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  • #2209731

    Why Battle Mecha AREN’T a totally stupid idea

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    by thebacktalker5000 ·

    Listen, robots arent all impractical, it depends on the scenario and exactly what model you are using. yes, a gundam is a total waste of time and money, considering its more effective to use the money to buy that many soldiers instead, which using stuff like RPG’s could probably take down a Gundam anyway, rendering the whole thing useless.

    “wait this isnt a pro-robot arguement”

    shut up

    HOWEVER! gundams were created in their world as an answer to other giant mecha which somehow became more effective than a mechas worth of soldiers. It which case, developing giant robots to combat giant robots where conventional methods arent working is the most logical solution. In todays world however, there is not need and a gundam is ridiculous

    that doesnt mean the idea of a giant (as in, fairly large) mecha is out of the question

    take: Code Geass Knightmare Frames or Front Mission Evolved Wanzers = the Knightmares were developed by Brittania as a means to take Japan quickly and efficiently without drawing out a long war and causing too much collateral, because the Japanese controlled 70% of the worlds new super-fuel, making an extended war of attrition with japan impossible. Hence, the construction of Knightmare frames: large humanoid mecha about the height of 2 or 3 fairly tall men, that use speed as their main advantage. Yes, they are bipedal, but they don’t really walk, because thats slow. Instead, they use landspinners: kinda like roller skates attatched to the back of the feet that can be raised and lowered according to when needed. Using these, they can scale up two adjacent buildings and move much faster than people or other armoured vehicles, and are better used for surgical strikes and resolving quick battles using surprise as their main weapon, whilst also using very destructive weaponry due to their size, making them effective battle robots. However, they arent designed for large scale battles (and anyway Knightmare frames arent the best example, since they are powered by a super fuel that doesnt exist) – however, if they used normal fuels today (provided we have enough) they would have only a few minutes operational time, even more emphasising their effectiveness only as surgical strikers, reconaissance, battlefield support, etc. they would also have a similar morale effect as tanks, and probably be more effective in small-scale combat than a tanks anyway

    then, there are the Front Mission Evolved Wanzers: similar in size to the Knightmare frames and also use skates to move quickly, but are capable of walking very slowly as well (about the walking pace of a normal person) on bipedal legs. they can also be outfitted with different parts and equipment depending on the situation, like four-legs for all terrain and heavy assault configurations, and hover-decks for traversing water. Highly unconventional in wars of attrition or large scale combat, but unmatched in resolving border skirmishes quickly, especially in cold-war like scenarios. Basic weapons include small assault rifles, small machine guns, sniper rifles, missile launchers, club-like melee weapons for meta impact and various, small shoulder mounted weapons like the stuff attatched to helicopters like the Little Bird. they are piloted by a single person (like Knightmare frames) are faster than most land-based vehicles and larger boats thanks to skates and hover-decks (hover decks are like hovercraft) and to top it off, they cannot carry more weight that the energy output allows. it is also likely they could use combat knives and wristblades for other, non-military purposes like cutting trees, ropes, etc, rather than actual combat.

    So really, the Wanzer is more like a fast, maneuverable weapons platform rather than a gundam-like mecha, designed for resolving quick skirmishes, destroying targets and providing battlefield support. They could also be equipped with shields (not force fields, actual shields) that could absorb ordnance and small arms fire and protect the Wanzer for a short time before being destroyed, leaving the wanzer itself as vulnerable to the same stuff as before: small arms fire, not a problem. ordnance: use speed to avoid, but being hit probably won’t disable it.

    In short, smaller, lighter, faster mechas are more likely over actual gundam-style mechas (though it would be really cool) and would never be used as real large-scale battle combat machines, especially in place of soldiers. they would also need sand panels for desert terrain, but in a place like the middle east, where there is nothing but small-scale battles frequently, Knightmare frame or Wanzer style mechs would rule the battlefield.

