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Cooked Auto
Aug 4, 2007

If you will not serve in combat, you will serve on the firing line!




Ooopsie, update on previous page.

AC2:
Well at least it didn't end with a plane backflip. :v:
Also that is ridiculously dangerous flyby of that carrier.

Legacy:
Wait what, they had Norio Wakamoto doing the voice for Keynote in the Japanese version?! :aaa:

I know I've said this to crow during a post-recording chat but Like a Phoenix Rising is probably one of the grimmer AC tracks out there to me just because it specifically mentions that all opposition shall be destroyed and it's futile to resist.

Otherwise I think the Legacy soundtrack is the weakest of the lot. Might be because most of the music isn't made by Kobayashi, Nakanishi or Okubo which means it doesn't really feel the same as the other games. I mean two of those composers have been doing music for the series since at least AC2.
It has a couple of good tracks here and there but I think I rank the ACAH soundtrack above it.


Also, ommitted from the credits.
Both times too. You bastard. t:mad:t

I'm probably the most active past midnight thanks to my hosed up sleeping schedule so I could do recordings then just fine.
Not to mention I've pretty much done that already when doing commentary for this.

However, I am very curious to see how AC4 unfolds. I have listened to that soundtrack so many times throughout the years.
Rex,
Rex tremendae majestatis,
qui salvandos savas gratis,
salve me, fons pietatis.

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ADBOT LOVES YOU

Great Joe
Aug 13, 2008

nine-gear crow posted:

Attack on the Enemy’s Headquarters Fortress

Mission 21: Operation Fighter’s Honor – September 18th, 1998
Mission 23: Operation Fighter’s Honor (Legacy Version)
Ace Combat 2 Credits
Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy Credits


Overview: The last remnants of the Rebellion forces have retreated to the old Fortress Intolerance complex in North Point. In a last desperate act of revenge against the nations of Usea, they are preparing to launch an ICBM from Fortress Intolerance at the Union of Yuktobanian Republics in an attempt to draw the UYR into a retaliatory war with the Federation of Central Usea.

As FCU diplomats scramble to alert Cinigrad of the danger, Scarface Squadron is scrambled for one final sortie to cripple Fortress Intolerance, destroy the Rebel ICMB, and end the Continental War once for all.

However, one final ZOE fighter blocks the way, the most powerful one yet…



Guest Commentator: Given all his hard work to make Assault Horizon Legacy happen, it is only appropriate then that I am joined for both versions of Fighter’s Honor by the incredible Trizophenie. It may not seem like it, but this is as much his LP as it is mine, and I cannot thank him enough for all his hard work on it and for being a good sport with my at times frantic update pace and strange requests when it comes to footage.





Zone of Endless
North Osea Gründer Industries Artificial Intelligence Fighter Test Project
Members:
  • “Captain”
  • “Major”
  • “Colonel”
  • “General”
  • “Commander”
Squadron Composition: F-14D Super Tomcat (x1 [?]), F/A-18F Super Hornet (x1[?]), F/A-22 Raptor (x1[?])* YF-23A Black Widow II (x1[?]) – Legacy only, F-15S/MTD (x1[?]), ADF-01 FALKEN (x1[?])

Information recovered from the flight computer of the crashed ADF-01 FALKEN fighter paints a startlingly revealing picture of the full scope of the Zone of Endless AI fighter program. Allied Intelligence has managed to trace the fighter back to its original manufacturer, the North Osea Gründer Industries defense contractor firm.

Previously cryptic intercepted communications between Gründer and the URF brass have been re-examined in light of these revelations. While Allied Intelligence initially believed that Gründer had already been illegally supplying arms to the Rebels, it is now apparent that this was but a small part of an even larger exchange. Gründer would outfit the Rebels with arms and information technology if the URF allowed it to use the battlefields of Usea as a live-fire testbed for its new unmanned AI fighter program codenamed “Zone of Endless.”

Gründer personnel arrived in Usea covertly, and all Project ZOE materials were smuggled onto the continent from Osea via URF-controlled ports such as Port Edwards and Anchorhead, and existing URF planes were then repurposed and retrofitted with the requisite technology needed to make them into ZOEs. The ZOE program would then learn from its battle experience, conducting numerous sorties across the Continental War, but it’s most formative engagements proved to be against Scarface Squadron and its flight lead Phoenix.

As Phoenix faced each subsequent ZOE-equipped craft in battle, the program studied his example and tactics, becoming more deadly with each passing engagement. Befitting its evolution, the Gründer programmers and engineers embedded with the URF forces would give each new version of the program a factious promotion in rank, from Captain, to Major, to Colonel, to General, ultimately to Commander, which they believed to be the most advanced version of the program possible.

The ADF-01 FALKEN, a plane wholly of Gründer’s design, was not manufactured on Usea, but was instead constructed at a Gründer Industries worksite in Sudentor, North Osea, and loaded with the ZOE Commander program shortly after its completion. To the surprise of the Gründer personnel at Sudentor, the FALKEN booted up on its own in the early hours of September 18th, 1998, and took off for Fortress Intolerance in North Point. All attempts to force the ZOE-controlled FALKEN to return to base, and, failing that, to scuttle the plane remotely, failed, as the ZOE program locked its creators out of the FALKEN’s flight control system as it flew straight for North Point. Its sole directive: kill Scarface One.

Following the FALKEN’s destruction during Operation Fighter’s Honor, it appears that Gründer Industries has shuttered the Zone of Endless AI project. It also appears that all Gründer materials related to the project have been scoured from Usea by the URF, and to date no Gründer personnel involved in aiding the Rebellion or developing the ZOE AI have been apprehended by FCU, North Point, or Erusian authorities.

FCU Defense Minister Robert Tyler has called on the Osean Federation to investigate Gründer Industries for alleged war crimes and violation of several international treaties forbidding the development of artificial intelligence programs for combat purposes. The chair of the Osean Senate Arms Services Committee, Senator Appelrouth, has promised a full investigation into the matter, though it is unlikely it will even commence, let alone be completed by the time the Ulysses 1994XF04 asteroid makes planetfall on Earth next year.





FORTRESS INTOLLERANCE
Constructed during the height of the Cold War, Fortress Intolerance was designed to function as an eastern bulwark against the threat of possible nuclear strike by the Union of Yuktobanian Republics across the Eusian Ocean on Verusa. Originally intended to be a first- and second-strike capable fortress hardened against direct nuclear attacks and fallout, Fortress Intolerance was to be a war-time refuge for any surviving FCU government and military officials in the event of a catastrophic global nuclear war.

However, as the Cold War waned, and tensions between Usea, Osea, and Yuktobania cooled and the possibility of nuclear war became less likely, the nation of North Point began to slowly demilitarize itself, Fortress Intolerance was one of the first facilities on the chopping block for decommissioning. It remained abandoned for decades, but a recent decision by the Usean continental congress saw the fortress’s resurrection of sorts as a part of the Usean spaceguard program along with Stonehenge, Megalith, and the various impact shelters currently being constructed around Usea. The Continental War and the URF’s seizure of the facility, however, placed these plans on hold. The URF was able to bring the facility back up to operational status thanks to the half-finished restoration efforts already in place at the time of its capture.

In addition to its ICMB launch facilities, Fortress Intolerance also sported both a suite of short-range anti-air and anti-ground armaments, and an array of long-range gun emplacements capable of striking targets as far away as the North Point coast, and even out to sea in the Gulf of Saint Ark. The facility was powered by two independent nuclear reactor facilities on its outskirts in addition to an internal power plant facility located inside the fortress in the event of either external plant’s destruction.

Following the damage incurred to the fortress complex during Operation Fighter’s Honor, the facility has been deemed structurally unsound by North Point government officials, and all plans for its restoration and inclusion in the Usean spaceguard program have officially been abandoned.

The fortress is scheduled to be demolished following the Ulysses 1994XF04 planetfall next year.



WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED?
Though the Continental War is over, and “peace” has returned to the land, the unity of the Usean continent has been irreparably shattered, and as Keynote grimly predicts in his closing debriefing, it is only a matter of time before another war breaks out from this fractured state of affairs.

To make matters worse, Usea has just under a year to finish preparing for the planetfall of Ulysses 1994XF04, and after a bloody and costly war that tore the entire continent asunder, the world’s most asteroid-ready superpower, the one that discovered Ulysses and sounded the alarm about it in the first place, has to accelerate its preparation progress to compensate for nearly 6 months of time lost to this pointless violence. Rebuilding after the war and rebuilding after Ulysses are starting to look like they’ll be the same task.

In response to the coup and how easily the unified forces of the FCU and other nations were able to be co-opted by the Rebels, plans for a new apolitical international military force have been drawn up by the nations of Usea to rise out of the ashes of the old Allied Forces.

The new Independent States Allied Forces, or ISAF, will serve as a check against the divided politics that tore the FCU Allied Forces asunder from within and will ensure that civil war never engulfs the Usean continent again so long as it remains on guard. ISAF will be staffed by soldiers, sailors, and pilots from every nation on Usea.

However, there remains a lone holdout that did not sign the ISAF Treaty following the armistice at the end of the Continental War: Erusea.





