Ace Combat Zero

[chrono]

Man. Sometimes I wish that they had a Tank version of AC!

Seriously though I'd love it if they actually had a 40's-60's version of AC with some modern weapons. Early jets VS props.

[Axelay]

No one's recommended a flight stick other than the original AC5 set...

[hellohikaru]

Man. Sometimes I wish that they had a Tank version of AC! 

Seriously though I'd love it if they actually had a 40's-60's version of AC with some modern weapons. Early jets VS props. 

330914[/snapback]

I think they did that with Air Force Delta Strike: Blue Wing Knights which was a partial disaster

yeah i would love a Tank Combat.

[David Hingtgen]

Played through AC4 again, had some thoughts about what I'd like to see in AC0:

1. F-8

2. Mirage F1. Because we need a French plane that's NOT A DELTA.

3. MiG-23. Because we always get the 21 and the 29, that's a huge gap. Need something inbetween.

I've always felt flight-arcade (as opposed to true flight-sim) games were better when stuff was expensive. If you can buy every new plane the moment it comes out, there's not nearly so much incentive for multiple play throughs. Stuff shouldn't be super-expensive, but you shouldn't be able to buy 30 planes in 20 missions with your loads of cash.

Also--weapons. As we pretty much agreed upon, the weapon differences are more important than plane differences. Weapons should be unlocked/available similar to planes. Getting AMRAAM's early changes everything. Can't remember the name, but a PC game I had years ago had you play as a mercenary F-16 unit, and buying weapons was a big part of the money management. AIM-9M's cost a lot more than AIM-9J's----is all-aspect worth the expense? You paid for every bullet and every missile. A new plane was a one-time expense, but if you fired off a half-dozen laser-guided Mavericks every mission you'd quickly run out of cash. While AC0 probably couldn't work like that (80+ AIM-9's in the F-22) it would certainly add a layer of complexity if weapons were a constant or frequent expense. Maybe you'd be allotted unlimited 20mm and AIM-9's from whoever you're working for, but anything else cost $$$.

Wingmen---we know so far AC0 has you as a mercenary, and has wingmen commands again (or something similar, they mention the AI/CPU does now too). In AC2 you could hire wingmen for individual missions. I never thought they were worth the expense. But in AC0, if you could hire different, distinct wingmen that'd be really interesting. Both flying and story-wise. Even better if you start off as a lone mercenary with one plane, and eventually have enough money to form an entire squadron. THAT would be great, I think. AC5 gives you a lot to start with----you, an F-5, and 3 wingmen with F-5's. If AC0 starts you off alone in a Draken, and ends with 4 people with F-22's, that'd be a fun squadron to build up over a long time. Might take 2 or 3 play-throughs before you can have THAT much stuff. (And if you could build your own base, with your own maintenance shop to upgrade planes, etc---possibilities--though we're getting a bit RPG-ish with all the "home base" stuff)

If someone's not good enough, kick them out. (According to my AC5 stats after some 5000 kills, Chopper's the worst pilot based on kills vs missions flown). Ace pilots would cost more to hire, but would be worth it. And it could all be incorporated into the story.

Of course, I still expect AC0 to be 99% similar to AC5 (which'd still be a really good game) but there's just so much that could be added. Maybe we'll see "base/squadron building" in AC6.

[Skull Leader]

You could also buy wingmen in the original "air combat" (Ace Combat 1)... you assigned their duty before the mission and then never heard from them again (except as a tiny blip on the radar that did nothing)

So long as the basic gameplay isn't changed, I think I'll be ok with whatever else they alter. I too would love to see more cold-war era aircraft ('saders, floggers, Jaguars, maybe a naval phantom or two (F-4B/J/N/S... gunpod phantoms ROCK). and Ditto on the Mirage F.1... it's the only Dassault aircraft I've ever liked.

... and where, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, are flyable Harriers!? Working out the game mechanics for them wouldn't be THAT hard... and I'd love to take a Sea Harrier on an anti-ship or ground attack mission.

[David Hingtgen]

I think it'd be really easy to make a Harrier: simply change L1 from "airbrake" to "nozzle control". Unpressed---nozzles back (forward flight). Pressed lightly---nozzles down/hover. Pressed hard--nozzle forwards/fly backwards/slow down. R1 would act like normal for the throttle. It would overall be similar to the other planes control-wise, just with an added dimension of L1 allowing a hover or backwards flight.

And unlike the other planes, L1+R1 together would actually work, and give a vertical ascent (nozzles hover, power up). Or L1 hard+R1, for a very rapid deceleration. Man, I really need to go find my book that shows some air combat tactics for the Sea Harrier, messing with the nozzles while inverted or in an immelman gives some unique moves. Imagine you're at the top of the loop, then you press L1 and R1----you'd descend straight down, inverted.

