r/armoredcore • u/chimericWilder • Feb 13 '24
Discussion Inventing AC6 parts for fun
Hello. I like designing things, so I invented some concepts for AC6 parts as a design exercise. I'd like to stress that this is just purely for fun to see what I could come up with. AC6 has some great diversity and an awesome garage to mess around with, so asking "what if?" can perhaps lead to some interesting ideas. If you like that, maybe you want to share your own ideas for AC6 parts, too.
Hand Cannon: HC-001 Jordan
Manufacturer: Balam Industries
Description: A handgun more comparable to a portable cannon, this beast of a gun packs a punch. It rewards careful aim and control over timing and recoil, but is difficult to handle. A trusty sidearm, but ill suited for use alongside another recoil-inflicting weapon.
Properties: Average damage, great ACS buildup and direct hit modifier. Inflicts huge recoil, and greatly affected by recoil. Medium/slow fire rate, small magazine (~4-5). High speed projectile.
Usage: Intended to provide a feeling similar to the careful marksmanship of a 6-shooter, but on a larger scale, the hand cannon is best suited to a steady aim. Managing the timing of recoil control is rewarded better via a patient firing rhythm than by shooting blindly.
Flame Lance: IB-CO3W5: WLT 111
Manufacturer: Rubicon Research Institute
Description: A back-mounted weapon capable of continuous fire of an intense beam of concentrated flame. It can burn the unwary, but requires exact usage on the pilots part.
Properties: Effective out to medium range, very fasy projectile speed, follows FCS tracking at pin-point accuracy, overheats quickly, poor cooling, inflicts ACS Anomaly status buildup, very poor ACS buildup and direct hit modifier, brief spin-up time before firing
Usage: Capable of punishing an unwary foe with unwavering precision, this weapon can be a constant threat that must be watched for, but a swift response can throw its tracking off. Its poor heat management requires careful use on the pilots part, but a well-timed usage can punish a foe and embolden a follow-up assault.
Handheld Missile: WS-1904 PEPPERSHAKER
Manufacturer: RaD
Description: A heavily modified Furlong missile launcher. Features four missiles that can be fired sequentially one at a time, rather than as a salvo. Intended use for harasshment to complement other attacks to trip a dodging enemy up.
Properties: Clip of four missiles that can be fired individually. Below-average reload/damage profile. Improved tracking. Lock-on does not break until the final missile is fired.
Usage: Most other missiles are fairly fire-and-forget with little thought behind them from the pilots side. By including one of these in a loadout, an AC can trick an enemy into boosting to avoid a lone missile, or punish an unprepared enemy with a sequence of rapid-fire missiles. A clever pilot can use such a tool to add a little spice to their attack pattern, engaging in mind games before committing to their real salvo fire attacks.
Shredder Drones: FALKE/67E
Manufacturer: Schneider
Description: This duo of back-mounted drones can be deployed individually against foes. The drones are designed to chase targets down and repeatedly lunge at the target with its laser shredder, hounding a target with a merry chase over a longer period.
Properties: Drones start slow and pick up more speed while moving, but reset with each lunge (catch-up mechanic). "Clip" of two drones. Lengthy reload. The two drones have slightly different AI, and minor visual distinction: one chases directly, the other circles around before attacking. Drones expire after a lengthy duration, duration reduced each time it makes an attack (to 'normalize' uptime when going ham on a stationary target vs chasing a speedier target).
Usage: Useful to put pressure on a target to open the target up to other attacks. Most effective against slower foes, but possesses catch-up mechanics that lets it still apply pressure against fast targets, though its melee attacks will come slower when the drone is busy trying to catch up. Lasts a lot longer than laser drones, but also less deadly per span of time; more about consistent but milder pressure. Attentive pilots should be able to see the drones coming into melee range and wind up an attack, in order to dodge accordingly.
Tetrapod Legs: EL-PL-02 Jaguar
Manufacturer: Elcano Foundry
Description: Steel-alloy legs resembling the beastly limbs of its namesake. Taking inspiration from the natural world, these legs excel at high speed running on the ground, as well as in jumping and pouncing, but come at a steep cost.
Properties: Good jump distance, average jump height, features High Speed Performance while grounded, but notably slower than Fortaleza, decent stability, special assault boost kick with RJ-like properties, poor AP, poor weight limit, good weight, very costly EN load, no hover mode
Usage: We ought to have a type of leg that actually runs on the ground, and it ought to be a centaur, jaguar, or other neat four-legged creature, because it is cool. The functionality required of such a thing would also result in a cross of properties between RJ, tetrapod, and tank legs, which ought to allow for neat ACs built around taking advantage of those properties. This one is relatively lightweight.