ADF-01 FALKEN
After seeing a brief cameo in Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War, the ADF-01 FALKEN makes its proper timeline debut here at the end of Ace Combat 2. The FALKEN is the surprise bonus boss at the end of AC2, appearing only if you’ve managed to shoot down every other ZOE plane in the game. The FALKEN is also one of the two superplanes in the game, the other being the XFA-27, as seen in the Legacy version of Fighter’s Honor and the upcoming Extras video. While the XFA-27 is the player-exclusive superplane, the ADF-01 is the enemy exclusive superplane. I’d mistakenly said it was pilotable in Ace Combat 2 back in Zero and I apologize for that. The first time you are permitted to actually fly the FALKEN for yourself is in Ace Combat 5.

The ADF-01 FALKEN was developed in secret by North Osea Gründer Industries as an super-advanced next generation fighter intended to be handed over to the Osean Air Defense Force by 2010. In addition to being the final testbed for the Zone of Endless AI fighter program, it also served as the prototype unit for the Connection for Flight Interface or COFFIN System, designed to enhance human awareness and tactical performance during combat situations.

While the FALKEN’s involvement in the final days of the Usean Continental War, and Gründer Industries’ alleged connections to the Usean Rebel Forces were covered up by the Osean government following the war’s conclusion, the craft’s connection to another state-of-the-art fighter from the Belkan War is undeniable.

Design documents reveal the FALKEN was designed to function as a refined version of the old South Belka Munitions Factory’s ADFX-01 and 02 Morgan prototype fighters. Both planes sport similar design profiles, though the angular configuration of the FALKEN improved its stealth potential over the Morgan by reducing its radar cross-section by nearly 3/4s.

The FALKEN also, according to design documents, was purported to house a further refined version of the Zoisite Tactical Laser System (itself a scaled down version of the Belkan Excalibur TLS system) previously featured on the Morgan. The FALKEN’s laser system was scaled down from the Morgan’s by almost half, and was able to be mounted inside the nose cone of the FALKEN and deployed to its firing configuration by an actuator system. However, this system was not present in the wreckage of the ADF-01 prototype recovered by the Allied Forces from Fortress Intolerance.



XFA-27 SCARFACE
The fighter craft designated XFA-27 was deployed by the Usean Allied Forces in the late days of the Continental War as a “last hope” fighter platform. Designed to be a multi-role air superiority fighter, much of the information and design specifics surrounding the XFA-27 are either non-existent or highly classified, including its manufacturer (speculated by some industry insiders to even be the Erusian Air and Space Administration).

The XFA-27 is one of the fastest and most maneuverable craft in existence, even outmaneuvering the ADF-01 FALKEN in direct combat. The plane features a variable geometry wing configuration and a highly unusual four-rudder set up. Its advanced fire control system was capable of firing up to four missiles at once, as opposed to most regular planes which could only fire two.

Only one plane of its type is confirmed to have existed, however its fate following the conclusion of the Continental War remains a mystery. Some sources claim the plane was dismantled by the FCU following the retirement of its pilot, the mercenary and leader of Scarface Special Tactical Fighter Squadron, Phoenix. Others claim it was repossessed by the EASA and its materials repurposed towards the development of its alleged X-02 superplane. Other sources still claim the XFA-27 was sold to the Federal Republic of Aurelia in South Osea for an undisclosed amount of money.




Aircraft featured in Mission 21/23 – Operation Fighter’s Honor:


ADF-01 FALKEN
Manufacturer: North Osea Gründer Industries
Role: Multirole (Prototype)
Manufactured: 1998(?)-????
Status: Testing
Primary Operators: Usean Rebel Forces, Osea, Ustio
Quick Facts:
  • The first actual superplane of the Ace Combat franchise.
  • Serves as the final boss of AC2.
  • Is an enemy-only plane in this game.
  • Appears in Ace Combats 5, Zero, X, Xi, Joint Assault, Infinity, and Assault Horizon Legacy.
  • Is generally the most powerful or second-most powerful plane in any game it appears in.
  • Is unlocked in Assault Horizon Legacy by shooting down 15 named Aces or completing all the Story, Survival, and Extra missions.
  • Just like in Zero, the FALKEN also has the TLS laser in Legacy as one of its special weapons.
  • The laser was actually an addition to the Ace Combat 5 version of the FALKEN. It does not appear in Ace Combat 2.
  • Similarly, the ZOE FALKEN will not fire deploy its laser in the Story Mode version of Fighter’s Honor.
  • It will in the Extra Mission version of Fighter’s Honor, however.





XFA-27 SCARFACE
Manufacturer: [REDACTED]
Role: Multirole (Prototype)
Manufactured: 1998(?)-????
Status: Testing
Primary Operators: Federation of Central Usea, Aurelia
Quick Facts:
  • The first playable superplane of the Ace Combat franchise.
  • Only found in the game’s Extra planes roster, which is unlocked by beating the story mode of AC2 once.
  • It replaces the F-22 Raptor in AC2’s roster and is unlocked by destroying the Fox Force Four squadron in Mission 15B.
  • Once unlocked it cost $500,000 to purchase, making it the most expensive plane in the game.
  • In Assault Horizon Legacy, it is unlocked by achieving the rank of Brigadier General and costs $225,000 to purchase.
  • Appears in Ace Combats 2, X, Xi, Joint Assault, Infinity, and Assault Horizon Legacy.
  • Can fire four missiles at a time in AC2, while in AHL it is capable of targeting two enemies at once with regular missiles.
  • Also appears in Namco’s Pro Baseball Famista 2011 for the Nintendo 3DS as a guest “character” alongside characters from Tekken, God Eater, and iDOLM@STER.
  • And as you can now clearly see down below, it is plane whose shadow graces the cover of the Ace Combat 3D CROSS RUMBLE Original Soundtrack cover.
  • Is only officially known as the XFA-27. Fans have given the plane the unofficial designation of XFA-27 Scarface in honor of Phoenix.






ACE COMBAT 2


Medal: ZOE Commander
Awarded for: Shooting down the ZOE Commander in Mission 21.
Description: N/A


    ZOE Commander
  • Plane: ADF-01 FALKEN
  • Game: Ace Combat 2
  • Mission 21
  • Spawn conditions: Spawns by default.


[LEGACY]

Once again, the end of the game unlocks a whole slew of medals for Assault Horizon Legacy. This isn’t the entirety of the medals in Legacy, however. We will be seeing the miscellaneous medals not pertaining to the endgame in the Extras update.


Medal: Zone of Endless
Awarded for: Defeating the ZOE Commander in Mission 23.
Description: Awarded to pilots who earn exceptional results in combat against Z.O.E.



Medal: Bronze Star of Victory
Awarded for: Completing the Story Mode.
Description: Awarded to pilots who fulfill their duty and restore peace to the land.


Medal: Silver Star of Victory
Awarded for: Completing Story Mode on Ace difficulty.
Description: Awarded to pilots who overcome the Rebels’ toughest forces and restore peace to the land.


Medal: Gold Star of Victory
Awarded for: Earning an S-rank on every mission (Normal difficulty or higher).
Description: Awarded to pilots who achieve the highest honor in every mission and restore peace to the land.


Medal: Hack & Slash
Awarded for: Completing all story missions with Slash as your wingman.
Description: Awarded to pilots who refuse to give up on their partner, and survive the battlefield.


Medal: Blade’s Edge
Awarded for: Completing all story missions with Edge as your wingman.
Description: Awarded to pilots who survive the battlefield with their trustworthy partner.


Medal: Hall of Fame
Awarded for: Destroying all non-boss named enemies in the game.
Description: Awarded to pilots who shoot down all special aircraft.


Medal: Fighter’s Honor
Awarded for: Completing the Story Mode without using any Action Maneuvers on any difficulty.
Description: Awarded to pilots who rely solely on their own abilities to achieve victory on the battlefield.



    ZOE Commander
  • Plane: ADF-01 FALKEN
  • Game: Assault Horizon Legacy
  • Mission 23
  • Spawn conditions: Spawns by default.


    Fox Force Four
  • Plane: Su-47 Berkut
  • Game: Assault Horizon Legacy
  • Mission 23
  • Spawn conditions: Spawns over the left power plant after you destroy the F-22 squadron guarding it.




AC2


Tracks featured in Mission 21:

DISC 1

UNRELEASED TRACKS


ACAHL


Tracks featured in Mission 23:

DISC 2




“Like a Phoenix Rising” Lyrics


Also, according to Lunethex, there’s one more medal in the game for shooting down a special Ace that nobody’s ever seen before. What could it possibly be?












Shall we find out together then?






















Let’s see.
































goddammit.








And that, as they say, is that. As we close the book on Ace Combat 2, we end with a fractured Usea staring down the barrel the gun that is Ulysses 1994XF04, now just 288 days away from impact with the Earth. When we return to Strangereal after our brief hiatus, we find ourselves in the late summer of 2004 in a very changed world from what we’ve known so far, having escaped certain death from the heavens by the skin of its teeth.

Ulysses Day approaches fast. The skies are about to shatter.


STONEHENGE IS ONLINE




This LP was hecka good

also, quoting because new page

Pythonicus
Apr 1, 2011

I just wanted to say...
I love you.
I am SO excited for you to start getting into AC04. I think I mentioned it at the end of the previous thread, but AC04 is the game I probably spent the most time on as a kid, discounting MGS2. Can't wait for the upcoming LP!

