------------------------
Silent Line: Armored Core - Max Speeds FAQS
Written by: Ryan Gibson AKA Badfishrmg
Copyright: 2003 Ryan Gibson
Started: 8/4/2003
Last Updated: 8/4/2003
Finished: TBD...NEVER!!!!
------------------------
Contact info:
Email:
[email protected]
AIMs: Badfishrmg
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
I. What is this is all for?
a. Version Info
b. Mission Statement
c. Misconceptions
II. The Research
a. Constants and Variables
b. Humanoid Legs
c. Reverse Joint Legs
d. Quadruped Legs
e. Caterpillar Legs
f. Hover Legs
III. Results and Theories
a. Results for Non-Booster-Equipped Legs
b. Results for Booster-Equipped Legs
c. Theories, Laws and Hypotheses
IV. What does this mean? (SUMMARY)
V. Glossary and FAQ
VI. Credits.
VII. Links.
I.WHAT'S THIS ALL ABOUT?
Basically, I'm a speed nut with AC. I love to have the fastest of
whatever I decide to do whether it be hovers, caterpillars, light
humanoid or whatever. Over the course of AC the game has changed
quite a bit and from what I've seen no one has ever really gotten
into the nitty gritty with speed and what makes an AC fast and what
slows it down.
a. VERSINO 2.0 August 4th, 2003
1. Added an FAQ section to the end of this FAQ *that's redun-
dant*
2. Posted some of the info for the Humanoid Leg Results.
3. Posted Terminal Velocity theory and WAKE Terminal Velocity,
hopefully when I'm done this I will make an FAQ for that
including info for all boosters.
4. Spent forever replacing all Tabs with Spacebars.
5. Added Links to my fav AC websites.
6. Updated the Credits section.
7. Updated the Glossary.
8. Add remaining Leg data and results.
9. Fixed error with Humanoid Leg Data: Switched format in the
middle of the data table.
10. Fixed a lot of spelling and grammar errors.
11. Spent some time dealing with more concepts in the theories
section. Finally getting into the heart and soul of this
FAQ. Now that the tedious statistics are posted, I can
really get into the "NITTY GRITTY!"
VERSION 1.0 August 4th, 2003
1. I'm starting this FAQ today, 8-4-2003. I have all of
my test data complete.
2. Got my disclaimer down at the top...is that an oxymoron?
3. Wrote my Mission Statement...yay for me!
4. Writing my misconceptions. Will add to these if people ask
me dumb questions, just kidding, ask away! There are no
dumb questions.
5. Explained my research constants and variables
6. Displayed my Humanoid Leg data. More to come.
b. MISSION STATEMENT:
I will try my best to give you all the info you need to make
the "fastest" AC. No claims for efficiency, only speed.
c. MISCONCEPTIONS
Well one day, I decided that I would test some theories as
far as the capable speed of legs. I've found a lot of common
misconceptions which I think I might be able to resolve for
some people.
Misconception #1: A higher Moving Ability in a leg will
increase Dashing and Boosting speeds.
Fact: Moving Ability only affects the non-
boosting state of movement such as
running. To increase Dashing and
Boosting performance, one must lose
weight and increase boost power.
There is a direct ratio that can be
determined that I will discuss later.
Misconception #2: WAKE boosters are only effective for
Heavy ACs.
Fact: WAKE boosters actually have a greater
effect on Light ACs, Hovers and
Caterpillar setups.
Misconception #3: WAKE boosters seem to be relevant to
the max load capacity of the leg.
Fact: WAKE boosters and Normal boosters are
directly linked to the total weight
of the AC.
Misconception #4: I'm a total nut case for spending
this time making this worthless FAQ!
Fact: WORTHLESS FAQ!!!! quite the contrary...
but I am a nut case...yeah it's like
4am and still doing this damn thing!
II. THE RESEARCH
Here is all the data I've collected. It took me sometime. I'll
actually explain what the results mean section III.
a. CONSTANTS AND VARIABLES.
1. Constants - I used these parts through out the tests.
Due to direct relation of weight and speed,
I chose the lightest necessary parts to equip.
Those being:
HEAD: CHD-01-ATE
CORE: CCL-01-NER
ARMS: CAL-44-EAS
FCS: VREX-WS-1
GENERATOR: KGP-Z54
RADIATOR: R1X-CR10
INSIDE: N/A
EXTENSION: N/A
R.ARM: N/A
L.ARM: N/A
OPTIONALS: N/A
2. Variables - Some parts due the nature of testing had to
be variable. Obviously the Leg Unit had to be
variable. The boosters were swapped between
the CBT-FLEET and the MBT-OX/002. The MBT-OX/002
was only used in correlation with the WAKE back
boosters. I did much testing which I won't
show here on this FAQ which proves the
MBT-OX/002 booster is the most effective with
the WAKE back booster, but it is. It has to
due with a weight:boost power ratio that I
haven't exacted yet. In no case did any other
booster out perform the OX/002 in any speed
category.
