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Seiren posted:It's hard to say what the game is trying to imply to you here. What is the actual function of the Ravens' Nest? They're 'keeping order' by accepting jobs which are then carried out by Ravens, but if they truly desired total control, they could simply...not list particular missions in order to maintain balance. There's definitely some behind-the-scenes fuckery going on, and there's a lot that doesn't make sense. Sure, it's FROM being intentionally vague, and probably a sign that they haven't yet refined their storytelling technique just yet, but it leaves more questions than it answers. Singh Long posted:If the Nest filtered out missions, people would get suspicious. Can't have that now can we? The false ending we saw implied Chrome was replaced by another company to keep the status quo. Besides, the Raven's Nest assumed we would fail, as the game will demonstrate if needed. The Mighty Biscuit posted:It's implying that the computer thingy you smashed was needed to keep order and that by destroying it you just totes shattered that order. Most game series tend to not have their lore or background info set in stone right at the beginning, so it's not that surprising the same thing happens here. And while the "AI being in control of everything behind the scenes" bit had no real foreshadowing and seemed thrown in at the last second, it's only the stuff that happens in Master of Arena that brings parts of this game's place in the chronology into question. To put simply it simply, Master of Arena almost seems like a re imagining of what Armored Core 1's original story was supposed to be (with a bigger focus on Nine-Ball, because why wouldn't you?), though it's still supposed to be set after the previous games and is a sequel, so I don't loving know.
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Jun 22, 2014 18:11
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And that's not the last time they go and rehash that plot either. They do it for a third time with AC3. Just without Nineball at all.
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Jun 29, 2014 03:13
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The Mighty Biscuit posted:And that's not the last time they go and rehash that plot either. They do it for a third time with AC3. Just without Nineball at all. There's a bunch of generic Nine-Ball stand ins, but nothing with the iconic presence of Nine-Ball until something that might possibly maybe sort of be Nine-Ball but we're not sure shows up in Nine Breaker for like three seconds. After Silent Line, the series shifts more towards the danger that humans pose using technology rather than the threat from technology in and of itself.
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Jun 29, 2014 04:02
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nine-gear crow posted:There's a bunch of generic Nine-Ball stand ins, but nothing with the iconic presence of Nine-Ball until something that might possibly maybe sort of be Nine-Ball but we're not sure shows up in Nine Breaker for like three seconds. After Silent Line, the series shifts more towards the danger that humans pose using technology rather than the threat from technology in and of itself. It seems like FROM is trying to establish a pseudo-successor with White Glint.
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Jun 29, 2014 14:45
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I can say from experience that you can totally camp the bottom of the second shaft and let nineball come to you. Or, failing that, let him kill himself with his own grenade launcher while he tries to shoot you through the terrain. This is very useful if you have low health going in to the second fight
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Jun 30, 2014 03:44
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First off, sorry for being absent from this for the last couple months. The LP isn't abandoned, just got sidetracked with finally getting a job earlier this summer and doing other projects. With that out of the way, let's resume the LP. Part 10: Top of the Leaderboard Nineball and R have been defeated, but there are still twelve missions left in the game before we can wrap up this 100% AC playthrough.  Since these next missions won't require a set up quite as specific as the final mission, I've removed the chaingun and switched the AC's legs back to the LN-D-8000R.  There's no particular order I have planned for the missions. I'm just doing them from top to bottom on the main list. First on the menu is Destroy Space Catapult.  We want you to break into the Space Station "Kaede" owned by Murakumo. Your goal is to destroy their new catapult. This space station has been unmanned since the Great Destruction and was left in orbit, but Murakumo has made secret modifications, turning it into a space base. We discovered that Murakumo has sent large amounts of material to the space station and the catapult appears to be used to send the material elsewhere. We still don't know what they are up to. But still, it is in space. It may be too late if we wait until the full story is known. Your space shuttle is ready. Go to the space station ASAP. We are counting on you.  This is one of the exclusive missions you get if you sided with Chrome instead of Murakumo, and also one of the few missions that have you at a location in space. Destroy Space Catapult   This level has a lot of doors connecting hallways at multiple points, but in order to make any progress inside the base you need to go through the doors that aren't locked shut. It can be beneficial to have an AC head with good map data if you get lost.  The only enemies to deal with are ceiling mounted gun batteries and Dawn MTs. They move all over the place and staying in one of the narrow hallways and shooting them as they pass make for a relatively safe tactic.   Halfway through the base, we receive this communication. Most likely a change in mission plans.  Yep, time to get the hell out.   I said before that you can only go specific doors to make progress through the station. When the objective changes to evacuate the station, simply retracing your steps won't work as the first door you entered at the start of the mission is now locked.   So instead we end up doing a full loop around the areas we have access to before we end up back at the room the mission had us start in. A good thing to keep in mind is to keep moving forward after triggering the emergency communication, as that is the correct direction to go in.  