    Further, the idea of a single Deus ex Machina gundam hopping, skipping and jumping (especially jumping) around the battle field destroying everything with lightsabers is some messed up acid-induced fantasy if you intend to use it for real life. First off, jumping is out of the question. leaping into the air is not so much the problem as landing: which would break the robots legs without some serious suspension. second, nothing is that tough. one good hit with a tank-killing rocket or ballistic missile, or seeking missile, and its all over. theres also the matter of fuelling the robot, and dont get me started on lightsabers, especially at the size we’re talking about.

    hands are an issue, but the need for hands isnt so much as holding or climbing stuff since it probably isnt necessary. However, if a robot like a Wanzer with attatched weapons runs out of ammo or has its arm broken off or its weapon damaged, its screwed, with no more weapon capabilites and is basically a walking target. With even basic hands however, it can drop the weapon and get a new one, improvise or pick up ammunition. Non military purposes include delicate manipulation and heavy lifting, as well as opening doors that say “pull” and those dont necessarily require hands as intricate as a gundam’s, but they DO require basic hands.

    I think i covered everything…..

    except cost

    okay, smaller, lightweight mecha like a Wanzer, using lightweight weapons are obviously fairly cheap compared to a fully operational, weapons capable gundam, and probably about the same cost as a few modern tanks or fighter jets, and very few are needed for their purpose: no more than three would be needed for any mission a robot like that would be required to handle, and provided there are no problems and they make it back safely, they can be deployed somewhere else without any difficulty with maybe a few minor repairs. They also inflict morale damage on enemy soldiers to see a towering giant robot skating towards them at high speeds. ( i say giant, probably no higher than a small, two storey house… maybe not even that) and boost morale for allies.

    In the long run, even a small number of Knightmare or Wanzer style mechas would be cost effective, because it is very likely they could quickly resolve the war in the middle east with quick strikes and battlefield support, and save lives. The control systems both are based on dual-joystick and control panel functions with voice-controlled functions too for the pilots, so there isnt some uber-expensive Avatar stuff necessary for controls (as for cockpit size, the Knightmare frames cockpit sticks out at the back, which is why the landspinners also stick out backwards, so it accomodates a person, and Wanzer’s torso unit houses the cockpit and energy supply and the head and backup cameras, so they are fairly large but can be lightweight and their four leg configuration can house further energy output devices and support more weight)

    So, the conclusion is, Gundams are ridiculous, Wanzers are perfect
    mechas arent stupid, they are in fact necessary for the battles of the modern world
    (a bold statement, and probably not necessary, but would be extremely helpful.)

    Wanzer: Although wanzers were initially used as land-based weapons, their uses have expanded to underwater, air, and as of Front Mission Evolved, in space as well. Although it’s a versatile weapons platform, wanzers are not strong enough to handle armed forces alone. Therefore, militaries tend to train wanzer pilots to operate together and work with other weapons platforms. Very rarely are wanzers used alone as they can be surrounded and taken down through guerrilla tactics.

    the wanzer is generally depicted to consist of a body part, left and right arm parts, and leg parts. Wanzers, which are 20% bigger than WAWs, tend to be around 5.5 meters tall, and weigh roughly 25 tons. As they are mass-produced, many types of wanzers have varying combat roles on the battlefield.

    Knightmare Frame: Knightmare Frames are all robots but often have a humanoid shape and are usually between four to six meters (about 13 to 20 feet) tall. In addition to the standard range of bipedal movement, Knightmare Frames are equipped with Landspinners, self-propelled roller skates attached to the ankles of the machines, which allow them to achieve high mobility and speeds on most terrain.[1] Visual data is gathered through Factsphere sensors, which have thermographic capability and an array of other data-collection functions which are collated in real-time. Factspheres are commonly protected under a layer of armor which can be retracted to improve system sensitivity. Knightmare Frames are piloted from a cockpit set in the protruding ‘hump back’ of the unit. The cockpit is a self-contained control center which can be ejected in case of emergency.

