Armored Core 6 | Full Story & Endings Explained [Lore]

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"Let me tell you a story, tourist"
In this Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon Lore video we explain the full story and lore of the game, including all three endings. We will try to answer questions such as; What is Coral? Who was Sulla working for? What is Allmind's Plan? What is Ayre? Who are Walter and Carla? Who are the Branch? Who is Raven? and what happened at the Rubicon Institute?
Editor: Creators Studio - creatorsstudio.co.uk/
Intro: 0:00
Rubicon & the Institute: 0:17
Factor: 15:35
Forged in Ash: 16:50
Coral and Augmentation: 29:30
Overseer & the PCA: 39:58
The Branch: 45:28
Rusty & Corporate Schemes: 53:08
Endings Explained: 1:01:46
ALLMIND and Coral Release: 1:15:12
Questions Remain: 1:32:57
This is an extremely expansive video that discusses all facets of Armored Core 6 lore including: ALLMIND, Handler Walter, 621, Sulla, The Observers, Overseer, The Branch, Raven, Carla, Cinders, Dosers, The RLF, Rubicon 3, The Coral, Ayre, Father Dolmayan, Rusty, Arquebus, Snail, Balam, The PCA and much more!
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REFERENCES
Dom's Roundtable Tweet: DomsRoundtable/st...
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CREDITS
Commission Thumbnail art by Shimhaq: / shimhaq
Thumbnail layout by BrightSparkIV: / brightsparkiv
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Follow me on Twitter: / smoughtown
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Soundtrack is Armored Core 6
I do not own the rights to Armored Core, all rights to FromSoftware
#armoredcore #armoredcore6 #ad

[@SmoughTown]

Thanks to Factor75 for sponsoring today's video. Go to strms.net/factor75_se6165437 and use code POGSMOUGHSEP50 for 50% off your first box!

[@IntrusiveThot420]

Just posting up here so people see this, fun fact: in Grid 135 cleanup, you can find one of the invisible Allmind mechs if you go back to where you crash landed in the intro mission.

[@bobbythotimus1184]

​@@IntrusiveThot420😊😊😊😊😊😊😊

[@blakenelson8202]

Something i dont think you mentioned, maybe I missed it, but I wanted to point out that there was another candidate for allminds coral release plans: Vesper 3. Can't remember his name right now but allmind sends us to kill him.

[@IntrusiveThot420]

@@blakenelson8202 oh yeah! His arena description tells us he joined the Vespers on the condition that he gets new-gen augmentation. Another piece of info that I don't remember says all the later gen augmented humans *don't* use coral. Which to me, seems like he figured out what Coral Release was, and somehow *escaped* Allmind's clutches, got the coral out of his body, and then had the brass gonads to *come back to rubicon* knowing full well Allmind would try to kill him.

[@SmoughTown]

You're right - O'keefe@@blakenelson8202

[@toomuchrandy1731]

"Allmind is here for all mercenaries", has a different vibe after you get that last ending 💀

[@Poldovico]

OM NOM NOM NOM NOM

[@IntrusiveThot420]

My favorite part of the Liberator ending is the Walter fight. Even through all the crazy mind altering surgery and coral exposure, when he can finally see Ayre, and realizes that humans can befriend and live with the Coral, he shuts down his gun.

[@SmoughTown]

Yeh agreed - it's so moving. It was the first ending I got, and it stuck with me the most

[@r_bear]

"Look at you, 621. You finally found.. a friend." 😭

[@xendakakorva3267]

@@r_bear In my headcannon after the Xylum crashes down to the planet our Raven finds Walter's burnt IBIS AC and decides to bury him, along with everyone else who he had found to be close friends that being Carla, Chatty and Rusty to name a few, we will miss you all...

[@koshergaming3964]

@@xendakakorva3267 "If they meant something to you...Remember them, Tourist. Honor them."

[@FSVR54]

@@r_bear We already found Carla and I will not kill her

[@kakurius959]

my favorite detail about Rusty, with ending B when Rusty joins you, his emblem changes from the dog not having the muzzle anymore, which shows he was double agent and its epic af at the same time

[@r_bear]

It's like the end of Kill la Kill when Gamagori comes in with his new Persona Unleashed uniform-it whips!

[@JustSnowglow]

his emblem is also changed in the other 2 endings when you ̶f̶i̶g̶h̶t̶ encounter him.

[@todd3143]

⁠@@JustSnowglowyou only fight him in one other route, but you’re right otherwise

[@JustSnowglow]

Oh true, my bad @@todd3143

[@haydentravis3348]

@@todd3143 In one route, does he like trip and die off screen? I can't remember...

[@todd3143]

i think freud isn't an augmented human? he's rumored to be because of his high mission success rate, but instead he's just good at building the right ac for the right missions. that's why his ac is called locksmith, being able to create the right "key" for the right "lock". basically the representation of an ac player

[@live305]

Yup it says so in his arena description that he’s just a normal human

[@ThatHollowGuy]

The funniest part is, I’ve seen people on r/ArmoredCore point out his AC build is wild, barely any Arqubius parts and not very efficient. Maybe we caught him mid experiment.

[@darkwhispersstories47]

​@@ThatHollowGuyor he thinks Balam makes all of the fun stuff xD

[@declicitous1763]

@@darkwhispersstories47I mean balam has the mini gun, while arquebus has the stun needle, so it’s subjective which

[@todd3143]

@declicitous1763 stun needle was developed later by arquebus using a rad blueprint, which is why snail doesn't have it at the worm mission but uses it later on, and why freud doesn't use if because he built his before. also there's flex in beating your opponent with their own weapons. it also adds to the fact that freud is the "black sheep" of the vespers, being the only one without augmentation

[@taylanhaydar4255]

One point I’d like to make is that in the mission “Grid 135 cleanup” you can return to the point where you landed in the opening cutscene. When you do return you will find one of those ‘invisible mechs’ most likely an AllMind machine meaning she has been watching us from the VERY start of the game

[@Lionhart1991]

This

[@player0ne16]

😱😨

[@samwalters6170]

A piece of evidence about Rusty being RLF from the start that you appear to have missed is that Rusty entered the Vespers through Schneider while Middle Flatwell, the second in command and practical leader of the RLF is said to have significant influence in Schiender's HR department.

[@Naim11443]

lol. nice that solves a lot of questions ty

[@SmoughTown]

Yeh I think you've nailed that

[@d4arken3ds0ul]

In the mission where you investigate where rusty breached the wall one of the logs says they know who he is uncle (cant remember his full name sadly) told them about him and he considers the event a betrayal

[@fahimtajwaar2521]

Idk if this is mentioned in the video but when Rusty and Flatwell ambush you in ng+, if you aren’t so impatient as to decimate them before they finish their dialogue, Rusty openly refers to Flatwell as ‘Uncle’.

[@RafaelSValerio]

​@@fahimtajwaar2521 'Uncle' is an informal way of saying he's quite close to the father of the movement, there's a log with this info

[@littletoast9465]

Working on S ranking every mission now for 100%. This whole game has been such a blast from the past. Im really hoping the success of the game shows that there is still a massive interest in this series.

[@SmoughTown]

Agree - so happy to see FromSoftware having the confidence and support to go back to AC. 100% want to see more

[@ladyazalea6131]

Someone commented on another AC6 video I was watching that AC games came out in two "parts" back in the day- hopefully that means a game sized dlc for this game in the future!