Oh, and destroying enemies during this mission gives us a 300 C bonus. A successful payout once again.  On to the next mission on the list, Destroy Base Generator.  Head for lunar base "Roa". Roa has been unmanned and abandoned for a long time, but Murakumo has already dispatched forces intending to revive the base facilities. There are now no other usable lunar bases, so Roa is effectively the key to control of the entire Moon. But a full frontal attack would deal a severe blow to the base itself. So this is our request. We want you to infiltrate the base alone and destroy the generator. Our main force will then retake the base in the confusion. Do not bother unnecessarily with enemies, but remaining ACs will be troublesome in the future, so try to destroy them on sight. We will reward you for each additional kill. The Murakumo are scheming to use the moon base as a base for a terrible plot. The full story is unclear but desperate men will stop at nothing. This is a very dangerous job, but we have faith that you can do it. We are counting on you, Raven.  Another mission in space, and Murakumo is the villain in this scenario. You can probably guess what this scenario is building up to. Destroy Base Generator   The ACs that the mission briefing referred to are Swifts, and are worth 3000 a piece for each kill. I deal with them as I need to as the objective is further in the base.  The large hallway you enter near the start has a door you can go through at the far end, but that leads no where. One of the doors on the side however leads to an elevator.  Taking the elevator up, we start going across some bridges with gun batteries. I at least ignore the ones that aren't in front of me and keep moving. Eventually reaching the generator.   My shoulder cannon gets some use this mission as I fill the generator room with plasma.   And with that, another escape sequence with a timer begins. Unlike Kaede, this timer can cut it very close, especially if you go in a direction you shouldn't.  Only 30 seconds left as I make it to the entrance.  2 out of 3 Swifts destroyed during the mission, getting use an additional 6000 C total.  Next mission is actually the last mission you get if you sided with Chrome, Destroy "Justice"  Terrible news just came in. Murakumo has gotten hold of the most horrible fruit of mankind's madness still in space. The giant gun "Justice" is now under the control of Murakumo. The weapon which drove all of humanity underground at the time of the Great Destruction, is certain to seal the fate of the world if it is fired at our planet now. This is no longer between us and Murakumo. The weapon's only weakness is the enormous amount of time and energy it takes to charge up. We may still be in time. The only way to stop it is to destroy the firing system itself. Your best bet is to destroy the peripheral energy chargers to delay firing, and then blast through the multiple force fields to get close enough to destroy the firing system. The best space shuttle we have is ready and waiting. Go into space ASAP. We are counting on you.  So while on Murakumo's side, we saw Chrome stage a military uprising. Here we see what Murakumo does when backed in a corner, and frankly it seems a bit more extreme than a revolt on earth. Whatever, the job is to stop the cannon. Destroy "Justice"   The entire mission area is this large chamber with the firing system at the far opposite end. There are barriers in the way, but they can be broken through with enough firepower.   As mentioned in the briefing, destroying the chargers on the sides of the chamber will give us additional time to take out the cannon, but destroying them all isn't required. Hell, it gives you way more time than you know what to do with. So long as you're efficient, the time you're given at the start is perfectly acceptable.   As this is a late game mission, enemies are incredible aggressive. Tankettes and Corsairs are firing at you constantly, and they're not worth your time. Just blow up the firing system and it's over.  Well, the earth is saved, and in this scenario, Murakumo would be completely destroyed with Chrome as the winner of the war.  Now to go back in the timeline to a mission before we sided with either corporation, Attack Urban Center  We want you to wreak havoc on Gal City. The job is simple. Just attack the urban area and fire at will at any attractive target. If one finds oneself in danger, one who does not have the power to resist must depend on someone else. If you have the power, come to us at Chrome. You have 3 minutes of tactical operations. Staying any longer is useless. If you stay too long, we don't know what sort of trouble will happen. Your pay will be determined based on the results. Simply put, the more you destroy the higher your pay. Good luck  If you remember, this was the mission I was not able to take earlier in the game, but it is an important one as it will determine whether we will be rank #1 or #2 on the Raven leaderboard. Let's begin. Attack Urban Center    So the payout for this mission is based on how much destruction you cause. What can you destroy, you ask? Well, there are several items that have different credit values associated with them. They are:
The last two are enemies, which do not show up until time has passed in the mission. The way I start is that I dash through all the cars parked on the left side of the road, shooting at signs in front of me as well. Halfway down the street, you can take a shot at some of the monorail cars that come passing by overhead.   When you make it to the other side, almost a minute will have passed, and the Gal City Guard will contact you. This spawns in the Guard Walkers, and they are infinitely spawning.  Once another minute passes, Valkyrie makes its appearance. This battle can either end with the player surviving until the timer runs out, or Valkyrie can be eliminated for a chance at moving up the leaderboard. The latter is obviously our intent.   It's not even an issue with the KARASAWA, assuming you can keep the AC in sight at all times. With Valkyrie gone, all that's left is to destroy more MTs and property till the timer runs out.  A whole lot of stuff was destroyed, and the expense for repairs make for a little over a third of the profit. This is one of those missions where even if you earn a good amount of money, it can be easily lost from racking up ammo and repair costs. Now, before this part is concluded, let's take a look at our position on the rankings.  Yep, with Valkyrie out of the picture, we've made it to the top of the leaderboards. Now for 8 remaining missions and a few secret parts and this is over. I'll be in touch.
