The Barzam's development

[ChroniK]

This scan seems to imply that the Barzam is built from more than the MK-II and yet, I thought the Barzam and MK-II were interchangeable because of their similarity. Unless it built using minor combat date form the other two mobile suits.

[toysdream]

The notion that the Barzam is descended from the Mark II is an after-the-fact retcon, presumably inspired by the fact it uses a similar head-mounted vulcan pod. Honestly speaking, it doesn't resemble anything else in U.C. history.

-- Mark

[ChroniK]

Very interesting, and no it really doesn't resemble anything else. But then what is the MSV scan implying then? Just combat data has been applied?

[AmuroNT1]

Could be wrong, but it just seems to be suggesting that the Barzam was made based off of data from several machines, including the Marasai and Galbaldy Beta as well as the Mk-II. That does fit with the idea that it was intended to be their new mainline MS.

[ChroniK]

Is their any other chart that also suggests the Barzams development form these mobile suits?

[Gelgoog Jager]

I think the chart is merely meant to show the lineage of the EF/Titans' mainstay MS during te Gryps War: GM II, Galbaldy Beta, Hizack, Marasai and Barzam. Had the Mk II not been stolen, it might have also become one of their mainstay MS.

Anyway, could basically classify them into:

Zeon lineage: Galbaldy Alpha > Galbaldy Beta (Mark has pointed out that it's quite likely that the EF version is probably largely unchanged from the original Zeon version, the MS-17B).

EF lineage: Gundam > GM > GM II > Mk II

The rest of the MS are a mixed bag:

Hizack: basically a Zaku produced with EF technology.

Marasai: Anaheim Electronics approach at producing a Hizack using their Zeon engineers. AEUG soldiers disliked due to its resemblance to Zeon MS. Can use the weapons of the Hizack.

Nemo: is the opposite of a Hizack, since it's basically a Zeon MS with the exterior of an EF MS. It's performance should be around the same as the Marasai. It can use the weapons of the GM II.

Barzam: a simplified MS that only costs 1.5 as much as the now obsolete GM II, yet has the performance of a Nemo or Marasai. Can use the weapons of both the Hizack and GM II.

Mark also mentioned once that Barzam could be seen as an attempt to mass produce one of those weird transformable MS/MA minus the transformation system.

Ultimately the most accurate statement about the Barzam would seem to be that it was a simple machine meant to have performance similar to units like Mk II, Marasai and Nemo, while keeping its cost close to pre-Gryps War mass produced units such as the GM II, Galbaldy Beta and Hizack.

Edit: It's important to mention that the main reason behind the Barzam's development is the Titans need to get MS in large quantities. One assumption that comes from this statement is that probably the Marasai is more expensive to produce, or rather to purchase from AE, than producing the Barzam. Logistics is another possible explanation, as well as the Titans simply not trusting in AE.

[JEFFPIATT]

the Barzam seems to be an nexus point of titans ms development the chart seems to imply that the goal was to take the three existing lines of ms development and create one basic unit for the mass forces like the Galbaldy Alpha was intended to merge the zeonic and Zimmed ms lines in to one series the barzam merged tech from the RGM series and the RMS series in to one unit only for the unit to come too late to matter like the gelgoog and the Galbaldy. the Marasai was an outlier due to it being an AE unit meant for AEUG use only to be rejected and donated to the efsf/titans as an don't kill us present mor or less being an more advanced hi-zack and being able to use the older units equipment like it's brother the nemo who uses the gm II and rick dias equipment conveniently the EFSF would also come to the same conclusion that TMS are too complicated for mass production and move to an refined nemo descendent