GM Striker Kai - What Do We Know?

[TDR-10M Thunderbolt]

I'm curious as to what, if anything, is known about the GM Striker Kai. The MAHQ link is limited, but here it is: https://www.mahq.net/mecha/gundam/katan ... fp-kai.htm

This is not the same as the GM Striker Custom, which has a Gundam head and we have clear info on; it's a different unit.

Do we know when this thing was produced and fielded? Is it OYW? 0081+? What little info I have is that it made its debut in the game "Senjou no Kizuna", aka "Bonds of the Battlefield" as a space-use variant of the ground-only GM Striker.

If there's any useful info on it, I'd love to hear what you know!

[Seto Kaiba]

All I was able to turn up was that this is a RGM-79FP GM Striker was upgraded for use in space and outfitted with the backpack from the RGM-79FC Striker Custom, and was redesignated GM Striker Kai.

Gundam Katana is set in 0084, so presumably the GM Striker Kai is from somewhere in 0080-0083 and as an update to the GM Striker it was likely relatively low production.

[TDR-10M Thunderbolt]

So absolute tail-end of the OYW at the absolute earliest, possibly after that. Ah well, that is interesting. Thanks for sharing, Seto!

[TDR-10M Thunderbolt]

Sorry to bump this, but I have a related question: Is there anything indicating the Striker Kai is 'space-only', or should it function on land as well? I ask since what few games it has been in seem to be making it only usable on space maps/terrain and I don't understand why it would be like that.

[False Prophet]

I don't think I have read anywhere that the GM Striker Kai is Earth only. And if I not mistaken, the GM Striker Custom did works in space in Gundam Katana.

[Seto Kaiba]

Sorry to bump this, but I have a related question: Is there anything indicating the Striker Kai is 'space-only', or should it function on land as well? I ask since what few games it has been in seem to be making it only usable on space maps/terrain and I don't understand why it would be like that.

I doubt it's space only given that it's a modified ground-only unit upgraded for space operations.

That said, information is so sparse that I can find no declaration that it is or is not.

[MythSearcher]

Other than a few MS that replaced the legs with some sort of rocket thrusters that is less than 1g in thrust to mass ratio, I don't see any reason a space use MS cannot be used on the ground, especially when most of them still has to work in space colonies with a very similar gravity.

They may not be very well suited for ground combat, but most space use MS surely can do so to a certain extend(though the detachable parts like funnels will likely not work in Earth's gravity because it is a constant force)
Worst case they are still better than the fixed turrets as long as they have some kind of mobility.

[Massignifico]

And vice versa ground use MSs should work in space because most of them have rocket thrusters for movement and limbs for AMBAC maneuvering, saying they can't because they have no verniers makes no sense. That said they would still probably be harder to use, but the sitting duck depiction in igloo seems exaggerated.

[Seto Kaiba]

And vice versa ground use MSs should work in space because most of them have rocket thrusters for movement and limbs for AMBAC maneuvering, saying they can't because they have no verniers makes no sense.

Mobile Suits do rely on those verniers for a lot of their rapid maneuvering, AMBAC isn't that great for changing your orientation while on the move.

That said they would still probably be harder to use, but the sitting duck depiction in igloo seems exaggerated.

Based on what happened to the RX-78GP01 back in Stardust Memory, the problem may be mostly in software... the ground type units and space type units are working to different sets of auto-balancer calibrations, so ones tuned for ground use can't operate properly in space and vice versa without being reprogrammed.

[Massignifico]

Mobile Suits do rely on those verniers for a lot of their rapid maneuvering, AMBAC isn't that great for changing your orientation while on the move.

That really depends on the show/budget. In 0083? Yeah they love to use their verniers but if you stick with the original (both series or movies) either they use invisible verniers or Ambac is the only explanation.

Based on what happened to the RX-78GP01 back in Stardust Memory, the problem may be mostly in software... the ground type units and space type units are working to different sets of auto-balancer calibrations, so ones tuned for ground use can't operate properly in space and vice versa without being reprogrammed.