b. HUMANOID LEGS
___________________________________________________________
Weight Leg Name Booster WAKE Boost Dash
___________________________________________________________
4843 CLL-HUESO MBT-OX/002 y 458 591
3848 CLL-HUESO CBT-FLEET n 417 537
-----------------------------------------------------------
4951 CLL-SECTOR MBT-OX/002 y 450 580
3956 CLL-SECTOR CBT-FLEET n 417 537
-----------------------------------------------------------
5018 CLL-01-FKST MBT-OX/002 y 445 574
4023 CLL-01-FKST CBT-FLEET n 417 537
-----------------------------------------------------------
5045 MLL-MX/077 MBT-OX/002 y 443 571
4050 MLL-MX/077 CBT-FLEET n 417 537
-----------------------------------------------------------
5063 CLL-04-LGSK MBT-OX/002 y 442 570
4068 CLL-04-LGSK CBT-FLEET n 417 537
-----------------------------------------------------------
5133 MLL-SS/1001 MBT-OX/002 y 437 563
4138 MLL-SS/1001 CBT-FLEET n 417 537
-----------------------------------------------------------
5183 CLL-03A-SRVT MBT-OX/002 y 434 559
4188 CLL-03A-SRVT CBT-FLEET n 417 537
-----------------------------------------------------------
5217 MLM-MX/066 MBT-OX/002 y 431 556
4222 MLM-MX/066 CBT-FLEET n 417 537
-----------------------------------------------------------
5231 CLM-01-EDF MBT-OX/002 y 430 555
4236 CLM-01-EDF CBT-FLEET n 417 537
-----------------------------------------------------------
5235 MLL-MX/EDGE MBT-OX/002 y 430 554
4240 MLL-MX/EDGE CBT-FLEET n 417 537
-----------------------------------------------------------
5245 MLM-SPINE MBT-OX/002 y 429 553
4250 MLM-SPINE CBT-FLEET n 417 537
-----------------------------------------------------------
5337 MLM-MM/ORDER MBT-OX/002 y 423 546
4342 MLM-MM/ORDER CBT-FLEET n 417 537
-----------------------------------------------------------
5618 CLM-02-SNSKA1 MBT-OX/002 y 406 524
4623 CLM-02-SNSKA1 CBT-FLEET n 417 537
-----------------------------------------------------------
5643 CLH-XV-MGHS MBT-OX/002 y 405 522
4648 CLH-XV-MGHS CBT-FLEET n 417 537
-----------------------------------------------------------
5652 CLM-02-SNSK MBT-OX/002 y 404 521
4657 CLM-02-SNSK CBT-FLEET n 417 537
-----------------------------------------------------------
5746 CLM-03-SRVT MBT-OX/002 y 399 514
4751 CLM-03-SRVT CBT-FLEET n 417 537
-----------------------------------------------------------
5819 CLM-55-RVE MBT-OX/002 y 395 509
4824 CLM-55-RVE CBT-FLEET n 415 535
-----------------------------------------------------------
5898 MLM-SS/ORC MBT-OX/002 y 391 504
4903 MLM-SS/ORC CBT-FLEET n 409 527
-----------------------------------------------------------
5933 MLH-MM/LINK MBT-OX/002 y 389 502
4938 MLH-MM/LINK CBT-FLEET n 407 525
-----------------------------------------------------------
5951 MLM-XA3/LW MBT-OX/002 y 388 500
4956 MLM-XA3/LW CBT-FLEET n 406 523
-----------------------------------------------------------
6120 CLH-XV-MSGR MBT-OX/002 y 380 489
5125 CLH-XV-MSGR CBT-FLEET n 395 509
-----------------------------------------------------------
6407 CLH-STIFF MBT-OX/002 y 366 472
5412 CLH-STIFF CBT-FLEET n 378 487
-----------------------------------------------------------
6489 MLH-MX/VOLAR MBT-OX/002 y 363 468
5494 MLH-MX/VOLAR CBT-FLEET n 373 481
-----------------------------------------------------------
6558 CLH-04-SOD MBT-OX/002 y 360 464
5563 CLH-04-SOD CBT-FLEET n 370 476
-----------------------------------------------------------
6821 MLH-SS/RS MBT-OX/002 y 349 450
5826 MLH-SS/RS CBT-FLEET n 356 459
-----------------------------------------------------------
c. REVERSE JOINT LEGS
___________________________________________________________
Weight Leg Name Booster WAKE Boost Dash
___________________________________________________________
5523 CLB-44-AKS MLB-OX/002 Y 412 530
4528 CLB-44-AKS CBT-FLEET N 417 537
-----------------------------------------------------------
5853 MLB-SS/FLUID MLB-OX/002 Y 393 507
4858 MLB-SS/FLUID CBT-FLEET N 413 532
-----------------------------------------------------------
5433 CLB-SOLID MLB-OX/002 Y 417 538
4438 CLB-SOLID CBT-FLEET N 417 537
-----------------------------------------------------------
5663 MLB-SS/KRT MLB-OX/002 Y 404 520
4668 MLB-SS/KRT CBT-FLEET N 417 537
-----------------------------------------------------------
6120 CLB-33-NMU MLB-OX/002 Y 380 489
5125 CLB-33-NMU CBT-FLEET N 395 509
-----------------------------------------------------------
