What were they thinking? moments in mecha design

[Arsarcana]

The thing that springs most readily to my mind is actually an American design, the Charger from the Battletech series and not on aesthetic grounds. It always seemed the height of WTF-ery to make a machine in a weight class designed for heavy armor and firepower into a speed machine, at the cost of giving it an arsenal that allows it to be out-ranged and out-gunned by machines a quarter its mass. Then again, there were a lot of machines that made you wonder what the designers were thinking (aside from "Hey, let's 'borrow' a bunch of Macross and Dougram designs, nobody will notice").

I now return you to your regularly scheduled thread.

[CYNICISM AT IT'S BEST]

Alright, let's have another go at this. Why DID someone feel the need to stick wheels on Zanscare's land battleships? While I personally find the entire land battleship concept to be ludicrous, at least the enormous hovercraft featured in other series are a bit more understandable than this monstrosity. When you take into consideration the fact that the wheeled units in V are also used in space, the whole situation starts to take on a surreal air. What in the world were they thinking? Does anyone have a clue?

from a military standpoint they make great sense to me, they can fly, submerge, move on land and operate in space, meaning they can potentially dominate all forums of combat, from a practical stand point though, I think they're very top heavy and unstable, a four wheel design would have been better, from a logistical and economic stand point their better than having a class of ship for each environment, using one or two designs they can produce more and have them do more.

[teslashark]

some suits are desined to shoot,some to scare,but some just stupify their own army and nation,like the silly AGGUY,morbid JUAGGU,compound eyed AGGGUYand strange ZACKRELLO.

[mcred23]

some suits are desined to shoot,some to scare,but some just stupify their own army and nation,like the silly AGGUY,morbid JUAGGU,compound eyed AGGGUYand strange ZACKRELLO.

When you say "AGGUY" and "AGGGUY", I assume you are referring to the Agg and Agguguy.

That said, I don't think they stupified their own army at all. In each case you mentioned, they were all built for a specific role (The first three to help attack Jaburo, the Zakrello as a high speed attack MA), but none of them were ever really used in that role (If at all, since I don't think it's ever been confirmed if the 'Jaburo Four', as they're often called, ever saw any action or not, and the Zakrello got used to fight an agile enemy, something it itself couldn't really counter).

[Wedge14]

As i used to randomly remind everyone about, i love the Zakrello. Sure it might not be pretty, but i don't think the in universe mecha designers are too worried about how their unit looks.

What always bugged me was the Gogg. Sure he's awesome and all. But why put the guns in the stomach? The thing has to be slower then molasses on it's feet. So what happens if someone gets on it's flank? Or attacks from the rear? Theres no way the pilot is gonna get that thing turned around in time for it to defend itself.

[Recon 5]

The Gogg is literally a fish out of water if it really has to use its feet. Its quite capable underwater, though.

I think the issue with the Zakrello is not the overall design but the face. I mean, what kind of mech designer devotes that much room to a face, anyway? Don't the fangs impede the beam cannon in some way? They should have given the thing an articulated jaw so that it could chew on enemies if they really though that fangs were to essential to the design.

[Chimera]

My picks are the various grunt Zaft suits that I can't remember the name of. The big artillery/anti-air guntank thingie always struck me as odd, because it always seemed to me as something more on EA technology level.

And the ZAFT aquatic MS have those weird legs and arms that make me shiver in horrified curiosity as they stomp and smash tanks and such.

The ZuOOT was an early ZAFT design rushed into production in time for invasion of Earth, ditto with the GOOhN and ZnO. Keep in mind that the time gap between Feb 14 and Op. Oroboros isn't much. It's a quite afeat that they even designed, manufactured and fielded them all in the same year.
Okawara probably thought that when he designed all ZAFT MS to be used on specifically on Earth. They look strange, but they fit their purposes

Speaking of StarCraft, what do you guys think of the design of the Terran Thor? There's something familiar about it I can't quite put my foot on...

Something from Mech Warrior perhaps (Wasn't there a Thor in there too?), or the C&C Tiberium War's Mammoth? But it looks pretty good, seems to be more workable than the ol' Goliath.
Did you see the new siege tank? Looks like a dune buggy with a big gun on top

[ORegan]

As i used to randomly remind everyone about, i love the Zakrello. Sure it might not be pretty, but i don't think the in universe mecha designers are too worried about how their unit looks.

Have to agree with Wedge here. The Zakrello looks awesome. The Tattoo always gave it a biker gang feel to it, and the sword arms make it look like that guy from mortal kombat.

