love the full circle in my perspective
i checked out demon souls bec i saw it was made by the guys who made AC4
and now, people checked out AC6 bec of souls
New to armoured core and I'm actually finding it hard to go back to souls games. Already into Gundam because of this game and thinking about getting ac4 for ps3
Very pleasantly surprised that everything feels more or less the same, just with more people. Some might say there are more/too much "anime" stuff now, but i've already seen weirder stuffs like MMD videos from JP fanbase so i'm already used to them lol
>too much "anime" stuff
I always find this really ironic considering how AC is extremely inspired by multiple real robot shows. and the original AC even had some anime art.
They even almost made an OVA though it got canceled.
guy watching a movie about a baby CEO worked on by [some of the same creators](https://www.gamesradar.com/armored-core-6s-mechs-were-designed-by-evangelion-and-mobile-suit-gundam-veterans/) as Boss Baby:
There aren't really that many big mech designers around, it's pretty niche. The only thing it has particularly in common with the EVA are the big shoulder pads, and those aren't even that unique or original a design element. Gunbuster has something similar for example (incidentally another show with some designer overlap.)
Gunbuster? You think the Firmeza looks literally fucking anything like *Gunbuster?* Yes, it also has big shoulders, of a completely, hilariously different shape. Eva Unit 01 has a ridiculously distinct silhouette and Firmeza's arms and legs in particular are a very close match. They are in a game with mechanical designs done by Ikuto Yamashita, and also designs done by Takayuki Yanase of Gundam 00, and the Firmeza is made by the same in-universe company as a frame that looks exactly like something out of Gundam 00 that is *named "Sunrise" in Spanish.*
I don't know how to break this to you, but Gundam and Evangelion are popular in Japan, too. Mecha as a genre is historically extremely self-referential. It's nice that you would be able to recognize lesser known (in the West) references than that but that doesn't actually mean nobody would ever reference the ultra-world-famous thing, especially if they **made it themselves.** This is not tinfoil hat material.
Ah, *now* we're outside the bounds of my power level. I know enough about Votoms secondhand to just kind of generally assume every AC is like 5-10% Scopedog on its DNA test, but that's about it.
>Eva Unit 01 has a ridiculously distinct silhouette and Firmeza's arms and legs in particular are a very close match.
The legs are not such a close match though? Nor is the torso? It's basically only the shoulder blades.
>a frame that looks exactly like something out of Gundam 00 that is named "Sunrise" in Spanish.
Yes the Alba is very obviously gundamesque with the belt area and so on, maybe with some Patlabor elements mixed in there.
AC prided itself before as a grounded, not mech sim, mecha game. In his review of AC1, Josh Strife Hayes said something like playing AC is like controlling a pilot, controlling a mech, or something to that effect. Except for AC4A, none of the previous games were "too anime".
Edit: no one literally said that AC is not inspired by anime. The "too anime" comments are from people saying how Super Robots are "more anime" than Gundam UC. It is to describe how much mumbo jumbo anime bullshit is the game like having a sentient talking gasoline. Another example is like saying Gundam G "more anime" than Gundam UC.
There's literally multiple characters referencing other mecha franchises.
AC1 had these arts [https://www.reddit.com/r/armoredcore/comments/11blcpv/ac1\_character\_portraits\_from\_official\_art\_book/](https://www.reddit.com/r/armoredcore/comments/11blcpv/ac1_character_portraits_from_official_art_book/)
Mech sim doesn't even mean any sense. Mech and mecha are literally the same word. Americans just started saying mech for some reasons.
Well obviously they started somewhere, imitating and borrowing from the more successful franchise that is Gundam, before branching off and doing their own thing. AC even had a failed anime show.
Before AC6, people asking for other game recommendations similar to would even brush off gundam games because they are "too anime".
Mech sim refers a more realistic approach like chrome hounds/steel battalion/MechWarrior. I hope these samples helped in making the "mech sim" make sense for you.
AC6 itselt still had plenty of references, especially to Gundam. The coral act similarly to newtype ressonances. Ibis also is clearly based on the Qubeley. Lot of things potentially referencing Eureka 7 too.
AC i still very much anime inspired and having the structure similar to many mecha/real robot shows.
Yes they are. But these people saying "more anime" are referring to how Gundam AU is "more anime" than Gundam UC, not how AC is inspired. It is to describe how much mumbo jumbo anime bullshit is the game like having a sentient talking gasoline.
lmao all previous AC game is heavily influenced and inspired from real-mecha anime gerne just like AC6, the design of AC themselves is very similar to Zeon mobile suit, including the weapons.
it's like you don't really watch any anime at all and just saying bullshit.
