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Post by xiombarg on Dec 15, 2005 0:39:23 GMT -5
Yeah huh. This thing looks so freakin cool it rocks my world. It is a model though, so there is that for non-model folks, but the Kotobukiya models I've built have actually been a higher grade plastic than Gundam models, but not as easily engineered (in other words you sometimes have to whittle or sand just a tad to make connections fit, but nothing serious). And of course it's fully articulated. I was going to post more pics, but this site covers it all. Pic links are at the bottom of the following page. www.1999.co.jp/asp/GoodsDetails_e.asp?It_c=10045454
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Post by xiombarg on Dec 15, 2005 0:42:10 GMT -5
Oh, and for anyone that might want to order this, be aware that there are three accessory weapon kits available too that cost about $10 each. I don't believe any of those weapons are shown in the picture above.
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Post by mannyD on Dec 15, 2005 6:20:44 GMT -5
XIOMBARG TNX BRO!!! i love the armored core video game series. even bought the crappy action figures by... (forgot the company, but i've sold them anyway) how i wished they would make model kits of the mechs in the series. THE BEST MECHA DESIGNS EVER!!! and so they did!!! hehe my scale modelling days ain't over after all . ARMORED CORE MECHS RULE!!! and kotobokiya rule!!! i'll collect em all, keep em coming!
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Post by xiombarg on Dec 15, 2005 14:40:04 GMT -5
Armored Core does have some nice looking mechs.
It was Kotobukiya that made the action figures also, so maybe you won't like it? I thought they were a pretty decent figure for $20..that's just me. The little one coin figures weren't too hot, but I did like the 6" figures.
The Mirage Gaea is only about $23, so not too bad, and the weapons kits are actually only about $5.
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Post by mayita on Dec 15, 2005 17:41:39 GMT -5
i love it too but iam not good at assamble
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Post by mannyD on Dec 16, 2005 3:15:33 GMT -5
Armored Core does have some nice looking mechs. It was Kotobukiya that made the action figures also, so maybe you won't like it? I thought they were a pretty decent figure for $20..that's just me. The little one coin figures weren't too hot, but I did like the 6" figures. The Mirage Gaea is only about $23, so not too bad, and the weapons kits are actually only about $5. great price! i like model kits better, the detail is crisp and well defined. much much better than the soft plastic (kinda like vinyl) they've used on the action figures. some of the accessories on mine were little misshapen. anyways, do you know how tall (in inches) this mirage gaea is bro?
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Post by mannyD on Dec 16, 2005 3:41:06 GMT -5
the ultimate best part with this mech, you can paint it with any color you fancy, just like in the video game. i can see on mine a lot of metallizers: chrome, gunmetal, steel, metallic grey, silver. i'm drooling already ;D hehe
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Post by xiombarg on Dec 16, 2005 10:18:26 GMT -5
It's 1/72 scale, but I don't know what the actual measurements will be.
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Post by mannyD on Dec 17, 2005 5:35:33 GMT -5
ok, if MG Gundams are 1/100 scale, this AC mech is taller than MG gundams at 1/72. it would be probably around 8 to 10 inches.
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Post by xiombarg on Dec 17, 2005 13:27:26 GMT -5
ok, if MG Gundams are 1/100 scale, this AC mech is taller than MG gundams at 1/72. it would be probably around 8 to 10 inches. This would be true if the height of a Gundam and the Mirage are the same "in real life", but I don't think the Mirage is as a tall as a Gundam. Don't know for sure though.. I've got one ordered and one the way so I'll post some comparison pics when I get it.
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Post by mannyD on Dec 18, 2005 5:33:42 GMT -5
most probably bigger that MG gundams. you can estimate their scale in the game, when you battle in city places. the mechs are probably the height of a ten story building.
anyways, i already tried ordering them too. tnx buddy for this thread, i'm really excited with this series (like i was excited when i got my first soc). armored core rules!!!
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Post by mannyD on Dec 18, 2005 6:08:27 GMT -5
a little backgrounder of an AC mech and the AC series games:
Armored Core games: Armored Core Armored Core: Project Phantasma Armored Core: Master of Arena Armored Core 2 Armored Core 2: Another Age Armored Core 3 Silent Line: Armored Core Armored Core: Nexus Armored Core: Nine Breaker Armored Core: Formula Front (Japan only) Armored Core: Last Raven
Anatomy of an AC: The structure of an AC is standardised and modular, consisting of a number of parts which are fitted together in the AC Garage. An AC must have all of these parts in order to function, or it will be declared incomplete (cannot effectively function).
