I've run into a stump.

[Kanon]

I've been playing ACfA for quite a while now with my friends on a weekly basis. We didn't know and didn't care what the auto-sight was for; we just thought that "aiming was somewhat easier here than AC4". After a while, we realized that the auto-sight gave you automatic sideways turning depending on where your opponent is when you have a lock on him. We turned it off and switched to variants of the B-config and our building philosophies radically changed.

I admit I'm not so good that having auto-sight turned off will make no difference to my capability to keep my target on my screen; in fact, a good 75% of the time my target is not on screen. I just guess where my opponent will be and do a qb-turn there [and hope that he is there. So far it's been good enough for me to not lose all my battles.

Now, my problem is: I've got an AC design which I might have fallen in love with. What do I mean? I can't design anything else. Whatever new thing pops out of my head translates into a slight variant of the old schematic. I've even resorted to copying schematics of other people to get a taste of the product of another mind but it doesn't work. I keep on coming back to that old schematic. So what? Right? "The old schematic might be the one you are most attuned to", you might say. The problem with that is the fact that the schematic I [maybe] fell in love with was plagiarized, the build theory at least (it's not exactly the same; you can't see internal parts/tuning by watching a video on YouTube and some external parts have been changed as well but with enough experience, seeng the way it moves can give you ideas on what parts to use). I don't like this and I feel insulted by the fact that I can't come up with a schematic that I will fall in love with.

Maybe the next regulation will help me with this. Or if you can give me some advice, I promise to keep an open mind.

[Lord_Leperman]

I didn't fully understand your issue. Are you concerned because your staple turns out to be something similar that others have thought of?

I think it doesn't really mater if your design is a cookie-cutter, so as long at it truly comes from you and your heart (I know cheesy, but I can't think of no other way to describe it). In your case, it just means that you and others with the same design, have arrived at the same answer as yourself. There's no shame in it really, though it really feels good if you have something original and rock with it. If you're unsatisfied with what you got, you can always keep on looking to set yourself apart from others.

[Kanon]

I forgot that the term "Staple" existed. LOL my post should have be a lot less dramatic.

Yes, I am concerned that I got my staple design from someone else and I can't think of a new one. Right now it became a variant but the build and usage philosophy are strikingly similar (although I'm not as good piloting skill wise as the person I got my design from).

[Shintetsu]

According to my experience in -other- games, if you grow bored OR have mastered a certain class, try another class, master it, and then when you feel like reverting to your old class, re-master it again.

You can try replacing your leg type for another, or weapon system. Either way, it's the experience of handling another aspect of the game that will reward you, so as to be prepared if ever you're facing an enemy of the same class. Let's say, your staple is a lightweight biped. You can try switching to quads, which will definitely compel you to try back cannons, which means another aspect of playing for you.

In short, build another AC with a different class, use it in sparring, and who knows? You might like the new stuff that you can do. Even if you don't, the experience you get from using that AC type can help you if you're facing an opponent using the same type.

It's like something from the Art of War. Know your enemy.

[Aruren]

Saying that you should be able to come up with a completely different, functional design is well....

a bit...

arrogant.

No offense but, something like that shouldn't come in as a big surprise. You may not know it but many designers even in the real world come up with one base design and just do the same design over and over with very little variation. You can see this most commonly in machines like cars, laptops, locks, etc etc etc. The same principle works with live things. Almost all mammals look like the same thing in its embryo stage, but they gradually grow different. Even my fighting style in Guilty Gear grew up the same way. I practically copied the techniques of some people (like combo videos), and after studying the game and their styles (and testing, a. lot. of. testing.) I came up with my own techniques.

Being not able to come up with something awesome right off the bat isn't something to be ashamed of. Don't sweat it. I'm pretty sure there are many that might admit they came up with a pretty useless AC design and it took them sometime to even get close to their ideal AC. So don't lose heart, since you're ready to admit that your capabilities to come up with a design fall short for your expectations. I believe you're ready to study.