    Knightmare Frames are typically armed with wired rocket anchors called Slash Harkens and a number of other weapons. Mass-production models usually carry handheld rifles and a number of Chaos Grenades, cylindrical air burst grenades that spray deadly shrapnel over a specific area.

    http://images.wikia.com/frontmission/images/d/df/Zenith_wanzer_01.jpg

All Comments

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    Replies
    • #2846856

      Mmmm…….

      by peconet tietokoneet ·

      In reply to Why Battle Mecha AREN’T a totally stupid idea

      What pills are you taking?
      You are missing some.

    • #2846854

      What is a Wanzer???

      by slayer_ ·

      In reply to Why Battle Mecha AREN’T a totally stupid idea

      Also, those roller blade things wouldn’t work well in the desert sand.

      I still say Battletech Battlemechs are the most likely technology, and most practical of giant robot fighting machines.

      • #2846836

        No idea… Walking Panzer?

        by ansugisalas ·

        In reply to What is a Wanzer???

        Waltzing Can of Z’er?
        No idea.

      • #2846834

        No way!

        by nexs ·

        In reply to What is a Wanzer???

        I’m waiting for the Evangelion mechs to come out.

        Aother positive is that the smaller ones would then be less expensive.

        • #2845264

          yup

          by thebacktalker5000 ·

          In reply to No way!

          smaller is better

        • #2845257

          other thing

          by thebacktalker5000 ·

          In reply to No way!

          Evangelions arent robots, theyre synthetic humanoids (living organisms) that require massive amounts of energy to function. It is impossible to create one without an Angel, however if one were to exist and function the same way then there would be no weapon on earth capable of defeating it.

      • #2846818

        "roller blade things wouldn’t work well in the desert sand"

        by charliespencer ·

        In reply to What is a Wanzer???

        Or beach sand, or rocky terrain, or snow, or marshy swamps, or ice, or plowed farmland, or anything else that isn’t paved or sun-baked.

        • #2846770

          And where they do work well,

          by seanferd ·

          In reply to "roller blade things wouldn’t work well in the desert sand"

          they already make excellent weapons. No attached robot needed.

        • #2845262

          if they work so well, why hasnt the war in iraq been resolved yet?

          by thebacktalker5000 ·

          In reply to And where they do work well,

          i dont care what the reason is, but fast-noving battle mecha designed for surgical strikes are a really good idea and could resolve a war like that quickly

        • #2845249

          Dude, there’s more to war than hardware.

          by charliespencer ·

          In reply to if they work so well, why hasnt the war in iraq been resolved yet?

          Knowledge of local conditions, weather, cooperation of local people and officials, political and strategic objectives. supply and logistics, etc. If you want to make real world comparisons, you’re going to have to factor in a whole lot more than just technology. The ‘war’ in Iraq is over; it’s keeping the resulting ‘peace’ that’s the problem.

        • #2845227

          To win a war…

          by ansugisalas ·

          In reply to Dude, there’s more to war than hardware.

          first check if it’s a winnable war.
          You can’t save people from themselves, not in a bar and not in war, either.

        • #2845263

          thats what the legs are for

          by thebacktalker5000 ·

          In reply to "roller blade things wouldn’t work well in the desert sand"

          the ROCKET SKATES are meant for traversing flat terrain quickly, or it would take too long. Also, for sand they would use sand panels: large panels attatched under the feet to allow for movement across mud and sand

      • #2845266

        answer

        by thebacktalker5000 ·

        In reply to What is a Wanzer???

        a wanzer is a mecha piloted by a singke person from Front Mission Evolved designed to resolve border skirmishes quickly or perform surgical strikes on vital installations

        no, roller blades wouldnt work well in the desert, thats why i said they could be equipped with sand panels: like big panels under the feet. Also,they arent roller blades they are wheels with a propulsion system like rockets or something

        • #2845248

          Nobody’s going to develop human-piloted hardware systems any more

          by charliespencer ·

          In reply to answer

          Look at success of remotely controlled drone aircraft and ground vehicles. That’s where the future is, not in glorified battle suits wrapped around resource-dependent meat bags. This is one area that’s undergone major development since the original discussion.