Yeah, probably, but I think that the GP01 was an exception and that most MSs either have both kind of tunings or that really doesn't make much of a difference. Why is Zephy an exception? By design to change between land or space use the Core Fighter must be changed so maybe that extra lines of code weren't considered to be needed.

And the idea of completely reprogramming a MS OS for land use and vice versa contradicts the existence of reentry capable MS. Let's skip the 78-2 and focus on the Zeta: we see it shield the Type 100 during reentry and then BOTH can fight on the ground with no issues. The Zeta may had the hardware for this kind of missions but why the Hyaku Shiki? Either it's a special kind of multirole MS like the Zeta (and we have no reason to do so) or most MSs have these capabilities.

[Seto Kaiba]

That really depends on the show/budget. In 0083? Yeah they love to use their verniers but if you stick with the original (both series or movies) either they use invisible verniers or Ambac is the only explanation.

Yeah, it's an animation cost thing... drawing the verniers firing at appropriate moments is expensive and somewhat time consuming, so hand-drawn animation tended to save it for "glamor shots". Computer animation made it easier, which is why it's become more prevalent with time. It's no secret that even today, anime is done on very tight margins... and the original Gundam series was made on the tightest of shoestring budgets.

And the idea of completely reprogramming a MS OS for land use and vice versa contradicts the existence of reentry capable MS. Let's skip the 78-2 and focus on the Zeta: we see it shield the Type 100 during reentry and then BOTH can fight on the ground with no issues. The Zeta may had the hardware for this kind of missions but why the Hyaku Shiki? Either it's a special kind of multirole MS like the Zeta (and we have no reason to do so) or most MSs have these capabilities.

Consider, if you will, that those examples are extremely high-end one-off or limited production mobile suits that either either explicitly or implicitly have better computer equipment than the average mobile suit. Presumably as mobile suit technology continued to advance, the need to manually reprogram the AMBAC system was eliminated by whatever the spacefuture version of Moore's Law is.

[MythSearcher]

Consider, if you will, that those examples are extremely high-end one-off or limited production mobile suits that either either explicitly or implicitly have better computer equipment than the average mobile suit. Presumably as mobile suit technology continued to advance, the need to manually reprogram the AMBAC system was eliminated by whatever the spacefuture version of Moore's Law is.

At least in Gihren Assassination plan they still needed to reprogram the ground MS like MS-07 for colony use because the trajectory of bullets are different on Earth and in space colonies.
Though it IS just an in-universe OYW anniversary movie, so I guess that might just be them adding retro stuff to make the movie look cooler to nerds?

[Seto Kaiba]

At least in Gihren Assassination plan they still needed to reprogram the ground MS like MS-07 for colony use because the trajectory of bullets are different on Earth and in space colonies.
Though it IS just an in-universe OYW anniversary movie, so I guess that might just be them adding retro stuff to make the movie look cooler to nerds?

I'm not sure it's so much "adding retro stuff to make the movie cooler to nerds" as "adding more detail to make the movie more appealing to fans". The TV shows are supposed to be ambassadors to the average viewer, it's the OVAs and movies that can indulge in being mecha porn for the die-hard fan.

[False Prophet]

I'm not sure it's so much "adding retro stuff to make the movie cooler to nerds" as "adding more detail to make the movie more appealing to fans". The TV shows are supposed to be ambassadors to the average viewer, it's the OVAs and movies that can indulge in being mecha porn for the die-hard fan.

When I started watching Gundam, while I loved the original 0079 Gundam, I always thinks that most OYW look more like what they are illustrated in 0080 and 08th MS. It takes quite a while for me to start appreciating the original designs--or Okawara's stuffs in general. Still think he went overboard with vents in the 1990s, though.

[Massignifico]

Consider, if you will, that those examples are extremely high-end one-off or limited production mobile suits that either either explicitly or implicitly have better computer equipment than the average mobile suit. Presumably as mobile suit technology continued to advance, the need to manually reprogram the AMBAC system was eliminated by whatever the spacefuture version of Moore's Law is.

But that doesn't explain the Jaburo drop where Titans and Aeug MS alike first fight in space, reenter and then fight on the ground.