Ace Combat

I'd certainly like to hear it.

Go for it.

Okay. Perhaps the best way to go about this is to describe the game's plot then the gameplay ideas I had.

The game, which I'd tagged at the moment Open War, centers on the ISDF 19th Task Force ACES, a unit of some sixty strong picked from all over the world, a airborne Foreign Legion, if you will. Also known as Tier 1, they are the absolute cream of the crop of fighter squadrons and are reknowned as the toughest pilots alive. After the rise of terrorism in 2021 Strangereal's first world countries began developing the next generation superfighter, with several near completion. In light of this the 19th Task Force had begun supplying countries around the world with their current generation aircraft and teaching them how they fly, with the ISDF still maintaining superiority once the new superfighters go into development. In return, these countries will provide aid in the hunt for the terrorist behind the attacks, Korbin Ponting. Regarded as the most wanted man alive, experts claim he is lashing out against the likes of Osea, Usea and Gracermeria, however his actions are more For the Evulz.

Enter the Player Character. Like William Bishop they are not a Heroic Mime, instead they have the callsign Edge. Yes, that Edge. In this storyline she is a young pilot who has shown to be an Instant Expert and can fly pretty much everything (the pilots in the 19th Task Force can typically only fly one or two different aircraft, making the game more realistic as well as offering a large cast of characters, but they are also cross trained for ground combat.) Due to this she is sent with a squad flying Raptors to Tarkine, a small Yuktobanian client state where they will aid the rebels to learn how to fly the F-22 against the oppressive government. However several missions in one of the pilots, Predator, betrays the squadron and launches an attack where the Raptors are stolen. Predator claims the world must stand up to ISAF oppression and plans to use the Raptors to destroy the planned prototypes, which could lead not only to hostilities against the ISDF but tensions between the developed nations. It is up to Edge and the 19th to use the antiquated planes of Tarkine to stop this from happening.

There's more, much more. However I'll cover some of the game mechanics.

• Edge can fly any plane that's used by the 19th Task Force. Her wingmen however cannot. This leads to a rotating roster of pilots who can fly Falcons but not Warthogs, Terminators but not Tomcats.

• As the 19th can also operate as ground fighters if you are shot down you can bail out and still continue the fight on foot. If Edge sees another fighter on the ground she can clear a path to taxi and take off to resume combat in the skies. Several missions will also involve fighting on the ground, one early mission involves training the Tarkine rebels and another is against a base Predator is aiding to take out their air superiority.

• The introduction of a Karma Meter will allow Edge control of her destiny as a fighter pilot. At the start she is a young, dedicated woman fascinated by the legendary Mobius 1, and the older pilots who knew of his exploits she hangs on every word. Throughout the game her actions will determine whether she evolves as a knight, soldier or mercenary, much like The Belkan War, and she'll resemble Edge in The Unsung War, Project Nagase or Joint Assault respectfully.

• The cutscenes will also be interactive. As well as the use of quicktime events and selectanble dialogue in game between missions her words and actions will impact on the game's plot. When Predator is shot down and captured does she allow the pilot to speak to the ISAF or does she push for execution? Will the other pilots listen based on her actions so far? This will go a long way to determine the ending, of which there are several depending on Edge's actions throughout the game.

• Each plane in the game will have every weapon available they can actually use, instead of the one or two. Edge can fly with the default loadout or select from missiles and add ons each aircraft can use.

Well that covers the basics I think. Tell me if this sounds good and I'll tell you the rest of the plot as well as go in depth with what a prospective game would include.

edited 4th Mar '13 5:32:47 AM by tsstevens

I really like the idea of having your squadron's bleeding-edge planes stolen, actually justifying the usual progression up from crappy outdated models. Not sure I'd be too thrilled with the ground combat, though. I play AC to fly a plane, and can get my RDI of third-person shooter elsewhere.

I can't really comment on the stuff with Edge, as I've only played AH and 6. It would be kinda neat if this hypothetical game revisited locations or characters from the latter, though.

