I actually really like the idea of Count becoming the real leader of LRSSG!

I see people praising him for his character arc, but honestly, I never felt like he developed all that much. He's needlessly antagonistic to the rest of the squadron until he miraculously isn't, and just as suddenly realises, at the very end of the game, that his problem was he hadn't come to terms with the fact the entire world exists to suck Trigger's dick, only exacerbating the problems Trigger has as a character.

Meanwhile, I see Count becoming a squadron leader not only as a cute contrast to Trigger (who doesn't have the skills to be commander but is second-to-none in terms of combat), but as a more satisfying conclusion to his arc. It's quickly forgotten, but you see throughout the penal unit arc that he's not just a glory hound. Count really wants to be an accomplished fighter pilot, to the point of complaining about easy missions like the raid on the oil facility. This is why Trigger upstaging him causes him to act in such an unhealthy manner: his main source of self-esteem is being actively undermined.

However, as the game goes on, and he steps into the role of squad lead, Count could realise that even though he may never be as talented of a pilot as Trigger, he doesn't need to be anymore. He's discovered a reason to be proud of himself, as a commander who can hold a team together through the most arduous of times, even in spite of the profound losses they face.

Hell, it's even kind of a contrast with Mihaly. Mihaly is unable to let go of his obsession, unleashes chaos upon the world and dies alone. Count, meanwhile, is able to let go of his obsession, saves lives instead of ruining them, and finds the validation he was searching for all this time. They're both linked to royalty, too!

How they missed such an OBVIOUS and INFINITELY BETTER storyline is madness.

The LRSGG should’ve been using the F-15E if they’re a Long Range Strategic Strike Group.

I ABSOLUTELY AGREE about the LRSSG gripe with them using F15C’s. They should have been in F15E’s or F35’s. It always feels weird to me getting to the endgame using the F22 yet the rest of my squad is in the same aircraft from 10 missions ago

5:30 Having the Protagonists talk is a cool idea but  Assault Horizon (not getting received well) shot it down before it could get off the ground.

LRSSG absorbing spare would've been a great move to develop a convict to hero plotline, it would've made the introduction of Sol virtually slaughtering the elite old guard of the Osean LRSSG to have much more weight and impact

I think Tabloid should have been part of the LRSSG too. He's the most down-to-earth of the bunch, is a good pilot and held his own against TWO Sol pilots while alone in a Mirage 2000.

He doesn't have to take Count's place in the story, it's just that his character is pretty much wasted.

And it wouldn't break the cutscene storylines, since Avril interacts with Rosa much more.

Alternative: Have the LRSSG join 444. Keeps a low profile. Wiseman fill in as a leader without Mackenzie. They'd have a nice reverse polarity with the convicts who probably have their reasons to feel dissatisfied with the war or the military. I think they'd be a lot cooler if they went clandestine sorta like Razgriz but without the asskissing.

we got bait and switched coz the Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown Teaser Trailer got me and everyone thinking we will play as convict Trigger of the 444th Spare Squadron - and command them...

Honestly in each Game, The Protagonist's main planes should be different and rarely repeat, Trigger using the YF-23A, Gryphus 1 using the XFA-24A Apalis, etc. Each Protagonist and their squadron get unique aircraft because Everyone always using the F-22A gets boring at some point, don't get me wrong, it's a great plane but Mobius 1, Trigger, Gryphus 1, Bishop, and Antares 1 all use the F-22A.

gem alert to eat dinner at the same as i eating dinner 🔥💎

The LRSSG have a lot of aura (and the best briefing themes) but it’s always funny that they get so much hoopla for what is effectively (just) standard Air Interdiction/HVT Strike operations.

