed to be a great damage-soaking alternative to the more nimble and dodgy legged types. same goes for the arena simulator. i'm sure that using them in human VS mode will be interesting because of all the new gameplay mechanics but that goes for all leg types.

Disclaimer: i've only played this game a grand total of maybe 4 hours since i got it, and i'm only posting initial impressions and observations... so don't take my word on AC4 as gospel or anything.

this greatly disappoints and angers me.
I really REALLY don�t like that, that very easily and effectively removes the way I like to play AC, and the style of combat I enjoy the most.

sorry, deemer.

Guh, so you cant even use the D-pad to move at all.
That annoys me, I don�t like using the analog at all, especially to move.

griff and lykos are avid classic Btype users and they were over today to playtest AC4 for a couple of hours and after some controller adjustments, it took them about a minute each to get used to the analog. they can probably tell you more about their impressions later.

If that is the case with weapons shooting down missiles, then wouldn't the only such useful weapon for that purpose be MGs/CGs and maybe rifles? I mean, a 'zook or a grenade launcher would be a liability if it intentionally went after a missile instead of the actual target.

i haven't figured out yet how to purposely aim at missiles, but the time they are most vulnerable is right after deployment when they're still right in front of your AC. if you happen to be shot at from the front with a hail of machinegun fire, most of them will probably detonate in your face. machineguns are most effective for this because of their spray and constant fire, but they do very little damage themselves if the opponent's PA is still active and fired from longer than short-mid range, just as in the previous games.

what's most interesting is that i discovered today that large rounds - such as grenade rounds - can also be shot down in front of your face if you're not careful. it would be best to flank or out-range your opponent before using these or, at the very least, not have them firing at you. heavy energy weapons are unaffected by this.

Now that we can fire all our weapons at once, what mechanics are stopping the game from becoming a HUEG-ALPHA-STRIKE-fest? Why should we bother fussing with repeating weapons or blades when we can equip four(six with 'extensions'?) big guns, fire them all at once and hide/run away/focus on dodging while we wait for them to reload?

i dunno yet. the closest thing to a true alpha strike would probably be two back weapons firing at the same time as extensions since arm weapons are disabled when back weapons are in use... but i get your point.

to be honest with you, i have no idea. i can't connect to online play so i have no idea what kinds of strategies are effective for human vs.



also, before i forget, dual laser blading is AWESOME. consecutive left and right hand blade combos can be done and blade tracking remains for both arms. if both L and R buttons are pressed at the same time, a really powerful X-slash type motion is done. i SWEAR i wish i could post videos of this for you guys, it's looks and feels so f*cking sweet. blade waves are gone, however.

the parry blade pile-driver things are BACK. they operate in a similar manner as they did in previous games. while more powerful than laser blades, tracking seems non-existant and thay cannot be combo'd as laser blades can. however, dual blades allow you to do a super twin-fisted punch. that's right. you heard it here first. we have double-fisting AC's.

weapon arms are also present and they actually seem to have reasonable defense compared to some midweight-ish arms. weapon arms no longer have various functionalities, however they are both controlled by the right-hand fire button so you can still fire a rear left weapon while firing both weapon arms.

<span style='color:darkred'>Yup, I agree. Firing two salvos of missiles at once, plus fire off your extensions whenever you want, you don't NEED a lock-on before you fire (from what veilside said, IIRC), missiless DO have a lot of features now, which is pretty cool, imo.</span>

ya you can fire missiles now without locking - but they'll just fly straight forward and act like slower rockets. the lock on is required to get them to track anything.

I wonder if there are any new types of weapons, like how nexus introduced railguns and micro missiles?

-sniper cannons
-flares
-VTF missiles (which are different from verts)
-spread missiles
-AS missiles (i have no idea what AS stands for)

there's more, that's just off the top of my head.

[Lord_Leperman]

So how are quads? What happens to them if they fire the heavier back cannons in mid-air?

Also, does the battle menu still follow NX-LR style where you have an active primary weapon and a passive left arm weapon? Does the Left arm weapon still affect the sight range of your other weapons like the invisible lock box or the lock range?

[Grim]

Monster post. Thanks man.

So far, the game looks primed up for new players, but it also looks like it has enough stuff in there for it not to be a biped PLOW party. I'm very interested in how tanks and quads will work when bipeds can fire cannons from the air.

Quick boost is looking to be an integral part of the gameplay.

[VeilSide]

So how are quads? What happens to them if they fire the heavier back cannons in mid-air?

i'm not so sure. i haven't really given them enough playtime to differentiate them from bipeds and RJ's. you can fire back cannons while moving on the ground and while in the air with pretty much anything and i haven't unlocked any cannons heavy enough that require tank/quad legs to be used.

Also, does the battle menu still follow NX-LR style where you have an active primary weapon and a passive left arm weapon? Does the Left arm weapon still affect the sight range of your other weapons like the invisible lock box or the lock range?

as far as i can tell, there are no weapons sight "types" as there were in NX-LR and they seem to be able to act independently of each other. if anything comes up that is contrary to this, i shall post it.

