AC-Veteran Explains "How To Aim" In Armored Core 6 - 

For anyone who'd like to see what the data looks like written down - I've done my best to organize everything below: All "Lock-Speed" tests were done with the "Ocellus FCS" and the "Wrecker" and "Nachtreiher" arms to get both ends of the extremes - All results are "Average Seconds": [[Difference Between Optimal/Off Range With Hard-Lock:]] (WORST Firearm Specialization) + (BEST Close Range FCS) + (OPTIMAL Range) + (HARD-Lock) = .58s (WORST Firearm Specialization) + (BEST Close Range FCS) + (OFF Range) + (HARD-Lock) = 3.58s [[Difference Between Optimal/Off Range With Soft-Lock:]] (WORST Firearm Specialization) + (BEST Close Range FCS) + (OPTIMAL Range) + (SOFT-Lock) = .33s (WORST Firearm Specialization) + (BEST Close Range FCS) + (OFF Range) + (SOFT-Lock) = 1.33s [[Difference Between Hard/Soft Lock In Optimal-Range:]] (WORST Firearm Specialization) + (BEST Close Range FCS) + (OPTIMAL Range) + (HARD-Lock) = .58s (WORST Firearm Specialization) + (BEST Close Range FCS) + (OPTIMAL Range) + (SOFT-Lock) = .33s [[Difference Between Hard/Soft Lock in Off-Range:]] (WORST Firearm Specialization) + (BEST Close Range FCS) + (OFF Range) + (HARD-Lock) = 3.58s (WORST Firearm Specialization) + (BEST Close Range FCS) + (OFF Range) + (SOFT-Lock) = 1.33s [[Difference Between Optimal/Off Range Comparisons "HardLock":]] (BEST Firearm Specialization) + (BEST Close Range FCS) + (OPTIMAL Range) + (HARD-Lock) = .28s (BEST Firearm Specialization) + (BEST Close Range FCS) + (OFF Range) + (HARD-Lock) = 1.52s [[Difference Between Optimal/Off Range Comparisons "SoftLock":]] (BEST Firearm Specialization) + (BEST Close Range FCS) + (OPTIMAL Range) + (SOFT-Lock) = .20s (BEST Firearm Specialization) + (BEST Close Range FCS) + (OFF Range) + (SOFT-Lock) = .66s [[Difference Between Hard/Soft Lock at Optimal-Range:]] (BEST Firearm Specialization) + (BEST Close Range FCS) + (OPTIMAL Range) + (HARD-Lock) = .28s (BEST Firearm Specialization) + (BEST Close Range FCS) + (OPTIMAL Range) + (SOFT-Lock) = .20s [[Difference Between Hard/Soft Lock at Off-Range:]] (BEST Firearm Specialization) + (BEST Close Range FCS) + (OFF Range) + (HARD-Lock) = 1.52s (BEST Firearm Specialization) + (BEST Close Range FCS) + (OFF Range) + (SOFT-Lock) = .66s [[Difference Between Optimal Softlock "Center Screen" vs Optimal Softlock "Un-Ceneter Screened":]] (WORST Firearm Specialization) + (BEST Close-Range FCS) + (OPTIMAL Range) + (SOFT-Lock "Uncentered") = .86s (WORST Firearm Specialization) + (BEST Close-Range FCS) + (OPTIMAL Range) + (SOFT-Lock"Centered") = .30s I hope this information helps you build your new ACs and have fun with the game :)

This is the best visual demonstration of the lock on system I have seen. Awesome work!

Even for experienced players this is so helpful because we make assumptions but I've never researched it like this what an amazing video.

Conclusion of the video: the best and most balanced FCS in the game has to be Talbot. It's very effective both up close and middle distance (the two most used ranges) and has an ok missile guidance. I personally use it on 90% of my 60 mechs and it never let me down.

watching this made me appreciate how advanced this games combat system really is

From should just patch this video into the game and pay this guy. This is a mandatory watch. I changed my whole AC build after seeing this and melted the CEL-240 boss

I love how this video plays like an actual retired vet who's had enough of the shit of new Mercs spontaneously combustimg the moment their AC fantasy shatters from contact with reality. Great content I'll put into practice for when I get back in the game. Stay safe you old bird.