[@SmoughTown]

Yeh would love that! Armored Core 4: Answer - is my fave in the series aside from this one!@@ladyazalea6131

[@ladyazalea6131]

@SmoughTown I'd love to play the older games but I can't imagine playing with a controller after beating all three new game cycles with keyboard and mouse

[@zerotsubasa5499]

S ranking is the final achievement I need too

[@joshuamagruder2241]

I love this games story for many, many reasons. But one of the main ones is the characters. Particularly Ayre and Walter. For the first two endings, it pained me to go through with either one. On the one hand, Ayre is supportive, and even if you may make decisions she disagrees with, shes unwavering in that regard and seems to genuinely care for you and your wellbeing. Even in the end, shes not angry with you. Shes upset that youve chosen not to walk with her, and shes clearly just hurt by your choice. Her actions are as much a representation of how much she cares for 621 and how much she cares for her coral siblings. Then theres Walter. Initially a cold pupetteer, he seems to only care about making money, and exploiting the current coral situation. But as the story unfolds, he starts to also show a caring side for 621, telling others to show you respect, making sure you get rest after tough missions, and sounding genuinely concerned for your wellbeing when fighting tough enemies like coral weapons. Ultimately, he comes to trust us. Thinking of us as more than just a hound, a trustworthy companion to share his story with, and ultimately paas his torch onto. In the end, having been defeated and realizing the voice was a sentient being, he remarks that we had finally found a friend and submits. Willing to completely abandon his life goal after seeing us grow close to someone in a genuine way. And it hits really hard because the more interactions we got with Walter, the more i came to really think of him as our friend as well.

[@SmoughTown]

Same - I actually struggled so much the first time I had to make 'the choice'. I knew what Ayre was saying made sense...yet I wanted to uphold walter's legacy And also killing Carla? That was a bitter pill. Incredible writing (and acting), making me care about characters who are just voices on a radio.

[@joshuamagruder2241]

@@SmoughTown thats kinda the cool thing about the story. What both of them are saying makes sense. On the one hand, Coral has sentience. To burn it is to essentially burn an entire species, on top of the destruction it would bring to any other life. On the other hand, if Coral can propagate, and truly spread through the universe, which seems to be the case in the final ending, then any mass mutation could result in the mass extinction of all life in the universe if left unchecked. Both ayre and walter care about life. But one fears impending destruction and the other sees potential for something more than just coexistence. Its too good lol Edit: i meant to mention Carla. She really shines in the liberator ending. Where she doesnt curse you for the choice you made, or resent you for it. Instead, she invites you to see your ambitions through, and only asks that you make it worth it. Carla is definitely a stand out

[@colehaney8836]

God, making that choice was so hard. I genuinely sat staring at my monitor for like 5 minutes, torn between the options. It hurt so bad man.

[@Corvoreviews]

I wish in the true ending we could have an joint operation between the overseers and ayre, because as seem in the true ending walter did knew about the existence of all mind, just by the fact that carla was waiting for you arrival at xileng, something about walter finding new evidence about coral, something like that just to gives us the satisfaction of having all of our buddies fighting alongside us, and the game has a lot of loose ends as well, I don't think nightfall was just an easter egg AC, they do have a history behind them 9just finished NG++ so I don't know what lies ahead, the rubicon liberation front, they do say that you are a key figure (but proceeds to shoot you alongside rusty anyways) but they never seem to be a factor, I think an expansion will come true

[@aclaymushroomwithaberet7084]

@@Corvoreviews truly a 'DAMN YOU FROMSOFT' moment tbh

[@Posaydal]

The 4th member of branch is Raven's operator, who is sketched by STV in sketch 6 alongside Chartreuse and King (he captioned there are four members and one serves as operator, which accounts for the current memebers).

[@SmoughTown]

Yup you are right - cheers for pointing that out!

[@robstrickland-glenn8851]

Iguazu thought he was the protagonist. I remember hearing his voice during my third ending playthrough and I thought to myself " How many times will I have to teach you that you're just a background character!?" 😂

[@AntiCensorshipGamer]

A really salty one too. Humiliating him feels good every time.

[@AscendantStoic]

Yeah, he didn't realize he is the anime arrogant recurrent rival until we kick his ass one final time at the very end.

[@phoeniasaldwin6449]

He's just a whiny one, even that Dafeng trainee kid is more like a protagonist than him.

[@Lumen_Obscurum]

As an outsider who hasn't played the game yet, I suspect Walter's Hounds in the story trailer were acting as a distraction to cover the actions of Branch. They drew out, fought, and died to the CATAPHRACT in order to buy Branch enough time to damage the closure system, which set in motion the events of Fires of Rubicon. Part of the perhaps regret in Walter's voice is that he hid the fact they were a distraction from Branch, bearing the burden of knowing they were a diversion and not coming back.

[@misspelled3677]

Damn it makes sense...

[@onyxblack340]

Sounds like a Walter play

[@enriqueacosta5083]

Damnn, thats a great possibility and you ain’t even play the game yet

[@IrvingWash]

Why would Walter need to mess with the closure system if he already had at least three hounds on the Rubicon? What would he want to transport down there? I strongly doubt the answer is 621, but nothing else comes into my mind

[@xoersummoner1336]

@@IrvingWashI’d asume It’s to bring the corporations, who have a looooot of resources, even if the PCA is stronger than them individually, to further loose the blockade, and give him a better opportunity to reach the convergence.

[@Pine2142]

Something cool in regards to the "ringing" Iguazu hears often and how it connects to Coral Contact or hearing the voices of the coral is that you can also hear said ringing in the background when Ayre speaks. It's just barely noticeable when she talks but scenes like 34:21 it's quite easy to hear at the end of her sentences. Hearing this noise without the voice with it would drive anyone insane and Iguazu was no different.

[@ChaosRune]

You just described everyone with tinnitus lmao (I am one of them, and yes, it drives us insane)

[@aclaymushroomwithaberet7084]

I think Kate is Allmind, mostly because during your second playthrough Allmind has you do analysis and then in the 3rd playthrough, you get her, who just so happens to be wearing the fool Allmind gear, and even has an Allmind moment of "isn't Kate so cUel"but yeah from what I saw when I went through the story, and being really tired and sick at night, it's real awesome, this better blow up

[@El_Naphtali]

Pretty sure Kate's VA is same as ALLMIND's as well - just without the autotuned AI voice effect. Another subtle hint.

[@aclaymushroomwithaberet7084]

@@El_Naphtali oh really? Huh, the game has got plot inside of plot

[@live305]

Also in the arena when you test mind alpha it’s called project 001-K that made it obvious

[@GrizzlyGriffin]

There is a small voice clip when iguazu enters the third phase of the final boss where Allmind's voice pretty much goes to a human one, rather than the monotone voice she had been using for the rest of the game. Makes me think that was the voice she was using for Kate. Or maybe, as Iguazu is shrugging off the voices in his head, he disconnects the Kate persona of Allmind from compelte control. As I write this, it wouldn't surprise me that perhaps the Allmind AI may require a human mind to base its function. Chatty learns to laugh, but never seems to lose the monotone voice. Kate Allmind clearly loses her AI voice in the final battle.

[@Poldovico]

When you're destroying the Coral Transports, ALLMIND says Kate will take care of any you miss offscreen. As you let them go, her predictions of how many Kate can handle seem very specific. She even gets huffy at needing to "have Kate" do too much cleanup.