6263 MLB-MX/004 MLB-OX/002 Y 373 481
5268 MLB-MX/004 CBT-FLEET N 386 498
-----------------------------------------------------------
5920 MLB-MX/008 MLB-OX/002 Y 390 502
4925 MLB-MX/008 CBT-FLEET N 408 526
-----------------------------------------------------------
6398 CLB-55-HM220 MLB-OX/002 Y 367 473
5403 CLB-55-HM220 CBT-FLEET N 378 488
-----------------------------------------------------------
d. QUADRAPED LEGS
___________________________________________________________
Weight Leg Name Booster WAKE Boost Dash
___________________________________________________________
5493 MLF-RE/005 MBT-OX/002 Y 414 533
4498 MLF-RE/005 CBT-FLEET N 417 537
-----------------------------------------------------------
5743 MLF-MX/KNOT MBT-OX/002 Y 399 515
4748 MLF-MX/KNOT CBT-FLEET N 417 537
-----------------------------------------------------------
5233 CLF-DS-SEV MBT-OX/002 Y 430 554
4238 CLF-DS-SEV CBT-FLEET N 417 537
-----------------------------------------------------------
5916 CLF-D1-ILC MBT-OX/002 Y 390 503
4921 CLF-D1-ILC CBT-FLEET N 408 526
-----------------------------------------------------------
6223 CLF-D2-ROG MBT-OX/002 Y 375 483
5228 CLF-D2-ROG CBT-FLEET N 389 501
-----------------------------------------------------------
5147 CLF-D3-WIZ MBT-OX/002 Y 436 562
4452 CLF-D3-WIZ CBT-FLEET N 417 537
-----------------------------------------------------------
6690 MLF-RE/006 MBT-OX/002 Y 354 457
5695 MLF-RE/006 CBT-FLEET N 363 468
-----------------------------------------------------------
6333 MLF-RE/007 MBT-OX/002 Y 370 477
5338 MLF-RE/007 CBT-FLEET N 382 492
___________________________________________________________
e. CATEPILLAR LEGS
___________________________________________________________
Weight Leg Name Booster WAKE Boost Dash
___________________________________________________________
7213 CLC-03-MLKS N/A Y 311 139
6093 CLC-03-MLKS N/A N 268 139
-----------------------------------------------------------
6140 CLC-SHUT N/A Y 361 146
5020 CLC-SHUT N/A N 323 146
-----------------------------------------------------------
6035 MLC-RE/3003 N/A Y 384 155
4915 MLC-RE/3003 N/A N 353 155
-----------------------------------------------------------
6168 MLC-TRIDENT N/A Y 355 152
5048 MLC-TRIDENT N/A N 316 152
-----------------------------------------------------------
6733 CLC-D3TA N/A Y 327 138
5613 CLC-D3TA N/A N 285 138
-----------------------------------------------------------
6333 CLC-D4ZTSL N/A Y 370 148
5213 CLC-D4ZTSL N/A N 380 148
-----------------------------------------------------------
6563 MLC-HARPOON N/A Y 344 145
5443 MLC-HARPOON N/A N 304 145
-----------------------------------------------------------
6693 CLC-ACE N/A Y 331 138
5573 CLC-ACE N/A N 289 138
___________________________________________________________
f. HOVER LEGS
___________________________________________________________
Weight Leg Name Booster WAKE Boost Dash
___________________________________________________________
5058 MLR-RE/EGA N/A Y 264 570
3938 MLR-RE/EGA N/A N 264 499
-----------------------------------------------------------
4713 MLR-MX/QUAIL N/A Y 231 595
3593 MLR-MX/QUAIL N/A N 231 526
-----------------------------------------------------------
5633 MLR-SS/REM N/A Y 235 523
4513 MLR-SS/REM N/A N 235 537
-----------------------------------------------------------
4773 MLR-MM/PETAL N/A Y 287 595
3653 MLR-MM/PETAL N/A N 287 594
-----------------------------------------------------------
5227 CLR-00-MAK N/A Y 270 555
4107 CLR-00-MAK N/A N 270 537
-----------------------------------------------------------
4893 CLR-01-SCUD N/A Y 281 586
3773 CLR-01-SCUD N/A N 281 540
-----------------------------------------------------------
5713 CLR-03-SEOLF N/A Y 257 517
4593 CLR-03-SEOLF N/A N 257 526
-----------------------------------------------------------
5107 MLR-MX-LEAF N/A Y 270 566
3987 MLR-MX-LEAF N/A N 270 526
___________________________________________________________
III. RESULTS AND THEORIES.
a. Results for Non-Booster-Equipped Legs
Humanoid Results:
Fastest Legs: CLL-HUESO *no surprise there
591 WAKE DASH and 537 FLEET DASH
458 WAKE BOOST and 417 FLEET BOOST
It's obvious that the WAKE is far more
advantageous to the Light Biped than any
other Humanoid Leg. Not only is it 54Km/h
faster, it has a much reduced charge drain
and is able to maintain a higher speed longer!