Unfortunately I failed Math, so I don't think I can qualify as an AC Pilot 🤤

Its so weird seeing a channel I usually go to for 3d modeling help, teaching me how to aim better in AC6 lmao

Gatling users: I'ma pretend I didn't see that

Oh boy, you might not like this. I just throw my builds together in a few seconds. I know just how in depth it can get. The way I play is just get in comfort zone, smash enemy.

Big caveat on this - if you’re mixing in missiles or other lock-on weapons, be aware that Missile Lock Correction is also an important stat for your FCS - a MLC stat over 100 reduces lock-on time by up to 50%, while a lower MLC nerfs lock-on times.

I understood about 3/4 of this before coming into this video, but your demonstrations helped me grasp the last 1/4 as well as finally recognizing some bad practices I’ve been using in my own playthrough so far. Thanks a ton for doing this video!

I'm SO happy that someone's figured out the exact ranges for close, med. and long range, it clears things up a lot. I've been searching for those numbers since launch. Also, soft lock times being screen region dependent is _super_ interesting. Actually, I wonder if that's largely what causes the difference between lock styles? Because hard lock only turns the camera once someone's at the edge of the screen?

Thank you for the detailed breakdown! Knowing what these stats actually does instead of relying on placebo gives me much more insight and confidence when build crafting! Definitely the best breakdown on this subject so far, especially hardlock vs softlock. I think the next skill gap for me will be utilizing both forms of locks in a fight.

This game is like "what if we took dark souls combat, but calculus?"

Glad to see I came to conclusions that fit the bill for best practice. I appreciate you taking the time to explain the targeting system!

I wish those ranges were color coded into the lock reticle, for example green would mean you’re in the most effective range for your FCS chip, yellow, then red (for example if you were far away and using a close range FCS). Something I wish the creators would pick up on, because sometimes it can be dicey knowing what the right range is. I’m sure it would become ingrained after a while though

Really need to use the same target for all tests in order to remain consistent. The hard lock vs soft lock demonstration is invalidated because the soft lock target was heavier and slower than the hard lock target. No worries though science is hard.

You explained everything so well in this video, whether it was about the benefits of soft lock, the effects of firearm specialization, or even the way they all intertwine with each other as the player is in combat. Please keep making content; fresh content like this is always a needle in the RU-vid haystack.

Thank you for your detailed explanation. Especially regarding pre lock and lock phase. This made me understand, these 2 things make my aim good. This also allows me to save ammo too. Previously I just shot blindly and was confused why almost 50% of my shots didn't hit the target 😂

played ac6 for 300 hrs now. still coming back to your fundamentals. it's not only what you explain, it is also how you explain things. one could think, you do something with visualisation ... 😀

I would like to add something very important. The effective range on some weapons are not accurate. Check your weapons in test mode.

i remember some people said AC6 pvp doesnt have much depth well now.... :)

I take (minor) issue with the claim the FCS hasn't changed. The FCS used to determine the size and shape of the box you had to get a target inside of for it to start tracking. Thats all out the window now. To be fair, that's because a BUNCH of stuff changed with regards to camera controls, turning speed, locking, etc... Either way, not a big deal because it still affects lock timing. I do like not having to move my reticule over every enemy to lock missiles on now. That confused me in the beginning of AC6 but I eventually learned to like it (it didn't help that I just finished another playthrough of AC3 the day AC6 came out and started playing it lol)

I'm pretty sure the secondary reticles were in For Answer and possibly 4 as well. I fondly remember somehow managing to get handheld grenade cannons on lightweight arms and then watching the reticle crawl across the screen like a snail. That was when I discovered the joys of manual aiming. Of course, being 10+ years older now, I don't have the coordination to pull off that shit anymore...

this is a better presentation than most "detailed guide to" videos ive ever seen. NICE JOB >w

wait... failing to keep the target centered on screen is actually throttling my lock-on in softlock? shit, maybe I should start using hardlock more often.

It doesn't really explain how to to aim. Guess hard lock is still the only way to consistently have opponent on my screen.

Normally I prefer to figure a game out on my own but when a fight is in an enclosed space I I become so much worse

beaten the game fully, almost 100% aside from s ranking each mission, and i at no point actually understood fcs and optimal range, this alone gave so much more info than the game itself did

I think that it is also worth noting, that unlike Melee Specialization on the arms, the Firearms Specialization doesn't increase ranged weapon damage output, only the lock-on speed. But the closed-range assist of the FCS does not affect your melee damage output. Therefore, you will have to consider what arm to take, if you do plan on using melee weapons.

