Armored Core 4: Behind the Raven

 

With fans in Japan and the US alike waiting for the PS3 release of Armored Core 4, it might be interesting to sit back, and just figure out how things work in the Armored Core (AC) universe.

From Software released this interesting story on their AC main site, and while it’s mostly the narration of one Raven’s battle, it’s interesting to point out that as the battle progresses, it also narrates in bits and pieces the inner workings of the Armored Core.

To fellow Ravens out there: ever wondered why there were so few Ravens in-game, cost of equipment aside?

It turns out that an AC isn’t just a joystick/throttle/footpedal deal like your typical Gundam/VF – it’s wired directly to the pilots’ nerve center, and this explains why even your average Raven (Apple Boy from AC3 comes to mind) can move that fluidly, or why top-class Ravens in-game like Genobee (Nexus) and Zenaida (Last Raven) get away with such cheesy intros (Nineball excluded because he ain’t human).

The cybernetics allows for human movement that in-game MT’s (It stands for Muscle Tracer, btw) just can’t mimic. Still following us?

This is where the flaw comes in: cybernetics always entails dangerous sensory overload. Migraines are just one idea, but a more evident sign is when you kill another raven in-game. Ever wondered why they always seem to have a death cry? It’s not for dramatic effect – if we’re following this translation properly – it’s because they’re feeling it as you blow them to kingdom come.

So, why are there so few Ravens? Story-wise, it seems, only a small percentage have the neural processing speed to keep up with their machine’s performance. That’s the rough idea we’ve gotten from the site,  though comments on better translation are welcome to shed some light on this new aspect to life as a Raven.

Man, if it’s this tough just to be a Raven, imagine what it must be like being an OP-I guinea pig. Brrr.

 

With fans in Japan and the US alike waiting for the PS3 release of Armored Core 4, it might be interesting to sit back, and just figure out how things work in the Armored Core (AC) universe.

From Software released this interesting story on their AC main site, and while it’s mostly the narration of one Raven’s battle, it’s interesting to point out that as the battle progresses, it also narrates in bits and pieces the inner workings of the Armored Core.

To fellow Ravens out there: ever wondered why there were so few Ravens in-game, cost of equipment aside?

It turns out that an AC isn’t just a joystick/throttle/footpedal deal like your typical Gundam/VF – it’s wired directly to the pilots’ nerve center, and this explains why even your average Raven (Apple Boy from AC3 comes to mind) can move that fluidly, or why top-class Ravens in-game like Genobee (Nexus) and Zenaida (Last Raven) get away with such cheesy intros (Nineball excluded because he ain’t human).

The cybernetics allows for human movement that in-game MT’s (It stands for Muscle Tracer, btw) just can’t mimic. Still following us?

This is where the flaw comes in: cybernetics always entails dangerous sensory overload. Migraines are just one idea, but a more evident sign is when you kill another raven in-game. Ever wondered why they always seem to have a death cry? It’s not for dramatic effect – if we’re following this translation properly – it’s because they’re feeling it as you blow them to kingdom come.

So, why are there so few Ravens? Story-wise, it seems, only a small percentage have the neural processing speed to keep up with their machine’s performance. That’s the rough idea we’ve gotten from the site,  though comments on better translation are welcome to shed some light on this new aspect to life as a Raven.

Man, if it’s this tough just to be a Raven, imagine what it must be like being an OP-I guinea pig. Brrr.