Slowest Legs: MLH-SS/RS *evil "No-No" in my world!*
450 WAKE DASH and 459 FLEET DASH
349 WAKE BOOST and 356 FLEET BOOST
Here raises a question... although the
Fleet was faster, does one chose to
sacrifice for a much lower charge drain?
I suppose that would be up to the pilot's
preference.
Reverse Joint Results:
Fastest Legs: CLB-SOLID
538 WAKE DASH and 537 FLEET DASH
417 WAKE BOOST and 417 FLEET BOOST
Oddly enough, this is the only Reverse
Joint Leg that actually benefits from
the use of the WAKE boosters. Only 1km/h
Is hardly a benefit.
Slowest Legs: CLB-55-HM220
473 WAKE DASH and 488 FLEET DASH
367 WAKE BOOST and 376 FLEET BOOST
Forget the WAKE combo on these Legs.
Their minimum weight is so high that
it negates any possible use of the
WAKE for any intents or purposes.
Quadruped Results:
Fastest Legs: CLF-D3-WIZ
562 WAKE DASH and 537 FLEET DASH
436 WAKE BOOST and 417 FLEET BOOST
Although not a serious difference between the
speeds, combined with the booster efficiency
can be invaluable for quads because of their
excessive charge drain stats.
Slowest Legs: MLF-RE/006
457 WAKE DASH and 468 FLEET DASH
354 WAKE BOOST and 363 FLEET BOOST
Once again, WAKE is slowing down the
heavier legs. Efficiency may be more useful,
but oh yeah...this FAQ is about Speed! So
screw the efficiency right!?
b. Results for Booster-Equipped Leg
Caterpillar Legs:
Fastest Legs: MLC-RE/3003
155 WAKE DASH and 155 Non-WAKE DASH
384 WAKE BOOST and 353 Non-WAKE BOOST
Because tanks cannot dash boost, I can only
measure their "crawling" speed and Boost
speed. Tanks are slow, but there has to a
fastest of everything right!!!
Slowest Legs: CLC-03-MLKS
139 WAKE DASH and 139 Non-WAKE DASH
311 WAKE BOOST and 268 Non-WAKE BOOST
Tank are definitely the oddballs here.
Seems that the WAKE boosters are even effect-
ive on the heaviest of legs. This is quite
contrary to the Non-Booster-Equipped Legs.
ROCK ON! MORE SPEED FOR THE HEAVIES!
Hover Legs:
Fastest Legs: MLR-MM/PETAL
595 WAKE DASH and 594 Non-WAKE DASH
287 WAKE BOOST and 287 Non-WAKE BOOST
Here is my perfect specimen. They don't come
any faster than this. Although the
MLR-MX/QUAIL matches the MLR-MM/PETAL in
WAKE DASH speed, it fails to compare in all
of the other categories. What I find most
interesting is that the WAKE only adds 1Kp/h
to the DASH speed. Check the IIIc. Theories
for more info on this quandry.
c. Theories, Laws, Hypotheses and Quandaries
Law of Terminal Velocity:
If you look at the data closely you may
notice that while equipping the FLEET booster,
The CLM-03-SRVT and the CLL-HUESO both top
out at 537 Dash and 417 regardless of the
903lbs difference! Why is this? This is due
to what I refer to the Load Capacity Thresh-
old of an AC's Terminal Velocity. It seems
that every booster, including the WAKE boost-
ers which may have it but I have not tested,
has a limit, similar to a governor plate for
an automobile, which restricts the maximum
speed of the AC. This threshold has a maxi-
mum weight which once is passed begins to
degrade the max speed of the AC.
EXAMPLE: The CBT-FLEET booster has a Terminal
Velocity of 537 Dash and 417 Boost, with a
Load Capacity Threshold of 4801. Provided the
AC stays under this weight, under no
circumstances can this booster perform any
faster. Due to some weight:boost ratio the WAKE
boosters cannot even effect this booster, al-
though, the lack of WAKE booster improvement
cannot be said of all boosters. Clear example
used in this FAQ is the MBT-OX/002.
THIS ONLY SEEMS EVIDENT IN NON-BOOSTER-EQUIPPED
LEGS, AND SEEMS TO HAVE NO BEARING ON HOVER AND
CATEPILLAR LEGS. MORE TO COME.