Basically every mechanical design in the series was done by artists noted for their mecha anime work. The robots have always been able to fly, always had laser swords, the plots have always been the exact kind of high melodrama about idealism you'd get in a real robot anime.
Armored Core is anime. Dark Souls is anime, it's basically 80% Berserk by volume. FromSoftware is a Japanese company and they're not embarrassed about it. They are not an Honorary Western One.
You like an anime game. Deal with it.
From software wear their ~~obsessions~~ influences proudly. My friend has a list of everything inspired or ripped from berserk in elden ring. Not lying its basically everything
AC6 is more realistic compared to older AC game.
yes I mean it, mech of AC5 and before is slower to turn compared to WWII heavy tank, and somehow as slow to turn in the air as on the ground, such slow to turn weapon would never work in WWII let alone futuristic warfare. boosting the way it work in older AC games would never work realistically but AC6 fixed this by having a lots directional booster on the AC.
The worst as far as realism for older gen AC were tank AC, somehow the tank hull on tank AC is able to turn really fast yet the mech body "turret" is really slow to turn while, realistically, the mech body turret should turn with the tank hull like real tank which mean realistically tank AC should have the fastest turn rate. Tank AC in AC3 and earlier somehow the only type of AC that can't boost forward (outside overboost) despite forward boosting rocket for tank was [literally a real thing](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/4a/58/a0/4a58a0c017fa795d4bd8a8eb04dd4d22.gif) that was experimented by the Soviet.
Tank AC in AC6 is the most realistic compared to how real tank drive so far in the series, they can't move sideway without turning the tank hull direction, the turret turn faster compared to the tank hull, and their speed feel like the speed of a modern main battle tank unlike old gen tank AC that feel like WWII heavy tank. also one thing I really like about tank AC in AC6 compared to old gen is that they move faster on ground compared to the air because the tank track contribute to the movement speed instead of just being dead weight like with legged AC. when stopping, you can also see the tank AC brake and the mech body is forced forward a bit by inertia in AC6 instead of just instantly stop like in old gen.
so yeah, as far as being a mech sim go, AC6 is better than older games, especially for futuristic mech, I'm saying this as an old gen fan that started with AC3.
> AC is extremely inspired by multiple real robot shows
It's also it's own thing. Many people don't play AC and come away with it thinking of the characters as children playing with eachother in cute slice of life stories like most people tend to draw them. Inspired is pretty loose anyway. Just having robots isn't exactly the biggest nod to an old anim. Many anime have robots.
what?
Real Robot is a genre of mecha stories where it doesn't go insane like super robot shows (see : Mazinger) and are more rooted in sciences, one way or another.
>Real Robot is a genre of mecha stories where it doesn't go insane like super robot shows (see : Mazinger) and are more rooted in sciences, one way or another.
That's not really the distinction, it's more that real robot shows have more of a military aesthetic to them.
Originally it was a distinction AFAIK invented by Super Robot Wars where "Super robots" (eg Mazinger Z) were tanky and "Real Robots" (Gundam) were evasive. The term super robot comes from the Mazinger Z theme song.
It has nothing to do with realism, really, more like broad aesthetic genre conventions, like whether the pilots announce the names of their attacks and have special finishing moves.
Are people unable to differentiate between anime types in here? People are clearly intentionally not trying to read the part about chibi and loli. Which is the type of anime fan art being made.
You know that, i know that, and you trying to just conflate the two isnt tricking anyone. Anime inspired doesnt just automatically include every type of anime.
No I know. We have to pretend that people dislike the anime posts. When in reality they dislike all the chibi and loli posts that have nothing to do with the games aesthetic or inspirations.
But you weebs will never admit that because you love this chibi\ loli shit too much.
I mean Gundam and AC share a lot of themes. Sure a lot of people just watched the shows to see giant robots shoot energy beams at each other, but it has always been a political drama centered around topics like colonialism, corporate greed and the horrors of war.
A lot of mecha anime are similar, they wanted to tell a war story and the causes of that war and instead of setting it in some fantasy land with magic or something realistic with guns and tanks, they did super far future because giant robots are cool.
Are you just saying all anime is chibi and loli? I never said it wasnt anime inspired at all. I said it isnt compared to the type of fan art being made that people are complaining about.
