SulphurS16/ACFA-Port

A native Windows version of ARMORED CORE for Answer (PS3, USA, BLUS30187). The game's own PS3 code is translated into a real Windows program, built on your PC from your own copy of the game. This project contains no game data, no game code and no keys, and it decrypts nothing.

Not affiliated with, endorsed or sponsored by FromSoftware, Ubisoft, Sony Interactive Entertainment or any other rights holder. ARMORED CORE is a trademark of its owners.

• Native, not emulated. The whole game runs as a 64-bit Windows program.
• Resolution options. The game draws at your screen's own resolution, in borderless, windowed or fullscreen.
• Render scale from 50% to 200%.
• High frame rates. 30, 60, 120, 144, your monitor's refresh rate or uncapped and the same game speed at every frame rate. Menus and movies stay at 60.
• Full mouse support. The mouse moves the camera with raw input. Your AC turns after it at its own speed, as with the stick.
• PC SETTINGS inside the game. An entry in the game's own SYSTEM menu, where HDD INSTALL was on the PS3: display, frame rate, mouse and keys settings all ingame.

Static recompilation. A recompiler reads the game's ~4.5 million PowerPC instructions and turns them into C++: about 71.000 functions, with every indirect jump resolved. Your PC's compiler then builds a native 64-bit Windows program.

SPU programs are translated ahead of time too, with an interpreter as a safety net. The RSX command stream becomes Direct3D 11, and the game's shaders become HLSL, drawn at your resolution. Graphics, audio, input, files and saves are reimplemented in C++. a few complex firmware parts run as recompiled code from your own system files, so they behave exactly as on the console: the SPU task system and the movie and audio decoders.

It shares this runtime with the Armored Core 4 port. The two games share an engine family and middleware.

Nothing from the game is in this repository. Everything game-derived is generated on your PC from your own copy. Setup downloads a compiler toolchain (about 250 MB) once and takes a few minutes.

• Your own copy of ARMORED CORE for Answer (US disc, BLUS30187). You need the disc's files, meaning the folder that contains 'PS3_GAME'.
• RPCS3, used once during setup to decrypt a few of your game files.
• The PS3 system software 4.93 file 'PS3UPDAT.PUP' from Sony's PS3 system software page.
• Optional: the game's update 01.35 package, placed in the game folder or next to 'PS3UPDAT.PUP'.
• About 4 GB of free disk space and an internet connection.

1. Download ACFA-Port-<version>.zip from Releases.
2. Right click the zip, choose Extract All..., and pick a folder with enough space, for example 'C:\Games\ACFA-Port'.
3. Open that folder and start 'ACFA-Launcher.exe'.
4. Under Game folder, choose the folder that contains 'PS3_GAME'.
5. Click Prepare files and choose your 'rpcs3.exe' and 'PS3UPDAT.PUP'. The launcher uses your RPCS3 to decrypt the files the port needs. When RPCS3 asks "Install firmware?", click Yes; if you have the update, click Install when it asks about the package. This takes about a minute and doesn't change your RPCS3.
6. Click Set up. It downloads the build tools and builds the game. This takes a few minutes and is only needed once.
7. Choose whether you want a desktop shortcut and a Start menu entry.
8. Click PLAY.

From now on, you can start the game from the shortcut.

Unzip the new release into a new folder or over the old one, start its launcher and click Set up. It finds your earlier install and rebuilds only what changed; your settings and saves stay. If your game data is in the old release's folder, keep that folder, or choose Move it beside this launcher.

More... > Remove game data..., then delete the launcher's folder. Saves and settings stay unless you tick their box; they then go to a backup folder.

Controllers work like the PS3 pad and can be connected at any time:

• PlayStation (DUALSHOCK 4, DualSense, DualSense Edge; USB or Bluetooth): Options = START; Share / Create or the touchpad click = SELECT. No extra program needed. No vibration yet.
• Xbox and other XInput controllers: A = Cross, B = Circle, X = Square, Y = Triangle, LB / RB = L1 / R1, LT / RT = L2 / R2, Menu = START, View = SELECT, stick clicks = L3 / R3.

With several controllers connected, the first one plays (Xbox-style controllers first).

Keyboard and mouse in missions (defaults, for the game's SIMPLE control layout):

The mouse moves the camera directly (raw input), and the AC turns after it at its own speed.

In menus:

• Mouse: point and click; right-click goes back; the wheel scrolls; drag sliders.
• Keys: arrows or W A S D move, Enter or Space choose, Escape or Backspace go back.
• PS3 buttons: the game shows these. Tab = START, Q / E = L1 / R1.

All keys can be changed in game under SYSTEM > PC SETTINGS.

• Display mode, resolution, render scale (50–200 %) and frame rate (30, 60, 120, 144, your display's rate or uncapped) are set in the launcher or in game under SYSTEM > PC SETTINGS. Game speed is the same at every frame rate.
• The launcher has presets for modest PCs and handhelds under More....
• Settings and saves are in Saved Games\ARMORED CORE for Answer. More... in the launcher backs up and restores saves. Saves don't work on a PS3.
• PS3 saves work once you have decrypted them. Copy each save folder (named 'BLUS30187...') into the savedata folder above.
• RPCS3 saves should work as they are. Copy the same 'BLUS30187...' folders from RPCS3's savedata folder.

Only saves from the US version (BLUS30187) are found.

For more ports, questions, discussion and help join the Discord.