Second Generation Armored Cores

Second Generation Armored Cores

The Second Generation Armored Core was a significant milestone in Armored Core technological advancement; although weaponry made relatively little progress in terms of power, the variety of weapons available increased dramatically. Several key advancements in mobility and weapons-placement made it the template for every other generation of Armored Core after it.

The following improvements were made from the First Generation to the Second Generation:

-Over Boost: Arguably the most important improvement the Second Generation possesses over the First Generation. Over boost is a larger, more powerful, burst-type booster mounted in the back of the AC's core. When active, plates or panels on the back of the Armored Core will open to reveal the over booster(s), which will charge briefly before explosively accelerating the Armored Core to speeds approaching 900mph (approximately Mach 1.15), depending on the core and the over booster. This alleviates the problem of the Armored Core's relatively slow (300-500mph) average speed when using standard boost. The obvious drawback of over boosters is the massive amount of energy drained when in use.

-Extension Weaponry: The other extremely important advancement of the Second Generation, extension weapons are mounted on the Armored Core's shoulders. When activated, they perform whatever task the weapon is designed for, usually mundane and non-offensive, though offensive weapons exist. Extension weapons include relation missiles, which, when active, fire missiles simultaneously with any missiles fired from the back until the ammunition is depleted; anti-missile systems (either anti-missile missiles or lasers) which target inbound missiles and shoot them down with more frequency and accuracy than the core-mounted anti-missile gun; directional boosters, which spontaneously and violently push an Armored Core in a predetermined direction (backwards, down, and in a 90 degree turn); and energy or solid-armor shields.

-Inside Weaponry: Weaponry mounted on the inside of an Armored Core's core, inside weapons were normally auxiliary in nature, and often indirect. Inside weaponry included dumb-fired bombs (both solid and energy based), which were launched blindly backwards from the Armored Core, and best used for bombing targets from the air; mine layers; ECM makers, which placed ECM pods which disrupted radar; missile decoys, which were static decoys which attracted enemy missiles; a backwards firing vulcan (chain) gun; and an orbit cannon maker, which created a small, stationary laser turret.

-Radiators: An interesting addition to the Second Generation, the radiator's introduction in Armored Core 2 marked the beginning of the heat management system. With this addition, all weapons generated some amount of heat on impact; the radiator existed to do away with said heat. However, the heat did no damage unless the Armored Core overheated, in which case the Armored Core would take damage until the heat is dispersed. Strangely, the damage incurred was minimal, and it was quite feasible to only use the basic radiator.

-Hover-Type Legs: A new leg type, hover legs served as the opposite of tank legs. Where tank legs are slow, cumbersome fortresses of armor capable of supporting heavy cannons, hover legs were light, agile platforms that allowed Armored Cores to move extremely rapidly. Hover legs, as can be inferred by their name, were essentially hovering platforms which the Armored Core's core was mounted on, giving the Armored Core a resemblance to a mounted knight of the middle ages era of Earth.

Overall, the Second Generation was one of the most critical of all the generations, in terms of the precedents it set. The overboost and extension weapons became staple functions of the Armored Core, and exist today in the Fourth Generation. The inside weaponry and energy shields lasted for several more generations, and were the inspiration for other types of weapons later on. And the radiator, though relatively minor in the Second Generation, would become exceptionally important later on. The Second Generation was largely the foundation upon which all other Armored Cores are built on, more so than the First Generation, making it one of the most important generations of all-time, and a symbol of the Armored Cores.

     Weaknesses

The drawbacks of the Second Generation were not as overt as the First Generation, with the mobility problem alleviated somewhat by overboosting and the combat dynamics improved with the addition of extension and inside weapons. However, this led to increased weight that had to be supported by the legs, and, with the addition of the radiator, meant there was less overall room for weapons. The radiator became, essentially, dead weight, until later, when was used to completely change the balance of the games and alter the mobility available to the Armored Core. Despite this, the Second Generation as a whole presents a stable, consummate example of Armored Core technology.