Theory of WAKE Terminal Velocity:
While examining the hover legs, specifically
the MLR-MM/PETAL, one might notice that the max
DASH speed is 594, while the WAKE only boosts
the AC to 595 DASH speed. Only a 1Km/h in-
crease seems highly unlikely and seems to
go against the flow of the rest of these tests.
Now viewing the MLR-MX/QUAIL one would notice
that it's max DASH speed is 526, while the WAKE
DASH speed is 595 making the two Legs handle
very much the same while dashing with WAKE.
This lack of significant improvement in the
MLR-MM/PETAL compared to the MLR-MX/QUAIL
could seem feasible if the MLR-MM/PETAL was a
much heavier leg, but due to the relatively
equal weight of the two legs, the increase seems
hardly proportional.
Also note that while both legs maintain near the
same weight, the MLR-MM/PETAL boasts a signifi
-cantly higher non-WAKE DASH speed meaning that,
it must have a stronger booster.
Therefore, the percentage of boost increase
between legs of similar weight and unequal boost
support my hypothesis that the WAKE boosters do
have a Terminal Dashing Velocity, which is
595km/h.
Supporting this, I believe the Load Capacity
Threshold of the WAKE is estimated to be around
4773(The weight of the lightest possible PETAL
setup.) Which explains why the HUESO+OX/002+WAKE
setup, which weighs 4843(70 less than the
Threshold) tops out at 591km/h, just shy of the
595km/h mark. And why the QUAIL, even with lower
boost matches the speed of the PETAL.
WEIGHT
4713 QUAIL 595km/h>-WAKE Term. Velocity
Est Load Capacity Threshold----<4773 PETAL 595km/h>-WAKE Term. Velocity
4843 HUESO 591km/h
4893 SCUD 586km/h
4951 SECTOR 580km/h
This is an untested hypothesis, but soon I hope
to be able to provide proof and make it Law.
The numbers seem to heavily support this theory.
I also believe this velocity may be different
with different boosters. More research and
results to come.
Theory of Weight to Boost Power Ratios
It has become apparent that weight directly
effects the speed of the AC in porportion to
the selected booster. Meaning the more Boost
and less total weight equal a faster AC, taking
into consideration the Law of Terminal Velocity
stated earlier. This is why a set of Heavy
Humanoid Legs (for example) could perform as
well as Light Humanoid and even out perform the
Light Humanoid depending on total Load Capacity
of the AC.
I'm convinced there is a direct ratio that can
be uncovered that will shed some crazy light on
how to chose a booster that fits your AC like a
glove. Unfortunately this will be a long and
difficult formula to uncover. Rest assured I
will try my best.
Hypothesis of Boost Output Wall
I believe that there is a max booster output
that cannot be exceeded.
Fact: The MBT-OX/002+WAKE will out perform an
equally equipped AC using a CBT-FLEET+
WAKE combo, or any other WAKE Combo.
Fact: MBT-OX/002+WAKE should be 17400+5000 Boost
power, thus equaling 22400 total Boost
power.
CBT-FLEET+WAKE should be 19900+5000 Boost
power, thus equaling 24900 total Boost
power.
Thus, there is difference of 2500 Boost
Power
Fact: MBT-OX/002 weighs in at 230.
CBT-FLEET weighs in at 355.
Thus, there is difference of 125.
Because the WAKE would weigh the same on
both ACs, I don't believe it would have an
effect on this hypothesis.
Test: Equip two identical ACs, one with the
OX/002 and the other with the FLEET.
Test the speed of the AC. The FLEET should
test higher speeds than the OX/002.
Repeat with WAKE equipped on both ACs. The
OX/002 should test higher speeds this
time.
Why?
The Booster Output Wall:
In the first test, the boost power of the
FLEET over powered the OX/002 despite the
fact that is 125 heavier. In the second
test, it would be assumed with the same
weight differences, and equal boost im-
provements, yet this is not the case.
Similar to the Terminal Velocity, I be-
lieve there is a Boost Power Wall, in
which somewhere between 22000-22400 there
is a cut-off. This meaning that the FLEET+
WAKE combo would then be reduced to 22000-
22400 boost power: equal to the OX/002,
yet weighing more.
This would also explain why other boosters
such as the NI/MARE(18500), UN8(19500),
and NI/GULL(18000) would also perform
poorer than the OX/002. Their excess boost
could be cut-off at 22000-22400 and thus
their extra weight compared to the OX/002
would in turn be their handicap.
This would also explain the quandary of
PETAL and QUAIL hover legs.
Other Explanations
There may be some speculation as far as
this may be due to porportional boost
gains relative to the weight increase. I
do plan on looking into these, but I'm
more supporting the Booster Output Wall
Theory.