[@jfdhollow6545]

Something I want is that Kate Markson isn't an "agent" of ALLMIND, she IS ALLMIND. A few things point to this, she has a similar voice and is similarly polite, more so than a supposed mercenary: "I'm grateful for your support, Raven." She also has zero records anywhere, not even the arena, where Sula and O'Keeffe do. Her AC, the MIND BETA however does, and its description reads: "Drawing from the evaluations thus far, ALLMIND has updated the MIND ALPHA model. The revised model features an AI that benefits from the breadth of ALLMIND's research archives. ALLMIND anticipates that this new model, MIND BETA, can autonomously operate in actual combat at the same level as a highly skilled mercenary." Putting this together, "Kate Markson" is just a cover identity for the few times where ALLMIND needs to contract you to do her bidding without drawing attention to herself, and to operate in the field personally when Ghost MTs won't suffice. Once ALLMIND feels comfortable interacting with you directly, Kate completely vanishes from the game, as the cover is obsolete. ALLMIND openly operates the MIND GAMMA in the endgame, the final version of "Kate's" AC. A final note, all of the MIND series ACs are marked as "Integration Subject (insert number) K"

[@SmoughTown]

I do agree that this is 100% possible and I almost put it in the video. She even says something like; Thank you Raven you have 'taught me' alot - at the end of the BAWs mission, as if ALLMIND has learned from your actions. I do have some issues with it; a) in the coral transport mission - ALLMIND still refers to Kate Markson, and im unsure why she would do this at this stage; as surely cover isnt necessary given ALL MIND is directly working with us at this stage. b) Kate is very very human in her mannerisms, more than I'd believe ALLMIND capable of; like 'i'd love to chat but we are pressed for time' etc. But you are right - my gut was that Kate Markson is ALLMIND and there is something compelling about it. I just wasn't sure on it, so kept it out the video.

[@carlschrappen9712]

I suspect issue A is because Allmind isn't fully sure of you yet, and issue B is Allmind putting up a front so we don't get too suspicious of "Kate". There's way too many connections between Kate and Allmind to be a coincidence. For example, there's no way an independent mercenary would just happen to buy or find all those Allmind parts Kate uses.

[@r_bear]

@@carlschrappen9712nor would her voice be the same (just without the artificial tinge that I'm sure is an affect that AM puts on) or would she happen to have goals perfectly aligned with AM's. There's too much there for it not to be the case.

[@Knoloaify]

​​@@SmoughTownKate is much less human in the Japanese version. It seems like a case of liberties being taken with the direction and the script.

[@TheMrNukeman]

The story and lore in this game shocked me. I did not expect to enjoy it as much I did, especially alternate playthroughs and endings. The gameplay was absolutely incredible, but the amazing tale told in traditional FromSoftware style was the icing on the cake for me. This game is underrated and a slightly unknown masterpiece that I hope more people give a chance and discover its greatness. Thanks for this video that I was looking forward to and for giving this community so much!

[@SmoughTown]

100% - I was confused when reviewers were saying the story was 'bad'

[@phoeniasaldwin6449]

FS has been pretty good at hiding good stories behind even better storytelling@@SmoughTown

[@leviosdraekion6993]

One thing I would like to point out about the AC Ayre pilots in The Fires of Raven path. It is called IB-07 Sol 644. It has IB in its model name implying it is part of the Ibis series.

[@Zack-gk1bt]

Its shown in chapter 4 ending cutscene along with Walter's IB- hal ac when the narrator was describing the ibis series machines that Arqebus seized

[@Zack-gk1bt]

The appearance of Allmind's mech in its phase 2 bears similarities to the Ib- sol, granted it uses different weapons and has grey paint scheme with green lights as opposed to the Ib solar's white with red lights

[@bradengoldsberry]

Kind of unrelated, but I was so pissed when I didn't get that head part. I like it better than the Hal one tbh

[@MrVictor1227]

​​@@bradengoldsberryYeah.I was expecting to get the Ibis Series Ayre uses in Walter's ending since you get the Ibis Series Walter uses in Ayre's Ending

[@alaena3650]

its worth noting that the unit ayre uses isn’t actually an AC, its an ibis series same as CEL 240

[@TheXientist]

I highly doubt that Ayre was once human and got absorbed into the coral. In the same dialogue where she calls herself a rubiconian, she says she is"born from the coral tide", which to me doesn't line up with her being absorbed into the coral. To me it is more plausible that coral, the substance that can manipulate technology and transmit information, is both able to form intelligent consciousnesses, and absorb existing ones. Perhaps a human like mind formed as a result of human minds being absorbed into the coral flow, but they were erased in the progress (or not involved at all) and the produced mind, Ayre, was a "fresh" one.

[@glowie5811]

Agreed, the fact that Ayre is reffered to as a "wave mutation" implies that she's something new. I think coral acts as a sort of sponge that absorbs data from human technology or even from the people who consume coral. This data can then mutate and form a consciousness when coral converges and becomes dense.

[@Arkonoid404]

Yea, it fits way better with the rest of the dialog if Coral can gain sentience through a mutation. She only ever refers to the others as "brothers and sisters", and uses weird terminology you definitely wouldn't use for people. Things like gathered and formed a new "flock". She also shows no allegiance to any faction, and seems to care little for the state of the war itself. She honestly sounds sadder when you kill Swinburne than when you kill Rokumosen, giving an almost comical, "We'll that was an adventure!" If you betray the liberation front. I'd think she'd have more to say in the matter had she been a human "Rubiconian" at some point.

[@vlkafenryka]

Yeah, I thought she was a "celestial" being/entity

[@Discotechque]

DID SOMEONE SAY CELESTIAL BEING?! *Gundam 00 opening song plays*

[@WaywardRyu]

"Ash like snow" intensifies

[@Shytle720]

I remember there being an Ayre line about "those consumed by the fires of ibis" in reference to the coral, in like a literal sense. Like the fires of ibis didnt just incinerate everything, but took everyone into itself and have been waiting for 50 years all alone

[@JenkemSuperfan]

Ayre later explains not all of them were, though. Only a small number were consumed by the Coral, and came to gather back at institute city, her home. That's a rough paraphrase of her lines at institute city.

[@nickgrout2502]

I read that more as her siblings in the Coral dying along with the humans they burned

[@rivercochran8173]

​@@nickgrout2502yeah, that's what I was thinking too. Though Ayre being a human with her mind swept up into the Coral makes a lot of sense, I prefer this interpretation tbh

[@DuelistRL]

Yes but there were "voices in the coral" long before the fires of ibis my dude. Doesn't make sense. Humans are not coral as it existed before humans even colonized the planet...

[@trinitysoul]

Sounds like Eureka Seven

[@SolaceOpossum]

Another detail that a friend of mine pointed out in regards to Rusty. Throughout the game his emblem is a wolf with a muzzle, a mask if you will, however in the final mission in the Liberator of Rubicon ending, his emblem changes to a wolf without the muzzle. Symbolizing that he has left his cover, his mask has now come off and his true allegiances revealed.

[@Lionhart1991]

This

[@legrindmaster]

"You seem like you lost someone too... hope I'm just imagining things" that line hit me so hard 😢 all 3 endings were so heartfelt. I can't believe i got so attached to all those people, Walter & Rusty are just 2 of the best characters. A beautifully crafted story once again by From Software.

[@jeremiahwise2076]

I'm on 53:00 so far, I have to say that it seems to me that Kate is clearly just Allmind. She wasn't ready to reveal her hand as a direct player in the conflict by the point Kate is around.

[@stormlordeternal7663]

It's kinda sad Kate wasn't used more. It would be interesting to see ALLMIND with another more "human" side even if it was an act. Maybe have her pop in in the last fight as a final obvious Kate=ALLMIND where she tries to manipulate you to her side.

[@GrizzlyGriffin]

Theres a moment during the final battle where iguazu assault armors himself that he seemingly disconnects Allmind and Ayre from their systems. Ayre's and Allmind's voice comms sounds change, and in particular Allmind's voice (the female one, which i think is actually Kate) sounds like a very human response to Iguazu's behaviour, devoid of all the monotone Allmind has used up to this point. I think maybe Allmind is an AI posibly based on Kate? Or perhaps needs a more human consciousness to function properly?@@stormlordeternal7663

[@codydagg2259]

Honestly, the story this time is so cerebral and I'm here for it. It has been absolute pleasure thus far.

