Actuator Complexity System (ACS)
The Next's new and improved system of control which far surpasses that of Normals in terms of precision. Originally researched and developed by Aldra, poor data management has cost them a great deal of advantage in the field. It is now looked at among Companies as a comparatively easily surpassed engineering hurdle.

Akvavit
Longstanding military electronics corporation based in northern Europe. In addition to being the world's leading Kojima technology company, Akvavit produces top-of-the-line computing devices, sensors, and other electronics. Though offering weapons of impressive, cutting-edge functionality, their creations are plagued with a dangerous fragility. Akvavit has strong ties with Rayleonard, and also works with GA Europe.

Aldra
Military heavy industries corporation and member of the Interior Union. Aldra is the originator of the Actuator Complexity System and remains a specialist in the field. They also hold the distinction of being one of the only members of the Interior still focused on bullets over energy-based weapons.

Allegorical Manipulation System (AMS)
Piloting system allowing those with a certain in-born psychic trait to control Nexts. Though the strain it places on pilots is considerable, it allows for an extremely high degree of AC control.

Arisawa Heavy Industries
Integrated heavy industries corporation long centered in Japan. Specializing in military vehicles and explosives, their creations are known for durability. Though still technically an independent Company, Arisawa essentially falls under the GA family umbrella and is one of the leading economies of the Pacific Rim.

Armored Core (AC)
A new form of humanoid multi-purpose weapon, armed with unparalleled firepower and capable of deciding battles single-handedly. The ACs were originally developed to combat the terrorism and violence that rose with the world's sovereign nations inability to preserve order. Recent developments in Armored Core technology have yielded a new breed of ACs, called "Nexts," in addition to the previous "Normals."

BFF
The largest individual corporation in Europe, infamous for its highly centralized power structure, despite an aggressive policy of mergers and acquisitions. Respected for their thoroughly designed and refined weapons, BFF has a history of cooperation with the Rosenthal Corporation.

BFF specializes in long-distance gunner crafts stocked with cutting-edge, highly refined technology. They are known for the reliable aim of their long-range firearms, and their thorough enemy-sighting capabilities.

Colonies
Collective dwellings inhabited by all except for the privileged employees of the Companies, ranging from small city-states to tiny villages. Economic transactions take place exclusively between the Companies and a Colony representative, leaving the majority of the population to work in exchange for their food and security. The tight supply of food and energy, however, paired with the Companies' prohibition of direct inter-Colony trade, still leaves nearly all of the inhabitants in destitution.

Companies
The six corporate groups, and their holdings, which have assumed the responsibility of providing a new order in the place of the world's former nations.

Cougar
Military manufacturer specializing in rocket engine technology. Formerly the leader in said field, these days Cougar is criticized for stagnant design, suffering particularly in the area of Kojima rocket engine development.

Eqbal
Integrated industrial conglomerate and de facto leader of the south Asian economic sphere. They are well-known for mass production fueled by almost limitless manpower, and for their unique and imaginative weaponry. The mix of quarreling regions under their control gives them ample opportunities to test their products, ensuring their effectiveness in real battle conditions. Eqbal has historically banded with Omer Science Technology.

Eqbal Group (AC info)
Lightweight, highly mobile, and designed for close-range combat, these crafts make up for their lack of defense with both lateral and vertical maneuverability, allowing pilots to strike foes from all angles.

Firing Control System (FCS)
The weapons control system that operates alongside the IRS when sighting targets.

Fractional Regulation System (FRS)
An AC control system that relays commands to each of the individual parts of the mechfrom the IRS.The ability of the FRS to optimize and execute control over separate parts without losing overall control gives FRS the advantage over IRS performance.. Furthermore, FRS performance can be enhanced through the addition of specialized external memory chips.

GA America
The largest integrated military manufacturer on the Pacific Rim, and the leader in the field of mech development. Advocates of simple efficacy, their products are noted for their stability and practicality in battle.

Their heavyweight mechs are designed for purely for strength and offerhigh physical defense and stability. GA's heavy artillery, such as the bazooka and missiles, provide ample firepower.

GA Europe
GA America's European subsidiary. Known for originality in their weapons development, GA Europe has several unique weapons ready for use in the field.

Integrated Regulation System (IRS)
The centralized AC control system stored within the craft's head. The IRS processes data output from the AMS fills in any gaps in the pilot's commands and relays them to the parts. The IRS system also handles data from the AC's camera eyes and sensors.

Interior Group (AC info)
Heavyweight crafts streamlined for minimum impact, designed to rule the battlefield with lethal high-powered energy-based weaponry.

Kojima Technology
A recent breakthrough in engineering that unravels the secrets between Nexts and Normals. Originally developed by Akvavit and Rayleonard, Omer Science Technology replicated their results through independent research shortly thereafter. Thanks to tight data control within the labs of these three companies, the inner workings of Kojima tech remains a black box to outside developers and corporate espionage among the Companies has escalated to a fevered pitch.

Kojima Particles
A new substance discovered approximately 7 seven years prior to the National Dismantlement War by a researcher of the same name. Ensuing research has shown that when Kojima technology is applied to a host of applications that the basis of the Nexts is formed. Kojima particles have also been found to be a powerful pollutant, causing dangerously widespread and persistent damage to all forms of life exposed to them. Created by Akvavit and Omer Science Technology, Kojima Particles hold great potential for military use.

Leonemeccanica
Alliance leader of the Interior Union, this integrated high-tech corporation is also Europe's second largest military manufacturer. They are famous for making weapons with top-of-the-line performance and price tags to match.