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Aug 27, 2014 01:39
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So we got to the top of the leaderboards in exchange for blasting the poo poo out of a civilian city? That's kind of lovely 
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Aug 27, 2014 01:45
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It strikes me that a lot of these top-secret facilities would probably be easier to defend if they didn't have hallways large enough for giant robots to walk through and fight in 
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Aug 27, 2014 02:06
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Polaron posted:It strikes me that a lot of these top-secret facilities would probably be easier to defend if they didn't have hallways large enough for giant robots to walk through and fight in But how would the giant robot security fight the giant robot bad guys if they didn't have giant robot corridors? 
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Aug 27, 2014 06:28
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Man, I loved Human+, especially for multiplayer. When both players had all Human+ upgrades the matches were insane.
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Sep 9, 2014 05:19
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Well...turns out my latest batch of footage didn't include the audio with it. And I already saved my progress before figuring that out. And with it being THIS late in the game... gently caress me. I may just skip posting the videos for the next update because I can't use these the way they are now, and I don't have the time or patience to play through the entire game again just to rerecord them. Anyway, expect it to Part 11 to go up this weekend, but this mistake of mine has drat near discouraged me. Too late to stop now, though.
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Sep 19, 2014 00:38
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Great LP thus far Arc, but I'm wondering, would you like me to make some effortposts about the Japanese/US competitive AC scenes, and assorted tactics and loadouts? For such a relatively obscure game, the tournament scene was really robust even in the states. And stuff about freefall boosts and trajectory manipulation are still relevant even to single player. But I don't want to steal your thunder if you were planning on getting into that at some point.
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Sep 19, 2014 17:17
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S-Alpha posted:Great LP thus far Arc, but I'm wondering, would you like me to make some effortposts about the Japanese/US competitive AC scenes, and assorted tactics and loadouts? For such a relatively obscure game, the tournament scene was really robust even in the states. And stuff about freefall boosts and trajectory manipulation are still relevant even to single player. But I don't want to steal your thunder if you were planning on getting into that at some point.
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Sep 19, 2014 19:30
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Part 11: Nearing the End DISCLAIMER: Do to an error on my part, no sound ended up in the recorded videos. They can still be viewed to follow along with the mission commentary, but know that you won't hear anything. Very sorry for this, will make sure it does not occur in the final part.  With 8 more missions left before 100% completion, let's go to an early game mission we skipped before, Rescue Transport Truck.  We lost communications with one of our transport trucks heading for Avalon Valley, somewhere near the Nassau Tunnel. We strongly believe that this was an act of a terrorist group targeting the advanced chemical weapons loaded on the truck. If this is true, we cannot leave this up to the Guards. Go to the site ASAP and search for the truck. Eliminate anyone who interferes. The safety of the vehicle is of utmost priority. Do not forget this. One more thing. Innocent civilian vehicles may be traveling by the site. If you destroy any vehicles, compensation for the damage will be deducted from your pay. Good luck.  You remember how Chrome invested heavily in chemical weapons in the past, right (we blew up a gently caress ton of tanks at a factory filled with them)? We get to bail them out on this one. Rescue Transport Truck  This first part of the mission has you on the part of the highway with cars passing by. Staying on the left side ensures you won't run over any vehicles heading toward you. Of course, they're less important than the contents of the truck.   It is easy as hell to have a shot miss and blow up the transport truck, so the best way to deal with the Ariake MTs in the area is to just stay in one position, keep them in your FCS' sight, and fire when the truck is not behind them. They come in two waves, and the mission is over very quickly.  Sometimes I've run into a scenario where a passing vehicle rams into my AC without noticing and I get a 200 C deduction, which despite being a small price is still kind of annoying. Thankfully that did not happen here.  Next on the list, Recover Capsules.  We want you to break into an abandoned facility that was used by Murakumo in the initial stages of their Human PLUS development. It was left after a fire several years ago. The Human PLUS technologies were supposedly developed by Murakumo but nothing has been released publicly about the initial stages of research, so many mysteries remain. Our surveys so far have not turned up much information. However, we received strange reports from a survey team recently dispatched to the abandoned facility. Parts of the facility are said to be operating even now and strange capsules have been placed in the furthest most room. Upon trying to recover the capsules, the team was attacked by fighting machines that they had never seen before. They could not fight back and failed to recover the capsule. Your mission is to recover those capsules. We have no idea about their significance, but they might give us an advantage over Murakumo. We are counting on you.  Another mission giving us a glimpse into the mystery that is the Human PLUS program. Let's go. Recover Capsules  This level in both size and complexity is a lot like the Old Military Facility where we rescued a survey team. This facility however is in much worse looking shape, and compared to all the other locations in the game, it's got quite the atmosphere to it.  The level has corridors stacked on top of each other, and what we're looking for is at the bottom. Thus, going down these holes is the only way forward.  Of course, there are plenty of enemies waiting at the bottom of those holes, so be prepared for them.  Eventually as you get deeper, you'll come across a room with a single MT and a capsule in the far right corner. That is what we came here for, and as always, don't blow it up by accident.  No special additions or deductions here, just a typical payout for an expert AC pilot. Interestingly, we do get an email from our client regarding the results of our mission.  It looks to be very old, but we can't tell yet just how old. It is unmistakably from before the "Great Destruction." We don't know how they got a hold of such a thing, but one thing is for certain. The Murakumo did not create teh "Human Plus" technology. We're both on the same line of thinking. We may not know the true origins of PLUS, or even what that capsule contains, but we can only guess.  