Head Contains visual sensors. May also contain radar and computing equipment. Some heads are better armoured than others, but at the cost of lacking extra sensor equipment. The radar and sensor equipment is broken down into several categories including Bio-Sensor, Noise Canceller, Night Vision, Missile Sensor and Auto-Map.
Bio-Sensor allows an AC to detect and target biological organism, which appear in many of the games.
The Noise Canceller helped an AC recover from electronic interference.
Night Vision initiates automatically and lights up an area that would otherwise be too dark to see anyting. It is akin to modern night vision goggles and cameras.
The Missile Sensor detects in-coming missiles on the radar screen so that a player has the chance to dodge them before they hit. If a head has a radar but no Missile Sensor, the ability can be supplemented by an Optional Part equipped with the sensor.
Auto-Map is a function that allows a player to check the map screen of the game and see the whole area map of a mission while heads without such a function can only see a limited portion of the area.
Core The 'armored core' from which the robot and the game series take their name. The human pilot sits inside the core, which is the 'torso' of the robot. Cores come in different weights to suit different styles of robot; the lighter ones are less well protected but more suitable for more mobile ACs. Similarly, there are highly defensive heavyweight cores. Cores contain a number of slots into which Optional Parts can be placed to improve its operation. Also, some cores have built-in anti-missile systems.
three types of core:
Overboost Core - this core contains a high powered booster system that operates in combination with the external or leg based booster of an AC. When activated, it allows the player's AC to move at amazingly high speeds, but can only be used to move forward, left, right, or diagonally left or right at a forward angle, backward movement is impossible. While it offers a tremendous amount of extra speed, Overboosting both drains energy very quickly and causes a massive increase in the core's heat level when initially used. These two factors heavily limit the amount of time an Overboost function can be used.
Exceed Orbit Core - this core contains one or more orbital pods that can be deployed to hover above the AC and retracted at will. They possess energy weapons or shell weapons (depending on the model you purchase) and will automatically target and shoot enemies. The rate of fire, power, and field of vision for EO pods varies from model to model. Unlike other energy weapons, the ammunition supplies of Exceed Orbit pods gradually regenerate over time when not in use. Two important factors that limit Exceed Orbit usage are the small amounts of added heat that occur whenever an EO pod is deployed, as well as the energy drain from the pod firing. EO Cores with solid ammo do not suffer from an energy drain while firing but their ammo cannot be replenished once depleted.
Hanger Unit - any core with this unit can hold one spare piece of equipment for each hand. Only small devices can be stored inside this unit, for example, a hand gun or an energy shield generator. Some cores are equipped with both Overboost and Hanger functions but there are no Exceed Orbit cores with Hangers.
Arms There are two types of arms; normal arms capable of holding weapons, and weapon arms that are weapons:
Normal arms have various differing attributes; the most important are the weight and defensive qualities, which are usually related - heavier arms are better armored. Other attributes are recoil control, which keeps the arm steady while firing, and reaction speed, which determines how quickly the robot can swing a laserblade.
Weapon arms sometimes possess two different firing modes, and are more powerful than ordinary weapons because they can be fired from two arms at once. However, they are greatly lacking in defense compared to normal arms. Weapon arms can be useful in keeping the weight of an AC down, as they are lighter than having separate arms and weapons but now are generally outclassed by Normal arms with weapons. Unlike Normal arms however, Weapon arms cannot be tuned.
Legs The legs support the AC on the ground and determine how it moves, and are usually the part by which an AC is classified. There are several different kinds of legs:
Humanoid - classic bipedal humanoid-style. Comes in many different weights, speeds and strengths. Humanoid ACs are limited in that they must kneel down to use many of the back-unit weapons (except for missiles and rockets). This takes time and also leaves them unable to move while firing. Heavy Legs are well armoured and can support heavy weights but very slow. Light Legs are very fast but have very low AP and weight limits. Standard Legs are a ballance between the other two types, with average AP, speed and weight limit. These legs are always equipped on the default AC that the player is provided at the start of each game.