[Dave]

I always thought Zeon's Mobile Armor/Neo Armors were a bit off the clock. They just seemed a bit out of place,even for a "curvy" Zeon design


Also Thos Bipedal suits from SEED I really didn't Like. No GUNDAM show should ever have a bipedal suit!

[Kavik Ryx]

You must mean quadrupedal because every mobile suit is bipedal. Though I must be that one in a million person who liked the BuCue. Considering how different ground combat is from space battles, I thought that they were kinda smart.

[auriga]

The BuCUEs were nothing short of awesome. Though quadrupeds belong more to ZOIDS and such, the BuCUE was just fantastic especially considering their tactical advantage.

[Dave]

I ment Qudripedal >_<



anyway I thought they looked horribly out of place for Gundam.




Of course I'm a little bit of a UC Purist

[Recon 5]

Well, with the advent of 00's Aggrissa (I think thats how its spelled), I've begun to question the practicality of tacking the torso and head of a standard MS onto a heavy MA. SEED did it back then with the Gells- Ghe and it seemed odd too. This is especially apparent when you consider that that beam nailed the Aggrissa at a point out of its Enact head's field of vision.

Why not create a custom upper body for the thing (like IGLOO's Hidolfr)? It would make more sense in terms of flexibility of equipment or specialization.

[auriga]

... Albeit you'd end up spending more resources that way. It's really pro and con; a custom design allows for specialization but you'd end up spending more, whereas using an existing design compromises specialization to a degree but you save.

[LaBambaMan]

I think the BuCue is kinda' cool looking. It's not only a quadraped, it's also part tank! As for ugly designs, look at most of Zeon's stuf from MSG. Gogg, Acguy, Z'Gok, Big Zam, the list goes on. I can understad some might say "That was 1970 something, those were revolutionary designs back then" but they're still ugly. I don't even understand how the Acguy is a good idea within the Gundam universe, it's just ugly. It's got stout legs that can't allow it much speed or mobility and it has no hands so it's totally going to get raped in close combat. And again, it' just friggin' ugly. Even the Zakus looked ugly for a hile, but once I saw 8th MS Team they looked cool. And the original Gouf design was ugly too. The gun hand, lame. The Gouf Custom, and even the Gouf Ignited from SEED DESTINY, look awesome.

-Spencer

[Kuruni]

it has no hands so it's totally going to get raped in close combat.

Fault, it punch RX-79 head out in 08th.

[Kavik Ryx]

The issue has nothing to do with ugliness. Heck on paper I found the Scopedog to be ugly itself. But in motion and in context, it is one of the coolest mech designs there is. The point is what is essentially an unwise, unnecessary, or just all out stupid design. Considering the Gogg, I kinda find it a whole bowl of why even bother considering that its arms and legs make little sense above or below water. Though I suppose it could use its arms for steering and control, so at least it has MA function. I am personally a lover of simple mech designs for the most part, heck my favorite Eva is unit 00. I know Evangelion is no a mech, but what the hell. Anyway, just about any unit that has a fanciful design gets to me. They really turn a Suit from an effective weapon to the two ton Elephant in the room or the guy in the Day Glow jumpsuit. They are just to easy to hit.

[auriga]

I don't even understand how the Acguy is a good idea within the Gundam universe, it's just ugly. It's got stout legs that can't allow it much speed or mobility

It's an amphibious mech. It doesn't need foot speed.

and it has no hands so it's totally going to get raped in close combat.

But it has claws mounted on extendable arms. If that isn't melee, I don't know what is.

The gun hand, lame.

For a melee-oriented mech, it sure is handy. Seriously, pun not intended. It allows the pilot to quickly switch to projectile weapons without having to reach for a gun. Though I have to admit, what the Custom used is more powerful as the weapon isn't limited by the finger size, but then again that's why it's called "Custom."

[LaBambaMan]

it has no hands so it's totally going to get raped in close combat.

Fault, it punch RX-79 head out in 08th.

It took Karen totally by surprise. If a skilled MS pilot comes head on at that thing with beam saber ready, it's gonna' lose. If a skilled pilot can get in on it, i'm putting my money on a GM.

-Spencer

[auriga]

...If a skilled MS pilot comes head on at that thing with beam saber ready...If a skilled pilot can get in on it...

So many "ifs." You really have to take into consideration the role the Acguy was meant to play. Simply looking at it from one angle won't help us answer things.

Though let's not turn this into a versus thread.