Sally
Jan 9, 2007


Don't post Small Dash!

nine-gear crow posted:

Also, according to Lunethex, there’s one more medal in the game for shooting down a special Ace that nobody’s ever seen before. What could it possibly be?












Shall we find out together then?






















Let’s see.
































goddammit.

:yum:

Dr. Snark
Oct 15, 2012

I'M SORRY, OK!? I admit I've made some mistakes, and Jones has clearly paid for them.
...
But ma'am! Jones' only crime was looking at the wrong files!
...
I beg of you, don't ship away Jones, he has a wife and kids!

-United Nations Intelligence Service

nine-gear crow posted:

And that, as they say, is that. As we close the book on Ace Combat 2, we end with a fractured Usea staring down the barrel the gun that is Ulysses 1994XF04, now just 288 days away from impact with the Earth. When we return to Strangereal after our brief hiatus, we find ourselves in the late summer of 2004 in a very changed world from what we’ve known so far, having escaped certain death from the heavens by the skin of its teeth.

Ulysses Day approaches fast. The skies are about to shatter.


STONEHENGE IS ONLINE

So hyped for this, you have no idea. I've always considered Zero to be my favorite of the games, but 4 is also really good and I can completely understand why anyone would say that's the best.

Cooked Auto posted:

I know I've said this to crow during a post-recording chat but Like a Phoenix Rising is probably one of the grimmer AC tracks out there to me just because it specifically mentions that all opposition shall be destroyed and it's futile to resist.

See I've always felt the opposite about that song. I love it because to me it's about how badly the player character stomps their enemies into the dirt. It's great.

Cooked Auto
Aug 4, 2007

If you will not serve in combat, you will serve on the firing line!




Dr. Snark posted:

See I've always felt the opposite about that song. I love it because to me it's about how badly the player character stomps their enemies into the dirt. It's great.

To be fair that makes it pretty grim too if anything but I can accept that interpretation of it.

nine-gear crow
Aug 10, 2013

Cooked Auto posted:

Also, ommitted from the credits.
Both times too. You bastard. t:mad:t

Oh poo poo, whoops. My apologies man. Here's the updated versions of both videos with the mistake corrected:

Ace Combat 2 Ending Credits
Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy Ending Credits

Great Joe
Aug 13, 2008

I'd like to make an :siren:effortpost:siren: if you don't mind. It's not about planes, but it is topical! :eng101:

For a long time, Namco was at the forefront of making peripherals for Playstation consoles. I'm not sure if they had some sort of exclusivity agreement with Sony, but they made A LOT of different controllers, all licensed by Sony - they even had SCPH numbers! You probably already know about the GunCon AKA the G-Con in Europe, which is the line of gun controllers for the first three Playstations. What you might not know about are the JogCon (which came out in 1994) and the neGcon (which came out in 1995). The JogCon was one of the first-ever force feedback console controllers, and the neGcon one of the first-ever controllers to feature analog buttons. The Playstation Dual Analog Controller wouldn't come out until 2 years after the neGcon, in 1997.

The reason this is topical is because all Ace Combat games on the Playstation support the neGcon, and thus have full analog controls. In fact, I'd say the neGcon offers better analog control than you could get with the DualShock controller. So how does it work?



The neGcon has three analog buttons (L1, I and II) as well as a central wheel that holds the two halves of it together. You twist the two halves and get almost 360° of travel. This controller got a lot of software support, though mostly because third parties would make racing wheels that pretended to be the neGcon (steering wheel = twist, accelerator = I, brake = II). The Ace Combat series only really used the twist motion to control your plane's roll, the rest was all digital as far as the game was concerned. The twist wheel has an amazing range of travel, something you'd never really get again in a form factor this small, at least unless you count the Wii Remote.

And that's how all three Ace Combat games on the original Playstation supported analog control, even though one of them came out before it.

nine-gear crow
Aug 10, 2013

Great Joe posted:

I'd like to make an :siren:effortpost:siren: if you don't mind. It's not about planes, but it is topical! :eng101:

For a long time, Namco was at the forefront of making peripherals for Playstation consoles. I'm not sure if they had some sort of exclusivity agreement with Sony, but they made A LOT of different controllers, all licensed by Sony - they even had SCPH numbers! You probably already know about the GunCon AKA the G-Con in Europe, which is the line of gun controllers for the first three Playstations. What you might not know about are the JogCon (which came out in 1994) and the neGcon (which came out in 1995). The JogCon was one of the first-ever force feedback console controllers, and the neGcon one of the first-ever controllers to feature analog buttons. The Playstation Dual Analog Controller wouldn't come out until 2 years after the neGcon, in 1997.

The reason this is topical is because all Ace Combat games on the Playstation support the neGcon, and thus have full analog controls. In fact, I'd say the neGcon offers better analog control than you could get with the DualShock controller. So how does it work?



The neGcon has three analog buttons (L1, I and II) as well as a central wheel that holds the two halves of it together. You twist the two halves and get almost 360° of travel. This controller got a lot of software support, though mostly because third parties would make racing wheels that pretended to be the neGcon (steering wheel = twist, accelerator = I, brake = II). The Ace Combat series only really used the twist motion to control your plane's roll, the rest was all digital as far as the game was concerned. The twist wheel has an amazing range of travel, something you'd never really get again in a form factor this small, at least unless you count the Wii Remote.

And that's how all three Ace Combat games on the original Playstation supported analog control, even though one of them came out before it.

:wow: God-drat. That's pretty drat cool. Mind if I add that to the Misc. section of the update?

Also thanks for quoting the post to keep it on this page too.

hackbunny
Jul 22, 2007

I haven't been on SA for years but the person who gave me my previous av as a joke felt guilty for doing so and decided to get me a non-shitty av

Did I dream it, or the ADF-01 can also get a radar lock and shoot missiles backwards?

Great Joe posted:

And that's how all three Ace Combat games on the original Playstation supported analog control, even though one of them came out before it.

For the longest time I was convinced that this was the only analog controller supported by AC2! But then one day I told the emulator to emulate a dual analog and it doesn't just work, the game even shows the correct pad in the control setup screen

nine-gear crow
Aug 10, 2013

hackbunny posted:

Did I dream it, or the ADF-01 can also get a radar lock and shoot missiles backwards?

Yes, in Legacy, the FALKEN is capable of firing missiles and guns backwards until you nerf it.

Kadorhal
Jun 3, 2013

Look, just sign the stupid petition. I've got stuff to do.
#028 - "Commander"

N/A
N/A, 2, Belkan
ADF-01 FALKEN
Operation Fighter's Honor: Killed in Action

Equipped to the latest in Belkan engineering, the Zone of Endless seems to have decided its mission for itself - the destruction of the lead of Scarface squadron. To this end it has taken over the defense of the rebellion's secondary headquarters at the abandoned anti-Ulysses superweapon, Fortress Intolerance. Current intel indicates there are no more backups for the Zone of Endless program and that all combat data went down with the last fighter.


Fun story, there's even some records for the player character and his wingmen! Now that we're at the end I see no reason not to.

#-002 - Edge

Kei Nagase
Female, 19, Usean
Unknown/varied

Born to parents who separated early in her life, Nagase dreamed from a young age of becoming an airline pilot. Her teachers noted this love of flying and wrote recommendations for various airlines after she graduated. Unfortunately this dream would be put on hold, as the situation with the Usean Rebellion and her noted talent for flying single-seat craft saw her quickly pulled into the third position of the mercenary 92nd Special Tactical Fighter Squadron. After the rebellion, she emigrated to Erusea and was employed at the famous Air Ixiom airline corporation, but it would not be long before war once again engulfed Usea and she was forced to flee the country, taking control of a flight filled with engineers behind the aggressor's superweapon and their families after its intended pilot was injured on takeoff. Tales of her bravery as both a military and civilian pilot eventually reached the ears of her Osean half-sister, also named Kei, who was soon inspired to join her country's air defense force in the hopes of becoming an astronaut.

#-001 - Slash

John Harvard
Male, 33, Usean
Unknown/varied

The current longest-standing active combatant of the Scarface squadron. As the "old man" of the squadron, he fully intended to take both new pilots under his wing and teach them the ropes, but the severity of the situation and their latent, seemingly-limitless talent means he neither has the time nor the need for it, and he is happy to watch them grow on their own as the number two for the squadron. Following the rebellion and the dissolution of the squadron, he joined Nagase in emigrating to Erusea, but unlike her joined the Air Force and stayed within the country's service as it invaded the rest of the continent. He ended up as the flight lead for the defensive forces around Stonehenge, and like many other pilots in the flight he was shot down by the top-scoring ISAF ace of the war when they mounted a successful attack on the superweapon. Like Nagase, there are also reports of an astronaut living in Osea who shares his name, but in his case there is currently no confirmation that they are related in any way.

#000 - Phoenix

Unknown
Male, unknown, Usean
Su-35 Flanker-E

Inspired to join the air force by the legendary tales of the Belkan Air Force in the 70's and 80's, though he had a rather rough start, as crashes and training accidents time and again destroyed his craft. His remarkable tendency to escape nearly unharmed and come back into the air, smarter and stronger than before, was noted, however; it was with this tendency that, when the Usean Rebellion went underway and he was quickly drafted into the lead position of the 92nd Special Tactical Fighter Squadron to fight it, he was inspired to take the TAC name of "Phoenix" and introduce an updated version of the firebird emblem previous pilots of the squadron made famous during the insurrection in the Skully Islands a few years previous.