Anyway, remember when we made a decision to either guard Chrome's factory or destroy it? Here's Guard Factory Entrance, that other mission we could've taken so many parts ago.  We have uncovered a plan to destroy our underground factory in the Whiteland area. We think that Murakumo is behind it. We are not sure of the specific details, but since the factory is underground, they can't do anything unless they get inside. So we want someone to guard the entrance of the factory. The gate cannot be opened from outside as long as the lock system is not destroyed. We will need several days to put up a full-scale security system. Of course we will pay you during the period whether or not there is an attack. Not a bad job, huh? Do it well.  A familiar location, and now we're in the opposite role we were in before. Let's see how it goes. Guard Factory Entrance  This mission doesn't give us any breaks between attacks on the entrance, so it's best to head for the north east border of the area right at the start. Why you ask?  Much like in Secret Factory Recon, this mission also has a secret part hidden in a box. The B-T001 Booster part. Grab it and get the hell back to the entrance.  The attackers come in two waves. The first as indicated at the start are five airborne enemies, called Hayates. Thankfully some of them will attack you instead of the entrance so the pressure of guarding the lock to the entrance isn't overwhelming. After defeating them, two more Hayates accompanied by two Sagiris will enter the battle. Destroying them all with a powerful weapon will guarantee a success for this mission.  If anything, the easiest way to fail the mission is looking for the secret part without knowing exactly where it is. Still got a good payout for being quick and efficient with our resources. Anyway, new mail from Chrome, thanking us for our services.  You did quite a job. We didn't expect so much firepower to be thrown into the fight, but the fact that you managed to repulse them all by yourself was amazing. I like it. To tell the truth, we thought of you Ravens as no more than convenient throwaways, but I guess we will have to rethink our position. Well anyway, good job. That is all. Even when thanking us, Chrome still can't help sounding like a bunch of assholes. It's to be expected.  Now for our last mission for today, Capture Space Station.  We have decided to carry out an operation intended to occupy the Murakumo's base of activities, the Space Station "Kaede." Since our single ship attack failed the other day, the pace of the Murakumo's activities in space have picked up extraordinarily. Large amounts of material have been carried off to space, and "Kaede" is rapidly becoming a fortress. If we leave this as is, it will only become more difficult to act later. Our first division has already begun fighting. Your mission is to support the invasion troop. Bring material to the supply vehicles engaged in combat. The enemy forces are more numerous than expected and the supply material may not be in time. Place the material in the catapult. Capture the catapult and pass the material on to the supply corps. Murakumo is planning something in space. We must stop them before it is too late.  This mission is a direct follow up the mission Destroy Space Catapult, where we were unable to destroy said catapult and had to retreat instead. Not gonna run this time. Capture Space Station  Throughout the mission, particularly on the lower level of the station, you'll find Chrome and Murakumo forces fighting each other. While you get deducted for letting an ally unit die, destroying all enemies in the mission nets you a bonus 10000 C, which is very nice.  If you remember the original route during Destroy Space Catapult, follow it right up to where you would've been told to leave the station immediately. Take one of the two ramps in this long narrow hallway to reach the upper levels, where the material is found.  When you reach this central room, go through the door on the left.  And there's the material we need. However, the mission is not over yet.  During this part I end up getting a bit lost as I forgot where exactly the supply vehicle is, and I spend a few minutes checking every hallway and updating my map along the way.  Eventually, I find the supply vehicle and finish this mission.  And my wandering around the station was ultimately beneficial as I killed every enemy MT in the station. Only two casualties on my side, but eh, it's fine. Next part, we'll finish up the remaining missions, and this LP will be over with 100% completion. It's getting close to the end. I'll be in touch. ArclightBorealis fucked around with this message at 02:34 on Sep 20, 2014 |
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Sep 20, 2014 02:22
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Just a heads up, but when you talk about the email you get after the Human Plus mission, you've got the results screen there twice.
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Sep 20, 2014 02:31
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Kaboom Dragoon posted:Just a heads up, but when you talk about the email you get after the Human Plus mission, you've got the results screen there twice.
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Sep 20, 2014 02:34
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Okay, I put some time into replaying the series, so it looks like it's time for effortpost mania. I'll be doing this in sections because there's a bit too much to cover in just one post. Today will just be about Movement: Thankfully Arc has covered the basics for me, so I'll just jump into Boost Hopping, which he's shown off a bith in the videos but I haven't seen him detailing it. Essentially it's just engaging a normal ground boost, letting go for a split second, and pressing it again to transfer seamlessly into a flying state. From there you let off the boost for most of your arc, but reengage when near the ground to reduce your falling speed enough that you don't need to recover. That lets you transition into a ground boost again, allowing you to stay in the upper range of your max boosting speed while using less than half the energy, which kind of speaks for itself really. Boost hopping is ubiquitous across the entire series, and is the core concept behind a lot of AC techniques in the PSX-PS2 games. And with that said, boost hopping has more uses than just going pretty fast on the cheap, it also gives you added maneuverability in general thanks to the perverse logic behind AC's physics. When entering the air off a boost hop, you can cancel your forward momentum and start moving in any direction you want by just maneuvering with your boosters off. Since your normal ground and air turning is relatively slow by comparison, this lets you make (blind) hairpin turns while you wait for your AC to swing its eyes around to the front. Obviously, it's also useful for general purpose evasion but also for PVE and PVP FCS manipulation, which I don't know if I'll get to out of fear of breaking my keyboard. tl;dr: 1. Bunny hop like it's counter strike. 2. Momentum is selective in the AC universe so long as you're in the air.