IV. WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN? (SUMMARY)
Ok, unless you're a nut case like me, then you've probably skipped past
all that lovely info I spent hours laboring and testing to give you...
yes, that's right GO READ IT NOW YOU LAZY BUM!... Just kidding. You
don't have to read everything to make a fast AC. It is advised
that if you want to really understand what makes an AC fast and what
kinda of performance you can create with this info, please read and ask
questions. Testing me will only make this more accurate of an FAQ...
wait.. I mean testing my theories, laws and hypotheses, not my PATIENCE!
a. So you want to make a fast AC, or new to light AC combat?
First, decide what Speed you need for your AC? Check out your
competition. Fighting Heavies, you shouldn't require as much speed,
though, fighting Lights you'll need to seriously look at what equip-
ment you really need on your AC.
Example using the test setup HUESO+FLEET and knowing the Terminal
Velocity Theory(I said that reading it would help!), you know that as
long as you keep your total AC Weight under 4801, then you won't
sacrifice any speed and you'll top out at 537 Dash and 417 Boost.
This should be extremely fast to a Heavy AC; hard to deal with as a
Middle AC; annoying as crap to a Light because he/she's is going to
pissed that you're more than likely faster than them, and if not then
they had to sacrifice a lot to put on WAKE boosters or are a Hover in
which case you have the Boosting speed advantage so try to take your
game in the air and pull them away from the ground.
So starting from the test setup you weigh in at 3848 - your legs,
1500, you're left with 1348 total on your Leg Weight. 3989-1348
leaves you with 2641 in weight to distribute, but don't be fooled,
knowing that you don't want to go over 4801 you'll want to leave
room on your Leg Weight. So lets rethink this... really you use
your Threshold Weight 4801 - your test weight 3848 to get 953. "Ack,"
that is a 1688 difference from what you had before. Stay cool, you
can make this work. Ok so no KAWASAWA, oh well.
Check your options.
Think about what you're gonna be fighting again. If you're fighting a
Heavy, think along the line of point blank fighting, i.e. shotguns,
bazookas, blades, plasma guns(minus they weigh a ton!), and of course
machineguns. Forget back weapons for the most part, you'll have
trouble finding something that will kill a large AP AC say around
9500+ AP. A laser blade is a must. If you run out of ammo, you lose.
Also, think about your Generator, FCS and Head. If you can spare the
weight, then think about the arms and core. Heaven for bid you still
have more weight, then consider upgrading legs to something with
better defensive stability and AP. Grenades and Bazookas are going
to be a Heavy AC's best friend against you. If he/she hits you once,
it could be game over for you. DON'T DANCE AROUND IN FRONT OF THEM!
Both weapons have ridiculous impact shock. Staying in their FCS is
just asking for trouble! I don't care how good you are at dodging,
don't tempt fate, she's a filthy whore! Prove how good you are by not
getting in harm's way.
Planning on fighting a middle weight? This is possibly gonna be the
toughest opponent for you. You'll have a speed advantage for sure
that can really annoy a Middle weight and make them feel like they're
fighting as a Heavy! Problem is this: they can pack a punch and can
keep up with you a lot better than the Heavies. Good thing is, they
won't deal with the damage as well as the Heavies, so you won't have
to hit them as much and with you're speed, you'll get hit a few
times, but don't let it discourage you from pushing your advantage...
SPEED! Key is to make them think your faster then you really are.
OK, you're a lot faster than them, but the key is to frustrate them
into thinking they're playing as a heavy. Try rapid fire weapons that
have a short to mid range. Machine guns, handguns, pulse rifles, and
rifles are your best friend. Now, you can go with a different L Arm
weapon, but you're still fast enough to take it to them and get in
a couple swipes. Also, keep in mind your Generator, FCS and Head
might need some improvement. You might want to consider upgrading arm
or core. You speed advantage won't be as high, so you're more likely
to get hit...possibly more often, too.
ok, well that leaves Light ACs.
This is your fun fight. If you build your AC as I've prescribed, then
you should be faster than the majority of the Lights out there.
Question is how do you use it? It's up to you, and you style.
Personally, your chance of overpowering them with short range weapons
is not in your favor. They'll most likely be able to keep a lock on
you at most times. Which means you'd really need to press your
advantage to is max whenever you get the opportunity. I'd say if
you're new to AC or playing as Lights, then try mid to long range.
Mid leaves you comfortably able to press advantages while maintaining
a safe distance. Think about it, they're not gonna be packing any-
thing too big. Bazookas suck at mid to long range. Grenade Launchers
will slow them down tremendously... those are your biggest fears,
next to the Blade. If you suck at blades. Keep your distance.. most
experienced Lights will carry a powerful blade like the MOONLIGHT or
the 3771... these are LETHAL to you. But useless at Mid range...hehe.
A nice combo for this situation is a good handgun/rifle and shotgun
combo (Thanks FROM SOFTWARE for the new L Arm Parts!). Keep pecking
at mid range and bust'em with the shotgun if they press the close
combat. Chance are you'll land more 500 AP shots with the shotgun
they will 1500-2000AP blade swipes. If you do it consistently, it
can really mess up their game too because they'll start to second
guess going in for blade swipe and losing 500AP every time they miss.