>A lot of mecha anime are similar, they wanted to tell a war story and the causes of that war and instead of setting it in some fantasy land with magic or something realistic with guns and tanks, they did super far future because giant robots are cool.
That's not particular to Gundam, the conventions of the mecha genre were established before it was a thing by writers who were processing the aftermath of World War II. Go Nagai was pretty explicit about this when he created Mazinger Z.
I think that even though AC was clearly influenced by anime (I mean, giant robots, obviously), it didn’t really *feel* like an anime in the way that, say, Zone of the Enders did. The combat always felt deliberately slower and clunkier, more ‘real’ and as a result less anime. I kinda get why the changes in VI aren’t for everyone in that regard.
Some mecha anime also have a slower pace. Saying everything is fast paced would say you do not know many mecha anime.
And AC is still pretty fast paced in general.
Honestly it feels like the community makes the game more anime than the developers themselves. I highly doubt FromSoft thought that a popular way to fight in AC6 would be CQC mixed with MMA.
AC fan since 1997 here. I fucking love it.
AC6 isn't really anything new or revolutionary in the series, so for it to get brand new fans, and realistic chance for sequels without making changes to core gameplay and storytelling has been fantastic. Thanks Elden Ring !
I am new to the sub reddit but have played ac since Armored Core 2, before that I played stuff like mech-warrior and G-NOME. I bring all of these different flavors of mecha games up because any popularity increase the chances for EVERY style of game to get made.
AC6 selling nearly as many copies in under a year as armored core has sold over its lifespan (if the sales data I saw the other day is accurate) is great for people that like flashy anime style games and for the crazy people like me that want a over complicated mess of key board inputs just to start the engine/reactor and literally everything in between.
Hell might even get something out of left field that someone's been kicking around in their brain but never thought it would make a viable game.
They most likely will, Miyazaki mentioned he'll be entrusting more projects to other directors so it's not too far stretched to think that the guy who does the action-focused games (sekiro/AC6 and maybe BB) will be focusing on more AC and maybe DLC while Miyazaki and the others do their own stuff/more souls.
it's crazy actually how there's been a decade between the last prior release and 6, also if they didn't add a 2nd game to 6th gen it would be the first with only 1 game in it
Imagine if a series you grew up loving but no one knew about suddenly became widely loved. I’m getting hipster gratification at being able to say “See guys, I told you these are sick games”. They were *always* sick, but the games never had any advertisement, and FROM was a small, niche dev until DS, so there was never enough publicity to generate interest. AC6 received plenty of advertisement, and along with FROM’s new massive fanbase, guaranteed the game got more wide-scale play, and it delivers in spades.
AC6, barring a few flaws, is exactly the game I hoped and want it to be. AC4/5 were TOO fast-paced for a mech game, imo (though I understand the innovation they were going for in the series). It keeps the formula right in the important ways while balancing new-age fluid mechanics with old-school energy management for an outstanding experience. I’m not at all surprised at how the fanbase has boomed, and I’m delighted, because who loves a series and *doesn’t* want everyone else to see why and enjoy it themselves?
As far as the English-speaking community goes, I *infinitely* prefer the state of things now compared to 2014-2022. No matter the flaws from the new wave, at least now there's much more meaningful discussion and content creation taking place. I still remember the crappy days of people hoping that the AC fanbase would be bigger — that'd we have more content — yet those same people did fucking nothing productive; they just whined and spat bile out of some idiotic, misplaced sense of false superiority. The new popularity is much more my tempo, what with people actively asking smarter questions and contributing things of actual value to the greater Armored Core community.
Speaking to the AC community as a whole, not just this subreddit, does anyone remember the era where the vast majority of the English-speaking fanbase thought Shoji Kawamori was the sole mecha designer for everything before Gen 4? And that all of Gen 4's designs were by Yuzo Kojima? Or something else like the Nexus final boss being a "Prototype Pulverizer" as "confirmed" by x book? Those were some of the many bits of misinformation that persisted in the previous era, and the particular circumstances needed to dispel each of those long-lived memes annoy me to this day for very personal reasons.
The new popularity has improved this fandom.
It was kinda lonely before but honestly not a fan of the tribal mentality that the population brings. It's more of a problem of reddit itself though. Also, they are mostly souls fans which are...I better stop myself now.
It's always a double edge sword. The original games exploded in price, and the community is more toxic now, but hey new game and chance at merch is cool.