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Oct 16, 2014 18:08
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ACES CURE PLANES posted:Boost Hopping... As someone coming from AC4/4A, this was pretty much the last straw for me when I tried to play Last Raven. Getting stunned for like half a second after landing if you mess up boost hopping really sucked, although i concede I'm probably terrible at armored core
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Oct 17, 2014 03:09
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N-N-N-NINE BREAKER posted:As someone coming from AC4/4A, this was pretty much the last straw for me when I tried to play Last Raven. Getting stunned for like half a second after landing if you mess up boost hopping really sucked, although i concede I'm probably terrible at armored core Everyone is poo poo the first time they play classic AC games. And they continue to be poo poo at for a long time. We all are just slightly less poo poo.
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Oct 17, 2014 17:02
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And, to be fair, Last Raven is - appropriately enough - the last game you would want to start off with. It is balls hard, and the first stage basically expects you to have two games worth of parts and credits under your belt, and if you don't, it will break out the belt and go to town on you. (Though it isn't quite as bullshit as some stuff in AC2:AA. gently caress that game.)
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Oct 17, 2014 17:06
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ACES CURE PLANES posted:And, to be fair, Last Raven is - appropriately enough - the last game you would want to start off with. It is balls hard, and the first stage basically expects you to have two games worth of parts and credits under your belt, and if you don't, it will break out the belt and go to town on you. It's worse on the PSP version, where you really only have two games to work with beforehand, since Nexus and Ninebreaker were never ported. It's baffling how they didn't bother fixing that game's problems, despite being able to add newer parts in the prior PSP ports.
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Oct 17, 2014 22:16
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ACES CURE PLANES posted:And, to be fair, Last Raven is - appropriately enough - the last game you would want to start off with. It is balls hard, and the first stage basically expects you to have two games worth of parts and credits under your belt, and if you don't, it will break out the belt and go to town on you. This was the reason I was hesitant to LP any of the Armored Core games myself. Because while I'm a massive fan of the series and know more than most do about the games, I've never played one without Gamesharking it in some way just because they were so hard, so if I did try to LP them straight it would have been an absolute disaster.
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Oct 17, 2014 22:33
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Singh Long posted:It's worse on the PSP version, where you really only have two games to work with beforehand, since Nexus and Ninebreaker were never ported. It's baffling how they didn't bother fixing that game's problems, despite being able to add newer parts in the prior PSP ports. But you only had two games to go off of in the original too? Nexus and Nine Breaker don't have cross compatibility with 3 and Silent Line. Actually, Last Raven PSP is significantly easier than its PS2 version just by virtue of having the bonus PSP parts, plus some assorted balance changes that made certain builds much stronger. Control difficulty, though... nine-gear crow posted:This was the reason I was hesitant to LP any of the Armored Core games myself. Because while I'm a massive fan of the series and know more than most do about the games, I've never played one without Gamesharking it in some way just because they were so hard, so if I did try to LP them straight it would have been an absolute disaster. At least in the AC1 series, you don't have to cheat, because the game gives you the "I Win" button relatively early on. God bless you, Karasawa, and your absolutely broken self. Speaking of, I'm getting started on a weapons/AC equipment writeup, and I think I might just cut the planned section on PvP and tournaments just because the scene is old enough to drive and my memories of downloading JP AC1 tournament videos on dial-up are so faded as to be irrelevant. All I remember is no Karasawa/Moonlight, and heavy weapons being irrelevant because of AC1's lovely FCS tracking pre-doublelock.
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Oct 17, 2014 22:54
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As a heads up, I'm putting together the final posts for this LP right now as this weekend is the only time I really have to work on them. ACES, if you still got more effortposts in the works, don't worry I'll add them in afterwards.
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Oct 19, 2014 19:27
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So, you're gonna be doing a different thread for each game? I thought I had more time on my hands since you said you were gonna run through PP and MoA.
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Oct 19, 2014 19:37
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ACES CURE PLANES posted:So, you're gonna be doing a different thread for each game? I thought I had more time on my hands since you said you were gonna run through PP and MoA. PP and MoA will happen eventually, most likely when I finish this semester, though whether or not I'm gonna try a different format with it is a different matter entirely.
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Oct 19, 2014 19:50
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So I just remember V and VD exist, but I can't seem to find V anywhere and for whatever reason it was never released for Games on Demand. I can get VD for five bucks though, but is it worth skipping V?
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Oct 19, 2014 22:15
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Singh Long posted:So I just remember V and VD exist, but I can't seem to find V anywhere and for whatever reason it was never released for Games on Demand. I can get VD for five bucks though, but is it worth skipping V?