[@SmoughTown]

Same - I absolutely loved it

[@voidgivenfocus]

I believe Kate is just Allmind having learned to pilot an ac thanks to the arena analysis and integration data we provide While one of the sketch logs talks about branch and shows 3 people, 1 man and 2 women, and points out that one of the women is an operator and that the artist did not see the fourth member of the group I believe the man is king, and the 2 women are chartreuse and raven's operator, with the unseen fourth member being raven himself

[@addygil5000]

No way Kate isn't just Allmind

[@azeria1]

@@addygil5000 probably just another ac pilot used and then killed by allmind maybe that unknown ac in depth 3 is hers or okeef killed her since he killed loads of other assassins before you finally kill him

[@mikhmat]

@@azeria1 you can literally see that Kate's AC is identical to "Mind Alpha" and "Mind Beta" ACs from the test which is in fact indicate that "Kate" never existed and that AC was really piloted by Allmind itself.

[@Knoloaify]

100% it's incredibly obvious in the Japanese version because the voices are extremely similar. The AC is also a MIND series (developed by ALLMIND), and she has 0 records. She's obviously ALLMIND applying what you taught it during in the Arena.

[@Knoloaify]

100% it's incredibly obvious in the Japanese version because the voices are extremely similar. The AC is also a MIND series (developed by ALLMIND), and she has 0 records. She's obviously ALLMIND applying what you taught it during in the Arena.

[@MaraW1832]

"It's just Instrumentality again?" "Always has been"

[@slicksilver2961]

I just realized something listening to Ayre speak, without any background noises: there is a barely noticeable ringing sound. That must’ve been the ringing Iguazu referred to throughout the game, and even accuses her of it in the allmind ending.

[@vegansuperhero651]

52:00 4th member of branch is raven's operator, don't ignore her. Kate Markson also IS Allmind's alias/facade, as her's is the same Armored Core All-Mind/Iguazu use to fight you.

[@SmoughTown]

Good shout - it must be Raven's operator you are right

[@otterbro5245]

Kate Markson is an AI created by ALLMIND. there are 3 versions of the AC Kate pilots, MIND ALPHA, MIND BETA, and MIND GAMMA. Kate is the Beta model, it's the only one piloted by AI. Iguazu would be the 3rd and final phase of the build, GAMMA made to fit an old generation pilot.

[@S051K]

Her AC is called "TRANSCRIBER" , her last name is Markson, and her emblem is a fountain pen. I loved the detail they put into it where if you just look past the surface, it seems so obvious! She's literally taking down notes of how every AC pilot fights!

[@Artaxerxes.]

4th member is sulla according to me.

[@haydentravis3348]

​@@S051K The first time you log into Allmind changes after NG+. They sound happy to see you, which was a nice little reward for ng+ and ++.

[@daylight_EX]

This is, by far, the best lore video of AC6 and probably will be for the foreseeable future, as well as one of the best lore explanation videos on KZbin in general. Fantastic work, man.

[@SmoughTown]

Thanks buddy, that means alot - really pleased you enjoyed my take on it.

[@Poldovico]

@@SmoughTown I read this response in Rusty's voice.

[@zeropat0000]

The best lore video that doesn't give a complete picture of the lore and is wrong in several areas

[@daylight_EX]

@@zeropat0000 What areas are wrong? What didn't he include?

[@jackdaw3822]

Not through my first playthrough yet, but wow, the story so far really is captivating!

[@r_bear]

It gets WAY more captivating as you approach the end, and then even more as you complete more playthroughs! I was very pleasantly surprised.

[@jiggywiggy9332]

what incredibly well-structured storytelling on your part. the video is easy to follow, explains everything without being overbearing, cites sources for clarity but without being intrusive. i wish more fromsoft lore dumps could be this cohesive.

[@SmoughTown]

Really appreciate that my friend - I am really proud of this video, so it means the world to hear that

[@leobaron9417]

Additionally, you can find a ghost mech hiding inside a passage in the wall during grid 135 infiltration, during one of the first missions. Seems like Allmind always had it's eye on you.

[@make7551]

Agree, this makes me think that Fires of Raven an The Liberator of Rubicon endings are a part of large allmind simulation which calculates all risks and odds. Every time when we interfere allmind's plans (serious support for RLF), invisible robots/institute relics appear. At last it decided to hire us and use in her plan. After completing job allmand wanted to destroy us by using its full power and all relics, but made miscalculation.

[@kais3rkai306]

Oh shit I’ll have to check that out

[@tyco1649]

Some potential resolution in Kate Markson but the prevailing idea is that she’s a persona for Allmind acting herself. Kate Markson pilots the Mind Gamma series, which is specifically stated to be an AI piloted Allmind creation. She appears only to assist Allmind’s plans and is stated by Ayre to have no records and not actually be a registered mercenary. In the mission where you’re stopping the Coral Transports and Allmind is handling you, she claims Kate is just offscreen awaiting any escapees; humorously she seems quite complimentary of Kate, consistently referring to her as skilled and capable. More concretely; apparently in the JP language of the game, Kate’s VA is the same as Allmind; I’m not sure if that’s the same for English but there are claims that Allmind slips into Kate’s voice at points during Regain the Xylem as she’s being strained and I believe I picked up on that too.

[@otterbro5245]

Kate is actually the Mind Beta version, Gamma is what allmind created for Iguazu at the end

[@tyco1649]

Dumb mistake on my part, I knew it was the one after Alpha I just don’t know why I didn’t write Beta 🤦‍♂️

[@aricrudd6579]

Definitely the same actress in English. That’s the reason I immediately thought she was just an extension of ALLMIND as soon as she was introduced.

[@corvus9359]

Kate's emblem is also very similar to Allmind's logo. After the mission where you fight alongside her, she also says that you "taught me a thing or two." Combined with the fact she pilots a Mind Beta model that is identical to one of Allmind's Arena entries, and Kate has the same voice as Allmind, I don't think there's much room for doubt that Kate is a persona created by Allmind. This is an example of what I admire about Fromsoft's storytelling, where they give you the clues to piece things together yourself rather than just simply stating it outright.

[@rexex345]

It's oddly humanising for Allmind, that despite all her machinations and schemes, she's still hopelessly dumb when coming up with stuff like Kate. Personally I theorise she's not an AI but a Coral like Ayre that maybe mutated and took host in the institute's systems after they had been abandoned. It would explain why she has more knowledge of Coral than the institute systems and why she refers to the captured Coral. She's also more emotional as you see in her logs and even tried insulting Ayre by pointedly calling her a mutation.

[@NoNo-vy5ls]

I have some comments about Carla. In the Doser Factions all the named members have Ironic names, opposite of their personality/actions. "Chatty" is terse and to the point. "Invincible" is the weakest AC pilot "Honest" Is a pathological liar "Cinder" is unknown to me. I think the lie is that she wouldn't/shouldn't be planet side for the fires as she should of escaped and created and overseen overseer while Walter grew up. Carla also came to control RaD approx. 2.5 years before the first doser mission (086), probably along side Walter, bringing in personnel that made up Overseer, Could be proof she was off world before this kicked off. Then also you need to consider her age, if she was working in the institute, places her age at 68 at best /80+ at worst. Walter at would be around 60+ and is already rocking a cane(In the story trailer). I also believe that there's a log somewhere that Carla and the rest of her gaggle of nerds made it planet side relatively recently, making the theory hold more water. The game thing can also hold water since her AC is the most reliant on guidance systems and engineering rather than quick reflexes.