I know nobody fell for it, but all of those records? Made up. Sue me, I like making up bullshit.

On the subject of the FALKEN, it actually can fire missiles backwards in the original game, too, it just doesn't do it all that often. First aircraft in the series that can do it (unless we're counting that flying fortress from the end of Air Combat, but unless the new rig I'll be able to put together in the next month can record ePSXe properly then we're probably not even counting that entire game), and the only one that could do it to my knowledge until Gelb's Su-37s in Zero nine years later.
The XFA-27, meanwhile, something interesting I noticed a while back is that the texture-rip I got from a Steam discussion thread for Vector Thrust includes a second color scheme of it for your wingmen, even though they can't actually use the XFA-27 - none of the possible orders you can give them, even in Extra mode, will have them take one for a spin.

Both are available in Infinity, as well, both in standard versions on the tree and some special versions.
The FALKEN is one of the four superfighters that doesn't cost a whole ton to upgrade - I've got one up to level 9 and would only need about a million credits to bring it up another level if I wanted. It's classified as a Fighter, but it also gets the TLS so it has a bit better use in ground attack.
The two special versions I can remember are one based on its appearance in AC5, which gets pre-placed OADF markings/roundels and slightly better stats and ammo in return for getting a regular superfighter's ridiculous cost (four million to get to level 2; for comparison's sake, that's about how much I spent getting the regular one up to level 9), and an actual Z.O.E. one added alongside the Skilled Pilot Medal system, with a redesigned body to better resemble the AC2 model and switching out the TLS for something else.
The XFA-27 is a multirole, and gets a Multiple-Launch Standard Missile to replicate its old four-at-a-time gimmick. Unfortunately, it's one of the ridiculously-expensive superfighters - even with a nonstandard upgrade form to skip paying for one upgrade, I've put 30 million credits into mine by this point and it's still only at level 7, where I've been stuck at for a few months now. It gets a pair of special variants too, one in Scarface One's livery that swaps its weapons around (the ECM is removed, the SOD and MSTM are moved back, and it starts with QAAMs), and a Happy Holidays variant that costs much less in return for slightly lower stats and replacing the SOD with the HCAA (of course :rolleyes:).


Finally, some musical stuff. Now that we've seen everything (at least in 2), I can share a trio of extra songs from the original soundtrack, basically remixes/combinations of various other songs from it. I present to you:
Invitation to Ace Combat 2 (Bear Tracks and I guess Fire Away)
Night Butterfly (Night and Day, Aim High)
A.C. Revolution (Into the Geo, Elemental Particle, Dead End, and some other song I don't recognize)

Also, I'd like to echo all the other sentiments that I can hardly wait for AC04 to start up. I mean, yeah, take as long as you need to take a break and/or get ready (just don't get sick to the point you could die again), but I'm still excited for that game too. I still think it's the weakest of the PS2 trilogy, by a very slim margin, but it's nevertheless the game I got into the series with and I love it all the same.
Plus, I've also got something hopefully more interesting to go along with the aces in that game.

Kibayasu
Mar 28, 2010

Paingod556 posted:

Were you also going to show Ending 1 and how to finish the game at Kingpin?

I've played AC2 a lot but I never knew that. How does that happen?

thetruegentleman
Feb 5, 2011

You call that potato a Trump avatar?

THIS is a Trump Avatar!
So, now that we're at the end, I can't help but think someone was really hoping to remake or expand on Ace Combat COFFIN. 3: Electrosphere (AC:3 Japanese version spoilers. Yes, there is a major difference between the English and Japanese versions):

1. ZOE isn't just an AI that's crazy good at flying; it actively holds a grudge against Phoenix, and it overcomes its fail-safes to try and kill him.

2. ZOE hacks Scarface's flight computer; NEMO can hack even better in AC:3.

3. In AC:3, Nemo can't actually target several people before the end missions. He was actively learning how to fly from at least one of them, much like ZOE did from Phoenix, and probably learned from the others as well.

4. The ending song from Legacy has a particularly interesting bit: "Why do you still challenge me? You can't win, it's not your destiny. Like the moth who flies into the flame, you won't return, you'll lose your name". Consider it in context with the above, and it plays out like this: ZOE attacks Phoenix and loses, but oddly enough, ZOE keeps attacking Pheonix even well after it should have recognized it had reached its limit. As an end result, the project is canceled, and ZOE loses its name...

And yet, the program seems to have continued to exist, as eventually, the "gently caress ethics" branch of Gründer forms Neucom and re-starts development of AI based planes in the hopes of creating a kind of "super pilot", essentially reincarnating ZOE as NEMO (the name NEMO itself is "no one" in Latin. Incidentally, I don't remember anyone in AC:3 actually call the player anything other than "you"). Like ZOE, NEMO is practically uncontrollable, only this time, the person developing it doesn't really care, so long as it carries out his own grudge.

5. Scarface's plane and the Delphinus are both in the far end of the Aircraft Tree in Ace Combat: Infinity, and the Delphinus was (apparently) developed from...this, which looks rather similar to a cross between the FALKEN and the XFA-27:

Delphinus (only NEUCOM plane)

Scarface XFA-27


Oddly enough, Nemo doesn't appear, although all the other UPO fighers do...
:spooky:

nine-gear crow
Aug 10, 2013

Kibayasu posted:

I've played AC2 a lot but I never knew that. How does that happen?

Give me a couple hours and I'll show you.

Great Joe
Aug 13, 2008

nine-gear crow posted:

:wow: God-drat. That's pretty drat cool. Mind if I add that to the Misc. section of the update?

Also thanks for quoting the post to keep it on this page too.
Go for it, dude

nine-gear crow
Aug 10, 2013
Thanks. I've added it to the post.

Shei-kun
Dec 2, 2011

Screw you, physics!
:allears:

That emote needs to be four times bigger to properly convey my expression right now.

nine-gear crow
Aug 10, 2013
Ace Combat 2 Normal Ending

As requested earlier, here is the "Normal" ending to Ace Combat 2. This is the one that plays if you fail to shoot down the ZOE General (or, failing that, fail to even get it to spawn by whiffing shooting down any of the other ZOEs in the game). Here it is in all it's :nallears: glory.

And for the record, this one was a bitch to actually get on film, because it meant willfully ignoring the ZOE in this mission while trying to take out only the critical targets, and that fucker will hound your rear end like you wouldn't believe if you don't take it out as soon as you're able to.

hackbunny
Jul 22, 2007

I haven't been on SA for years but the person who gave me my previous av as a joke felt guilty for doing so and decided to get me a non-shitty av

nine-gear crow posted:

Yes, in Legacy, the FALKEN is capable of firing missiles and guns backwards until you nerf it.

Oh in AC2 too. Except ZOE Commander is so easy to shoot down you may never realize it. I think I only found out when I tried to shoot it down with the gun, so it had time to use its gimmick

Selenephos
Jul 9, 2010

thetruegentleman posted:

So, now that we're at the end, I can't help but think someone was really hoping to remake or expand on Ace Combat COFFIN. 3: Electrosphere (AC:3 Japanese version spoilers. Yes, there is a major difference between the English and Japanese versions):

1. ZOE isn't just an AI that's crazy good at flying; it actively holds a grudge against Phoenix, and it overcomes its fail-safes to try and kill him.

2. ZOE hacks Scarface's flight computer; NEMO can hack even better in AC:3.

3. In AC:3, Nemo can't actually target several people before the end missions. He was actively learning how to fly from at least one of them, much like ZOE did from Phoenix, and probably learned from the others as well.

4. The ending song from Legacy has a particularly interesting bit: "Why do you still challenge me? You can't win, it's not your destiny. Like the moth who flies into the flame, you won't return, you'll lose your name". Consider it in context with the above, and it plays out like this: ZOE attacks Phoenix and loses, but oddly enough, ZOE keeps attacking Pheonix even well after it should have recognized it had reached its limit. As an end result, the project is canceled, and ZOE loses its name...

And yet, the program seems to have continued to exist, as eventually, the "gently caress ethics" branch of Gründer forms Neucom and re-starts development of AI based planes in the hopes of creating a kind of "super pilot", essentially reincarnating ZOE as NEMO (the name NEMO itself is "no one" in Latin. Incidentally, I don't remember anyone in AC:3 actually call the player anything other than "you"). Like ZOE, NEMO is practically uncontrollable, only this time, the person developing it doesn't really care, so long as it carries out his own grudge.