[RFT]

Can't remember the name, but a PC game I had years ago had you play as a mercenary F-16 unit, and buying weapons was a big part of the money management.

That was Strike Commander.

[NiTRO493]

MAGAZEENE SCANZ THUT I POESTED OEN FAWCHAN

Also trailer at http://www.acecombat.jp

ps: First post. Sup.

Edited October 8, 2005 by NiTRO493

[David Hingtgen]

Can't remember the name, but a PC game I had years ago had you play as a mercenary F-16 unit, and buying weapons was a big part of the money management.

That was Strike Commander.

335039[/snapback]

Thanks! Would have taken a while for me to go through all "90's PC flight games" to find it.

[David Hingtgen]

New pics at MagicBox: http://www.the-magicbox.com/0510/game051021a.shtml

MiG-29, Gripen, MiG-31. And Su-35's w/ECM tip-pods... I'm currently thinking they're going to go just as modern as AC5.

Many shots of 4 identical planes in formation---either you'll often fight enemy squadrons, or your squadron will have to be 4 of the same plane.

Edited October 22, 2005 by David Hingtgen

[hellohikaru]

Looks like they went for the upgraded MiG-29A with R-27s. And yellow squadron is in ACZ!

[Gaijin]

Old trailer but new for this thread:

Ace Combat Zero Trailer

Click on the 12/15/05 one

Edited January 31, 2006 by Gaijin

[Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0]

I'd like to add. In game refuel/rearm, swappable Sp weapons, and up to 5 SP schemes per plane.

acecombat.jp has the best info its been updated as well. go to ace combat zero

[SpacePirateNeko]

I just played through ac4 for teh first time ( currently stuck on last stage). I loved it so much i went out and grabbed 5.

I know it wont be there and i know its not really a fighter but i would love if they added the blackbird and the experimental xb-70 as secret jets...just fo fun

[David Hingtgen]

Well you'll at least SEE a Blackbird very early in AC5. And there's 2 XB-70's you can shoot down in AC4 if you really hunt for them. "Shattered Skies" and "Broken Arrow"---they're the targets that zip across REALLY fast.

[SpacePirateNeko]

aye ive found em ...now i want to take down jets at mach 3

I wonder since ps3 will have a HD, would it be possible to "mod" a game like AC using any form of program trickery or is modding any game that plays directly off a dvd impossible?

I woud love a macross mod of these games

FYI zero is for ps2 however Namco has mentioned recently that they are working on a ps3 AC.....oh man i cant wait to fly over fully detailed cities with little people running around below

[Graham]

oh man i cant wait to fly over fully detailed cities with little people running around below

365722[/snapback]

............and bomb and strafe them!

Graham

[Gaijin]

I would like to see an online option for Ace Combat PS3 ...screw the FPS's. I want a giant furball between squadrons of players online. Say the PS3 AC will have this Namco, and I'll be one happy camper indeed. Oh, and support for the AC5 stick and throttle please.

[myk]

You have to wonder why they haven't done that yet-what a great idea...

[David Hingtgen]

MW alone could support an entire on-line wing.

[myk]

Well you'll at least SEE a Blackbird very early in AC5.  And there's 2 XB-70's you can shoot down in AC4 if you really hunt for them.  "Shattered Skies" and "Broken Arrow"---they're the targets that zip across REALLY fast.

365671[/snapback]

Cool. Kinda' like in Air Force Delta DC, right?

[Gaijin]

MW alone could support an entire on-line wing. 

365787[/snapback]

That would be cool.

[myk]

Yeah, but with all of the Forum member rivalries we'd end up shooting ourselves to pieces, lol...

[Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0]

from what people are saying ac6 will have online multiplayer on ps3. From what namco said in some pamphlet, apparently if you want a B-52 to come in and lay waste to some ground enforcements, you can call in an airstrike, and call helos to rescue downed men on the ground.

[Retracting Head Ter Ter]

.....oh man i cant wait to fly over fully detailed cities with little people running around below

365722[/snapback]

GTA San Andreas.

[Axelay]

Two new movies went up on Gamespot this week.

Read the preview here!

I see some things which I already really like.

- The good ol' F-5E Tiger II is back. I still love this thing mainly because Shin Kazama flies it.

- They specifically mention Huckebein by name in one of the movies! I really want to see more of Pops and Bartlett, so I hope Namco won't let me down.

- The art looks simply astounding - superior to AC5 in terms of detail.