    • #2846825

      Wasn’t there

      by boxfiddler ·

      In reply to Why Battle Mecha AREN’T a totally stupid idea

      a ‘Why Battle Robots Aren’t A Bad Idea’ discussion an iteration or two back? 😐

    • #2846821

      The argument doesn’t cover

      by ansugisalas ·

      In reply to Why Battle Mecha AREN’T a totally stupid idea

      Why a mobile weapons platform isn’t more cost effective.
      any terrain that stops a tank will favor infantry, not giants.

      • #2845259

        answer

        by thebacktalker5000 ·

        In reply to The argument doesn’t cover

        mobile weapons platforms and tanks move slowly
        battle mecha with working legs (different customizations, bipedal, four legs, etc) as well as faster ways of getting around like rocket skates (not freaking roller blades) and other terrain-related customization options means they can do what theyre designed for more effectively, while being faster than most other land-based military vehicles

        and they arent that big, i said in the thing that they would be no taller than two or three average people

        • #2845246

          "tanks move slowly"

          by charliespencer ·

          In reply to answer

          An M-1 Abrams will break 50 mph / 80 kph.

          Differentiate between rocket skates and roller blades, please, Anything that rolls on hard wheels is going to have trouble off paved surfaces.

        • #2845230

          And we all know how reliable

          by ansugisalas ·

          In reply to "tanks move slowly"

          those Wal-Mart rocket skates are… :p

          The point about tanks is that they can carry a bigger gun than a biped (as they don’t need to balance). So, in the armor versus firepower rates, tanks are pretty good, they can carry more punch for the dollar, so to speak.

          Extrapolating, if the weapons tech is equal, the tank will be able to certain out-blast any armor a Mecha might have (unless armor tect beats firepower tech, but then the Mecha won’t be able to touch the tank).
          So, if the Mecha’s armor is air against the tanks weaponry, what’s the point of having it in the first place? Fighting other Mecha? That only flies if mecha are already established as viable, which they are not.

          If ammo is a factor, the tank can carry more of it.

          If speed is a factor, the tank can have more of it (rocket skates? They’d work for a tank, too, but with room for a horizontal booster too).

          If anything at all is a factor, the Mecha will find itself less capable of it than either Tank (or helicopter, or whatever weapons platform fits) or Infantry.
          And Tanks have more straightforward design (no bloody bending joints), so all in all it will be cheaper to field and maintain.
          And Infantry just works, given that they can carry quite heavy weapons, can go places most vehicles cannot, can hide pretty good, and are cheaper by the bucketload to field and support.

    • #2846768

      I love circular reasoning and unexamined assertions.

      by seanferd ·

      In reply to Why Battle Mecha AREN’T a totally stupid idea

      Backed with “facts” from really bad cartoon fiction, this all makes for an excellent post.

      HOWEVER! gundams were created in their world as an answer to other giant mecha which somehow became more effective than a mechas worth of soldiers.

      Somehow. Through the art of making things up in a made-up world for purposes of entertaining the fixations of teenage boys, for the most part. Artistic vision and financial motivation negotiable.

      It which case, developing giant robots to combat giant robots where conventional methods arent working is the most logical solution.

      It is? Show your work. I bet there are more unconventional options than Giant Robots or Mechas. But I’ll go with a rope. (I’m sure someone can retcon their way out of that one, same way Daleks conquered Stairs.)

      In todays world however, there is not need and a gundam is ridiculous

      Got me there. I’ll have to give you that one.

      • #2846759

        I’m sure.

        by boxfiddler ·

        In reply to I love circular reasoning and unexamined assertions.

        [i]same way Daleks conquered Stairs.[/i] :^0

        • #2846751
          Avatar photo

          RE: [i]Daleks conquered Stairs[/i]

          by hal 9000 ·

          In reply to I’m sure.