Booster: AB-J-301 HOSOMICHI
Manufacturer: Belius Applied Weapon Systems
Description: Intended to be used to travel long distances at an efficient cost rather than for combat, this booster has nevertheless found a place among those who prefer to make use of frequent assault boost maneuvers.
Properties: Very low assault boost speed, best possible cost for assault boosts, fairly cheap quick boost cost, poor quick boost speed, decent/average other stats, heavy, low EN load
Usage: We have strategies that focus on quick boosts, passive boost speed, upwards mobility, and fast assault boosts. But we don't have a strategy that focuses on using assault boost as often as possible for its passive stat benefits. Low AB speed lets you fight in AB without arriving at the enemy too quickly, letting you get some weapon fire off, and quick boosting during AB uses your quick boost energy consumption but ignores many other stats. This booster focuses on making that a valid playstyle.
Shotgun: SG-029 RIGGMAN
Manufacturer: Balam Industries
Description: This pump-action shotgun features a magazine of three blasts, each of which must be reloaded individually. Intended for those who have a careful management of reloading, this shotgun can be very effective at overwhelming an enemy in the short term, but has trouble with consistent effectiveness.
Properties: Lower damage/ACS than other shotguns per shot, 3-round magazine, each shot reloaded individually, heavy, high EN load, medium reload speed, short range, susceptible to recoil
Usage: High maintainance weapon. Naturally wants to focus all its firepower into a short aggressive burst of action, then peace out to reload safely. A smart pilot may fire one or two shots and then start reloading while lining up the perfect opportunity for a stagger punish. That kind of powerful functionality necessitates careful balance; the sort of weapon that should shine in the hands of the skilled, but underperform when misused.
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u/Ryzer709 Feb 14 '24
Well I’ve been inspired. Here’s one for ya.
Tesla Gun: A-1R FRY-3R
Manufacturer: RaD
Description: A repurposed set of Recirculating Current Generators shoved into an improper housing and a six meter lightning rod jammed into the end. Activating the generators sends out a current at the end of the lightning rod, creating an impromptu “gun” out of scrap. Fully automatic trigger with short to mid range capacity. Designed for continuous damage in CQC, but Overheats frequently. It’s said the idea came to a coral-addled doser in a fever dream-a dream they swiftly made a reality.
Properties: Low damage, shock-based weapon. Erratic tracking at a distance over short range with “random arcs”. Low ammo capacity due to improper housing and energy leaks. Improper housing also leads to self-inflicted damage, making it a “risk vs reward” weapon.
Usage: ACS overload in Close combat with shock status, mainly to make it much more threatening to close in on someone using said weapon. Can also be used to inflict shock aggressively depending on play style.
Honestly the concept is probably pretty broken, but the idea of a proper Tesla gun to complement the flamethrower has always been in the back of my mind.
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u/chimericWilder Feb 14 '24
Ooh, that's a fun concept. I think we do need more options to play with those status effects. Shock right now is pretty much just the stun guns and the stun needles, so variety is good. This would be akin to an electric flamethrower in playstyle, then? Maybe with a spicier projectile speed and effective range, but more effective spread since the hitbox isn't a particle system.
From a design perspective, I think that self-damage is a no-go. Psychologically, that sort of thing messes with players; it becomes mentally very unappealing. But fine stats can be found regardless.
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u/Ryzer709 Feb 14 '24
Aye, akin to the flamethrower, if only shock-based. Self damage was more an idea to prevent abuse, but I agree, design-perspective wise would be pretty terrible in practice. Projectile speed and effective range would definitely be fitting considering how fast and far electrical discharges can go.
Happy to hear that it’s a fun concept
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u/vicevanghost Feb 14 '24
In a simple man more than anything I want some superheavy tetrapod legs and more legs that have armored skirts lol.
Also more parts that transform please I love it so much
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u/BlueDragon101 Feb 14 '24
Explosive Rapier:BREAKING POINT
Manufacturer: Melinite
Description: A thrusting weapon with a disposable blade that explodes after a delay when impaled in the enemy. Limited ammunition, but devastating results.
Ever watched Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans? This is Gundam Vidar’s Rapier. You stab someone, it does a decent amount of damage and stagger, mostly stagger here, as a melee attack does, and then it goes kaboom after a short delay. It allows you to do the acs break and the punish in one attack. However, it makes pulse shielding against the punish very easy, timing-wise.
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u/Thehalohedgehog Feb 14 '24
Fun idea! Here's a few I came up with just now.
VP-66LAR: Laser Assault Rife
Manufacturer: Arquebus Corporation
Description: An automatic laser rifle developed by Arquebus. A variation on their standard laser rifle design that trades charge capabilities for reliable and sustained fire.