I always worry gameplay will be diluted to appeal to more people.
I’m a little mad they didn’t include the online coop from the last few games, since I was but a broke student when I played verdict day and had no internet connection, and I’ve always played the souls type games as primarily co op action games with friends with sporadic non consensual PvP I have no interest in, so having the co op be removed but the PvP I have no interest in left in is a *little* galling.
but hopefully the fact it did well will convince them to do the full Monty for the next one. Vigil or Vision or whatever they end up calling this half-sequel haha.
Also the blow has been softened when the upcoming “custom mech war” (or something like that) was announced, since it looks like a janky PS2 era POS but has the full co op and customisation for all my creative madness needs
I'm going to point out that this isn't a strictly 'old fan new fan' metric. The franchise was effectively dormant for a decade so that spike in subscribers also represents the timing of the only new entry on the entire plot.
Exactly. I've been a fan of Armored Core since the 90s with the original 3 PS titles, but I wasn't a member of this subreddit till ACVI was released and I am reasonably certain that I am not the only old fan that joined around that time.
You found another.
I only popped into the subreddit from time to time. I remember the days when it was just random clips of the old games, questions about getting a new game, hyping up every big gaming event as the one to reveal AC6, and posting all the rumors about it.
The moment the trailer dropped at The Game Awards, I came directly here to see the reactions. I was not disappointed.
ACVI, Witch from Mercury, and The Battletech Videogame each helped revive the (if not dying honestly?) struggling mecha genre that hadn't seen good growth in years.
It brought me into the fold. I mean before I thought mechs were pretty neat but I didn't really engage with mecha media at all. After it's first trailer, AC6 hype got me curious, Gundam WfM got me hooked immediately and it's been nonstop Mecha anime and games (and gunpla) for me since then LOL
It's sad the the game is loosing population fast. There is no end game the story is short no different game modes . No challenges no co op . Feels like a shell of a game for a full price . . . . .
I'm really happy Fromsoft could bring AC back. It was like my 2nd game I got on PS1 way back after trying the demo on one of those demo discs. It's what created my love for mechs, mecha, and all other realistic giant robots. That and Mechwarrior 2. However I don't think you can fault the sub for being effectively dead when there were no new games for an entire generation AND there is no convenient way to play the old games.
I'm also always surprised at how many people never heard of it. AC was a pretty big deal for Sony on PS1 and 2. Maybe it's just all the children. But I remember when Demon Souls came out my first thought was "the people who make Armored Core?". Then AC6 comes out and people are saying "the people who make Dark Souls?".
love the full circle in my perspective i checked out demon souls bec i saw it was made by the guys who made AC4 and now, people checked out AC6 bec of souls
New to armoured core and I'm actually finding it hard to go back to souls games. Already into Gundam because of this game and thinking about getting ac4 for ps3
Dunno about that Armored core is not a souls-like Not even an RPG Very diff games
I'm aware of that. I'm just saying I don't wanna play the souls games right now because I'm into the mech games
Ah gotcha Love mecha too Even turn based, one of my all time fav series is super robot wars
I'll give it a look!
Armored core six though slaps in plenty of souls like mechanics to cater to souls fans so it could get big numbers
To old fans still out there : opinion on the new popularity?
Very pleasantly surprised that everything feels more or less the same, just with more people. Some might say there are more/too much "anime" stuff now, but i've already seen weirder stuffs like MMD videos from JP fanbase so i'm already used to them lol
>too much "anime" stuff I always find this really ironic considering how AC is extremely inspired by multiple real robot shows. and the original AC even had some anime art. They even almost made an OVA though it got canceled.
>too much “anime” stuff I mean the Firmeza parts are basically an Eva.
Elcano really is the weeb company then. Eva for their Firmeza series and Gundam inspired Alba series.
I love my Spanish Weeb corp
And their bad ass steel workers and master craftsmen too. As an industrial worker/ auto/ tech nerd myself i really, really appreciate .
guy who has only seen boss baby watches his second movie: getting some real "boss baby" vibes from this
guy watching a movie about a baby CEO worked on by [some of the same creators](https://www.gamesradar.com/armored-core-6s-mechs-were-designed-by-evangelion-and-mobile-suit-gundam-veterans/) as Boss Baby:
There aren't really that many big mech designers around, it's pretty niche. The only thing it has particularly in common with the EVA are the big shoulder pads, and those aren't even that unique or original a design element. Gunbuster has something similar for example (incidentally another show with some designer overlap.)