[SpacyAce2012]

The new trailer on ACESWEB is awesome.

Does anybody know what the actual release date for the U.S. is? Different sites list different dates.

The last I heard, March 26th was the date for Japanese release and early April for U.S. distribution. Now, IGN and Gamespy say May 30th for the States. What's the deal here? Who's U.S. date is the correct one?

I hate to think I have to wait another two and a half months for this kick-ass Ace Combat installment.

[David Hingtgen]

Current OPM has a playable demo, 2 missions, F-15C and F-18C available.

Review:

Graphically identical to AC5. Even the afterburners are the same pink/purple. (Which annoys me slightly, as afterburner color is quite distinct for many planes---it's how you can tell F-16 Block 42 and 52 apart, and early vs late F-15E's)

Controls/buttons are the same, with one big improvement. For telling wingmen to "disperse" you can specify what they'll go after---anything, only planes, or only ground targets. That should help a LOT, as you know in AC5 they will almost never attack ground targets, even if they're mission critical. In mission 9 (I think) I'd often run out of ammo at the very end(there's lots to shoot) and I'd wait around for 5 minutes waiting for just ONE last target to be bombed by a wingman.

Weapons: In the demo there's 3 choices for each plane, and you can also pick your wingman's weapons (but not his plane). F-15 has AMRAAM, AIM-9X, and Mk84. So they're not set a decade ago, it's as modern as can be. F-18C has Harpoon, Sparrow, and JSOW.

First mission is short and mainly air with a few ground targets.

Second mission is pure dogfight, and your first encounter with an enemy squadron. Schnee squadron (German for snow, but mispronounced in the game--should sound like "schnay", rhymes with clay)

Schnee squadron is 4 F-14D's, and fond of launching massive Phoenix attacks from out of your range. Very nasty. Not knowing what the mission was I had selected the F-18C with Harpoons. I used about 30 missiles and eventually took down one, then died. With the F-15C and AIM-9X's it was actually too easy, though I bet the actual game mission is different--you probably can't have F-15's with AIM-9X's that early.

For the demo at least, enemy planes seemed very easy, but Schnee squadron was like Yellow squadron. It seems the ace squadrons are WAY tougher than the regular guys.

Enemy planes that are damaged a lot but not destroyed turn yellow on the radar and are considered "neutralized" and will run away. I think you get half points, and that will be good enough to beat the mission.

At the end of the demo, it advertises that it has adaptive AI.

Finally, there seems to be almost a good/evil bar! Based on how the bar and scoring and targeting works, it seems you will be evaluated on how much "excess" killing there is. If you blow up EVERYTHING, you will slide towards the "mercenary" side of the bar. If you only take out mission-critical targets, you slide towards the "knight" side of the bar. Firing that last missile to take out damaged/neutralized enemy planes that are retreating seems to be especially frowned upon, as it'll trigger specific cockpit chatter about you "shooting them in the back".

In the middle of the bar is "soldier". Above all it seems where you are on the bar will affect what missions/path you do. Might even affect rank/points/planes/weapons.

[David Hingtgen]

I post that you can go play AC Zero, and no one cares???

[Axelay]

Gah! Oh man, do I care! I'll get my best friend to grab me a free copy of that demo this weekend (hopefully). Now I just need a flight stick. I surely do wish I could find some kind of adaptor that would allow me to use my PC flight stick on my PS2...

[Smiley424]

Nice little review there David. Sounds pretty cool, I'll have to pick this one up, especially with the better wingmen controls. Hmm, I wonder if the "good/evil" bar will determine what mission path or planes you are able to unlock.

[Project Phoenix]

I beat the demo's 2nd mission with a Legacy Hornet using SAAMs. I only took one hit and that was from a Schnee.

The 3 bars will slide accordingly depending on your actions during the mission. Again, depending on your ranking during post-mission debreifing, you will meet different Ace Squadrons. This means you need to replay the game several times in order to beat all of the aces and get their movies, schemes, planes, etc. If what all the online previews are correct, there will be 18 missions this time but with 3 different endings.

Also, if you have AC04 and AC5 clear files, you will get to unlock the Falken and X-02.

[David Hingtgen]

Yeah, I want to try that mission with Sparrows or AMRAAMs. Normal sidewinders were about as likely to hit a Schnee F-14 as they were that final cruise missile in the "Broken Arrows" mission. AIM-9X was too easy (like 30 secs and they're all toast, even my wingman got one), AIM-9M too hard.

[Lightning]

I post that you can go play AC Zero, and no one cares???

381469[/snapback]

that's because everybody's probably playing it!!

[Gaijin]

Still waitingto find an issue.