          Davette when did that happen?

          I’ve seen Daleks levitated up the center of a stairwell, Fly up a Lift Well or even use a Lift but Ive never seen them traverse stairs in any form.

          As for any form of Robot Meca I’ll wait till the Techs have discovered Protoculture and have found a way to harness this ideal Biofuel.

          Anything else just seems a massive waste of time and effort to me, so probably we’ll have to wait till the Robo Tech Masters turn up. :p

          Col

        • #2846748

          Theirs was a simple method…

          by ansugisalas ·

          In reply to RE: [i]Daleks conquered Stairs[/i]

          DESTROY ALL STAIRBUILDERS!

        • #2845300
          Avatar photo

          Yep no matter what anyone says

          by hal 9000 ·

          In reply to Theirs was a simple method…

          Davros got it wrong when he designed the Personal Carrier for the Mutated Beings that became the Darleks.

          He should have designed a much better transport system that could negotiate stairs.

          But if you look at the first Darleks they had to run on Metal Floors to get the Static Charge to move them around. It was much latter that they could venture outside and Exterminate all Different beings. 😉

          Col :0

        • #2845278

          Well, they had to…

          by ansugisalas ·

          In reply to Yep no matter what anyone says

          The different beings kept trying to stop them with stairs…

        • #2845277

          Well then looks like

          by oh smeg ·

          In reply to Well, they had to…

          The Davors personal transport device that I wanted to make for myself is out of the question doesn’t it?

          Maybe I can find an electric Wheelchair that can climb stairs and use that as a basis of the project. 😉

          I suppose it’s a good thing that I don’t have to travel to Scaros to get the design though. :^0

          Col

        • #2845229

          The guy who designed the Segway also made one of those.

          by ansugisalas ·

          In reply to Well, they had to…

          It can even raise the driver up to full walking height, and let them meet people eye to eye.
          Pretty cool.

        • #2845225

          Movement in the wasteland

          by santeewelding ·

          In reply to Well, they had to…

          Stirring detected by one who retired way too early and woke the same this side of the world. We do that, don’t we: assume no side but our own.

        • #2845255

          fuel problems

          by thebacktalker5000 ·

          In reply to RE: [i]Daleks conquered Stairs[/i]

          part of the effectiveness of these mechas i speak of is that they would not require a massive amount of fuel to operate and can win small-scale battles quickly

        • #2845224

          Future tech?

          by ansugisalas ·

          In reply to fuel problems

          You’d have to apply the same to both tanks and infantry.
          Sounds like infantry in simple powered armor would thrash the Mecha hands down.
          And a tank with similar tech could clear the field of silly mecha in one minute.

        • #2845223

          This whole thread

          by santeewelding ·

          In reply to Future tech?

          Is metaphor. Is that what you are doing? Clearing fields in disguise?

        • #2845217

          Slicing the pie

          by ansugisalas ·

          In reply to This whole thread

          Gotta keep the lines of sight to one’s advantage.

        • #2845100

          Faulty logic

          by thebacktalker5000 ·

          In reply to Future tech?

          small, fast mecha are versatile weapons platforms for surgical strikes and battlefield support for troops on the ground. They are more like walking tanks, and are much faster than normals tanks.

          A tank with similar tech, would be too slow and be taken out quickly by the faster mecha
          the mecha wouldnt even need to get close to the infantry in powered armour, since they use guns with anti-armour rounds as well as rockets and seekers similar to uses on the Little Bird drones

        • #2845097

          As I recall, some tanks can easilly reach 100kph

          by slayer_ ·

          In reply to Faulty logic

          And can easily shoot over the horizon at a target.
          A tank can also continue functioning while damaged, a Mecha… well, a simple shot to the knee joint and its disabled. A ship in an ocean far away could fairly easily hit such a small target. Mecha may have worked before the days of laser and satellite GPS targeting. But now any target, especially such a large one, can be taken out at long range.