[@clankcrimson9413]

That's incredibly clever!

[@LukazChrom]

You are correct about your doubts when it comes to Carla, however, there is even more to these doubts, and this video didn't touch on any of them. You see, it is directly shown and stated in AC6's data-logs that Carla seemingly didn't age a single day since her supposed life at the Institute. Why should Walter become an old man but she remains in what would seem to be her early 30s AT WORST? Applying your own logic here, it is obvious that her nickname "Cinder" clear means 'NOT a survivor of the Fires of Ibis". So: There is still more to the Characters Assistant No.2 and Carla. The Data is intentionally conflicting.

[@1996Dagger]

Carla is probably another AI

[@LukazChrom]

@@1996Dagger An excellent theory that I alerady had myself and would explain a lot. However, Carla is a very much "alive" character, almost somewhat harlequinesque to a degree. Also, on the sketches she appears quite human. BUT, that does not speak against it all too heavy. (Many Japanese-made Universes are full of very life-like and "human" AIs / Machines/ Androids) And it would make sense because the Institute would probably have the tech to create such a flawless Android.

[@1996Dagger]

@@LukazChrom it would also explain Carla's deftness with systems as well. Like when she hacks allmind's files for her arena fight, or the whole business with Xylem. Just spitballing here.

[@TetrisPhantom]

Rusty calls Dolmayan "Uncle" in the duel mission, suggesting further that he is a spy.

[@OldManMemes]

It's Middle Flatwell he calls Uncle. When he joins Rusty in the fight against you.

[@TetrisPhantom]

@@OldManMemes You're right, Idk why I said Dolmayan since I knew that wasn't correct lol

[@Ouium]

1:19:48 Regarding allmind - giving the series history with ai growing all to omnipresent all-controlling entities, i think allmind is an advanced, self-educating ai, programmed with merc/human advancement as primary goal. And it see coral release as tool of achieving this goal.

[@SmoughTown]

Yeh that's very likely!

[@zacharythomasfreeman]

​@@SmoughTown Series veteran here, I specifically think that AllMind is another backup of the AI from AC generations 1 and 2 (and appears in others as well), whose scheme this time is piggyback the Coral to spread itself and take over. It's very similar to schemes it has used in the past, right down manipulating corps, mercs, and collecting arena data.

[@robertminnie782]

Very similar to Nineball's plans in the original games... there are a couple callbacks like that. Augmentation is basically Human+ from AC1 too.

[@Balkzardan]

One important distinction I want to make is that in the 3rd ending or the "true" ending, I think the reason it is significant is it pretty much is the only ending where you make a choice that matters. In the fires of raven ending, you follow walter's orders, damn rubicon, and burn the coral, however, much like the original fires of ibis, there is no guarantee that all the coral will be burned. Then, it's right back to the same old shit, give it enough time, and the coral returns, the corps descend on it, more of the same. Similarly, the liberator of rubicon ending seems like a better ending, but it really has the same lingering problems. The coral is still there, and the ragtag liberation front will do little against any invading force or corporate armies. Not to mention, in either ending, we can assume all-mind is still in play, so if things work out in the liberator ending, you still get the Alea iacta est ending, just with an AI that will enslave everything it touches with the coral release. Both these ending really make me think of soulsborne game endings, with the same feeling of your choices being irrelevant and that with time, the same cycles will repeat themselves. Ending 3, Alea iacta est makes sense in both being the name and cannon ending to the game because in it, you make a decision with immediate consequences, but unlike in the other two endings, you still get to truly champion the callsign of raven, though you have changed the universe, you have at least given those affected a chance. What comes next is up to those who come next, but the die has been cast. Sorry for the long winded comment.

[@christopherlyndsay8611]

Just got the ‘true’ ending today. There’s loooads of room for interpretation. Particularly with Ayres final line, which suggests that there is yet more to fight

[@SmoughTown]

So much open to interpretation. It's awesome

[@foodomanthemagnificent2650]

My favorite ending is the liberation ending. But the true ending does have its own hitches. Example: It's pretty obvious that not everyone you meet wants to undergo synthesis. Now that you're body is mechanical, who does the maintenance? Surely not everyone is going to be well adjusted to their new body.

[@r_bear]

Your work ethic is incredible, man. I've pieced together a lot of stuff on my own but I'm really looking forward to your analysis here to fill in the blanks and provide new perspective.

[@SmoughTown]

Super generous my friend - thank you so much for that, and I hope you enjoy my take on it!

[@iGreeey]

It was my first AC game ever, where I came with literally zero expectations (beside knowing that FS is behind it). Man, was I wrong. I got so hooked! Plot, lore, characters (especially Walter & Rusty) - top tier. Platinum trophy already done but I feel that there's more I've missed. You couldn't time the lore video better man, there are a lot of things that I've missed. Keep up the great work you do, Smough! Much Love✌

[@aclaymushroomwithaberet7084]

I miiiight be an addict now lol

[@SmoughTown]

So glad you enjoyed it that much my friend! I still need to get all the S tiers! My pleasure my friend, had a blast making this video

[@ShotofDespresso]

I love the story of AC 6, and all of the endings are incredibly well done and thought provoking, especially when you start to put the pieces together from messages and lore bits. I do want to point out one thing. when you were discussing augmentation generations, you mentioned more advanced augmentations like Snail and Freud. According to his arena data, Freud is wholly unaugmented, and only became the master pilot he is due to incremental improvements and training.

[@offworlder461]

Yeah, Freud essentially Jetstream Sam from Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. While Raiden and everyone he fought had cybernetic enhancements in their whole bodies, Jetstream Sam only had one cybernetic enhancement, his right arm. Furthermore, Jetstream Sam was already very skilled in swordsmanship way before he got his cybernetic arm.

[@QuestionableObject]

@@offworlder461 His cybernetic arm isn't even an enhancement its just a replacement because Armstrong hacked his arm off when they fought (after Sam managed to cut off Armstrong's arm despite his reactive nanite armor), so even with the prosthetic he's still technically wholly unaugmented.

[@ayemjake]

You seemed to have missed another fact that Rusty knows or at least familiar with who the original Raven was. This was hinted in the Operation wall climber by both Rusty's choice of words during the intro dialogue and Walter's deduction at the end of the mission. Rusty's dialogue was subtle, as he says it's "interesting", which is further reinforced by Walter saying that Rusty seems to know who Raven is. Another interesting fact about wolves and ravens are their relationship. Both of which share their hunting in the wild towards one another and have a symbiotic relationship and "live freely" in the wild, a stark contrast to 621 who's a hound who only follows orders. Which is why in the later chapters, the title carried an even heavier burden for 621 as it is also a symbol of resolve and “the will to choose what one fights for”, or the freedom to choose. Carrying it on would mean to sever ties with Walter.

[@otterbro5245]

The 4th member of Branch is Raven's Operator, the girl that talks to us instead of raven when you fight him. This is said in STV's portrait sketch of Branch members.

[@cjclarke8463]

That why all coral weapon when they fire sounds like screaming

[@OmegaUberDeathbot]

"The worm is the spice! The spice is the worm!"

[@dartiliousreyard4735]

Honestly, I think Ending B is only a good ending in the same way that the Mercy ending from Bloodborne is a 'good' ending. Yeah, you get to walk away from the Corporations and have a free Rubicon, but people still desire the Coral. And the Coral is, as far as anyone can tell, sentient (essentially, the coral is another form of life.); so exploiting it is evil. Remember that Walter said that Coral inevitably leads to conflict, so the Rubiconians eventually doing something similar to the Corps is (going by Fromsoft logic) inevitable. Releasing the Coral gives it a chance to fight back against those who would exploit it, and a way to cooperate or achieve symbiosis on its own terms.