Linx
Title applied to Next pilots who are AMS-compatible.While the Nexts' AMS control system directly translates the user's skill into AC performance in the field, it requires pilots to possess a special psychic trait in order to properly function. Only candidates born compatible are suited to act as pilots. Their psychic peculiarities could be called a form of genius, and many of them are used as the Companies' experimental test subjects.

Melies
A member of the Interior Union, Melies is strongest in the high-tech field, specializing in laser and rocket engine technologies. Widely acknowledged as the industry authority on the former.

MSAC International
Military manufacturer of computers, sensors, and other high-tech electronics. MSAC's high performance standards have traditionally accounted for a large portion of the GA group's profits. Their highly specialized weapons, particularly in the missile industry, hold a majority share in the market.

National Dismantlement War
The armed conflict that erupted after the Companies decided to form a new world order. After explosive population growth, the sovereign nations of the world lost their ability to maintain control in the face of food and energy shortages. Beginning with the Companies' sudden and unilateral blitzkrieg, the largest scale coup de etat in world history was concluded within weeks, with the Companies standing victorious.

Nexts
A new breed of weapon developed in secret, initially used as the Companies' ace in the hole during the National Dismantlement War. Though based on Normal AC technology, the combination of Akvavit's Kojima technology, Aspina's Allegorical Manipulation System, and other new breakthroughs yield a product with far greater potential. The exclusive Nexts also represent the Companies' power, as most Colonies and independent armed groups do not have access to them.

Normals
High-powered, multi-purpose humanoid weapons developed to counter the terrorism and violence which rose to fill the vacuum left by the sovereign nations' waning power. The strongest weapons in play prior to the National Dismantlement War, Normals are now - with the exception of some of the latest or most highly specialized models - all but powerless in the face of the world's few Nexts. That said, Normals still compose the bulk of the Companies' forces, and represent the strongest units available to both Colonies and independent armed groups.

Omer Science Technology
Integrated arms manufacturer based in western Asia.. The ingenuity of their designs and reliable weapons has left Omer unassailable by would-be competitors. Omer's extremely capable labs are the only ones outside of the Rayleonard group to have independently developed Kojima technology. Currently sharing ties with Rosenthal, Omer has also cooperated with Eqbal in the past.

Originals
Title given to Lynx who piloted Nexts from the time of the National Dismantlement War, which is to say from the very outset of Next technology. Over half of the Lynx in existence are Originals, with the number of post-war additions still extremely few. A strong sense of being one of a chosen few pervades the ranks of the Originals, who were numbered from one through 26 following the war, in the order of their battlefield accomplishments.

Overed Boost (OB)
Propulsion device developed through the application of Kojima technology to boosters. The conversion of a craft's Kojima particles into the OB allows for instantaneous, explosive acceleration, though it gradually weakens the craft's PA.

Pax Economica
The new social order, established after the Companies' victory in the National Dismantlement War. Under it, a majority of the world's population dwells in collectives known as Colonies. There, people are guaranteed food in return for labor, but they are completely cut off from the market economy.

Primal Armor (PA)
A defensive shield created by molding Kojima particles into a sustained, stable flow around the AC's exterior which is capable of greatly diminishing or entirely nullifying a wide variety of attacks. After an attack Kojima particle dispersion can lead to temporary weakening, but unlike conventional armor, PAs restore themselves with time. There are few drawbacks to using PA though it can be weak comparatively against highly penetrative weapons, and the necessity of expelling a large quantity of Kojima particles into the atmosphere risks serious environmental contamination.

Quick Boost (QB)
Though Boost technology is hardly new in Normals and other weaponry, this breakthrough technology allows for immediate acceleration in any direction over a short distance. With the Nexts' revolutionary energy provision system and the AMS's high degree of control, the Quick Boost has become one of the new ACs' characteristic features.

Raven
Common name for a mercenary AC pilot after the widespread use of Normals in battle began. Their high degree of specialization and the impressive power of their crafts represented the chaotic era in which they fought. Now, after the close of the National Dismantlement War, however, most Ravens have been forced to become lackeys of the Companies and patrol the Colonies for next to nothing, or give their all to independent armed groups. Their current struggle to survive is a far cry from the glory they once held as the unchallenged masters of the battlefield in the days before the advent of Next technology.

Rayleonard
A rising energy corporation and major source of AC generators. As the leader in the field of Kojima technology, they specialize almost exclusively in ACs in their military development. Rayleonard's engineers are known for their ambitious designs and consistent ability to think outside the box. Despite distributing Next parts to a variety of other Companies, Rayleonard keeps its industry secrets tightly under wraps. Akvavit is currently Rayleonard's closest working partner.

Rayleonard Group (AC info)
Specializing in instantaneous movement, Rayleonard's highly mobile crafts were designed with high-speed close-range combat in mind. Their impressive lineup of quick-firing guns and blades maximizes attack power with the shortest possible delay.

Rosenthal
An integrated military corporation that represents one wing of a massive capital group. Thanks to their strong political ties, Rosenthal has enjoyed an influential role in the development of both mechs and ACs. Their finely-tooled designs consistently yield well balanced, multi-purpose weapons. Rosenthal has allied itself along cultural lines with BFF.

Their slick, all-purpose ACs are created from carefully wrought designs. They are made to be adaptable, providing stable, easy-to-use, low-impact performance.

Technocrat
Offering mostly older technologies and generally falling behind in the engineering race, Technocrat's ties to Eqbal are the only things currently keeping this ailing Company afloat. Still clinging to their status as a controlling Company, if barely, the sun is poised to set permanently on Technocrat unless its minimal output sees improvement.