        • #2845094

          Faulty… everything.

          by ansugisalas ·

          In reply to Faulty logic

          A tank built with the same tech will be much faster than a mecha.
          A tank is already fast enough to shoot six targets in one minute, so the “faster mecha” won’t really have a way of defeating the tank, since it’s not slow to defend itself.
          The infantry in powered armor won’t need the mecha to come close, because they’ll carry heavy self-guided antitank missiles with a range of several kilometers. Already a five man group can easily carry the launcher and three shots into a combat zone. Add powered armor (another stupid idea, but less stupid than mecha) and they’ll each have a launcher on their backs, like bloody Boba Fett.

          Your entire point is carried only by a massive ignorance of actual modern battlefields. Add reality, and it folds up into nothing.

        • #2845088

          Facts and Figures

          by jamesrl ·

          In reply to Faulty logic

          M1 Tank, Max road speed 45 mph, cross country speed 33 MPH. Consider for a moment how much more difficult it would be for a two legged machine to run a cross rugged terrain at 33 MPH. Not happening.

          So how is the Mecha going to engage tanks? Ever think about the target profile? The tank is low to the ground and can hide behind natural features. Give the right situation, the tank can expose just the top of the turret and gun over the top of a hill. The mecha, standing at at least 16-20 feet tall, is the proverbial broad side of a barn. Any special weapons you envision for a mecha can also be had by a tank, including the Hellfire, which has been mounted on HMMWVs and ITVs. One can assume if they can penetrate tank armour they would easily destroy a mecha.

          Tanks can fire accurately on the move, and at a high rate.

          Little Bird, btw, is the nicname for a light manned helicopter that started development in the 60s. It isn’t a drone. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MD_Helicopters_MH-6_Little_Bird There is an unmanned version being tested, its far from production.

        • #2845057

          Good work James…

          by ansugisalas ·

          In reply to Faulty logic

          And then there’s this one
          http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rooikat
          Road Speed : 75mph (wheels)
          Off-road Speed 31mph (8×8 wheel drive)

        • #2845029

          Comes easily Ansu

          by jamesrl ·

          In reply to Faulty logic

          I was a big reader of WWII books and watcher of WWII movies as a kid. Uncle in the armed forces. Big tank fan.

          Ended up marrying the daughter of a tank officer who went on to be involved in acquiring new tanks for Canada. He later went to work for a German tank manufacturer.

          We discussed the trend towards wheeled vehicles at length. Canada at one point was committed to replacing their aging Leopards with the Stryker 8 wheeled vehicle. But after deployment to Khandahar with the Leopards, the new Conservative government went the other way. They found the Leopards useful, but in the hot parts of summer, the AC wasn’t up to the task and the tanks had to not be used. So Canada shopped around and found some surplus Leopard IIs for cheap and bought them. I think Canada was the only country in the IFAR group to bring tanks.

        • #2845256

          missing the point

          by thebacktalker5000 ·

          In reply to I’m sure.

          small, fast, customizable battle mecha (that can be outfitted for anything) are far more likely and realistic than jedi gundams

      • #2845258

        yes

        by thebacktalker5000 ·

        In reply to I love circular reasoning and unexamined assertions.

        gundams are ridiculous, and their weapons are worse.
        HOWEVER! since the only examples of conventional battle mechas exist in cartoons and video games, thats what im going to use. if there were real life examples, there would be no need for neither me or the other guy to post our discussions

        As for gundams being a logical solution in their case scenario, its kind of like the Evangelions: they would cost way more than a giant battle mecha, but the angels were immune to conventional weapons. What else do you do?

    • #2845218

      In the real world

      by jamesrl ·

      In reply to Why Battle Mecha AREN’T a totally stupid idea

      In the real world, weapons have to be cost effective and reliable.

      We don’t yet have the technology to make mecha either cost effective or reliable, or even combat useful.