5. Scarface's plane and the Delphinus are both in the far end of the Aircraft Tree in Ace Combat: Infinity, and the Delphinus was (apparently) developed from...this, which looks rather similar to a cross between the FALKEN and the XFA-27:

Delphinus (only NEUCOM plane)

Scarface XFA-27


Oddly enough, Nemo doesn't appear, although all the other UPO fighers do...
:spooky:

You know, I'm glad I wasn't the only one who was thinking that the ZOEs were some kind of really early prototype for what would eventually become Nemo. I also wouldn't mind a remake of AC 3 where it has more callbacks to the other Strangereal games and makes it feel less like the odd one out of the series but then, I'd also love HD remasters of Ace Combat 4, 5 and 0 as well as Ace Combat 6 to be released on anything other than the 360 and that isn't going to happen anytime soon either.

hackbunny
Jul 22, 2007

I haven't been on SA for years but the person who gave me my previous av as a joke felt guilty for doing so and decided to get me a non-shitty av
I love Electrosphere's aesthetics and soundtrack (not a fan of the level design, the "innovations" over AC2 seemed pointless to me) and I'd buy the remake in a heartbeat

Kibayasu
Mar 28, 2010

nine-gear crow posted:

Ace Combat 2 Normal Ending

As requested earlier, here is the "Normal" ending to Ace Combat 2. This is the one that plays if you fail to shoot down the ZOE General (or, failing that, fail to even get it to spawn by whiffing shooting down any of the other ZOEs in the game). Here it is in all it's :nallears: glory.

And for the record, this one was a bitch to actually get on film, because it meant willfully ignoring the ZOE in this mission while trying to take out only the critical targets, and that fucker will hound your rear end like you wouldn't believe if you don't take it out as soon as you're able to.

Willfully having to ignore enemies definitely explains why I never saw that. Also, between this and RE2's 'B' ending music, I think AC2 has the best credits butt-rock of the PS1 era.

thetruegentleman
Feb 5, 2011

You call that potato a Trump avatar?

THIS is a Trump Avatar!

Mr. Fortitude posted:

You know, I'm glad I wasn't the only one who was thinking that the ZOEs were some kind of really early prototype for what would eventually become Nemo. I also wouldn't mind a remake of AC 3 where it has more callbacks to the other Strangereal games and makes it feel less like the odd one out of the series but then, I'd also love HD remasters of Ace Combat 4, 5 and 0 as well as Ace Combat 6 to be released on anything other than the 360 and that isn't going to happen anytime soon either.

Yeah, Ace Combat 3 is already surprisingly good, so I really hope they address it again someday, and actually let the events play out.

Andrevian
Mar 2, 2010
Just burned through all of Zero and 2 in the past few days.

I played the hell out of Ace Combat 2 when I could rent it from Blockbuster, and I don't think I ever managed to see the final level because I was garbage at shooting down that SLBM. So that exorcised that demon.

I'd been looking for it for a long time, and I'd never heard that Assault Horizon Legacy was actually the answer to my dreams all along. Going to have to play through that before I watch the videos for it.

Thanks, and can't wait to see you do Shattered Skies!

nine-gear crow
Aug 10, 2013

Andrevian posted:

Thanks, and can't wait to see you do Shattered Skies!

soon

NobleSixFour
Jul 12, 2016

that countdown is now a standing open tab on my browser at work

Shinjobi
Jul 10, 2008


Gravy Boat 2k
I have so far to go.:allears:


I'm just so gosh darned excited.:yum:

Son Ryo
Jun 13, 2007
Excuse me, do you know where Saiyans hang out?
Thanks to this LP I picked up and played through AH Legacy as my introduction to the Ace Combat series, and I'm completely hooked! Pretty drat fun, although it's a little awkward trying to yaw and roll at the same time with the classic controls, at least on an original 3DS... something that I'm looking forward to being much easier on a PS2 controller when I play Ace Combat 4 along with that LP. I wish I'd realized earlier that selling planes gave you a complete refund-- I ended up taking the cruise missile on with the Gripen (I think), which was only fast enough to catch up with the missile for a short time twice before it hit, so I ended up bringing the unguided rocket pod and just bursting it down once I was in machine gun range.

Trizophenie
Mar 2, 2011

Jar Jar Binks improved my story.

Son Ryo posted:

Thanks to this LP I picked up and played through AH Legacy as my introduction to the Ace Combat series, and I'm completely hooked! Pretty drat fun, although it's a little awkward trying to yaw and roll at the same time with the classic controls, at least on an original 3DS... something that I'm looking forward to being much easier on a PS2 controller when I play Ace Combat 4 along with that LP. I wish I'd realized earlier that selling planes gave you a complete refund-- I ended up taking the cruise missile on with the Gripen (I think), which was only fast enough to catch up with the missile for a short time twice before it hit, so I ended up bringing the unguided rocket pod and just bursting it down once I was in machine gun range.

Classic controls putting yaw controls on D-pad left and right isn't that nice, yeah. The New3DS puts them on ZL and ZR aswell, which definitely makes them easier to use, not that yaw does that much in AHL. And yeah, the cruise missile is really annoying to catch up to in a lot of planes without speed upgrades. If you're far away from it definitely try to find a height that gives your plane more speed (you can see me do that in the ace version) because all planes have a specific altitude at which they hit their max speed, and that varies quite a bit by plane.

PunkBoy
Aug 22, 2008

You wanna get through this?
I've been wanting to scratch my Ace Combat itch, and these LPs have been making the wait for 7 a lot more bearable. I wish I found them sooner!

nine-gear crow
Aug 10, 2013

PunkBoy posted:

I've been wanting to scratch my Ace Combat itch, and these LPs have been making the wait for 7 a lot more bearable. I wish I found them sooner!

I'm glad to hear that.

I just finished recording all of 04 this evening, aside from the bonus update stuff. The opening post is also halfway finished too, so all I need to do is record the solo commentary for the first mission, then start getting the rest of the videos edited and commented on with guests.

I promise I'm not going to blast through 04 like I did 2. I'm certain 04 will get a better response than 2 did, but still I want to take my time with this one, so we'll be back to one update every week to week-and-a-half, meaning we should be wrapping up by early December with any luck and able to start Ace Combat 5 by early January then.

E: It also means we'll be celebrating this project's 1-year anniversary just as we're wrapping up Shattered Skies, which I found to be quite appropriate.

nine-gear crow
Aug 10, 2013
Not that I need to post proof or anything, instead, here's something to get people hyped:

Tythas
Oct 3, 2013

Never felt at home in reality
Always hiding behind avatars


I have another one of those Awesome videos of AceCombat done in DCS https://youtube.com/watch?v=XUPpY5YtLWI

frozentreasure
Nov 13, 2012

~
Oh hi there. I finally caught up after I fell off from watching the Zero LP. Two updates in. Made it eventually.

quote:

He is also considering doing an LP of the North American version of Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere to compliment Lunethex’s LP of the Project Nemo translation of the Japanese version.

Bingo.

VKing
Apr 22, 2008

Tythas posted:

I have another one of those Awesome videos of AceCombat done in DCS https://youtube.com/watch?v=XUPpY5YtLWI

That's really awesome.

nine-gear crow
Aug 10, 2013


Five days and counting.

Nanomashoes
Aug 18, 2012

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYJ6fSr-on4

nine-gear crow
Aug 10, 2013
:fork:Extras Finale Special:fork:

Ace Combat 2 Bonus Video

Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy Bonus Video
PART 1 - Survival Missions
PART 2 - Nintendo Planes
PART 3 - Extra Missions


Overview: Both Ace Combat 2 and its remake are done. So before we move on to Ace Combat 04, let’s take a little time to explore some of the extra material that would only be seen in either repeated playthroughs of either game, stuff you would have to work to unlock, and little details that got glossed over in our breakneck run to be done with this thing.


NOTE: This update only contains the Ace Combat 2 video at present, as Trizophenie has been too busy to record much of the bonus footage for Legacy, but once that’s done and commented on, I will update this post with it and make sure that it’s linked in the Ace Combat 04 thread—which begins this Saturday, by the way.


|
Guest Commentators: Team #PilotError reunites for what we’ve dubbed “A Preview of Megalith”—ACES CURE PLANES and Cirvante join me for the Ace Combat 2 bonus video.

In the Legacy videos, I am be joined by Trizophenie to wrap everything up... two years after the LP actually finished :nyoron:




First up, let’s take a look at both games’ complete plane rosters, since I’ve only been spotlighting the new planes that have come up, thus missing the “returning” planes’ stat screens.

Ace Combat 2’s plane roster is split into two groups, dubbed Normal and Extra. The Normal roster is the default option when you play the game for the first time. Upon completing the game and saving a clear flag on your save file, the Extra roster will unlock and in each subsequent playthrough you do on that save file you will have the option of picking either Normal or Extra mode at the start of every new game. The Extra roster features new planes to fly that were previously enemy-only in the Normal run, and shifts the returning Normal planes around a little on the line up.