And then you have the long range hit and run... Hey, I don't like it,
but some people were just not meant for close combat. Forget all
missiles, except the HI-ACT missiles. You'll never be out of their
sight to catch them with large missile salvo, so use missiles that
they'll have trouble dodging. Remember, they don't have much as far
as weight to work with so don't count on them having missile counter-
measures. Missiles weigh a lot, though, so think sniper rifle or
laser rifle.
So you can apply these stradegies to any leg, just make sure you're
keeping weight that keeps you at the speed want. Also, keep in mind
each type of leg has it's advantage: Humanoids, RJs, and Quads all
more suited to aerial combat than Caterpillars and Hovers. Humanoids
have more leg options from which to chose. RJs have the best(lowest)
charge drain and highest jump function. Quads have great defensive
stability and are a Fast Blader's best friend, the stab does way more
damage than the swipe. Caterpillars have the best overall turning
abilities combined with great load capacity means a GL that's hard
to get away from! Hovers...umm yeah if you can catch one, then
you'll see why they rock...ultimate speed...minus they can't fly
worth a darn.
b. So what if you don't adhere to the Law of Terminal Velocity?
Most ACs designs don't, so don't feel that it'll really hurt your
AC design. Following the Law of Terminal Velocity in no way
guarantees you a Godlike AC, so don't blame me if you lose while
following the Law. I'm here to make you faster, not better, though
I try to accomplish both sometimes in this FAQ.
c. Ok, well, you don't like light weights or you're curious about WAKE
performance and your AC.
First, I'd suggest building your AC and then compare it to the data I
have provided. If build a SNKSA1 setup but it weighs in at 5600 per
say without the WAKES and you've got on the FLEETS, you'll have to
add 995 to find your comparison on the chart.
995=1120(WAKE)+230(OX/002)- 355(FLEET)
So you'd have 6595 thus you could compare it to the CLH-04-SOD test
setup. There would be a 37 difference that would have almost no
effect on your final speeds. But you could expect these results:
360 WAKE BOOST & 464 WAKE DASH. Not bad for a middle weight AC.
though,
370 FLEET BOOST & 476 FLEET DASH, definitely look better.
As it seems unless your Non-Booster-Equipped AC's total weight with
WAKES is less than 5432, you will see no increases in speed from the
WAKE combo. Although, some people feel that if you can maintain
similar speeds, the efficiency of the WAKE combo is worth a small
speed trade off. Personally, well...I don't think I have to tell you
where I stand if you've made this far into the FAQ.
d. So you like Hovers huh...weirdo!? jk
Well, lucky you. ALL HOVERS CAN GAIN SPEED FROM THE WAKE!
Though the PETAL only gains 1km/h, it's still technically an
increase. If you plan on using the PETAL, I'd say screw the WAKE.
It is just not a big enough change to worry about it. Beside that
would leave you back open so if you competition decided to drop
weapons for later, you could use them against them or drop them in
the water/lava/edge of the earth... whatever!
Unfortunately, the WAKE still won't make you fly faster. What a
rip-off!?! but hey, you're still the fastest on the ground!
Oh, and forget efficiency, they won't help hold a charge longer.
Minus, unless you change legs from say the PETAL to the QUAIL, which
are more efficient with charge drain and will give you equal boost
on the ground as the PETALs.
e. Creepy, crawly things that go BOOM!!!!!!
Yeah, just like Hovers, every Caterpillar leg, benefits from the
WAKE in terms of speed. Just oppositely so. Caterpillars gain
aerial boosting speed, oh yeah, duh, like they have any other
boosting speed *they crawl on the ground if you didn't get that*.
So how does feel being 7200 weigh and out flying the fastest Hover in
the air?! yeah, that's an ego boost for Caterpillars!
Efficiency? Well yeah, it can be gained same as the Hovers...
Can you just be happy out flying them!
f. SO LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT!?
Basically, this FAQ can tell you a few interesting points.
1. As long as you build your AC under the Law of Terminal Velocity,
it will maintain maximum speed capabilities of that booster.
2. The WAKE OX/002 combo is the most effective WAKE setup.
3. The most effective setups with the WAKE combo are Non-Booster-
Equipped Legs under 5432 with WAKE, Caterpillars and Hovers.
4. Weight and Boost Power rule Speed.
V. GLOSSARY & FAQ
a. GLOSSARY
Boost(WAKE BOOST; FLEET BOOST):
refers to the maximum speed in Km/h the AC traveled once
contact was lost with the ground
Booster:
refers to which booster unit is currently equipped
Booster-Equipped:
Legs that come standard with a booster and do not allow a separate
booster to be equipped: Caterpillar and Hover Legs.
