FACTIONS
There are several major corporations and factions that deploy ACE units into the field. The current major players in the field are currently:
Charon Corporation is an industrial powerhouse from the Mediterranean region of Europe. Charon Corp. follows a militaristic structure for society. While glorifying the military prowess of its leadership, the bottom line of business still takes precedent. While the ‘military ideal’ of soldiers prevails in their messaging, the decision making upper classes rarely have any actual combat experience. Pilots from Charon consider themselves more disciplined than many of their rival pilots, although they privately disdain the orders of their uninformed officers. Charon ACE designs tend to strike a balance between speed and protection, with a variety of configurations, they excel in mid range combat.
The Rasputin Collective formed after the Shattering as a loose collection of eastern European states, many from within the former Soviet Bloc. Many unstable and corrupt governments simply scattered and collapsed during the upheaval, looting what they could on the way out. Communities fended for themselves and slowly formed coalitions that stretched across national borders. One of the largest entities based much of their codified structure off Socialist principles, which became the standard as more regions joined. At the same time, the disparate communities had been experiencing a revival of more archaic folk religions and regional superstitions in the absence of traditional orthodoxy. While more stable and decentralized than the Soviet era, the Collective is far from a Socialist utopia. The majority of workers have little, while those in charge tend to enjoy a far higher standard of living. The Rasputin Collective requires a large military to control the wide and varied territories it contains, so conscription of workers is very common. Those who complete their mandatory service usually return to their homelands, but those well suited to it are selected to be ACE pilots, who will continue their service until age, injury, or death requires their replacement. Rasputin ACE units tend to favor survivability over mobility. They use combined arms tactics with a mix of short and long-range units to maximize effectiveness in combat.
Kuro Heavy Industries were headquartered in the eastern part of Asia, but most of their traditional territories now lie under water. They are a highly dedicated group that has stayed on the forefront of weapons technology, using their advantages to control and maintain territories despite severe losses in the shattering. Society is extremely hierarchical, following deference to command structure sometimes to a fault. Pilots follow strict codes of honor, although in the heat of battle this rigid structure is bent as necessary. Kuro ACE designs focus on accurate focused firepower over other considerations. They can be deadly opponents at long range, but many pilots revel in the opportunity to draw a blade for close quarters combat.
Allied Manufacturing Group descend from a long line of military contractors. Their business functions nominally as a merit-based structure, where anyone can climb the corporate structure through cleverness and hard work. Functionally this may be less than accurate, but the idea of a meritocracy carries throughout society. Pilots come from a range of backgrounds, leading to an unpredictability in battle that can unnerve some opponents. Allied ACE units tend to focus on mobility, getting in close to opponents to strike from unexpected positions.
Direwolf Incorporated are from northern Europe, and base much of their corporate and civil structure off an idealized version of their history. The highest levels of society act as a loose council supporting the authority of the leadership. The lower/ working class is poorly regarded with few rights and little social mobility outside of exemplary performance in gladiator-style ritual combat that permeates much of the lower social structure. Disputes are handled through a semi-formal dueling system that functions as both entertainment and civil law. Those who gain notoriety in gladiatorial combat may be selected for military service, where most ACE pilots are selected from. The military personnel who survive long enough and gain enough recognition may eventually move up in the corporate structure. Direwolf pilots tend to be exceptional brawlers and revel in hand to hand combat. ACE units are usually focused on closing distance rather than long range combat.
More info coming soon.
More info coming soon.
More info coming soon.
More info coming soon.
More info coming soon.
More info coming soon.