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Oct 19, 2014 22:39
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Part 12: 100% Completion This is it. The last four missions available to us in Armored Core. There's still a couple goodies to get during this part, but after that we will have a 100% complete game.  First on the docket, Release Organisms.  We have uncovered the true nature of the mysterious organisms that appeared in Gal City. They are not organisms, but rather a type of biological weapon. They were developed by Chemical-Dyne Co., a biochemical manufacturer allied with Chrome. They were lax in telling the truth and taking responsibility for the incident. This is your mission. Break into Chemical-Dyne's research facility, search for biological weapons and release all of them upon discovery. The facility is certain to have a considerable number of test species. Releasing them all will certainly cause the facility to collapse. This will cause much damage to Chrome. This may seem like a dirty trick, but it is the most effective method to stop Chrome from running amuck. Naturally, do not bother the biological weapons. We will deducted 500 C from your pay for each one killed. Detailed instructions will be given to you by radio after you have entered the facility.  Before we had helped Chrome in destroying the organisms that escaped, but we had an opportunity to take this mission before hand in order to effectively play both sides. Release Organisms  Also, this mission requires us going to EVERY pen in order to release the bugs. In the Exterminate Organisms mission we only needed to kill a certain number of queens to complete it. Here, we're sweeping the whole facility.  Just find these gates here with the glass walls, shoot the mechanism, and repeat until success.  Because we can get deducted for killing one of the bugs, how can it be possible when there's no way inside the pens? Well, there is a way, and it's through this hole. Obviously don't go down it.   Another satisfactory turn out on credits. Also, we got an email as a result from completing this mission.  When those biological weapons began overflowing into the streets, the Murakumo side skillfully manipulated public opinion to make it all seem to be the responsibility of Chrome. The tide can no longer be halted. Chrome will probably be destroyed, even if you do not do them in yourself. But they are not dead yet. It is said that nothing is more dangerous than a wounded animal. I'll be in touch Obviously had we done this during the main campaign, this message would serve as appropriate foreshadowing for how this conflict will end.  Well, we'll now move on to the next mission, Stop Security MT.  We have a mission for you regarding the old military facility where we previously sent a survey team. The survey of the first basement level is complete, but a passage thought to lead to the lower levels was found during the survey. However, just past it was an extremely powerful security MT that we could not defeat with our weapons. Oddly, it never comes out of the passage to attack us. It seems to be protecting something. Anyway, this facility still has many mysteries. According to a structural diagram of the place found on the first floor, there are several control panels for the Security MTs in the back. We want you to destroy them.  You thought the target was the MT in question, huh? Nope, it's three panels in the center area of the map instead. Stop Security MT  Thankfully for us, this mission starts us at the point right before we first saved the EERC survey team, so the mission is not as long as it could be.  Specific to this mission, there's this laser grid right in front of us that will do damage if we collide with it.  But as far as I can tell there's no way to turn it off so we just plow through it and sacrifice some AP. Still have plenty of health to get things done.  ...I have never seen that happen in all the times I've played this game. Too weird not to show.  Because of the complex layout of this area, I still consult the auto map screen to keep track of where I'm going. Those cubic rooms are where the targets are.  Those over there are the MTs that were shown in the briefing. Yeah, there's two of them. The client didn't realize there was more than one of them, making the mission title somewhat in accurate.  And there is one of the control panels. Just shoot it with what you got, and complete the mission.  I never tire of filling a small space with hot bursts of plasma...  Forgot to add, we also get a 300 C bonus for each enemy that is destroyed. And given the amount, we've actually made more than the initial reward even with expenses. That's nice.  This next mission is a big one, Kill "Struggle" Leader.  Great news! We have determined the whereabouts of the leader of the terrorist group "Struggle". He is in the Ruins of Vaella in the eastern Dragna region. This is the venue for secret meeting with his sponsor, Murakumo. Your mission: Destroy the enemy leader's AC. Up until now, many plans have been foiled by that one man. I loathe to admit it, but his skills are unmistakably well-honed. Nearly all reference material about the ruins was lost in the Great Destruction, so its internal structure is unknown. There may be traps, but you'll be OK in an AC. This is the chance of a lifetime. Do not fail us. Be sure to get him.  Now we get to take on the other terrorist organization that is backed by a mega corporation. Obviously, we would've been given this mission had we sided with Chrome instead of Murakumo. Kill "Struggle" Leader   This is a huge area, and most of the time it'll involve travelling down long, narrow corridors. Of course, being a terrorist base of operations, there are traps and security measures to try and keep us out, like wall mines...  ...or giant balls of fire being shot down the corridor.  However, about halfway through the level, there is a hallway where the floor can be destroyed. Down here is something valuable.  Yep, it's a very long drop.  Sitting there on an altar is the most powerful laser blade in the game, and also a reoccurring item through almost all From Software games. I'm sure you all know what I'm talking about.  Now for the tricky part of making it back to the top and resuming the mission. It's not as frustrating as the final mission of the game where you have to ascend and land on moving blocks in mid air, but maneuvering an AC that's airborne still requires a good deal of finesse.   The rest of the mission, we start seeing more regular enemies in our way, but thankfully there's an incentive to deal with them as they net 2000C per kill. In a small dark room near the end is the leader of "Struggle" but given the darkness of the area, and the fact that the fucker kept moving out of my view, it was hard for me to get a image of it. A lot of it was me firing blind, but the KARASAWA just tears through everything so it wasn't an issue.  