Reverse-Joint - also bipedal, these legs resemble those of a bird. Reverse-jointed ACs tend to be faster than standard humanoid models while still having a reasonable carrying capacity; they can also jump higher. However, they have the same problem with back weapons as standard bipeds. They are also generally less well-armoured, have less cooling, a bad defensive stability, but a low stationary drain.
Four-Leg - quadrupedal, in the manner of an insect. Four-legged ACs tend to be quite fast and have the ability to fire back weapons while moving on the ground. However they generally cannot support heavy weights, are less well-armored than bipeds, and have a high energy usage. In the latest games, the quadrupedal legs now walk. In the earlier games these legs appeared to hover or roll.
Tank Tracks - slow and heavy, but very well protected and can support massive loads. Tank ACs can fire any weapon even if moving or airborne. As these kind of legs don't have any real leg joints, Tank ACs cannot jump, and instead use an inbuilt booster to thrust upward.
Hover - does not touch the ground. Hover ACs are the fastest and most maneuverable of all robots and can travel over water, which obviously gives them a huge advantage on aquatic missions. They are, however, generally the least well-armored and can only support very light loads. They suffer the same limitations as bipeds with regards to back-unit weapons. Like Tank ACs, Hover ACs cannot jump and have inbuilt boosters instead.
FCS The FCS or Fire Control System is the targeting computer, and controls weapon targeting and missile lock-ons. There are several different kinds, which vary on serveral attributes such as lock-on speed, maximum lock-on range, maximum lock-on number, or shape and size of lock-on area, suitable for different styles of weapons.
Missile FCS - FCS designed for use with missiles normally have a long vertical lock box, lock on very quickly with missiles and have a long detection range.
Sniper FCS - FCS designed for sniper rifle or cannons normally have a small square lock box, lock on very slowly with missiles and have an extremely long detection range.
Rifle FCS - FCS designed for rifle, pistol or shotgun weapons normally have a wide horizontal lock box, lock on rather slow with missiles and have a fairly short detection range.
Standard FCS - Standard FCS don't show any perticular prefrence when it comes to lock time, have an even square lock box and a balanced lock on distance.
Booster Boosters enable an AC to move quickly, and to fly. They come in different strengths and efficiencies. Tank and Hover ACs have inbuilt boosters. In Armored Core: Nexus players have to be cautious when equiping and using Boosters because they now not only drain energy but produce heat too, which can hamper the performance of the player's AC if it overheats. The amount of heat produced from an AC's boosters is tied to the Generator's "calorific value," so hotter boosters should be used with cooler running Generators with low calorific values.
Generator Supplies power to the AC. Power is an important consideration in the Armored Core games - the generator can only generate energy at a certain rate, and if the AC uses energy at a faster rate, the charge held by the generator is depleted. If the energy produced by the generator is depleted past the generator's red zone it immediately shuts off all other high-energy dependent functions and recharges. The time it takes to recharge varries from generator to generator but one fact is constant, an AC is at its most vulnerable point when its generator is recharging. Recharging ACs cannot use their boosters or energy weaponry until the generator has completely recharged, and in battle up to a minute without weapons or mobility can end up costing a heavy price.
Radiator ACs can get very hot, and when overheated they become damaged. Radiators attempt to release this heat, with varying efficiency. A Radiator normally bleeds off accumulated heat and returns the AC to normal, but if the AC is overheated at a faster rate than the Radiator can bleed off heat then the AC's armour will begin to take damage until the Radiator can restore the Core to an optimal temperature. Heat is produced by taking hits from various types of weaponry, by the external environment and in Armored Core: Nexus by the AC's own Boosters. In Nexus the heat system was completely reworked. Now heat does not do damage to an AC, but when an AC becomes overheated the Generator stops producing power and Radiator begins sucking massive amounts of energy from the AC's Generator to cool down the Core which can quickly deplete its energy supply and leave it vulerable if the Radiator is not very efficient. But if the heat level goes too high, the AC will still take damage
Non-Essential Parts These parts can be left off if the player desires; however, an AC will have difficulty progressing far into the game without a weapon of some kind.
Inside An internal compartment from which a variety of devices can be released, including bombs, mines, decoys, radar-jammers, small rockets and napalm rockets. These rockets needed to be fired blindly because there were no targeting aids for these weapons.