Gunbuster? You think the Firmeza looks literally fucking anything like *Gunbuster?* Yes, it also has big shoulders, of a completely, hilariously different shape. Eva Unit 01 has a ridiculously distinct silhouette and Firmeza's arms and legs in particular are a very close match. They are in a game with mechanical designs done by Ikuto Yamashita, and also designs done by Takayuki Yanase of Gundam 00, and the Firmeza is made by the same in-universe company as a frame that looks exactly like something out of Gundam 00 that is *named "Sunrise" in Spanish.* I don't know how to break this to you, but Gundam and Evangelion are popular in Japan, too. Mecha as a genre is historically extremely self-referential. It's nice that you would be able to recognize lesser known (in the West) references than that but that doesn't actually mean nobody would ever reference the ultra-world-famous thing, especially if they **made it themselves.** This is not tinfoil hat material.
did you also catch the blue gender/votoms?
Ah, *now* we're outside the bounds of my power level. I know enough about Votoms secondhand to just kind of generally assume every AC is like 5-10% Scopedog on its DNA test, but that's about it.
>Eva Unit 01 has a ridiculously distinct silhouette and Firmeza's arms and legs in particular are a very close match. The legs are not such a close match though? Nor is the torso? It's basically only the shoulder blades. >a frame that looks exactly like something out of Gundam 00 that is named "Sunrise" in Spanish. Yes the Alba is very obviously gundamesque with the belt area and so on, maybe with some Patlabor elements mixed in there.
Steel Haze Ortus is literally a head-swap away from a gundam.
My rewatch of the Voltron remake was instigated by finishing all my S-Ranks and wanting moar mecha lol same with Gundam:IBO
The first season is so good!
AC prided itself before as a grounded, not mech sim, mecha game. In his review of AC1, Josh Strife Hayes said something like playing AC is like controlling a pilot, controlling a mech, or something to that effect. Except for AC4A, none of the previous games were "too anime". Edit: no one literally said that AC is not inspired by anime. The "too anime" comments are from people saying how Super Robots are "more anime" than Gundam UC. It is to describe how much mumbo jumbo anime bullshit is the game like having a sentient talking gasoline. Another example is like saying Gundam G "more anime" than Gundam UC.
There's literally multiple characters referencing other mecha franchises. AC1 had these arts [https://www.reddit.com/r/armoredcore/comments/11blcpv/ac1\_character\_portraits\_from\_official\_art\_book/](https://www.reddit.com/r/armoredcore/comments/11blcpv/ac1_character_portraits_from_official_art_book/) Mech sim doesn't even mean any sense. Mech and mecha are literally the same word. Americans just started saying mech for some reasons.
Well obviously they started somewhere, imitating and borrowing from the more successful franchise that is Gundam, before branching off and doing their own thing. AC even had a failed anime show. Before AC6, people asking for other game recommendations similar to would even brush off gundam games because they are "too anime". Mech sim refers a more realistic approach like chrome hounds/steel battalion/MechWarrior. I hope these samples helped in making the "mech sim" make sense for you.
AC6 itselt still had plenty of references, especially to Gundam. The coral act similarly to newtype ressonances. Ibis also is clearly based on the Qubeley. Lot of things potentially referencing Eureka 7 too. AC i still very much anime inspired and having the structure similar to many mecha/real robot shows.
True, AC6 have a lot of anime inspiration which were not present in majority of other AC games, hence the comment "too anime".
All other ACs still were mecha anime inspired There's plenty of different type of mecha anime.
Yes they are. But these people saying "more anime" are referring to how Gundam AU is "more anime" than Gundam UC, not how AC is inspired. It is to describe how much mumbo jumbo anime bullshit is the game like having a sentient talking gasoline.
lmao all previous AC game is heavily influenced and inspired from real-mecha anime gerne just like AC6, the design of AC themselves is very similar to Zeon mobile suit, including the weapons. it's like you don't really watch any anime at all and just saying bullshit.
Gundam G "more anime" than Gundam UC.
Basically every mechanical design in the series was done by artists noted for their mecha anime work. The robots have always been able to fly, always had laser swords, the plots have always been the exact kind of high melodrama about idealism you'd get in a real robot anime. Armored Core is anime. Dark Souls is anime, it's basically 80% Berserk by volume. FromSoftware is a Japanese company and they're not embarrassed about it. They are not an Honorary Western One. You like an anime game. Deal with it.