NORMAL PLANES

A-4 (Skyhwak)


Unlocked: By default
Price: 45,000
Ammo: 80 MSSL

F-4 (Phantom II)


Unlocked: By default
Price: 50,000
Ammo: 64 MSSL

KF-C7 (Kfir)


Unlocked: Mission 2
Price: 60,000
Ammo: 64 MSSL

A-6 (Intruder)


Unlocked: Mission 3
Price: 60,000
Ammo: 80 MSSL

F-16 (Fighting Falcon)


Unlocked: Mission 4A/4B
Price: 90,000
Ammo: 64 MSSL

X-29


Unlocked: Mission 5
Price: 85,000
Ammo: 64 MSSL

A-10 (Thunderbolt II)


Unlocked: Mission 6A/6B
Price: 100,000
Ammo: 80 MSSL

MiG-29 (Fulcrum)


Unlocked: Mission 7
Price: 110,000
Ammo: 64 MSSL

F-14 (Tomcat)


Unlocked: Mission 9
Price: 120,000
Ammo: 72 MSSL

F-117A (Nighthawk)


Unlocked: Mission 10
Price: 130,000
Ammo: 72 MSSL

R-M01 (Rafale M)


Unlocked: Mission 11
Price: 135,000
Ammo: 64 MSSL

EF-2000 (Typhoon)


Unlocked: Mission 12 (Normal), Mission 13 (Extra)
Price: 170,000
Ammo: 64 MSSL

F/A-18E (Super Hornet)


Unlocked: Mission 13
Price: 150,000
Ammo: 72 MSSL

Su-35 (Flanker-E)


Unlocked: Mission 14A/14B
Price: 200,000
Ammo: 80 MSSL

*The game misidentifies this plane as the Su-35 when it’s actually a Su-37.

YF-23A (Black Widow II/Grey Ghost)


Unlocked: Mission 15A/15B
Price: 210,000
Ammo: 64 MSSL

F-22 (Raptor)


Unlocked: Mission 16A/16B
Price: 220,000
Ammo: 88 MSSL


EXTRA PLANES

A-4 (No change)


Unlocked: By default
Price: 45,000
Ammo: 80 MSSL

MiG-21 (Fishbed – Replaces the F-4)


Unlocked: By default
Price: 40,000
Ammo: 64 MSSL

X-29 (Replaces the KF-C7)


Unlocked: Mission 2
Price: 85,000
Ammo: 64 MSSL

A-6 (No change)


Unlocked: Mission 3
Price: 60,000
Ammo: 80 MSSL

F-16 (No change)


Unlocked: Mission 4A/4B
Price: 90,000
Ammo: 64 MSSL

SF-35 (Draken – Replaces the X-29)


Unlocked: Mission 5
Price: 75,000
Ammo: 64 MSSL

Su-25 (Frogfoot – Replaces the A-10)


Unlocked: Mission 6A/6B
Price: 105,000
Ammo: 80 MSSL

MiG-29 (No change)


Unlocked: Mission 7
Price: 110,000
Ammo: 64 MSSL

TND-F3 (Tornado – Replaces the F-14)


Unlocked: Mission 7
Price: 95,000
Ammo: 72 MSSL

F-117A (No change)


Unlocked: Mission 10
Price: 130,000
Ammo: 72 MSSL

MiG-31 (Foxhound – Replaces the R-M01)


Unlocked: Mission 11
Price: 160,000
Ammo: 72 MSSL

SF-39 (Gripen – Replaces the EF-2000)


Unlocked: Mission 12
Price: 150,000
Ammo: 64 MSSL

EF-2000 (Replaces the F/A-18E)


Unlocked: Mission 12 (Normal), Mission 13 (Extra)
Price: 170,000
Ammo: 64 MSSL

F-15S (MTD – Replaces the Su-35)


Unlocked: Mission 14A/14B
Price: 250,000
Ammo: 80 MSSL

YF-23A (No change)


Unlocked: Mission 15A/15B
Price: 210,000
Ammo: 64 MSSL

XFA-27 (Replaces the F-22)


Unlocked: Mission 16A/16V
Price: 500,000
Ammo: 88 MSSL


Assault Horizon Legacy, meanwhile, features a single expanded roster including planes from the more modern Ace Combats in addition to the majority of the planes from AC2’s roster returning.


F-4E Phantom II

Unlocked: Rank
Price: 8,600
Ammo: 800 GUN | 94 MSSL | 8 QAAM | 8UGB | 8 GPB

“A large fighter with a massive payload and superior range making it effective in both air-to-air and air-to-ground combat.”

F/A-18E Super Hornet

Unlocked: Complete Mission 10
Price: 49,600
Ammo: 800 GUN | 86 MSSL | 8 QAAM | 8 GDB | 8 SOD

“A superior multirole aircraft boasting both high maneuverability and stability.”

F-15S/MTD

Unlocked: Complete Mission 17 on Normal (or Mission 11 on Hard or Ace)
Price: 85,000
Ammo: 800 GUN | 78 MSSL | 8 SAAM | 16 XMAA | 16 ODMM

“An experimental aircraft boasting high stability and capable of extraordinary maneuverability.”

F-15SE Silent Eagle

Unlocked: Complete 3 Survival Missions
Price: 84,000
Ammo: 800 GUN | 82 MSSL | 8 QAAM | 10 MPM | 8 XAGM

“Based off the high-tech F-15E unit, this attack aircraft has increased stealth capabilities.”

X-29A

Unlocked: Complete Mission 4
Price: 36,400
Ammo: 800 GUN | 88 MSSL | 8 QAAM | 8 GPD | 8 LRAA

“Forward-swept wings provide exceptional maneuverability, while fly-by-wire is used to overcome instabilities.”

F-14D Super Tomcat

Unlocked: Complete Mission 5
Price: 46,700
Ammo: 800 GUN | 90 MSSL | 8 LRAA| 8 QAAM | 16 XSAA

“A swing wing fighter with improved radar and weapon control systems, this plane can handle multiple enemies at once.”

A-10A Thunderbolt II

Unlocked: Complete Mission 14 on Hard or Ace
Price: 74,000
Ammo: 800 GUN | 80 MSSL | 8 GDB | 8 FAEB | 8 XAGM

“This ground-attack fighter is equipped with tough armor and a large Gatling gun.”

YF-23A Black Widow II

Unlocked: Complete Mission 21 on Hard or Ace
Price: 119,000
Ammo: 800 GUN | 78 MSSL | 8 SASM | 16 XSAA | 16 ODMM

“This stealth fighter has a unique design, which combines high supersonic speed with low radar observability.”

F-16C Fighting Falcon

Unlocked: By default
Price: N/A
Ammo: 800 GUN | 88 MSSL | 6 LRAA | 8 GDB | 10 MPM

“Small and lightweight, this aircraft is a well-balanced fighting machine for air-to-air and air-to-ground combat.”

F-117A Nighthawk

Unlocked: Complete Mission 7 or 2 Extra Missions
Price: 54,200
Ammo: 800 GUN | 80 MSSL | 8 UGB | 8 GDB | 10 MPM

“The latest in stealth technology comes at the cost of maneuverability and weapons load.”

F-22 Raptor

Unlocked: Complete Mission 21
Price: 172,000
Ammo: 800 GUN | 72 MSSL | 16 XMAA | 10 MPM | 8 SASM

“A fighter with both stealth capabilities and thrust vectoring nozzles for superior maneuverability.”

F-35 Lightning II

Unlocked: Complete Mission 19 on Hard or Ace
Price: 124,000
Ammo: 800 GUN | 74 MSSL | 8 SAAM | 8 LASM | 8 SOD

“A versatile and lightweight carrier-based stealth fighter featuring both air-to-air and air-to-ground capabilities.”

EF-2000 Typhoon

Unlocked: Complete Mission 15
Price: 59,400
Ammo: 800 GUN | 84 MSSL | 8 SAAM | 10 MPM | 16 SASM

“Computer-controlled operation of its control surfaces gives it exceptional agility at both supersonic and subsonic speeds.”

Mirage 2000D

Unlocked: Complete Mission 2
Price: 20,700
Ammo: 800 GUN | 92 MSSL | 8 GBD | 8 RCL | 8 SOD

“Fly-by-wire control of its delta wing gives this fighter super agility and response.”

Rafale M

Unlocked: Complete Mission 12
Price: 59,200
Ammo: 800 GUN | 92 MSSL | 16 XSAA |8 LASM | 16 ODMM

“First "omnirole" combat aircraft, land or carrier based, designed to be used simultaneously for air-combat and surface-attacks during the same mission.”

JAS-39 Gripen NG

Unlocked: Complete Mission 18
Price: 54,400
Ammo: 800 GUN | 86 MSSL | 6 RCL | 8 LASM | 8 LRAA

“Boasting low cost and high availability, this fighter performs the roles of Fighter, Attacker, and Recon equally well.”

MiG-21-93 Fishbed

Unlocked: Rank
Price: 9,800
Ammo: 800 GUN | 94 MSSL | 8 SAAM | 6 RCL | 8 LRAA

“A small, single-engine fighter with high maneuverability and a low production cost.”

MiG-31 Foxhound

Unlocked: Complete 3 Extra Missions
Price: 90,200
Ammo: 800 GUN | 84 MSSL | 8 LRAA | 8 SAAM | 8 RCL

“A high-speed intercept aircraft able to withstand supersonic speeds at low altitudes.”

MiG-1.44 Flatpack

Unlocked: Complete Mission 16 on Hard or Ace
Price: 108,000
Ammo: 800 GUN | 84 MSSL | 8 LRAA | 8 SOD | 16 XMAA

“Thrust vectoring nozzles and large canard wings provide exceptional maneuverability.”

Su-25 Frogfoot

Unlocked: Complete Mission 8
Price: 38,400
Ammo: 800 GUN | 92 MSSL |8 GDB | 6 GPB | 8 UGB

“This relief fighter excels in slow-speed stability, and weapon carrying capacity.”