I feel like the Hard Lock penalty punishes controller players waaaaay too harshly.

I have seen more than one video attempting to explain the targeting system in AC6 and this is by far the clearest and most informative one. Thank you!

After learning to keep an eye on that retical more i save so much ammo and waste way less opportunities. I used to miss so many cause i was busy reloading from a mag dump that i missed 3/4 of the shots of

Damn, thanks for this man! Very detailed, very useful!

Excellent analysis & effort.

Thank you for explaining this to me like I'm stupid. Targeting makes me feel very stupid.

what a really want is a way to keep my AC facing my camera direction without needing to use hardlock so I can more easily strafe and not need to turn to fire when I'm focusing on dodging...

For me, I like the big heavy explosives that fire one shot and have to reload. It completely negates the need for any recoil control, since the recoil recovers by the time these slow cannons reload. But their massive weight means I actually need to prioritise arms load limit instead. I should definitely scroll through the store again though, see if there's anything bulky enough to actually hold my big guns while also having decent firearm specialisation.

I’ve been playing AC since AC2 and honestly I didn’t know this about lock. I did know about the dodge, but never the lock. Pretty damn awesome. Love how deep this games mechanics are.

New sub i just learned alot of info from this vid

This sounds like me when I'm trying to explain how to play to my buddy who can't find the square button

You can use an advanced technique by counter boosting in the opposite direction and still hit without a lock on. This is often used with AOE weapons. Also if you're facing the direction of your opponent but they are outside your reticle you can still use a melee and hit as though they're right in front. I'm not sure if the fcs or arms makes this possible but it cripples the fastest opponents.

Explains why i've been able to manage dealing with even trickier enemies. I just by default always used the best firearm specialization arms with aim assist off using mouse and keyboard and I basically just let loose freely, interesting to see that I actually did make the correct choices there.

i wish i had seen that BEFORE i finished all 3 playthroughs :x i guess that explains why i never had much success using energy/plasma weapons lol honestly would've been nice to have a real explanation of what these stats actually do in game, rather than the vague description we were given. anyways, very useful video :)

Dude thank you so much for this. Actually seeing each range distance was a godsend. I was having a hell of a hard time hitting things.

This really helped me a lot on understanding the game mechanics. Explains a lot on the certain ac build I choose. Will keep this in mind from now😎

I miss the FCS system in the old games. The objective is to maneuver and stay out of the opponents FCS box. Maneuvering, not reaction based. Aim assist just turned it into a souls-like parry/dodge timing training diapers.

Do the variables mentioned (optimal range, firearm specialization, soft lock) also affect the accuracy of laser drones like the vvc 700 ld?

I wish they added gyro aim and bumped up the analog stick sensitivity by like 10x. This game feels like it was made with gyro aim in mind (for manual aim) but they just don’t know the idea of it akin to how with some languages they don’t have the word for a certain color so they use a color combination to name it

Exhaustive targeting breakdown, an eye opener. Thanks!

This just makes me wish we could customize our huds more. I'd want the distance to my target be in a fixed posititon on the screen. And maybe there should be a clearer distinction between locked and locking on stage. maybe something like yellow for locking and then finally red for actually locked on

I have almost 100 percented the game. Just need some S ranked missions. I have NEVER noticed the red reticle. Wtf. I love how there is a logical and fair difference in the way soft lock works between controller and M&K.

The recoil stat on arms affect the recoil of the back weapons. That makes me question does the firearm specialization stat affects the tracking of the back weapons as well? If anyone did the testing let me know Great vid btw 👍

I came here for tips on manual aim, not an explanation of how the FCS I've used for decades functions 🤦‍♀ regardless very helpful video, just not what I was looking for. subbed for a (hopefully upcoming?) manual aiming tips video though

They either need to allow kbm on console or vastly speed up the maxed out camera move speed. That shit is slow as melasis and really hinders optimal use of soft lock.

Basically take your time. Don't rush and waste ammo until your lock get a Phase 2.