Mobius 1’s first missions are similar Deep Strikes (hehe). Is it really revolutionary for the Oseans to just vector their planes around known threat radii? Lol

i had this idea a while back to make trigger and the scrap lady childhood friends so the intro cutscene is more integrated, have trigger be the one piloting the f104 getting flagged as an enemy. they shoot down the f15(?) at the start but get downed by the drone both them and the scrap lady get put into the 444 squad on trumped up war charges. yada yada most of the stuff in the plot happens and then the lrssg is a notable abscence of scrap lady which once homeward happens makes her reintroduction more notable. with your proposed change to the lrssg and cutting the iun this would be an even better more natural growing apart and then finding eachother in the middle of war

I've been wondering what a theoretical Ace Combat 7 film adaptation might look like, and I somehow came to the same conclusion you did: cut the IUN stuff and have Trigger be in the penal unit from the start, then explore how he got there via "flashbacks." In-game, you could probably keep the IUN missions intact if they were spread out as "flashbacks" for the player, mainly the missions "Two-pronged Strategy" and "Rescue" given their story importance.

I love your content man, keep it up

count will always be my favorite ace combat character. i like your idea of him being the leader for the lrssg because that scene where he freaks out over wiseman dying kind of pierces my heart a little cause despite being very cocky and pissy towards wiseman, he did truly respect him. wiseman knew that, thats why he kept jokingly messing with him. base game count may be a little underwhelming but i have a soft spot for characters that redeem themselves. i guess i just wished he was utilized and written better. he does get alot of understandable flack thrown at him, but thats kind of why i like him. he was an asshole but in time grew to be better. i just think the game kind of did a poor job with him

i think the dlc were getting a bit meta. that because the main character is the player character, any mission can be done. the dlc was showing the larger world starting to realise this. ace combat 8 seems to be them trying to wield this knowledge. in hindsight they could have sent them on insane missions on previous games. they kind of did that a lot with mobius one for example annihilating free erusea in a single day. of course you can beat any mission, you are the player.

3:06 This is what I think is going to be cool about 8, the entire point about Rex is that he’s a fraud. He’s a propagandized war hero by (Ersuia?). This would be cool to show how the player character fits into the legend, I just hope we get enough time with Rex before he dies to show this off and build his character.

The LRSSG always gave me the same thru lines as something like SCARs from Infinite Warfare. Highly mobile, highly skilled small unit. Which for the most part they are, they just have the wrong aircraft. Personally I would give them SuperHornets, if not the Blk IIIs (which sadly is DLC in 7 though). Park them on a carrier and that arc centers around that carrier, and it's fight against oh wait thats just AC8.

Super long range attacks have been done by land based aircraft irl, just look at El Dorado Canyon but those were also F-111s. A plane with much much more range then the 15C, and they still had to hit a tanker.

Side note: I really want AC8 Superhornets to have LAAMs (Aim-174b Gunslingers) because Gunslingers are just an Ace Combat weapon that exists. But I don't think they are getting them.

I agree that for the dlc 1 and 2 mission comments, in that it was a sabotage plot element without any consequence playing out aside one wingmen being damaged by mimic, My solution is your wingmen get shot down gradually but survive or retreat with damage and low ammo (this can happen to Garuda 2 in AC6), because the main game needs them again later, or as a game play concept you have to protect / cover your wingmen instead to inverse the typical games wingmen responsibility factor for a mission or two, but they can still be forced to retreat without the chosen on=- I mean Triggers support. But for Strider 1, well Trigger's different and is basically Neo for the duration of the game, an assassination sabotage attempt is irrelevant when your superman.

The plot detail for SP1/2 is that he is trying unwittingly to assassinate superman, trivializing the lame story addition for gameplay. it changes it from a story arc of sabotage and impossible situations to, every country you fight for in the series held your ass back, Mobiu- I mean- We don't need no help outside fuel and ammo and these briefings with allies needed to move up is un-needed, just send some guys to plant the flag later.
but like you I'm taking this too seriously and I love it.

that being typed, i agree with everything you said, that's just my view of it. Have a like!

also wingmen in dlc missions do damage and get kills, they are not nerfed like in the base game levels,
and for the LRSSGs plane issue the F15 Silent Eagle would make most sense I figure given its frontal stealth would aid long strikes and heavier armament, but alas its only in Strange Real cannon for Ace Combat 2's remake, and the F35 would probably be too much for the section of game progression the player would be at by Mission 11, maybe it would be nice if they had upgraded or when you absorbed cyclops effectively towards the end

Would you ever make a video about the penal unit? I think it's unique but nothing in this game is without problems.