Su-37 Terminator

Unlocked: Complete Mission 20 or Mission 7 on Hard or Ace
Price: 147,200
Ammo: 800 GUN | 76 MSSL | 8 FAEB | 8 SASM | 16 ODMM

“A multipurpose fighter, boasting advanced electronics and thrust vectoring nozzles.”

Su-47 Berkut

Unlocked: Complete 5 Survival Missions
Price: 127,000
Ammo: 800 GUN | 74 MSSL | 8 QAAM | 8 SAAM | 16 ODMM

“Forward-swept wings allow sharp turns, while electronically controlled canards maintain stability.”

T-50 PAK/FA

Unlocked: Complete 6 Survival Missions
Price: 162,000
Ammo: 800 GUN | 74 MSSL | 16 XSAA | 10 MPM | 16 ODMM

“A prototype fighter equipped with stealth capabilities and advanced radar.”

F-2A Viper Zero

Unlocked: Complete Mission 9 with an A or S Rank
Price: 40,100
Ammo: 800 GUN | 90 MSSL | 8 LASM | 8 GDB | 10 MPM

“While this aircraft's design is optimized for air-to-ground and air-to-ship combat, the F-2A is also an effective air superiority fighter.”

XFA-27 Scarface

Unlocked: Rank
Price: 326,800
Ammo: 800 GUN | 70 MSSL | 8 XGAM | 16 XMAA | 16 ODMM

“Originally developed as an experimental aircraft, its true capabilities are veiled in secrecy.”

ADF-01 FALKEN

Unlocked: Shoot down 15 Named Aces or Complete All Story and Challenge Missions
Price: 447,000
Ammo: 800 GUN | 70 MSSL | 8 SASM | 16 XMAA | 6 TLS

“Developed as a top secret project, this aircraft is the pinnacle of state of the art technology.”

A6M5 Zero

Unlocked: Rank
Price: 115,000
Ammo: 800 GUN | 12 GPD | 8 UGB | 6 RCL | 8 FAEB

“A famous fighter known as the "Zero", offering superb maneuverability.”

F6F-5 Hellcat

Unlocked: Rank
Price: 100,000
Ammo: 800 GUN | 12 RCL | 8 GPD | 8 UGB | 8 FAEB

“This propeller fighter's design incorporates substantial armor while maintaining impressive mobility.”


We also have our roster of special Nintendo and Amiibo planes to go through. We saw these in some detail during the Ace replays of missions in the back half of Assault Horizon Legacy, but there’s an overview of all of them together now. The first half of the Nintendo roster is available to all players in-game without Amiibos should they elect to turn on the Nintendo bonuses at the start of a new game.

If you do that, then in certain missions you will encounter A giant floating ? Box from the Super Mario games. Destroying the box with missiles, special weapons, or guns will unlock a Nintendo-themed plane for you to play with. To access the Nintendo/Amiibo roster, simply press Up on the circle pad at the plane select screen and you will be taken to the special roster. Pressing Down on the circle pad will return you to the normal roster. Levels where Nintendo planes can be unlocked will be denoted by a ? Box icon appearing beside them on the mission select screen. Once that level’s plane has been unlocked, the Box will turn into a Power Star icon.

The Amiibo planes are unlocked by pairing certain Amiibos to your 3DS and the Assault Horizon Legacy cartridge. While you will need Amiibos to unlock the back half of the Nintendo roster, if you have corresponding Amiibos for the front half, they will unlock alternate paint schemes for the planes already in the base game.

Basically, give Nintendo all your :10bux: so they can keep making stupid gimmicky backwards consoles and handhelds.

And now, the planes!

BASE GAME

F-22 <MARIO>

Unlocked: 23
Question Mark Box Location: Above the fortress when the tunnel entrance opens up
Price: N/A
Price: N/A
Ammo: 800 GUN | 72 MSSL | 16 XMAA | 10 MPM | 8 SASM
Amiibos Supported: Mario (Super Smash Bros.), Mario (Super Mario), Mario - Gold Edition, Mario - Silver Edition, Dr. Mario, 30th Anniversary Mario - Classic Color, 30th Anniversary Mario - Modern Color
Notes: This special plane was the signature craft of the legendary ace Cpt. Lou “Putty” Piezano. It was donated to the Expo City Naval Air and Space Museum following its pilot succumbing to a rare case of Terminal-7.


F-35 <LUIGI>

Unlocked: Mission 13
Question Mark Box Location: Before the third fork in the canyon
Price: N/A
Ammo: 800 GUN | 74 MSSL | 8 SAAM | 8 LASM | 8 SOD
Amiibos Supported: Luigi (Super Smash Bros), Luigi (Super Mario)
Notes: Designed to be the harbinger of the “Year of Luigi,” budget shortfalls and quality control issues saw it delayed several years before its eventual roll out.

Officially endorsed by Fizzicist.



EF-2000 Typhoon <PEACH>

Unlocked: Mission 3
Question Mark Box Location: Near the first targets near the spawn point
Price: N/A
Ammo: 800 GUN | 84 MSSL | 8 SAAM | 10 MPM | 18 XMAA
Amiibos Supported: Peach (Super Smash Bros), Peach (Super Mario)
Notes: I don’t have anything funny to say about Princess Peach :geno:


A-10A <BOWSER> (Also called the A-10A <KOOPA> in Japan)

Unlocked: Mission 17
Question Mark Box Location: Above the rocket carrying the final anti-asteroid laser
Price: N/A
Ammo: 800 GUN | 80 MSSL | 8 GBP | 8 FAEB | 8 XAGM
Amiibos Supported: Bowser (Super Smash Bros), Bowser (Super Mario), Hammer Slam Bowser
Notes: I will buy you a $20 Steam game of your choosing if you make a remix of the Super Mario 64 Bowser theme using only the A-10’s chain gun firing noise.

I am serious.


F/A-18E <DONKEY KONG>

Unlocked: Mission 10
Question Mark Box Location: Over the large southeast lake; south of the 2nd C-17A
Price: N/A
Ammo: 800 GUN | 86 MSSL | 8 QAAM | 8 GDB | 8 SOD
Amiibos Supported: Donkey Kong, Turbo Charge Donkey Kong
Notes: This plane was the icon of the star ace of the Kongobongo Air Force and a symbol of its dictator Adm. Gen. Donkey Kong III’s martial authority. It was seized along with the remainder of Kong’s war making assets by INTERPOL following his arraignment on war crimes charges by Judge Artix.


T-50 PAK/FA <PAC MAN>

Unlocked: Mission 20
Question Mark Box Location: Over the south mountain range when Albireo appears
Price: N/A
Ammo: 800 GUN | 74 MSSL | 16 XSAA | 10 MPM | 16 ODMM
Amiibos Supported: PAC-MAN
Notes: Wakka wakka wakka


AMIIBO ONLY

F-14D <LINK>

Unlocked: N/A
Price: N/A
Ammo: 800 GUN | 90 MSSL | 8 LRAA | 8 QAAM | 16 XSAA
Amiibos Supported: Link, Toon Link
Notes:Chaos Mode, you piece of poo poo!” – Artix, 2015


F-15SE <ZELDA>

Unlocked: N/A
Price: N/A
Ammo: 800 GUN | 82 MSSL | 8 QAAM | 16 XMAA | 16 ODMM
Amiibos Supported: Zelda, Sheik
Notes: < ^ > < ^ >


F-16C <CAPTAIN FALCON>

Unlocked: N/A
Price: N/A
Ammo: 800 GUN | 88 MSSL | 8 LRAA | 8 GPB | 10 MPM
Amiibos Supported: Captain Falcon
Notes:



F-4E <PIKMIN & OLIMAR>

Unlocked: N/A
Price: N/A
Ammo: 800 GUN | 112 MSSL | 96 XSAA | 96 RCL | 96 QAAM
Amiibos Supported: Olimar
Notes: Commissioned by the Federation of Central Usea following the end of the Continental War in memory of all the innocent Pikmin senselessly and brutally slaughtered by Faerie Fortune.


YF-23A <SAMUS ARAN>

Unlocked: N/A
Price: N/A
Ammo: 800 GUN | 78 MSSL | 8 SASM | 16 XSAA | 16 ODMM
Amiibos Supported: Samus, Zero Suit Samus
Notes: The flight computer of this plane is noted as saying “You’re probably going to regret this,” in the voice of FPzero upon bootup.


ADF-01 FALKEN <STARFOX>

Unlocked: N/A
Price: N/A
Ammo: 800 GUN | 70 MSSL | 8 SASM | 16 XLAA | 6 TSL
Amiibos Supported: Fox McCloud
Notes: ChaosArgate was disappointed.


DUMMIED OUT

UNKNOWN <YOSHI>

Unlocked: N/A
Price: N/A
Ammo: N/A
Amiibos Supported: Yoshi (Super Mario Bros.)*, Yoshi (Super Smash Bros.)*
Notes: While Nintendo’s website lists the Yoshi Amiibos (not including Yarn Yoshi) as compatible with Assault Horizon Legacy, they will not unlock anything in-game, and it is unlikely that they ever will at this point, as even Nintendo isn’t stupid enough to put out DLC for a game that’s over five years old and only did “okay,” if even, in sales.