Oh yeah, would this game have some variation of AH's dogfight system, or would that be scrapped entirely?

edited 4th Mar '13 5:40:20 AM by Gaunt88

I did think about that and was plying around with the idea of a risk\reward system. At the beginning of the game Edge is told that the pilots she will fly with are experts and they will teach her. She listens to them and they'll teach her what they know. One idea might be at the beginning of the game you can enter dog fight mode but aside from getting up close and personal it doesn't do much. As Edge flies with different pilots she picks up on different AC Ms, maneuvers, how to fly low to the ground and through cities, some unorthodox or outright dangerous stunts she can pull off (and be called out on if she does them) to get a...hmmm, get an edge on her opponents. Then later in the game the planes will get better and Edge can rely more on technology rather than skill. Well that's one idea anyway, I wasn't sure of how exactly to play around with the idea but that is one option.

Would you like to hear the rest of the plot?

Sure. Then I'll see if I can top that.

Okay, the full plot now. Spoilers of course.

In 2021 a terrorist by the name of Korbin Ponting launches a number of attacks: the bombing of an airfield in Osea, hacking the Usea stock exchange, gassing a village in Yuktobania. Korbin claims the attacks are against the superpowers. The ISDF disagreed, with the Executive Officer of the 19th Task Force ACES claiming Korbin just wants the world to burn. In response to the terrorist attacks several superfighters go under development and a plan is drawn up to help flush out the world's most wanted man.

Once the superfighters are nearing completion the 19th Task Force is to fly to countries around the world, supplying them with the then latest generation aircraft and training. Why the 19th? As Tier 1 pilots the ISDF hopes that by using such an elite squadron the countries they air will gain their trust, so they can move on to another country who will stand against terrorism, who based on good word about the 19th will come to the aid of another country who is opposing Korbin's forces, who will then go to other countries in support of the terrorist network and disrupt his operations. He will end up with nowhere left to hide.

Kei "Edge" Nagase is a new member of the 19th Task Force. Known for being able to fly any aircraft. she is sent with a squadron of Raptors to Tarkine, a Yuktobanian client state where the planes will help the rebels against the tyrannical government. Edge helps train the rebels in the use of the fighter before the 19th conducts an operation on a military base. Later, when the 19th is helping train in ground combat, a pilot known as Predator launches an attack which results in the theft of the Raptors.

Predator's betrayal is considered strange, as the pilot had always been known to be fiercely loyal. The message to stand up against the ISDF and use their own weapons to take out the 19th also does not make sense. However there is scarce little time to think about that, as the Tarkine government is after them. A squadron of pilots is able to break through the military blockade and with Edge they take off on F-111 Aardvarks. Why Aardvarks? A nearby base has F-16s that will give a much better chance but the air defenses have to be taken out before they can take off.

Once the 19th are flying F-16s the squadron see that Predator is heading inland through Yuktobania and work out the target is the Yuke secret weapons project. Edge is tasked with a strike at a base Predator is resting at, but en route she is intercepted by one of the Raptors. Despite her best efforts she is shot down, and when Predator has her dead to rights she hears this message.

"Nothing personal Lieutenant Nagase. I simply have a mission to complete, and I am loyal, to the last. Do not attempt to follow me. Do not attempt to stop me. The blood on my hands will wash onto yours if you do."

Edge finds out the rest of the squadron were shot down, Predator had every chance to kill them but didn't, and played the same message for each pilot. Confused as to just what is going on, Edge takes new 19th pilots up in A-10s to take out several bases so Predator cannot use them, before coming across a discovery: F-14s, replicas of the famous VS-301. Their sinister logos and bold paint schemes give the 19th an idea, they would do great against the Tarkine air support and then they can pawned off to the rebels. So Edge flies out with them to the coast where she aids rebels take over a battle carrier group loaded with Migs and Su fighters. Nagase gives the rebels the Tomcats in exchange for a squadron of supersonic Foxbats, which is hoped would clear the Tarkine boarder.