[@monnd]

I think its a bit more hopeful than normal fromsoft endings, raven survives, and they remain in contact with ayre, we dont know for sure what is going to happen, conflicts are going to spark but the result of those are not set in stone

[@Elonyx.studios]

I think it's the beat ending cuz unlike the other endings, theres still time to try and find a peaceful way for coral and humans to exist without exploitation, whereas the other endings force an ultimatum that will see either party be destroyed.

[@venom0825]

Prefer nuking Rubicon, I don't trust Ayre at all, and ending b doesn't solve anything, it just kicks the problem down the road. Honestly any path that doesn't burn the coral just sounds extremely idealistic and naive.

[@g00gleisgayerthanaids56]

Real quick, your dog is sentient, but it isnt sapient... the coral is sapient or at least, the voices in the coral are sapient, which is what we humans are, sapient.

[@g00gleisgayerthanaids56]

​@@Elonyx.studiosthats literally not true to the context of the story, coral release in the vacuum of space triggers phenominally quick reproduction that implies a spread of coral infecting the entire universe, bonding with all compatible lifeforms. Its implied that countless people will die as not everyone is compatible with augmentation. Coral release is the opening of pandoras box, its a point of no return, theres no working with the coral in that ending. You either burn/purge the coral or you become it, those are the endings. The final ending is the complete and total death of humanity, literal universal genocide. We also have no idea how coral will affect the fauna and flora of other worlds or other possible intelligent, sapient lifeforms, or even the sentient ones... what happens to a dog thats been augmented with coral? What are these mutations that come with coral augmentation? We only know for sure that after the release, literally everything is infected with coral. We dont even know if thats still 621 in there...

[@slendermong4834]

The allmind ending made so much sense looking back at things, after the 2nd playthrough i kept wondering why killing rival ACs removed them from the board except Iguazu who even if you killed him, he would always come back. He was the only AC pilot you fight (and destroy, rusty escapes after all) that comes back

[@hitmanmastodon1580]

Like he’s already absorbed into the AI?

[@kanadashyuugo873]

Not really, it's somewhat inconsistent when pilots actually DIE in their destroyed AC. Volta still dies at the Wall even if you betray then during the dam mission (hell Walter even jokes about repair costs and there is good reason Michigan would not take the DEATH of two of his soldiers that easy). Snail is destroyed then comes back as Arquebus Baltheus (he DOES die in that mech though, judging by the scream) then for example Swinbourne actually dies the first time when destroyed

[@kanadashyuugo873]

Iguazu actually gets destroyed FOUR times in the Allmind ending

[@hitmanmastodon1580]

⁠@@kanadashyuugo873 I always just took it as some ac’s not having eject like madstomp or milktooth, some pilots being to gun ho to eject like Freud and possibly Michigan, not be able to afford ejecting and having to fight till the bitter end like Carla, or even maybe a lucky/unlucky hit damaging or destroying the eject system/cockpit.

[@kanadashyuugo873]

@@hitmanmastodon1580Still somewhat inconsistent. In old AC games usually if you killed another AC in a mission they were dead, usually even having their fight removed from the arena.

[@ragna6410]

I love so many ACs. Walter,Rusty and Shade Eye. Awesome game.

[@nathanielanderson74]

The burning ending mad me fell so bad, just a testament to the great storytelling

[@Shmandalf]

I was the opposite, lol. Let it all burn, F the corps, F the Coral, F Allmind, F all of it!

[@duongquan4986]

@@Shmandalf Lemme guess... Elden Ring Flame of Chaos enjoyer?

[@haihuynh8772]

@@duongquan4986Old King made a new alt it seems.

[@SmoughTown]

@@haihuynh8772 Lmao

[@AntiCensorshipGamer]

@@Shmandalf Exactly. Coral doesn't even have bodies so i didnt feel so bad. Her dying words still hit me tho. "Raven, I still believe...!" *BOOM*

[@joshhobbs4862]

My head canon is that Allmind is assistant one's wife and Walter's mother.

[@josedorsaith5261]

AllMind's Kate persona is interesting, because they're less controlled about expressing emotions & she voices opinions more readily. Like Ayre, Allmind seems to be an emotional being. Allmind though has a reason to pretend she's emotionless - to not raise suspicions about her plans. AllMind even has an uncharacteristic slip-up. After you defeat the spiritual leader of the RLF, she makes a dig about their exploitation of the coral. She seems to be the cold and rational Yin to Ayre's caring and emotive Yang

[@thomasgroot2397]

I look forward to watching this 5 times!! Smoughtown you are a legend for producing this video so quickly after release

[@SmoughTown]

Thank you so much my friend, means the world to have your support

[@TheTiredTortoise]

My man you are crushing it with these high quality videos

[@SmoughTown]

Cheers dude - really happy with how this one turned out!

[@aricrudd6579]

I think the two “basic” endings really did a good job in the way they evoked certain things. Fires of Raven really makes you feel like a monster, and Liberator of Rubicon really makes you feel like a hero.

[@FSVR54]

I felt like a hero in Fired of Raven. Staunchly anti-Coral Release. O'Keefe is right

[@aricrudd6579]

@@FSVR54 Only the third ending results in Coral Release. Fires of Raven is supersized genocide. I worry for your morals, buddy.

[@hansmatheson5976]

@@FSVR54Same, I think Overseer/Walter/Carla are right about the Coral and thought Fires of Raven was the ideal ending. I did Liberator as my second play through; I felt like I was being manipulated the entire time and I kept feeling this overbearing sense of dread right up to that ending’s credits.

[@g00gleisgayerthanaids56]

​@@aricrudd6579coral release is the opening of pandoras box... its universal genocide for all of humanity and any other life form compatible with coral augmentation, who knows what it will do to the natural flora and fauna of other planets. We also have no idea how many people will just die from exposure as not everyone is compatible with coral augmentation... 621 barely survived augmentation and it seems to have left him in an almost vegetative state... he cant even speak. Genociding the coral (one species) is a small price to pay for saving the universe from it. If coral looked like the flood from halo, you wouldnt be siding with the ayre, youd burn them all to a fuckin crisp, but because its pretty light with a waifu telling you what you want to hear, you fall for the delusions and reject your own humanity.

[@aimlessgun]

The Observer ending might be bleak but Ayre basically doesn't even try to convince you to her side. Observers: clearly huge amounts if scientific work and detailed projections accumulated over decades. Ayre: "just trust me bro". Like really? That's all you've got? The ironic thing about the whole Raven free will thing is that ignorance is the enemy of free will and real choices. The game doesn't provide enough info to make what I'd even consider a real choice. But that's just FROM's style tbh, same in Elden Ring.

[@Eric-md3mp]

What Walter's hounds accomplished in my read was open a hole in the PCA's defenses just before the start of the game, a hole that allows for 621 to be dropped onto Rubicon

[@user-ll9up8pi1t]

Incredible job you did on the video

[@eziowayne]

This is my first Armored Core game, and I’m loving it!

[@SmoughTown]

So pleased you are enjoying it my friend!

[@montablanc1]

You can find a Ghost AC inspecting your crash site in the very first mission. Allmind has had an eye on 621 from the very start.

[@GB-sh9st]

ALLMIND definitely went after the Strider to take the RLF out of the picture Ayre mentions a huge stockpile of institute relics she found in the final arena description, so ALLMIND could have surely done the same

[@user-id1up3ec4q]

Impressive video. Well done on connecting the dots and delivery of info in a digestable way.