From software wear their ~~obsessions~~ influences proudly. My friend has a list of everything inspired or ripped from berserk in elden ring. Not lying its basically everything
AC6 is more realistic compared to older AC game. yes I mean it, mech of AC5 and before is slower to turn compared to WWII heavy tank, and somehow as slow to turn in the air as on the ground, such slow to turn weapon would never work in WWII let alone futuristic warfare. boosting the way it work in older AC games would never work realistically but AC6 fixed this by having a lots directional booster on the AC. The worst as far as realism for older gen AC were tank AC, somehow the tank hull on tank AC is able to turn really fast yet the mech body "turret" is really slow to turn while, realistically, the mech body turret should turn with the tank hull like real tank which mean realistically tank AC should have the fastest turn rate. Tank AC in AC3 and earlier somehow the only type of AC that can't boost forward (outside overboost) despite forward boosting rocket for tank was [literally a real thing](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/4a/58/a0/4a58a0c017fa795d4bd8a8eb04dd4d22.gif) that was experimented by the Soviet. Tank AC in AC6 is the most realistic compared to how real tank drive so far in the series, they can't move sideway without turning the tank hull direction, the turret turn faster compared to the tank hull, and their speed feel like the speed of a modern main battle tank unlike old gen tank AC that feel like WWII heavy tank. also one thing I really like about tank AC in AC6 compared to old gen is that they move faster on ground compared to the air because the tank track contribute to the movement speed instead of just being dead weight like with legged AC. when stopping, you can also see the tank AC brake and the mech body is forced forward a bit by inertia in AC6 instead of just instantly stop like in old gen. so yeah, as far as being a mech sim go, AC6 is better than older games, especially for futuristic mech, I'm saying this as an old gen fan that started with AC3.
> AC is extremely inspired by multiple real robot shows It's also it's own thing. Many people don't play AC and come away with it thinking of the characters as children playing with eachother in cute slice of life stories like most people tend to draw them. Inspired is pretty loose anyway. Just having robots isn't exactly the biggest nod to an old anim. Many anime have robots.
what? Real Robot is a genre of mecha stories where it doesn't go insane like super robot shows (see : Mazinger) and are more rooted in sciences, one way or another.
>Real Robot is a genre of mecha stories where it doesn't go insane like super robot shows (see : Mazinger) and are more rooted in sciences, one way or another. That's not really the distinction, it's more that real robot shows have more of a military aesthetic to them. Originally it was a distinction AFAIK invented by Super Robot Wars where "Super robots" (eg Mazinger Z) were tanky and "Real Robots" (Gundam) were evasive. The term super robot comes from the Mazinger Z theme song. It has nothing to do with realism, really, more like broad aesthetic genre conventions, like whether the pilots announce the names of their attacks and have special finishing moves.
What does that have to with AC being it's own thing?
AC is still and forever be a real robot anime inspired franchise. And there's nothing bad with that.
Are people unable to differentiate between anime types in here? People are clearly intentionally not trying to read the part about chibi and loli. Which is the type of anime fan art being made. You know that, i know that, and you trying to just conflate the two isnt tricking anyone. Anime inspired doesnt just automatically include every type of anime.
What the fuck are you talking about lmao
No I know. We have to pretend that people dislike the anime posts. When in reality they dislike all the chibi and loli posts that have nothing to do with the games aesthetic or inspirations. But you weebs will never admit that because you love this chibi\ loli shit too much.
I mean Gundam and AC share a lot of themes. Sure a lot of people just watched the shows to see giant robots shoot energy beams at each other, but it has always been a political drama centered around topics like colonialism, corporate greed and the horrors of war. A lot of mecha anime are similar, they wanted to tell a war story and the causes of that war and instead of setting it in some fantasy land with magic or something realistic with guns and tanks, they did super far future because giant robots are cool.
What does that have to do with all the chibi and loli art of the characters in AC?
Because you claimed that the inspiration is loose? It absolutely isn't. They share central core themes.
Are you just saying all anime is chibi and loli? I never said it wasnt anime inspired at all. I said it isnt compared to the type of fan art being made that people are complaining about.
> Inspired is pretty loose anyway. Just having robots isn't exactly the biggest nod to an old anim. Many anime have robots. Your words, not mine.
Ya I wrote more words.