The 19th manage to escape Tarkine, now they can resupply and go after Predator. However the pilot is too far away to chase, so instead they draw the pilot back by using F-117 bombers on a base Predator is aiding to draw the traitor back, then retreat. The next plan is to attack Predator's own squadron of Su fighters using Hornets in a bid to rattle the pilot. The plan seems to succeed as Predator sends out another message to the 19th, pointing out the loss of life caused by their actions. Edge is rattled, but the squadron uses this opportunity to head for the Yuke secret weapons facility and lie in wait.

Predator does show up and the 19th go up in Migs. In this contest Edge and the 19th shoot Predator down. Bailing out the traitor waits for capture before dropping a bombshell: part of the ISDF did not want to provide aid to groups such as the Tarkine rebels, so Predator was to stage an attempted coup in order to put a stop to the aid the 19th had been providing. Here Edge can either call for the pilot's execution or to testify. Her choice determines the ending.

After dealing with Predator the 19th learn of an increase in terrorist attacks, with Korbin taking advantage of what's happening in Tarkine to disrupt the ISDF efforts against him. As the 19th take off they are intercepted by ISDF fighters, and Edge must hold them off as long as she can before joining with the rest of the 19th in retreat. Clearly those in the ISDF opposed to their aid missions is trying to cover their tracks, so a mission is quickly formulated.

That mission is to broadcast the information the 19th has on the rogue elements in the ISDF, hoping this would stall the attacks on the squadron. Edge is to defend while the broadcast goes out. During the battle she is joined by ISDF fighters loyal to the 19th and they hold off the attack.

The news of rogue elements not only puts a stop to the attacks on the 19th it causes a international backlash, with elements within countries all over Strangereal flaring up and launching attacks on the ISDF. Edge can choose from one of several areas of operations she can fly in to quell the uprising, and this will affect her planes and allies. The missions are easy enough except for one where activists somehow manage to fly either Raptor, Su-37s or F-35s, depending on where Edge was flying. However in the course of this a problem develops.

Korbin had used the confusion to attack a Usean research facility and steal the F-50 development fighter. Called a 'smart plane' the F-50 is loaded with pilot aided electronics and shielding from radar. However it is the weapons Korbin had stolen with it that is of greater concern: EMP pulses that he could use to blackout cities, fuel air bombs he would detonate mid air to kill as many people as he can, and a super virus. The computer virus was being researched in the hopes of a cure, considered to be the most destructive ever this virus propagates itself throughout the net before destroying the systems it infects. For a doomsday madman like Korbin it is the ultimate weapon.

With no way to track the F-50 several governments try and appeal to Korbin. However those who know him says he will use the virus regardless of what they do, but all the 19th can do is wait until Korbin reveals himself. He does so by blackout out a city and the 19th take off, where they come to a horrifying discovery: Raptors in bold paint schemes, designated the 118th and with a Mobius symbol. Edge manages to fight them off and guesses being a Mobius 1 fangirl that Korbin did that just to mess with them. They come across Korbin himself flying the F-50, and with the plane virtually flying itself and completely defeating radar and missile lock he's a match for the elite squadron.

What ending occurs here depends on Edge's Karma Meter. If she is Mercenary then she shoots Korbin down, but not before he launches the fuel air bombs he's carrying at a nearby city. The devastation of the mid air launch is so frightening Edge becomes a jaded, cynical pilot and splits from the 19th Task Force. If she is a soldier then in a joint assault the 19th shoot down Korbin, where Edge begins to express how honored she is to fly with them when she's told to knock it off. It's a joke however, and the pilot continues to state how proud they are of Edge, before they return home. They're last seen on the beach at dusk around a fire, feeling the stress of their operations bleed off. If Knight and sparing Predator then Edge cannot overcome the F-50, however Predator suddenly flies in, using an A-10. Predator uses the massive guns to tear the fighter apart as Korbin magnum launches the EM Ps at the crazy pilot. The vulcan rounds strike the fuel air bombs, resulting in a massive explosion, but because Predator cannot eject the traitor is gone too. So it seems is Edge, also hit by an EMP, until she can force the canopy of her fighter open and eject, landing in a neighborhood that Korbin had blacked out. Her arrival draws out several people to see what's going on, before Edge sees more people coming to the aid of those without power. It is a testament to human kindness.