Once again, the special additions outweigh the expenses and we make slightly more money than the promised reward. And we also got an email for completing this mission. Let's see what it says.  Take out the leader of a terrorist group and they run around like a chicken with its head cut off. Hopefully, this'll shut up those Murakumo scum too. We can't keep fighting forever. This world needs a powerful leader. One whose presence can lead and control all of humanity, and the sooner the better. As always, Chrome makes things very clear about their goals and don't sugar coat it. But never mind that, let's take a look at that new weapon we got.  This right here is the LS-99-MOONLIGHT, or simply referred to as the Moonlight Sword. The name, much like the KARASAWA, is an easter egg referring to weapon in the King's Field games called the Moonlight Greatsword which has appeared in many other From Software games like Otogi or Demon's Souls. Both weapons hand in hand give an AC incredible attack power. Obviously we're gonna swap out our old laser blade for this.  And with that, the ARC's final AC design is this. With only one mission left and one hidden part, we don't need any additional changes.  So let's start AC Battle, our last mission.  Come participate in an AC battle that the Nest will be holding over the next few days. This invitational event pits ace pilots in AC-to-AC battles where the winner takes all. Naturally, there are benefits to entering. The winner of each battle will be presented with prize money in an amount equivalent to the pay of a normal mission. We will decide the opponents for the battles. You are free to choose any weapons or equipment. We look forward to you participating actively.  I'm sure you're wondering, "Hey isn't this the exact same mission you did in the main game?" Well, the title and briefing is the exact same, but as you'll see, things are a bit different. AC Battle (2)  Hey look, it's Wildcat!  And just like the encounter with him before, he doesn't put up a huge fight. He does use his chain gun quite a bit, but that only makes him a sitting duck.  But, a few shots from the KARASAWA, and a Moonlight slash, the AC is destroyed.  Easy, peasy. But wait! We're not done yet. There's still one more thing to do.    During the Guard Wharf Warehouse mission, the item that you are hired to guard is an AC Radar part and can actually be obtained for yourself. Of course, the catch is that you fail the mission. So 100% completion in Armored Core requires that you at least have an imperfect win loss ratio for your missions.  But with that said, everything is done. All missions completed, every part obtained, and we even made it to the top of the rankings. Yes, it says I have 2 failures, I forgot to reload a save when I hosed up a mission during recording. Thank you to everyone that followed this LP. Though I don't have a specific time or plan yet for it, expect Project Phantasma and Master of Arena in the future, as I'd love to play and show off much more of this fantastic mecha series. I'll be in touch.
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Oct 20, 2014 02:51
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I will always love VD because of the Overed Weapons. I don't even care that they're not practical. I just love the name. Overed Weapons  UNKNOWN UNIT HAS CONNECTED. SYSTEM IN JEOPARDY. RECOMMENDING IMMEDIATE TERMINATION OF USE.
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Oct 20, 2014 02:54
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EX Part FINAL: All the Other Things This bonus part I figured would serve as a sort of grab bag for various AC concepts that I didn't find a relevant place for in the main LP. These mainly include trivia and small cheats the player the can use during the game, but there's also some details about the gameplay that weren't covered in detail. Thankfully, ACES CURE PLANES offered to provide some effort posts explaining these concepts. The first of which is a tactic that you may have seen constantly throughout the game, boost hopping. quote:Thankfully Arc has covered the basics for me, so I'll just jump into Boost Hopping, which he's shown off a bith in the videos but I haven't seen him detailing it. Essentially it's just engaging a normal ground boost, letting go for a split second, and pressing it again to transfer seamlessly into a flying state. From there you let off the boost for most of your arc, but reengage when near the ground to reduce your falling speed enough that you don't need to recover. That lets you transition into a ground boost again, allowing you to stay in the upper range of your max boosting speed while using less than half the energy, which kind of speaks for itself really. Boost hopping is ubiquitous across the entire series, and is the core concept behind a lot of AC techniques in the PSX-PS2 games. And while not a mechanic itself, ACES explains an interesting quirk in the movement of an AC that is just important to the use of boost hopping. quote:And with that said, boost hopping has more uses than just going pretty fast on the cheap, it also gives you added maneuverability in general thanks to the perverse logic behind AC's physics. When entering the air off a boost hop, you can cancel your forward momentum and start moving in any direction you want by just maneuvering with your boosters off. Since your normal ground and air turning is relatively slow by comparison, this lets you make (blind) hairpin turns while you wait for your AC to swing its eyes around to the front. Obviously, it's also useful for general purpose evasion but also for PVE and PVP FCS manipulation, which I don't know if I'll get to out of fear of breaking my keyboard. The Origin of the KARASAWA I briefly explained the origin of the Moonlight laser blade and it being a carry over from the King's Field series' Moonlight Greatsword. While it is a common name that's carried across many of From Software's titles, the KARASAWA is a similar type of item though it is only exclusive to Armored Core itself. The KARASAWA is named after the game's producer, Yasuyoshi Karasawa. While it is not a carry over from a previous series, this weapon does set a precedence for the rest of the series that each generational step in Armored Cores necessitates there be a new version of the KARASAWA, and that it must be powerful as all hell. The KARASAWA mk II in Armored Core 2 and Another Age serves this perfect to a tee, being just like the original KARASAWA with additional accuracy and powerful