No one knows what the Yoshi Amiibo would have been used for or what plane it would have unlocked. Perhaps we might find out one day if and when people start digging through AHL’s code and uncovering its secrets, but that’s a long ways off thanks to Nintendo’s rigid DRM on the 3DS. It’s highly probable that Project Aces either couldn’t get the Yoshi plane working properly or merely ran out of time to finish it before AHL’s launch window, so it was dummied out of the game.

The world may never know.


ALTERNATE PLANE COLOURS

Rather than force Trizophenie to pour literally months into the game to unlock all the alternate paint schemes for each plane, I have instead simply raided Acepedia’s screenshot bank for all the alternate paints in Assault Horizon Legacy and have compiled them here. Rather than post over a 130 additional images in this update, I have elected to stow the images in an LPix test post page for you to view at your leisure.

CLICK HERE!

Omitted from each line is the default paint scheme, seen on the plane roster earlier in the post. What you are seeing instead are colours 2 through 6 for each plane.

As a rule of thumb for the alt colours in Legacy, they fall into a specific pattern, just like they did in Zero. The second colour is Default Enemy paint scheme (every non-Ace URF plane of that model flies those colours).

The third colour is the special colour (often used for the cameo paint jobs such as Mobius 1 and Yellow 13 from 04, or Pixy and Schwaze 1 from Zero, or the special Hayate Fafale M).

The fourth color scheme is the Alternate Enemy paint colour for that plane.

And the fifth and sixth colours are customizable colours, though the sixth colour option also doubles as the Named Ace colour schemes for the game. Shooting down a Named Ace will automatically unlock the sixth colour for whichever plane they were flying.




And now for a general wrap up of the remaining miscellaneous medals in Assault Horizon Legacy and a brief overview of the rank system in both games, starting, as always, with Ace Combat 2.


RANK

Both games feature a ranking system which is based on your cumulative performance in each mission across the game. In Ace Combat 2, the ranking system is broadly meaningless and serves mostly as a bragging rights reward and a means to keep track of your progress. Numerous factors go into calculating your rank across the game and so far I have not been able to find any decent guide or explanation as to what you need to do to level up across Ace Combat 2s ranking system other shoot down all enemies as quickly as possible and try not to take any hits while doing so.

The rank system returns in Assault Horizon Legacy, featuring the same rank levels from AC2 and all, however it is made a little more integral to the gameplay in Legacy by turning it into an unlock mechanic. Certain planes and extra missions are unlocked at certain ranks, and you also have clear point totals (though they haven’t been catalogued anywhere online and I don’t feel like going through the game yet another time to manually get them myself as leveling up in Legacy is a bit of a grind). And unlike in Ace Combat 2, you can easily go back and replay missions in Free Mission mode to accumulate the points you need to reach the next rank. Really, you only need to make it to Brigadier General to unlock everything—the XFA-27 unlocks for purchase at that rank—and you can easily do that in an hour’s playtime.

And so, without further ado, here are the ranks in both games in ascending order:


1. Airman


2. Airman First Class


3. Senior Airman


4. Sargent


5. Staff Sargent


6. Master Sargent


7. Senior Master Sargent


8. Chief Master Sargent


9. First Sargent


10. Warrant Officer


11. Second Lieutenant


12. First Lieutenant


13. Captain


14. Major


15. Lieutenant Colonel


16. Colonel


17. Brigadier General


18. Major General


19. Lieutenant General


20. General


21. Commander In Chief (Marshal in Ace Combat: Infinity)


And now, as well, here are the odds and sods medals from Assault Horizon Legacy that require some special accomplishment to unlock and can be earned at any point in the game (though generally on New Game+ runs, however):


Medal: Bronze Ace
Awarded for: Destroying 200 enemies.
Description: Awarded to pilots who inflict great damage upon enemy forces.


Medal: Silver Ace
Awarded for: Destroying 500 enemies.
Description: Awarded to pilots who inflict massive damage upon enemy forces.


Medal: Gold Ace
Awarded for: Destroying 1,000 enemies.
Description: Awarded to pilots who inflict tremendous damage upon enemy forces.


Medal: Flying Immortal
Awarded for: Completing all Survival Missions.
Description: Awarded to pilots who complete even the most life-threatening of missions.


Medal: Virtuous Patriot
Awarded for: Completing all Extra Missions.
Description: Awarded to pilots who complete all special missions.


Medal: Legendary Wings
Awarded for: Completing five (nonconsecutive) mission with the A6M5 ZERO and/or F6F-5 Hellcat.
Description: Awarded to pilots who win multiple battles with the use of propeller aircraft.


Medal: Special Collector
Awarded for: Unlocking and/or purchasing all aircraft, special weapons, equipment, and plane colours (does not include Amiibo planes).
Description: Awarded to pilot who acquire all aircraft, weapons, colours, and equipment.





And now a quick run through of all the special weapons in Ace Combat Zero and a rough summation of what they do, in case anyone doesn’t have time to actually watch any of the videos.

AIR TO AIR

SAAM
Semi-Active Air-to-Air Missile


Must be manually guided to a target by keeping the target inside the guidance circle and within effective range, otherwise the shot will go off target. Normally a one-hit kill if it connects. Has the firing code “Fox 1”.

XLAA / XMAA / XSAA
Advanced Long (Medium / Short) Range Air-to-Air Missile


Locks on to four targets at a time, has the longest firing range of any air-to-air munitions in the game, and is a one-hit kill if it connects, but is highly inaccurate. Has the firing code "Fox 3".

QAAM
Quick Maneuver Air-to-Air Missile


Highly maneuverable missile, most accurate air-to-air ordinance in the game, offset by lower ammo count compared to the XLAA/XMAA.

ODMM / MPM
Omni-Directional Multi-Purpose Missile


Missiles capable of striking four targets at once on land, sea, or air, however, it sacrifices speed and accuracy for versatility.

SASM
Short-Range Aerial Supression Missile


Uses proximity sensors to detonate near targets instead of upon impact, creating a large blast capable of destroying multiple enemies near the original target.



AIR TO GROUND

UGB
Unguided Bomb


Impacts a larger blast radius than the UGB, destroying all targets in effective range. Has the firing code "Pickle" in certain games.

RCL
Rocket Launcher


Fires a series of rockets in a spread pattern in front of the plane. Difficult to aim due to each rocket's randomized trajectory and launch vector.

[b]FAEB[/b]
Fuel-Air Explosion Bomb


Creates a massive devastating blast by dispersing an aerosol gas cloud and then igniting it to form a fuel-air explosion effect.


[b]GUIDED[/b]

[b]XAGM[/b]
Advanced Air-to-Ground Missile


A shorter ranged air-to-ground missile capable of striking up to four targets at once.

[b]SOD[/b]
Stand-Off Dispenser


Guided bomblet dispenser that causes massive damage through compounding explosions. Destroys all ground targets in a straight line depending on drop altitude and angle.

[b]GPB[/b]
Ground Penetration Bomb


Aka a "bunker buster". Does massive damage against a single guided target and all other additional targets within its blast radius. Can lock on to ground targets within 2000ft distance.


[b]UNIQUE[/b]

[b]TLS[/b]
Tactical Laser System


A high powered chemical laser beam fired in a straight line in front of the plane and can be aimed by steering the plane towards a target. Anything caught in the beam for more than two seconds is a one-hit kill. However, the laser has been significantly nerfed since Zero in terms of range and firing duration.

[b]GPD[/b]
Machine Gun P[u]o[u]d


An external mounted burst-fire Vulcan canon pod. This weapon is only found on the Zero and the Hellcat and takes the place of standard missiles in their armament, as both planes come from the era before heat-seeking missile technology.






Tracks featured in the EX and SV Missions:

[b]DISC 2[/b]

[b]NOT ON SOUNDTRACK[/b]






And that, in essence, draws Ace Combat 2 and Assault Horizon Legacy to a close. I’d had my reservations going into this one from the start about whether or not I’d even wanted to do it or just write it off along with Air Combat and ignore it, but Cirv, in a way, talked me into it, so you have him to thank for this one. That’s not to say it wasn’t interesting to take a look back at Ace Combat in its infancy, it’s just that I’m always going to have mixed feeling about this one—have a major health scare right in the middle of it also probably didn’t help colour my opinion of it positively. But I don’t regret doing it for a second though, so now we can move on with it and put it behind us.

Once again, I would like to thank all my wonderful guest commentators, many of whom I brought in to the game blind because there was just so much to cover and I didn’t feel like having anyone do too many repeats at the mic. I’d also like to extend another final thank you to the incredibly generous Trizophenie for all the hard work he put in to make Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy happen. I didn’t think for a moment I would ever get to actually have it LP’d properly, and just when I’d about resigned myself to letting it go, he sent me that first screenshot over Steam showing the gameplay footage on his PC. Again, I’m just beyond words.

Alright then, that’s it, enough about Ace Combat 2. Let’s close the book on this one, and get on my baby, Shattered Skies. Till then…


See you out there.



nine-gear crow fucked around with this message at 07:25 on Jun 5, 2018

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Cooked Auto
Aug 4, 2007

If you will not serve in combat, you will serve on the firing line!




It looks like you screwed up a bold tag at some point around or before the weapon list by the way.

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