Armored Core 6 Speculations

[Lord_Leperman]

Other things I think I can at least confirm:

- Overboost is in if the spooling-up noise preceding the 'main' AC's boost away in the trailer is any indicator.  So we're probably up to third-generation mobility at minimum.
- I always figured that that EMP-esque weapon displayed was more of the return of Assault Armor in some shape or form.
- Handheld energy shields are also

I think, given everything we've seen in both videos and interviews, the most likely we're going to see is probably a feel merging aspects of the third and fourth generation?  ...admittedly it'd be nice if we retained the kicking from fifth generation but we'll see on that front.  I suspect considering the aimed-for single-player focus, multiplayer may be pared back to the classic Versus matching.  Which...honestly that'd still be pretty nice.  For some reason I have trouble imagining AC as AC without at least the 1v1, even if we probably won't get AC5-style team skirmishes back.

I think my other hope for AC6 is that we get some more complicated route branching; it's often demonstrated that no force in an AC is really hegemonic, and I am kind of hoping that there will be some faction calculus in AC6 that leads to a larger number of endgame routes, probably calculated via mission choices.

I also had to re-look that hand held energy shield, and I gotta wonder are we gonna have Trick Weapons in AC akin to Bloodborne? That shield was a bomblet dispenser just a few moments ago from that trailer. Could it be that weapons will have secondary functions now?  I'm already suspecting different core functions now aside from just OB, so that EMP burst might be another one, maybe core functions will be selectable now as well?  

Completely agree on 1v1 gameplay, that's the classic AC gameplay that really doesn't go away, as well as 6 being a culmination of gen 3, 4, and 5.

I remember AC:LR's 6 different endings, hopefully AC6 has more lengthy, and meaningful branching paths if ever, as well as factions you can ally with and get a faction specific rewards at that.

I just thought of something, focusing on PvP. Since it's gonna be on PC, I wonder how much MnK players are going to take to the game.

In the past few years I got pretty deep into FPSs - Destiny/Destiny 2, Rainbow Six: Siege, Valorant, and some CS:GO again. I started Destiny on console but eventually moved to PC, which is where I'm playing the others. And over here, for the games which support it, it's clear: MnK is simply superior.

But in a third person perspective game, how much advantage is it going to have? Especially considering how big the lockboxes got in the newer games, and how most AC weapons are auto-aim anyway... will aiming even matter then? Will movement?

That got me thinking, but we'll have to see how the targeting mechanics work first. 

If it's gonna be a lock-on type like in Dark Souls, then I suppose gamepads would be more intuitive to use since all the button functions are on all the fingertips. If it's similar to any of the past AC games with a lock box/area with manual aim, then mouse and keyboard would be better IMO.

Even in other third person games like in Warframe, or in other mech games like Mechwarrior Online I find myself gravitating to the mouse and keyboard option as well. If it's gonna be similar to Souls, I'll stick to the gamepad.

The problem now is, will gamepads have enough buttons to support the AC6's new features along with movement and combat mechanics? They did a great job streamlining everything for something like Elden Ring, but with the added vertical dimension expected in AC are they gonna stick with V/VD's control scheme, or will they streamline it further?