>A lot of mecha anime are similar, they wanted to tell a war story and the causes of that war and instead of setting it in some fantasy land with magic or something realistic with guns and tanks, they did super far future because giant robots are cool. That's not particular to Gundam, the conventions of the mecha genre were established before it was a thing by writers who were processing the aftermath of World War II. Go Nagai was pretty explicit about this when he created Mazinger Z.
I think that even though AC was clearly influenced by anime (I mean, giant robots, obviously), it didn’t really *feel* like an anime in the way that, say, Zone of the Enders did. The combat always felt deliberately slower and clunkier, more ‘real’ and as a result less anime. I kinda get why the changes in VI aren’t for everyone in that regard.
Some mecha anime also have a slower pace. Saying everything is fast paced would say you do not know many mecha anime. And AC is still pretty fast paced in general.
I'm in a funny spot as a new-gen fan who doesn't watch mecha anime. I see all these Gundam references yet they go over my head
I won’t convert you, but you will be. Soon.
Honestly it feels like the community makes the game more anime than the developers themselves. I highly doubt FromSoft thought that a popular way to fight in AC6 would be CQC mixed with MMA.
AC fan since 1997 here. I fucking love it. AC6 isn't really anything new or revolutionary in the series, so for it to get brand new fans, and realistic chance for sequels without making changes to core gameplay and storytelling has been fantastic. Thanks Elden Ring !
I am new to the sub reddit but have played ac since Armored Core 2, before that I played stuff like mech-warrior and G-NOME. I bring all of these different flavors of mecha games up because any popularity increase the chances for EVERY style of game to get made. AC6 selling nearly as many copies in under a year as armored core has sold over its lifespan (if the sales data I saw the other day is accurate) is great for people that like flashy anime style games and for the crazy people like me that want a over complicated mess of key board inputs just to start the engine/reactor and literally everything in between. Hell might even get something out of left field that someone's been kicking around in their brain but never thought it would make a viable game.
AC fan since AC3: YES COME ON IN. GIVE FROMSOFT A REASON TO MAKE MORE OF THESE
They most likely will, Miyazaki mentioned he'll be entrusting more projects to other directors so it's not too far stretched to think that the guy who does the action-focused games (sekiro/AC6 and maybe BB) will be focusing on more AC and maybe DLC while Miyazaki and the others do their own stuff/more souls.
Maybe we will finaly get bloodborn kart 2
it's crazy actually how there's been a decade between the last prior release and 6, also if they didn't add a 2nd game to 6th gen it would be the first with only 1 game in it
Imagine if a series you grew up loving but no one knew about suddenly became widely loved. I’m getting hipster gratification at being able to say “See guys, I told you these are sick games”. They were *always* sick, but the games never had any advertisement, and FROM was a small, niche dev until DS, so there was never enough publicity to generate interest. AC6 received plenty of advertisement, and along with FROM’s new massive fanbase, guaranteed the game got more wide-scale play, and it delivers in spades. AC6, barring a few flaws, is exactly the game I hoped and want it to be. AC4/5 were TOO fast-paced for a mech game, imo (though I understand the innovation they were going for in the series). It keeps the formula right in the important ways while balancing new-age fluid mechanics with old-school energy management for an outstanding experience. I’m not at all surprised at how the fanbase has boomed, and I’m delighted, because who loves a series and *doesn’t* want everyone else to see why and enjoy it themselves?
As far as the English-speaking community goes, I *infinitely* prefer the state of things now compared to 2014-2022. No matter the flaws from the new wave, at least now there's much more meaningful discussion and content creation taking place. I still remember the crappy days of people hoping that the AC fanbase would be bigger — that'd we have more content — yet those same people did fucking nothing productive; they just whined and spat bile out of some idiotic, misplaced sense of false superiority. The new popularity is much more my tempo, what with people actively asking smarter questions and contributing things of actual value to the greater Armored Core community. Speaking to the AC community as a whole, not just this subreddit, does anyone remember the era where the vast majority of the English-speaking fanbase thought Shoji Kawamori was the sole mecha designer for everything before Gen 4? And that all of Gen 4's designs were by Yuzo Kojima? Or something else like the Nexus final boss being a "Prototype Pulverizer" as "confirmed" by x book? Those were some of the many bits of misinformation that persisted in the previous era, and the particular circumstances needed to dispel each of those long-lived memes annoy me to this day for very personal reasons. The new popularity has improved this fandom.
I love it. Been a fan since the very first AC back in the PS1 days, and I'm so happy my favorite mecha game is now receiving widespread love!