So far, the game looks primed up for new players, but it also looks like it has enough stuff in there for it not to be a biped PLOW party. I'm very interested in how tanks and quads will work when bipeds can fire cannons from the air.

lol actually it takes A LOT to make something overweight. my friend got a light biped a machinegun, shotgun, twin back cannons, hangers, and shoulder ECM launchers and he STILL wasn't OW so... yeah. PLOW doesn't seem as special now as it did in the other games.

Quick boost is looking to be an integral part of the gameplay.

ya. this may be premature, but it feels that quickboosting is going to be as important as boost hopping was.

[Black Dragon]

Wow, quick boosting will be playing a huge role here. BTW, thanks for answering our questions Veilside

[wanzerfreak]

alpha strike works great for mw because the weapons generate heat as a balancing factor.

ac heat works differently, so i think it'd be a bad move for FROM to allow this.

[J.E_Magog]

nice. and thanks for the intro link. awesome!

[Serene]

Control Adjustments?

Sounds good...
Very Good...

Don't have to worry about the controls now...

[R.Leonhardt]

this thing is japanese right?can you read it?

[Fox]

One hell of an awesome post. Any question i might have had was answered immediately.

I'm just a little upset because it looks like AC is now going.....mainstream.

[Grim]

Alright Mr. VeilSide, I got a real humdinger of a question: are part tiers still present or blatant? Or are all parts competitive now?

[VeilSide]

alpha strike works great for mw because the weapons generate heat as a balancing factor.

ac heat works differently, so i think it'd be a bad move for FROM to allow this.

actually, heat isn't even a factor in AC4, so you don't even have to take it into account.

this thing is japanese right?can you read it?

yep, i ordered the japanese version. i can read some of it, but most of the stuff is beyond my level of japanese comprehension.

I'm just a little upset because it looks like AC is now going.....mainstream.

don't be upset. if anything, this is a good thing. if more people are interested in AC, then more people will get the game and compete in online competition. this is good because it keeps the oldbies from getting stagnant.

Alright Mr. VeilSide, I got a real humdinger of a question: are part tiers still present or blatant? Or are all parts competitive now?

looks like all parts are competitive now as "broken" parts haven't been found yet by the japanese vs players... but it's still too early so don't take that as gospel. and even if certain parts are found to be broken, frequent downloadable update patches from FROM should keep things balanced.

i think a lightweight blader is the current #1.

[strawhat_luffy]

it seems blading is back to how it should have been. Good for me, I love blading.

[R.Leonhardt]

hey Veilside,I bought AC4 and it should arrive at friday,if ever i don't understand the game,please help me understand it

by the way,what are the controls?

[VeilSide]

hey Veilside,I bought AC4 and it should arrive at friday,if ever i don't understand the game,please help me understand it&nbsp;

sure thing. i'll try to help as best i can.

by the way,what are the controls?

don't bother memorizing the standard controller setup. i swear, it's so f*cking retarded. it's set up so that you can't shoot and control looking direction at the same time. i don't know if my scheme will be comfortable for you, so i think you're better off walking through the basic tutorial it gives you and then making your own control scheme up. i have a feeling everyone who plays this game will be doing the same thing.



finally got back from new york and beat the game on normal difficulty. i haven't S-ranked everything, so i don't have all the parts. some of the missions are kinda hard, but most of them can be beaten in less than like 5 minutes. 1-player LR is harder than this game, IMHO. either that or i have mad tyte skillz lol.

i learned that you earn more customization points the further you play the 1p game. this means A LOT. for example, the videos you guys saw where the OB drains EN and KP (formerly "primal energy," my wife told me it was "Kojima Particles" that power PA) really quickly. well, if enough of these tuning points are used with the right gen/boosters combo, then you can actually not only OB forever... but after the 1.10 update, also regain EN and KP while OBing. crazy stuff.

your AC doesn't have to be super energy efficient. there are KP-restoring extensions that act much like the energy extensions of previous games. i don't think these will be broken since energy management at this level is a no-brainer even with a relatively high-drain AC.

i also have the MOONLIGHT now. it's pretty pimp when you dual wield them. i also have the KARASAWA... i think... at least, it sure does look like it, but it's called the CANOPUS so i dunno. i also found that you can hanger the weakest blade. i wonder why it took me so long to figure that out. huh.

oh, good news for all you tank users - tanks can hanger any arm weapon. that's right. ANY arm weapon. think about that for a moment. i'll let it sink in.





i think somone asked if there were linear guns in the game... i don't think there are, but there are rail guns. they're more like LR's linear rifles now rather than the LADON that you have to charge.

the Kojima rifles are really powerful, as you guys can see in these <a href='http://www46.tok2.com/home2/tateda/movie.html' target='_blank'>videos</a> (like the LX cannon on crack) , but they need to be charged before firing. you get to control how long to charge them, so you can hold the charge for as long as you want. also, if you're in a hurry, they don't need to be charged all the way before firing. the gun's power stat is kinda lackluster, but i'm guessing that's the stat at the lowest, and therefore weakest, charge point.