Extension Extensions come in pairs and are mounted on the sides of the shoulders. They are miscellaneous, usually non-offensive devices, and can be anything from extra boosters to stealth devices. A common extension is an anti-missile system.
In Armored Core 3, several emergency energy units were sold - these were usually 3 uses, and would quickly refill the energy of an AC in about 5 seconds. Emergency heat sinks were also introduced that allowed a quick cooling burst to bleed off potentially damaging heat if an AC got too hot. In Armored Core: Nexus, additional booster and relation missiles also become available but the radar jamming equipment was removed along with the radiator and ECM quiptment.
Back Unit There are two points on the back where weapons or devices may be mounted. These include:
Missile launchers Rocket launchers Cannons Orbit cannons Extra ammunition supplies Radars Some weapons and devices take up both Back Unit slots.
Cannon-type weapons must be fired over the shoulder, so there is usually a delay in activating the weapon for it to unfold or align itself. Bipedal and Hovering ACs have insufficient stability to use a cannon-type weapon whilst standing or moving, so it is more common to see missile and rocket launchers on these robots. In earlier games AC pilots who unlocked the Human PLUS modifications or gained the black market Optional Part OP-INTENSIFY were able to deploy cannons while moving but such features have been removed from more recent games like Armored Core: Nexus, Nine Breaker and Last Raven.
Arm Unit R This is the right arm weapon, and for most ACs it is their primary offense. There are a large number of different weapons, including rifles, machine guns, handguns, bazookas, shotguns, grenade rifles, laser guns and various energy weapons.
In AC3 parrying blades are available - these are short-range blades used to counter a laserblade strike and deal heavy damage, however there is a significant lag time between when the tigger is pulled and when the blade activates.
The most powerful weapons in the games (with the possible exception of the WA-FINGER in Project Phantasma, Master of Arena and its later incarnations in Nexus, Nine Breaker, Formula Front and Last Raven) are the Karasawa series, named for one of the series' producers. Armored Core has the Karasawa, the Karasawa Mk. II in Armored Core 2, and Armored Core 3 saw the MGW Karasawa. In Armored Core: Nexus through Armored Core: Last Raven, this weapon is called the WH04HL-KRSW, but has been knocked off its pedestal by other more powerful weapons added in to the later games.
Arm Unit L The left arm is traditionally used for melee weapons, typically the laserblade, which is a short-range blade of energy which can cause great damage to an opponent.
One can also equip hand-held energy shields which can absorb damage from weapons and laserblades. Since Armored Core 3 there have been a few ranged weapons designed for the left arm, such as howitzers. Armored Core: Nexus brings a much larger selection of left arm weapons, including copies of various right arm weapons, although the reacton time to fire these is far slower when compared to weapons held by the right arm.
Optional Parts These are parts which can be plugged into slots in the core to enhance the AC's performance. They have a variety of effects, such as increasing damage resistance to certain weapons, or increasing the generator capacity.
Different cores have different numbers of slots for optional parts, and generally more powerful optional parts cost more slots, while those only applied to certain situations are less slot-costly.
In Armored Core 3 and Silent Line: Armored Core a special unlockable Optional Part exists known as OP-INTENSIFY, or OP-I for short. This part, awarded to you upon your completion of Armored Core 3's storyline, allows you to use new features on you AC like the Human PLUS enchancements of the pervious AC games. The part automaticaly takes up every single Optional Part slot provided in your equipped Core so no other Optional Parts can be used while the OP-I is equipped. Replaying past missions and completing specific tasks unlocks new abillities and powers up your AC. These abillities are:
"Blade wave" projection Enhanced energy blade range Enhanced radar abillites All radar abillities added reguardless of equipment Able to fire back cannons while moving on leg bases other then tanks and quadrupeds. Enhanced normal cooling (No effect on Forced Cooling Stats) Enhanced boosters Enhanced missile interception Enhanced turning abillities Enhanced targeting abillities
The OP-INTENSIFY and Human PLUS were used by a majority of novice players who wished for an easier way of playing the game. This was looked down upon by some of the community, citing that it was 'unfair' or 'cheating', though some veterans used PLUS and OP-INTENSIFY as well, and many believed that it was possible to use it without being cheap. The conflict and debate over these two functions raged until they were finally removed in Nexus.