[@niclasgamradt5362]

great video, keep up the good work

[@SmoughTown]

Thanks dude, will do

[@AtillaTheSean]

Loved this, it cleared up a lot of my remaining questions, particularly about why institute Ghost Mechs were attacking BAWS and communicating with encrypted comms! I'd like to add the mystery around Walter's "friend." We know it's not just code for communicating with Overseer, as Ayre mentions how these calls leave no record. What gives me pause is Walter's last words in the Liberator ending saying we "found a friend" in reference to Ayre, who he can now see beside us after being merged with coral tech. This line seems odd considering Walter presumably considers us a friend by this point, and we've got other clear friends in Rusty, Carla, and even Michigan. To me this speaks on Walter, at the end of his life with his mind lobotomized, seeing himself and his "friend" reflected in us and Ayre. I personally believe Walter has his own C-Wave Anomaly speaking to him in his head and it seems to give him cutting-edge intel on coral migrations and surges ahead of the corporations much like Ayre does for us. To me this is the significance of Walter losing his mother to his father's experiments with coral, it naturally leads to the question "if he would experiment on his wife, why not his son?" And means Walter is likely a survivor of some of the earliest versions of augmentation surgery, which he's very quick to tell us has the common side effect of hearing voices. My debate is over whether this voice aligns with Walter and Overseer's ideals, and whether or not Walter listens to them. I also remember Carla having a denotive line about our "friend" in our head that also read like a dig at Walter's "friend". I'm also unsure about if C-Wave Anomolies are human consciousnesses lifted into the coral network or pulses of coral energy who have developed sentience through some sort of evolution. I personally think the victims of the Fires of Ibis had their consciousnesses faintly preserved and they passively flicker throughout the coral network until they accidentally pass through the mind of an augmented human, and in cases of extreme coral exposure, take a temporary residence within them. I think ending 3 sees all these lost consciousnesses given roving sentience and freedom to inhabit mechanical bodies as conscious energy like is primitively done with the coral network working in tandem to control the Ice Worm and other mechs for a single-minded purpose, now given individual freedom to live lives as a new species of living energy.

[@Lionhart1991]

The facts you speaks on walter be also one of the few that can hear the voice can be a thing, if he has also the "voice" stay sure he is not listening to the plee of sparing the coral tho XD his traumas are too huge and i think that in the end bf his death he finally let go of his trauma and accept that raven will find a solution and will defend rubicon and coral to eradicate something like allmind ending. Also i think that leaving rubicon was also a way to cut his voice, i belive that if your are not in range of a coral wave you can't hear it and eventually, you will not until another wave will make contact with you It's all speculation tho

[@g00gleisgayerthanaids56]

Only problem i see with this interpretation is the misuse of sentience (not a big deal as i, and im sure most people understand what you mean). For example, your dog is sentient, but isnt sapient, you are sapient and sentient. Sentience is the ability to feel or percieve allowing for thinking and the experience of emotions. Sapience is the capacity for intelligence, wisdom, and logic along with the ability to solve problems, learn, and understand which would include self-awareness. Its just a small correction of an otherwise outstanding summation.

[@rusharnmal7425]

I view ending three not as a combining but more like releasing Skynet. The coral have been released and now can inhabit the AC's. Compatible humans went with them but the rest of humanity has got a fight on it's hand. It's why the last line of that ending is Ayre's voice initiating combat mode.

[@Knoloaify]

Yes, I think the last ending is the Coral fighting to be seen as what it is: an intelligent lifeform. With the objective of living in symbiosis with Humanity later down the line.

[@azeria1]

Well you also need combat mode to move at least that's what I got from standard mode Vs combat mode so if we are in permanent combat mode we are now fully free

[@zacharythomasfreeman]

The game is heavily influenced by Dune (a tundra is geologically a different kind of desert), so I see ending 3 as your character becoming Muha'dib for the Coral, and Father saying that "you don't know what you are saying girl, it leads to all being burned to ash" is the same as Paul seeing his victory in Dune leading to the Jihad burning the galaxy. So these C-Wave controlled ACs and MTs released upon the galaxy will wage an endless war with Raven at its head in the same way.

[@Mustakrakish16]

I can't wait to watch this video days from now once I'm able to finish all the playthroughs.

[@herruu2499]

Awesome video, Smough. Always enjoy your videos, keep keeping it cool!

[@SmoughTown]

Thanks so much my friend!

[@toryunaminosaki1022]

with the discovery of the NEST program within ALLMIND, I think it's based on the older AI systems from previous games (Raven's Nest, Global Cortex, etc), like whoever programmed it (i agree with assistant 1 being the likely candidate) found this old data and based the new ALLMIND AI on it

[@Alex-ip1dn]

I hope you make some more armored core videos. This was a fantastic analysis of the story and you put together a bunch of pieces i was missing. Thank you and great work!

[@sergiomessias3691]

Gosh I missed this one. Great video as always

[@mfd8346]

I feel bad for Iguazu, seems that nobody in his life has treated him with love and respect.

[@sargeyoukai6860]

Well, Michigan tried to do it but in his own way, throug military discipline.

[@Insipidu5]

Speaking of the unanswered questions about Walter's previous hounds, who is Walter's "friend" that he always refers to when speaking to Carla? Another Coral wave entity like Ayre? Possibly even Nagai?

[@PsycheTrance65]

Ayre points out there isn't any communication logs of Walter talking with his "friend". So I assumed Walter wasn't talking to anyone, he just wanted to make his info look like its from another source for some reason.

[@cookiecraze1310]

The friend is fake. He uses the "I got it from a friend excuse" to hide his true purpose from us till the end. We realise this before he wants us to because Ayre is able to see that he isn't actually communicating with anyone.

[@martinkamenov4664]

finally the lore video we all needed

[@lucapietrangeli270]

Great quality of video. The amount of critical thought put into this is incredible. Good job really enjoying it

[@MrVictor1227]

Best lore video and the most in depth. I really wanted to know about the minor corporations and what they were doing and you explained it. Thanks

[@SmoughTown]

Appreciate that Victor - thanks so much for the support and glad you enjoyed it

[@HECTORYZ]

Amazing video! Love how fast you get to post all of these information in a concise way. Before the video the last ending was the must confused to me, as Allmind wasn't part of the story till then, like didn't care that its plans weren't successful. Maybe she was not only affected by the scientist but also Coral itself, making it the hive mind of the ultimate objective of Coral which was to reproduce and unite with humanity. Makes me think of the theory of time loops and maybe some crazy Coral stuff happens consistently to Raven, making him loop into different storylines until it gets the one the Coral sees must appropriate, the final one.

[@SmoughTown]

Thanks Hector! Yeh my theory is that in a normal playthrough her plans are ruined - because we kill Sulla and she doesn't have a replacement basically and so her plans cant come to fruition

[@fernandozavaletabustos205]

Thank you for making this great lore video!

[@matteomauriello7631]

Man i swear i was waiting for this video❤️

[@sinsofthelastdawn8942]

I have a feeling that Carla, as we know her now, might be an AI, much like Chatty Stick. A continuation of what could’ve been. Considering how long it's been since her involvement in Coral Augmentation, and that she had "survived" the Fires of Ibis, she may have even found a way to implant her own mind into the Coral. Also, a little side theory. Maybe "Chatty" Stick is a copy of Walter's Father, or Nagai? Idk, just a thought I guess. I wonder if there's any merit to it.

[@havoc1134]

NEEDED some juicy lore. Thank you. Think you’re wrong about the bad ending. Taking advice from an energy parasite trying to influence your actions could end up great, but, if you get blindsided, it’ll be too late.