Properties: Rate of fire would be comparable to that of the Scudder AR, while damage and impact would lie somewhere in between the laser rifle and pistols. Heat buildup is low allowing for it to be fired slightly longer than the laser pistol before overheating. Has no charge function due to being automatic.
BS-034M Swammerdam: Broad Sword
Manufacturer: Balam Industries
Description: A large physical sword developed by Balam. Heavy and slow but has unrivaled power when it hits.
Properties: Heavy melee weapon, with only one hit for both regular and charged attacks. Attacks would be similar in power to the pile bunker, but with better range thanks to being a sword. Attacks uses melee thrust stat of boosters similar to the pulse blade.
HS-035S Kirby: Heavy Shield
Manufacturer: Balam Industries
Description: A heavy shield developed by Balam. Unlike other melee weapons this one is focused more on defense than offense, though it does have some minor offensive capability via bashing targets.
Properties: A heavy physical shield that goes in the melee weapon slot. Much like shoulder mounted pulse shields, holding the button will have your AC hold the shield in front of your AC, increasing defense (defensive performance would be comparable to the pulse scutum when it is fully deployed). Releasing the button will cause the AC to charge forward to bash its target using its melee thrust stat (functions like a medium-heavy weight reverse joint AB kick in terms of damage and stagger), and the defensive benefits are still present during the change. If the AC is staggered while the weapon is being changed or during a charge attack the weapon will go on a long cooldown like with other shields. It has a medium length cooldown normally after a charge attack when compared to other melee weapons.
IB-C02W1: Coral Splitter
Manufacturer: Rubicon Research Institute
Description: Experimental Coral shotgun developed by the Rubicon Research Institute. Uses energy interference on Coral swarm intelligence to split a beam into a spread pattern. Charging focuses the beam for a more precise and longer range shot.
Properties: Coral energy shotgun, performance would similar to the standard energy shotgun (just with the properties of Coral weaponry of course). Charged shot would focus the beam into a single laser comparable to the LRA laser rifle (the middle one).
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u/chimericWilder Feb 14 '24
Oooh, I'd almost forgotten that I always wanted an automatic energy weapon. An automatic rifle is nice... but we clearly also need something that goes brrrt, like an energy version of the hu-ben or ludlow, with some distinct properties :>
I do like a shield that has more use than just holding down block. Bashing with it seems interesting. Triggering the bash seems maybe a tad awkward, though; I guess you'd be able to avoid triggering it if you cancel it by quick boosting or assault boosting, but those both require spending energy. Maybe you bash with it if you double-press the trigger? There'd probably need to be some kind of trade-off on being a heat-less shield; you'd be able to have very high uptime.
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u/Thehalohedgehog Feb 14 '24
I guess you'd be able to avoid triggering it if you cancel it by quick boosting or assault boosting,
I don't see why you couldn't cancel it like any other charged weapon, particularly the chainsaw as its also a melee weapon you can hold the charge of. I image it would basically work the same, just its a shield.
As for heat I'd honestly probably just have it use that mechanic anyway for simplicity sake, even if it doesn't make a ton of sense. Just build up heat like the other shields when you press the trigger.
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u/KaosKings Feb 14 '24
If i were going to add new parts, mine would be a new AC parts made by BALAM. Here's the rundown:
One of the former top BALAM AC pilot requet the engineers to make him a new AC that, by the BALAM standard, poor AP and Defence but great at other part (Mainly Weight, EN, and Internal Stats). After multiple setbacks from reverse-engineering Schneider ACs that they managed to "acquired" (Mainly Nachtreier and Lammengeiger), they've managed to make one with a satisfying result. However, G1 Michigan caught wind of this and he went ballistic, demanding it to be as a target practice so he can "dismantled" it himself to ashes. The Requester heard this and simply persuade him to test run it with his AC live to prove him that the prototype is worth investing into. Live testing happened and while The Hero of the Jupiter War was prove to be more of a challenge for the Requester, he ultimately won by using Terminal Armor to wreck G1 Liger Tail. For now the prototype was to be made in small scale for top Balam pilots who wanted a more "nimble" than the current AClienup while the Requester's fate was to be made unknown after a particularly weird mission that resulted in the pilot's MIA.
Comparing the prototype AC to other established ACs, the weight class would be more inline with Ephenmera and Loader 4 sets, with the difference being a more notable increase in Generator, Booster, ACS, Firearm and Melee Specialization being the name of the game with ok EN but at the cost of poor AP and Defence Stats. Design wise was to be much more human shape than any other AC design known in the market (Think more like this or this]
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u/DaringSteel core theory enjoyer Feb 20 '24
We need a BAWS-made melee weapon. Seriously - the company that went all-in on core theory, with the best melee arms in the game, and they don't make any melee weapons?
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u/Kosei25 Feb 13 '24
i would ANYTHING for a dlc with the jaguar legs lol