;D ;D ;D
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Post by Omni Existence on Dec 18, 2005 6:12:22 GMT -5
ok, if MG Gundams are 1/100 scale, this AC mech is taller than MG gundams at 1/72. it would be probably around 8 to 10 inches. This would be true if the height of a Gundam and the Mirage are the same "in real life", but I don't think the Mirage is as a tall as a Gundam. Don't know for sure though.. True true. I couldn't find any specific technical data for Armored Core AC's, but judging from the graphics/FMV's on the games (visuals only, no actual tech data), the standard height AC's is about as tall as a VF-1x in battroid mode(approx. 13 meters). Most Gundams are far bigger than VF-1's in Battroid mode. The GP-01 Zephyantes is a good example of a standard RX type Gundam (18.5 meters tall). So at 1/72 scale: VF-1 Battroid= 7 inches AC= 7 inches Gundam= 10.11 inches This is the reason why some fans asking Yamato for a 1/48 scale YF-19 or VF-0 sounds rather ridiculuous. A Macross Plus Valkyrie of that scale will simply be HUGE and impractical.
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Post by mannyD on Dec 18, 2005 6:17:32 GMT -5
omni, ur a real robot guru bro. tnx for the specs.
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Post by Omni Existence on Dec 18, 2005 6:44:22 GMT -5
You're welcome. Although the AC height was just a GUESSTIMATE. I based it off of the FMV's from the game. The Macross and Gundam info were tech specs.
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Post by mannyD on Dec 18, 2005 6:47:59 GMT -5
7 inches is a damn good size, for play and display. (that sounded horny ;D)
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Post by xiombarg on Dec 18, 2005 17:09:11 GMT -5
Good info guys.
I was thinking about the whole modelling aspect of things, and although I'm not a dedicated modeller, I like a model now and then. Models give you a new perspective into what goes on in figure design that you can't get from a pre-built figure. I've probably only put together about a dozen models, but I've found it a rewarding experience. With how well engineered snap together models are these days, I can't remember the last time I didn't enjoy a modelling experience. One thing I would like to mention also is that you hear about the downside of models too often without hearing the upside. Yes models are plastic and not heavy.. that's a given. But with models you get incredible articulation without the problems of weight distribution you get from figures, so you can position a model in almost any pose you can think of. The detail on models is often better in many respects than figures because of their layered dimensional qualities. And of course models are cheap to buy. For those that think models don't have the potential resale value as that of figures, that is certainly not the case. In fact, it's almost the opposite (as long as you don't paint them). The examples that readily come to mind are Zoids and the Max Factory models. Many of these kits have almost rediculous collector values, and sell for hundreds of dollars even when built, often in relatively short periods of time.
With that said, I like figures more, hands down, but I don't let that get in my way of appreciating a good model too.
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Post by Mechadevil on Dec 18, 2005 19:47:06 GMT -5
AC is a spec of hope in realistic mecha design, they are consistantly unfriendly looking. Not unlike a gloc left on the coffee table with children playing near bye.
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Post by mannyD on Dec 19, 2005 3:42:13 GMT -5
xiombarg: well said bro.
just to add, some collectors shy away from collecting and building models because they don't like the look of bare plastic. it looks cheap to them, not pleasing to the eye when displayed.
models can be improved with a spray of clear colored paint (gloss or semi gloss) from a spray can. it can vastly improve the look of the model/plastic. i recommend the gunze sangyo and tamiya brand of spray paint.
and yes, when considering the resale value of the model, it is sometimes better not to paint them, which is a turn off to us modellers (but my motto in collecting is: i only collect toys that i can resell someday).
but to cover the model with a clear coat to improve its appearance is a compromise. it is still technically an unpainted model.
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Post by mannyD on Dec 19, 2005 7:02:14 GMT -5
more pictures: 1/72 Mirage C01-GAEA "Gorgeous, injection plastic snap-together kit from Kotobukiya, of the Mirage C01-GAEA. Molded all in dark colours, a lot of them metallic/pearls, and with some clear parts for detail, this is easily one of the more beautiful 'bots to come out of the box from the Armored Core series! Whole lotta parts, though; this one will keep you busy for a while". -damn!!! is this "straight from the box"? i'm speechless ;D. ARMORED CORE RULES!!!
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