[@billkowalsky]

I kept a list of lore and story questions while playing, and I think this video answered just about all of them. Thanks so much!

[@anthony92stevens]

I appreciate the time you put into this. It's a massive game with plently if story to give. Keep at it, Raven.

[@ShotofDespresso]

I also want to point out that in the RLF's logo/symbol, the ship's wheel we see the figure holding has five visible spokes. Perhaps the number 5 has some significance to the RLF or Coral Mysticism in general? 5 fingers, 5 spokes of the wheel, 5 AC pilots, etc.

[@benjaminzelnick3983]

A couple of things to note. STK died on when the fires of IBIS occurred and yet we the works augmented and created by A.I artists later depicting Carla at RAD. We also find almost all of STV drawings on ALLMINDS invisiblilty MT's. Also the Fourth person of Branch is Ravens operator like the voice that does the talking for him I believe it is stated in STV's sketch 6. All of R.I ACs are meant to piloted by AI which is interesting to note. Also I believe it is worth investigating the PCA more. They have an A.I for a Boss and the A.I tells them to vehemently protect the Insuituite city and to protect coral from being exploited. Also ALLMIND straight up is Kate Markson. I also still don't know what we did exactly at the watchpoint. It seems to be something powered by coral as the explosion occurs after we destroy the thingy. What where the PCA protecting and why did ALLMIND want it. Also its a throw away line but Walter gets sent to the jupiter coloney to be raised. At this point if the jupiter war had already occurred then Michigan probably helped raised since he was a hero in the war or if the war hadn't occurred he got to know Michigan at one point which can explain their seemlying ammciable relationship.

[@azeria1]

Well watch points where probably meant to keep the corral from activating I don’t know why allmind try’s to stop you though since blowing it up helps the corp find the corral which is what it wants

[@IaMTheDodo54]

She would probably just have sulla blow it up after he killed us.

[@annap.1711]

Great video!

[@troycoley-cn5bb]

Great Video :)

[@gustavonomegrande]

6:27 I don't think she hacked the arena fight. Spoilers ahead. The true ending and the Allmind ordeal makes me believe that Arena's Carla was becoming aware of herself, doubting about it being a simulation "Nice. Dunno about the sim-", and Allmind cuts her calling it a "unauthorized message", we know that Allmind is hiding things, do we trust it when it calls that merely a message?

[@SmoughTown]

That's a great shout

[@TheJefferson1998]

I loved the game, currently trying to 100% it.

[@SmoughTown]

Same, just trying to find all the parts

[@MixedMartialAcademic]

Great Stuff Smough! Always appreciate your insights :)

[@jameswright2623]

I don't know if this is a great achievement but I 100% the game after the fourth day it came out I agree liberating Rubicon is the best ending. Rusty is my boi and I was more than happy for him to have my back. Funny enough liberating Rubicon was the first ending I got. It was really hard to pursue the other endings knowing that my boi Rusty probably wouldn't be by my side at the end of it. Cheers Rusty. This one is for you buddy.

[@SmoughTown]

I think that is a great achievement - ggs bud. And agreed - that moment where Rusty joins you, and you set out together while the Rubiconians rise up below...magic

[@muramasa870]

I thinks it's also the hardest for first playthrough... Going against hardest boss Arquebus Balteus( V.II Snail bastard) and against ma boi Walter😭😭😭😭

[@EternalSeki]

Some Japanese speculation about Raven you might find interesting. There are at least 3 Ravens in the game (including yourself). The first, from the reveal trailer, used a BML-G1, RF-025 SCUDDER, MG-014 LUDLOW, and PB-033M ASHMEAD, along with a Coral generator (speculated as the AORTA), based off the wreckage you find in the tutorial. This contrasts with the SONGBIRDS used by the Raven we fight in place of the SCUDDER and its use of the LING-TAI generator, and typically we don't see "NPCs" switch armaments in AC games. Furthermore when you examine the wreckage of the four ACs, you'll see the first three are riddles with bullets while the last (Raven) has nothing around it except the wreckage of a transport ship. Based off this, folks think the first Raven was called out to a fake mission, and then was shot down via their transport ship being sniped. Notably, there is one character in the game that is renowned for his long-ranged aim - Rusty. This is interesting in a number of ways because records of the original Raven don't exist, which coincides with ALLMIND mentioning to you that she can erase all of your records, because the PCA clearly knew of Raven anyways indicating that at some point Raven had been on ALLMIND's side, because ALLMIND has a track record of eliminating former allies once they begin turning coat (Raven may have begun harboring second thoughts about assisting ALLMIND), and because Rusty makes several mentions of knowing you, as alluded-to by Walter following Juggernaut. This is thus further made interesting about Raven2/operator's comments about "seeing it out" - not necessarily following in their predecessor's footsteps one way or the other, perhaps. Incidentally, there is an SKA sketch of the Branch members. The leak that was mentioned by PCA was Raven letting the Coral's existence known per ALLMIND's orders once "ALLMIND exists for all mercenaries" was ready, which predictably drew in the Corporations and their militaries/arms in order to facilitate the grand designs for Coral Release and let ALLMIND track all of the combat and evolutions.

[@azeria1]

The pca being the good guys is pretty interesting Walter should of teamed up with them instead of leading the corps and allmind to the coral but no his obsession with burning the coral made things worse

[@AntiCensorshipGamer]

Holy shit

[@jameskazd9951]

I knew you would put out some absolutely outstanding lore for AC6. absolutely one of the best FROM lore channels on the platform, keep up the good work

[@SmoughTown]

Cheers my friend, I will do

[@sceKernelDestroy]

Incredible video❤

[@SmoughTown]

Thank you my friend

[@LuckySecond]

Wait…a fuel source erroneously garnered from an unknown living substance and there’s glowing as a result of its use…..holy shit it’s the Lambent.

[@ZX-Gear]

I was thinking of the Metatron from Zone of the Enders since that fits more.

[@LuckySecond]

@@ZX-Gear ahh, never got around to playing that one unfortunately so if you say then sure. 😂

[@azurespectrum1985]

I think Coral is linked to Kojima particles. The reason I think Coral became sentience is due to that one guy releasing the fires of Ibis or rather a prelude to the coral release. Before this, I think Coral was used is both weapons manufacturing and human plus augmentation. That is why Ayre mentions that it was Coral that created augmented humans like the player character.

[@topcat59]

Great vid bro.😺

[@SmoughTown]

Thanks as always my friend ❤

[@andreapietrodangelo4727]

Finally the video i was waiting for

[@SmoughTown]

Enjoy my friend

[@andreapietrodangelo4727]

@@SmoughTown thank you for delivering amazing content (loved the comeback to Bloodborne as well)

[@Seinglede]

Based on the in-world justification of the "Nest" PvP system being hidden deep within All Mind's database, and the fact that it is almost certainly a direct reference to the "Raven's Nest" from Armored Core 1, I am tempted to believe that All Mind is at the very least an AI derived from Hustler One, the one in control of Raven's Nest in Armored Core 1, if not a full surviving copy. Their motives are extremely closely aligned and they both share the same tendency to impersonate pilots within their own system, as Hustler One does when it pilots Nine Ball and All Mind does when it adopts the persona of Kate Markson to assist you during its missions.

[@skeltaldelegate5408]

Understanding of previous games' lore is very helpful to understanding 6's lore. Yes, this is intended as a stand-alone title like most other firsts in their generation, however there are quite a few important details that allude to a plot much bigger than just Allmind and Coral.

[@ssaiyyrissssuzzuyyaa]

This is what i've been waiting for.

[@awayspa4511]

Fantastic vid

[@billsyrigas6618]

If there is dlc coming i bet its going to focus on nightfall raven