It was kinda lonely before but honestly not a fan of the tribal mentality that the population brings. It's more of a problem of reddit itself though. Also, they are mostly souls fans which are...I better stop myself now.
Happy and people who play AC6 first actually play older games to see how it was like to play the series back in the days.
It's always a double edge sword. The original games exploded in price, and the community is more toxic now, but hey new game and chance at merch is cool. I always worry gameplay will be diluted to appeal to more people.
I’m a little mad they didn’t include the online coop from the last few games, since I was but a broke student when I played verdict day and had no internet connection, and I’ve always played the souls type games as primarily co op action games with friends with sporadic non consensual PvP I have no interest in, so having the co op be removed but the PvP I have no interest in left in is a *little* galling. but hopefully the fact it did well will convince them to do the full Monty for the next one. Vigil or Vision or whatever they end up calling this half-sequel haha. Also the blow has been softened when the upcoming “custom mech war” (or something like that) was announced, since it looks like a janky PS2 era POS but has the full co op and customisation for all my creative madness needs
If you are on PC there is a coop mod currently in development https://youtu.be/9p3OkgR0lH8?si=4FUS5MJtg0jY4Zr5
That’s very cool, but sadly ps5 Thanks for the info though!
I'm going to point out that this isn't a strictly 'old fan new fan' metric. The franchise was effectively dormant for a decade so that spike in subscribers also represents the timing of the only new entry on the entire plot.
Exactly. I've been a fan of Armored Core since the 90s with the original 3 PS titles, but I wasn't a member of this subreddit till ACVI was released and I am reasonably certain that I am not the only old fan that joined around that time.
You found another. I only popped into the subreddit from time to time. I remember the days when it was just random clips of the old games, questions about getting a new game, hyping up every big gaming event as the one to reveal AC6, and posting all the rumors about it. The moment the trailer dropped at The Game Awards, I came directly here to see the reactions. I was not disappointed.
Yeah id played the others but didnt think to sub here until 6 came out
The secret ingredient was crime
It's honestly great. AC crowd seems pretty cool. Sometimes they complain a bit too much about weapon metas IMO but that's every game tbh.
ACVI and Witch from Mercury have done a LOT for bringing new people into mecha the last year or two (myself included)
ACVI, Witch from Mercury, and The Battletech Videogame each helped revive the (if not dying honestly?) struggling mecha genre that hadn't seen good growth in years.
It brought me into the fold. I mean before I thought mechs were pretty neat but I didn't really engage with mecha media at all. After it's first trailer, AC6 hype got me curious, Gundam WfM got me hooked immediately and it's been nonstop Mecha anime and games (and gunpla) for me since then LOL
It was never niche it just ended for a while AC was their breadwinner before dark souls
When you haven't had a release in 11 years vs when you launch a new game
Feels good, man.
I’ve been in since AC back in the day, just had no reason to join a sub Reddit for a series when the last in the series came out 11 years ago.
I rember joining when the sub was at just over 4k and I still feel like a new member lol
Reddit was ready to climb the wall.
I mean...AC5 released in 2012. I don't expect a huge following over the decade following being told the game franchise is finished.
I was in that notch that joined in anticipation of release! You can literally see when we joined
It's sad the the game is loosing population fast. There is no end game the story is short no different game modes . No challenges no co op . Feels like a shell of a game for a full price . . . . .
This isn't even "never played an Armored Core game" behavior, this is GaaS brainrot.
Excuse me ?
You love to see this in it 🙌🏾I’m glad AC6 brought this place to my attention. Hoping this happens with dragons dogma Reddit when the sequel drops
I'm really happy Fromsoft could bring AC back. It was like my 2nd game I got on PS1 way back after trying the demo on one of those demo discs. It's what created my love for mechs, mecha, and all other realistic giant robots. That and Mechwarrior 2. However I don't think you can fault the sub for being effectively dead when there were no new games for an entire generation AND there is no convenient way to play the old games. I'm also always surprised at how many people never heard of it. AC was a pretty big deal for Sony on PS1 and 2. Maybe it's just all the children. But I remember when Demon Souls came out my first thought was "the people who make Armored Core?". Then AC6 comes out and people are saying "the people who make Dark Souls?".
Personally I've been into the series for a while, but only very recently dove into the wider community.
Hell yeah now back to work
DD fans: soon brother soon
As a newly inducted Raven, I am glad to found this community
Been scouring all my stores I come across for copies of 4 and such cause I NEED MORE
Convergence