Boost Output Wall:
ceiling at which additional boost is cut-off and no long effective
Caterpillar:
any leg unit with the prefixes MLC or CLC
Dash(WAKE DASH; FLEET DASH):
refers the maximum speed in Km/h the AC traveled while
maintaining contact with the ground
Hover:
any leg unit with the prefixes MLR or CLR
Humanoid:
any leg unit with the prefixes MLL, MLM, MLH or CLL, CLM or CLH
Leg Name:
refers the full part name of the leg unit
Load Capacity Threshold:
Point at which a booster's terminal velocity
begins to degrade and the ac loses speed.
Non-Booster-Equipped:
Legs that allow you to equip a separate booster, due to the fact
they do not come with a booster : Humanoid, Reverse Joint and Quads.
Nutcase:
Yeah, that would be me...how many times am I gonna call myself that
in this FAQ... yeah...lots! I might even start believing it
Quadruped(Quads):
any leg unit with the prefixes MLF or CLF
Reverse Joint(RJ):
any leg unit with the prefixes MLB or CLB
Terminal Velocity:
point at which a boost can no longer improve in speed
WAKE:
refers to whether the WAKE booster was equipped or not.
WAKE combo:
refers to equipping the WAKE back unit with the MBT-OX/002 booster
unit
Weight:
refers the entire weight of the AC including all equipped parts
----------------------------------------------------------------------
b. FAQ
1. How can I use this info?
Well, by calculating the exact weight of your ac fully equipped, you may
compare it's weight to the weight of the tested designs. Therefore you
should be able to calculate it's top speed. And if you AC is not as
fast as you'd like, you have the knowledge to find what weight you have
to get down to in order to achieve that speed. Refer to the Summary
Section for more detailed info. Also a concept call
"Terminal Velocity" comes into play which I will explain later.
Basically all boosters have a max velocity up to a certain speed in
which a max tolerance load can be applied without degrading the speed of
the AC. I might make a separate FAQ just to explain that concept:)
2. Are WAKE boosters right for my AC?
Once again, you have to weigh the pros and cons. Do you want back
weapons? How much does said AC weigh? If you're having trouble deciding
because the speeds are near indistinguishable, then I'd suggest go with
the WAKE combo for better efficiency.
3. Speaking of Speed, why is that when you jump while charging/fall from
high places without boosting, if you press forward, back or either
strafe, your speed is relavant to your equipped booster, yet you never
boosted?
Ok, this isn't such a Frequently Asked Question, but something I
stumbled upon while toy with all my test. At first I thought it was a
glitch, something that might date back to AC1! How could this glitch
be over looked!? I mean why should your boost affect you speed while
falling or jumping? Well, it's a glitch. Every leg that can jump has
auxiliary boosters that link to the Main Boosters and help support the
jump function, though a loss of charge will shut down the Main Boosters,
it has no effect on auxiliary leg boosters. If you listen closely you
can hear them engage when you jump. As for Caterpillars and Hovers,
same goes minus the auxiliary boosters don't support a jump function.
4. Will you look at my AC and tell how I can make it faster/better?
Well, maybe, just depends on if I get a lot of response from the FAQ.
5. Will you hand me my arse if I come to your tournament?
You're damn skippy I will!
VI. CREDITS
Thanx to: my friends for helping me get into this game, James for
being my constant antagonist with AC, Damien for making me verbally
explain this FAQ OVER THE PHONE! But you did help me dig deeper to
find more truths about speed in AC, the agetec.com forums from who
I've learned so much and for giving me inspiration to make this.
Sometimes controversy pushes us all to do things we wouldn't normally.
Thanks to me... I did write this crap! yeah. And thanks to Bowling for
Soup, A Simple Plan, AFI, Dashboard Confesional, the Used,
All-American Rejects, and Starting Line for giving me something to
listen mindlessly for hours while I compiled this! FOSHIZZLE NIZZLES!
If you would like to use this FAQ or would like link to it on your
webpage, please only copy it in it's entirety, do not take credit for
what I've done. If you'd like to post this at another forum please
make sure I get credit. You can reproduce it for personal use. Hope
it helps. Else, if you think what you're gonna do might be shady,
ask first!!!!
VII. LINKS
http://www.agetec.com - AC's U.S. publisher if you didn't know
http://www.fromsoftware.co.jp/etop/ - AC's Developer
http://pub30.ezboard.com/bagetec - Agetec's official forum, also my
fav board just watch out for Valk and Turel! hahaha! jk
http://www.geocities.com/exit_left2000/actournament2003.html - Silent
Line Tourney we're hosting in October.
other fun boards for AC..
obviously the gamefaqs.com boards
Eternal Core Forum:
http://pub154.ezboard.com/fjinxsarmoredcorepagefrm19
Armored Core Online Forum:
http://www.armoredcoreonline.com/acforums/index.php
Game-Hits.com Forum:
http://www.gmhits.com/forum/forumdisplay.cgi?action=topics&forum=
Armored+Corner+&number=9&DaysPrune=365&LastLogin=
Their respective trademark and copyright holders own all trademarks and
copyrights contained in this document.