      As others have pointed out, tanks are not slow. Being able to move cross rough terrain at 30MPH (speed limit in most cities) and fire accurately at the same time is pretty much the current standard for all modern tanks. Many like the M1 Abrams, the Leopard II and the Challenger, can do 50 MPH and fire accurately.

      If you need more speed, then attack planes like the A10, or helicopters like the Apache can sweep across the battlefield. So why do we need tanks when we have A10s and Apaches? Because we need to hold actual ground, not just fly over it.

      As others have posted, the advances will probably come in replacing the A10 and Apache with remotely piloted vehicles. But you still need boots on the ground, and tanks are there to support the boots on the ground.

      The technical issues with building something like you propose are many. Anything built to do the task you want would have to be able to withstand all the current anti tank weapons out there, and that would make a very heavy mecha. Tanks spread their weight over a large area with their treads, mechas would sink in sand or mud. Tanks use cheap easy to fix technology, mechas would be like some of the more sophisticated aircraft, hours of maintenance for every hour of use. As for rocket skates, you make me laugh. Much R&D has gone into man usable rocket packs, with no good results, skates would be as bad or worse.

    • #2845101

      Numbers

      by thebacktalker5000 ·

      In reply to Why Battle Mecha AREN’T a totally stupid idea

      you wouldnt need that many of these mecha to complete the tasks theyre designed for. Three would be able to perform surgical strikes and reconaissance easily, as well as effectively work alongside and support tanks, soldiers, helicopters, etc. Though they are versatile weapons platforms with higher speed, they can be easily overwhelmed when alone by simple geurilla tactics, hence the need to work with existing technologies.

      • #2845099

        How in the hell do you know?

        by ansugisalas ·

        In reply to Numbers

        How can you tell that they won’t be easy targets for SAM (if they fly) and AAA (in any case)?
        How will they dodge shots? How will they avoid detection?

        Infantry can perform deep insertion, because they don’t show up on radar, and can move silently and with concealment (refer to the “Body of Stone” thread for extreme examples).
        Attack helicopters (just one will do) can perform surgical strikes because it’s fast, heavily armored and can go under radar in some terrains.
        What can a mecha do that will make it useful?
        *It won’t be impervious, because anthropomorphic jointed armor is a stupid idea, which will always be inferior to unbroken plates of armor – all things being equal.
        *It won’t have superior firepower because it won’t be able to carry as heavy weapons as a tank, and ammo will be ludicrously limited, too.
        *Infantry can carry 200mm self-guided anti tank missiles, and let’s assume that’s enough to take out a mecha.
        *It won’t be very fast. It doesn’t have the sturdy frame required for fast wheels or tracks, and it won’t be able to run much faster than a human (let’s say 70 kmph tops in either case).
        *It needs to be balanced, which means that it can be unbalanced. And when it falls over, it won’t even get the benefit from lying down that a human soldier will, being too big to hide.

      • #2845070

        Exactly what do they bring to the battlefield?

        by charliespencer ·

        In reply to Numbers

        What capabilities do they bring to the battlefield that existing weapon systems don’t?

        You keep talking about these devices being faster than other systems. Where are you getting your specifications? Since they don’t exist yet, you’re assuming development of them without corresponding improvements in existing platforms.

        • #2845021

          He’s probably the animal twins.

          by ansugisalas ·

          In reply to Exactly what do they bring to the battlefield?

          Trying to raise another drama… for me to poop on!

        • #2844982

          Nah, not even close.

          by charliespencer ·

          In reply to He’s probably the animal twins.

          He’s polite, doesn’t scatter so-called ‘leet’ slang around, doesn’t changed his identity every ten minutes, and hasn’t called anyone names. My assessment is he’s been overexposed to too much militanime (I made that up, like it?) and not enough militareality. Nothing wrong with his impressions that an enlistment wouldn’t cure.

        • #2844974

          Let’s hope so.

          by ansugisalas ·

          In reply to Nah, not even close.

          I wouldn’t mind being wrong.

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