stun capabilities. The WMG-KARASAWA in Armored Core 3 and Silent Line would increase the bulk of the weapon along with it's power, making it the strongest iteration of the weapon. However, with Armored Core Nexus through Last Raven, the WH04HL-KRSW would be the latest iteration and also the weakest of the KARASAWA line, a change not necessarily exclusive to this but a lot of weapons and parts across the board. The KARASAWA name is dropped in favor of the CANOPUS for Armored Core 4. Today, Armored Core V and Verdict Day feature not one, but THREE variations of the KARASAWA line. The Karasawa (no caps lock) is based on the original KARASAWA weapons pre Nexus that are big, have lots of power, but compared to the 50 shots of the old games only holds 4. The second one, the KRSW, is based on the Nexus iteration of the weapon, being light, holding 40 shots, and not as powerful as its predecessor. Then there is the L-K37 to serve as a middle ground between the two versions. That right there is the history of the KARASAWA line in a nutshell. Repurposing Chrome and Murakumo The details of the two corporations in universe have been explored already, but their names would not stay only with this series (even if they ultimately have nothing to do with Armored Core specifically). From Software created two games on the Xbox platforms that borrowed these two megacorps' names. The first was Murakumo: Renegade Mech Pursuit for the original Xbox, and the main idea behind it is that you are pursuing other robots with your own personal mecha called the Cloud Breaker in high speed chase missions. It...didn't review so well. But the Cloud Breaker itself did find itself a brief second life as one of the mechs in another From Soft series, Another Century's Episode. It was only featured in the first game, however. Chrome, however, had it's name used for the fairly popular Xbox 360 multiplayer mecha game, Chromehounds. It's obviously more well remembered due to its in depth mecha customization and the persistent online multiplayer that it supported for years. But alas, the servers have been shut down for a while now, and the multiplayer concept made something of a return with Armored Core V and Verdict Day. So yeah, both names survived for a few years and were re purposed for non-AC mech games. Obviously there's no real connection to Armored Core in any of these games, however tenuous they could be, but it shows the From Software has a habit of recycling and reusing certain items and names because they feel like it. Some Cheat Codes There aren't too many of them, and none of them will give you any real advantage while playing, but there's some things you can mess around with. Pressing Triangle, Square, and Start at the same time during a mission will change the viewpoint to a first person perspective, making it resemble more something like a first person shooter. You won't deal with the camera issues that come with pressing an AC's back against a wall, but it still controls exactly the same. And it's not a representation of what it looks like piloting an AC inside, as Silent Line would be the first and only game to feature a proper cockpit view. Pressing Circle, X, and Start at the same time during a mission will actually look the camera in place, and will track your AC while staying in place. If you remember Super Mario 64, one of the camera modes you could mess around with had this exact function. Of course, none of it is practical in anyway for serious play, and this being Armored Core it is always serious. At the start of the game you are asked to enter your pilot name, and after that there's seemingly no way to change it after the fact. But there is! When in the garage, highlight "Change AC Name" and hold L2, R2, Square, and then tap X to select it. Now you can change your pilot name to something else. Eventually future games would have this as a default feature than some code you have to use. Lastly, if you go to the Edit Emblem section of the main menu, highlight an emblem, hold L1 + R1, and press select and that emblem will now appear in the background. Not gameplay related, but again like the rest of these codes, they're just for messing around. Why is that AC Dual Wielding? You may have noticed it already, but if not, take a close look at the AC on the cover of the game.  That AC is holding rifles in each hand. That is not possible. At least until Armored Core 3. As established in AC 1, the only left arm weapons available in the game are laser blades used for off hand melee. Armored Core 2 expanded left arm weapons somewhat by introducing shields, letting players choose to add some extra attack or defensive capabilities to their ACs. Armored Core 3 would be the first to allow for proper ranged weapons that can be assigned to the left arm of the AC, including howitzers, mini rockets, laser rifles, and so on. This would obviously continue to expand to the point that in more recent games you can effectively duel wield the exact same weapon in each hand. Technology comes quite a ways. Demo Missions Like many games back in the day, there were discs that contained multiple demos for upcoming games that people could receive, and Armored Core was one of them. The Armored Core demo for those that remember featured two early game missions: "Eliminate Squatters" and "Remove Gun Emplacement." One Final Reward When you complete the game 100%, you are given permission to build absolutely whatever AC you want. Including ones that go against the rules of what you can build. On a 100% complete file, the Overweight or Low Energy requirements do not prevent you from going on a mission and do not affect gameplay. This would eventually change in later PS2 Armored Core games where you are given the option to go into battle overweight, but at the expense of mobility until you purge whatever parts are weighing you down. Similar to how more modern games with encumbrance don't prevent you from moving at all, just letting you move at a snail's pace instead. ArclightBorealis fucked around with this message at 05:10 on Nov 12, 2014 |
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Oct 20, 2014 04:02
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A little late to the party here, but congrats on completing the LP. It was nice to see you chump 9-Ball, for the first time at least. The last mission of this game appears on the Revolution disc you get with AC: Nexus. It is just as loving terrible there as it was here. gently caress giant floating boxes forever. On the other hand the ending for Nexus is amazing and I hope you get around to LPing it at some point.
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Oct 20, 2014 05:52
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