So yeah. Had the slightly bizarre idea to name one of the videos for my planned AC5 LP "You gotta be squidding me."

I think I've been watching Shinryaku! Ika Musume too much. >.<

You have a Let's Play do you? I've looked over some good ones and some of the good ones go into the very strange, there were ones for Wing Commander and Resident Evil that went into the downright bizzare. I didn't mind as they added a different spin to it and were quite funny. Could we check yours out? I'd be happy to share my thoughts on it.

Not yet; I still need to buy a PVR, among other things.

Right. Well, I have one rule when it comes to Let's Play: if it fits the game, the theme of your review or some joke you have in there (Proton Jon has a number of them from songs to invisible coin blocks to referencing other games) then go for broke. Typically they don't even follow that rule. Certainly when you're ready I'm sure we would all like to see it, The Unsung War is one of my favorite games and I would certainly be interested in seeing your take on it.

And if you don't mind I used to record PS 2 and Xbox all the time using a DVD recorder. If you like maybe I can give a few pointers.

I'm not entirely sure what my plan is yet. >.<

Well did you have something in mind? Did you want it funny? Serious? Did you want to focus on how the game compares to the others in the series? Discuss the story and how it fits into the overall setting throughout the series? The tropes within the game? Talk about whether Blaze and Wardog really are demons?

These may help, the two games are kinda sorta similar, perhaps, and it might provide a few ideas.

So I started Ace Combat: Assault Horizon yesterday. Love the DFM mechanic, despite its challenging nature at times ("GODDAMNIT, STOP BREAKING AWAY SO QUICKLY!"). Any tips on how to handle the attack chopper segments? I've been kinda stuck on the first such mission; what seems to be the fourth/fifth cluster of rebel units in the town seem too heavily entrenched for a head-on approach like the others.

@tsstevens' Open War: That was an engaging read, and looks like prime material for adaptation into a full-fledged story/game.

edited 30th May '13 6:16:56 AM by MarqFJA

I had a much, much better time with the helicopter levels once I switched the control scheme off the default one. One of the other available schemes is much more muscle-memory friendly in terms of switching back and forth between planes and helicopters.

>Today Namco Bandai updated the official Ace Combat facebook fan page with a completely new cover photo (that you can see above), portraying the old glorious Project Aces Logo, that was completely removed during the promotion of Ace Combat: Assault Horizon.

>What’s even more interesting is that on the background we can see something that very closely resembles the fragments of the Ulysses asteroid hitting the old dear fictional world of Strangereal.

http://www.dualshockers.com/2013/06/21/namco-bandai-teases-something-related-to-ace-combat-is-the-series-going-back-to-its-roots/

Must...avoid...hype...

YOU'LL JUST HURT ME AGAIN NAMCO BANDAI.

Just as long as they don't included the game mechanics from Assault Horizon. It just turned everything, including the final battle, into a scripted event that wouldn't play out until the dialogue was spoken first.

Avoid hype all you want. I'm going to sit over here with a grin on my face looking forward to a new game.

...and then probably forget all about it until some official news come out.

I'll just hope it is a good one

I'm avoiding hype because so much could go wrong.

They could keep AH gameplay, they could make it 3DS / Vita only, they could make it (shudder) Xbone Exclusive. (I would cry)

Any news on a proper localization for Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere?

Never going to happen.

I just hope that whatever it is is available on the PS 3.

Hey, if they can make PS 3-compatible versions of PS 1 games like Final Fantasy VII & VIII, the original Marvel vs. Capcom, Darkstalkers, and Front Mission 3, I don't see why they can't do the same for AC3: Electrosphere.

edited 22nd Jun '13 9:42:56 AM by MarqFJA

yeah, but you're asking for them to completely translate the entire uncut Japanese version. All those other games are practically unchanged from their original releases.

Don't get me wrong, It'd be pretty awesome if they did that, but I'm not getting my hopes up.

edited 22nd Jun '13 9:50:06 AM by DRCEQ

Didn't they retool ACII in that 3DS game?