I'm pretty new to AC Series (I played the PS1 demo like 22 years ago) and i'm still trying to grasp how to play this with a controller. this tip is super useful, thank you.

as a Vet myself (armored core nexus) This was Good to watch definetly a great place to start but this wont give you skill get creative find different ways to do different things because some people can figure it out quick what is happening and find ways around it adaptation is must

Since the FCS takes "perfect lead" you can dodge shots even without breaking the lock by chagning direction after you see a muzzle flash.

Omg I'm just learning that if you manual target lock, it holds target faster and longer 😢 I have 120 plus hrs in this fkn game lol

From Soft actually mastered cross controlls. Unlike many shooters where controller users have an unfair advantage over kbm users, from soft managed to give skilled kbm users a slight advantage.

This is really interesting. I'll probably stick to hard-lock and a controller while I'm finishing the campaign, and if I get into online play I'll dive into my and soft lock

It seems that two stats which previously existed and were quite helpful before but no longer exist: total firepower and FCS aptitude.

Sorry this is my third comment and I finally just wanted to mirror what everyone else has been saying; this is by far the most helpful combat video I’ve ever seen on RU-vid.

I was struggling with the last boss until i realized(thanks to this video) that i was canceling my lock on the entire playthrough. Once i learned to leave the stick alone after im locked onto an enemy and be more patient with when to fire, it made this game so much more fun!( and easier)

Didn't realize your aim mattered so much in soft lock, very helpful

Hardlock is incredibly difficult to use on mouse and keyboard as it stands anyways, constantly being oulled away from your lock all the time. It does not offer the functionalities that could be viewed as a benifit given its costs

almost completed ng+, just got to know there is something known as soft lock and hard lock lol. i dont think they covered this in tutorial

This videos is if a veteran first gen augmented human, explaining to youngers pilots how basic shit works. XD

wait.. people don't do softlock on controller? or is this just comparing times for mouse and keyboard?

Ahhhhhhh that’s why I can keep a lock. I figured there was something to it and now it makes sense. Thank you!🙏🏽

hardlock messses with your aiming that much??? man no wonder why im sucking on controller

Wait… I thought recoil was for heavy weapons? Had no idea it was for ALL weapons on arms

i finished AC6 without knowing this lock things. i just slash and pew pew my way through lol

I used mouse and keyboard with soft lock, and never realized how useful hard lock could be.

I want to play this game so bad but new consoles are expensive and I bills+kids. Just have hold out till tax season😅

...i just realized ive been fighting bosses and ACs on soft lock only...

Woah, wait. Soft lock is better than hard lock?! Why!??

Killing it son! I love the metrics and math. Thank you! After the dodge video I changed my style. Then the update hit and the world got much better. Now, I need to update builds just a bit. Thanks again.

Everywhere I go, I see your recognizable voice, Blender, Unity, Unreal and now.... Armored core 6

videogram of public utility

Wow, your content it's what I was looking for! Thanks! But, what about ideal range of the weapons?))

My goodness what in awesome presentation? I had no idea thank you for the help. I'm at the last boss of the third play through. So I'm gonna need this, but I've got my little helper coming in second phase.

note: even when using soft lock if you have achieved 'lock' on your fcs and you fire your weapon (even if the enemy leaves your screen entirely) the weapon you fired will fire in the directly at the enemies predicted location this is only noticeable on weapons at the far end of big windup times (and will often save your bacon)

So in the heat of battle i would still prefer using hardlock to focus more on my movement the difference is not that great

me watching this video not realizing that there is a gauge that tells the player about the distance from the target

What does recoil do?

Enemies will still quick boost to dodge laser rifles almost every single time.

Remember when people were up in arms about Hard Lock? I remember

This is nice....solid, clean, tested data. Allmind would be pleased

I see what you mean at about forty seconds with the intercept radical, when did every shot with a huge been on iguazu yesterday

Please dont post stuff like this im enjoying dominating in pvp atm.

Amazing video! Really helped explain targeting! Just wish we could change the color of the red target for those who don’t have the best vision

I cannot believe I'm in NG++ and am only learning this now🥴

listening to you explain mechanics feels like im getting bootcamp training from rusty

Well at least that explains why I seem to hardly ever hit anything....

I can hit target even when they are on side of my screen. Cqb fcs does this well

I now want a mod that makes a visual change in the reticle when in the locked phase.