From what I understand you don't fully understand the ACFA system yet. So that would be a good place to start.

imo, it might be a nice idea to go along with the following:

- Identify how you want to play.
- Find a design that more or less follows that direction of play.
- Find another design that is pretty much the opposite.
- Play both, identify strengths and weaknesses.
- Get the preferred AC you were using and tune it to how you play and what you've learned about previous designs.
- Test.
- Repeat the last two steps.

At some point, you will probably produce a design that may be recognizably different from the original model that you took. Or then again, it may only be slightly different. However I'm sure experienced players can definitely tell a difference. Then you fight people, and will probably want to create a design which may be a meta-game against certain people, and the cycle continues.

That's it. Many of you know I stopped playing AC about a decade ago so I hope you found my words helpful regardless.

[Kanon]

Yep. I'm aware that with the number of people designing schematics around the world, I wouldn't be surprised if most (if not all) part combinations that are functional have already been done in one way or another. The fact that I got my staple from copying a mech in a video is eating me up. The fact that I didn't think of using that kind of schematic on my own [without watching said video] that hurts my pride as an ac player. I'm trying to deal with that.

So far, I'm just laying off ac, maybe my time spent unexposed [to playing, at least] will help clear my mind. I can see the wisdon in the advice you people gave me, thanks for that. But more advice or more opinion won't hurt.

[R.Leonhardt]

What a thread,i love it!

Wonderful words indeed. I experienced the same problem you're having. Only difference is,i fell in love with a certain frame(Hogire+Soluh+Whiteglint+whiteglint) However,i ended up using that particular staple design which isn't necessarily meta,but is good enough to help me reach a class of A in ranked matches.

Kanon,are you in PSN?? If so add me will ya? I'd love to have a match with you someday


PSN- UnknownLinx

[Shintetsu]

None taken. AC is a different game after all, but what I really meant was. try something that you might like. I was stressing the 'Who knows?' part there.

You can always try something new. And as I've said, at the very least, you can figure out how a player who uses that same setup would act in a match.

[Kanon]

I'm just playing on my friends AC (thus the weekly sched). So, far the LAN cable he has is too short. I'm still in the process of getting permission to put some cabling into the living room and getting some cable and crimping supplies. I'm still on "AC soulsearching" and my friend, Makunochi(also a member of the RR forums) is bugging me to start going to sorties again.

[clonezero]

okay from how I see it your miffed that your current staple ac is a copy and your loving it. But remember you also said you modified it already to your own preferences, then you can already say that it is your own ac. Though a little harsh what Aruren say is true specially for a limited game such as AC the variations in design is limited.

The best way I think you can prove that the ac you use is yours is master it.
Something I can't do at all *sob*

This is why I wished that LR get modded already to bad I think the project seems dead already XX

[Aruren]

Ah, it is true that having a change of pace can also help.

Sometimes you get too obsessed or clouded by the situation you're in (which is well, a stump) and you're unable to think quite sraight, let alone out of the box. I suppose it'd be a healthier step to get over these feelings of yours before you start over.

Do whatever it takes to leave your regrets behind, just don't end up doing something you'd regret even more of course.

Btw Kanon, I just realized you're using the Method banner. You wouldn't happen to be one of those players from the now closed down RO Server, Sangreal would you?

[Makunouchi]

Why hello there, Mr. Devil Square.

[Kanon]

@ clonezero - Yep, you got it. I was miffed that I got my staple from watching a video. Now I realized that what you said - you modified it already to your own preferences, then you can already say that it is your own ac, holds true. By giving it my mods I gave it my character as well. In retrospect, I think I just contradicted myself since post 1.

@ aruren - Yep, taking a break did clear my head. And yep, I was one of players. So was Makunochi. I was actually thinking that you are the same Aruren but dismissed it since there might be lots of Arurens out there. I was wrong then. Heh.

[clonezero]

I see this as nothing more than a way ward sheep who's faith is being tested .