Gundam FAQ... anyone know where this is from?

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Markim Jaspari
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Joined: Sat May 14, 2011 3:17 pm

Gundam FAQ... anyone know where this is from?

I remember there was an online Gundam FAQ, maybe even on MAHQ, or at least linked to it. Maybe on a site named like gundamplus.com? In any case, there was a FAQ that I saved in a Word document. Posting it here in hopes it becomes of use to someone:

Q: About how much does the average Mobile Suit weigh?

A: The average Mobile Suit weighs in at about seven tons and 16 meters in height (Just over 50 feet).

Q: How are mobile suits operated?

A: Since their movements are controlled almost entirely by software, mobile suits are quite simple to operate. The pilot only has to steer, control speed, point and shoot, so piloting a mobile suit is much like operating any type other vehicle. The physical controls usually consist of a set of joysticks, foot pedals, and button/keyboard combinations (similar to a fighting video game); systems like the neo-psycommu used in the Rafflesia allow for Newtypes to pilot mobile weapons by thought only. Mobile suit cockpit displays, whether mundane flat panels or 360-degree panoramic monitors, display the surroundings as if the pilot were sitting in the mobile suit's head. Gundam Wing's "linear frame" cockpit actually swivels in sync with the mobile suit's head to minimize pilot confusion.

The original RX-78 Gundam was equipped with a "learning computer" capable of learning from its human pilot, making it . As pilot Amuro Rei gained combat experience during the One Year War, the Gundam's computer became capable of fighting autonomously, as demonstrated during its final duel with the Zeong. The data gathered by the Gundam's computer was invaluable in programming the Federation's mass-produced GM mobile suits, but this technology was seldom used in subsequent stories. Artificial-intelligence systems such as GUNDAM SENTINEL's ALICE system and GUNDAM W's mobile dolls are heirs to the Gundam's learning computer.

In Gundam Wing the Tallgeese is the first mobile suit manufactured.

Q: Why put a scope on a mobile suit weapon and how would it work?

A: The scopes on mobile suit weapons are usually patched into the main camera system, that's what puts the actual crosshairs up on the pilot's display. If you were just aiming by the main camera system, you'd probably wind up missing, as it isn't lined up with the gun. By providing a sight, you can pretty much get more accurate aim on an enemy. The scope sends out a low-power, high-frequency beam (laser) that 'paints' the target. The reflected beam is then received in the MS' 'eyes' or the forehead sensor on some mobile suits. The range and angle of the beam is computed and the targeting reticle (crosshairs or any other shape) is drawn over the intended target.

Q: Can I-fields block lasers and why aren't lasers widely used as mobile suit weapons?

A: No, they cannot. The reason why lasers aren't widely used in the UC universe is because of Minovski particle physics. In battle both sides usually release Minovski particles. Minovski particles distorts all forms of Electromagnetic Radiation. Which means lasers, a form of light, would get dispersed and wouldn't be even close to effective unless it was really powerful (colony laser) or if it was used at almost point blank range. In either case it would be inferior to Mega Particle weapons because these are not affected by Minovski particles and they are sufficiently stronger.

Q: Will beam weapons work underwater?

A: They will still work, just won't be as powerful, as evidenced by Amuro's first fight with a Gogg. In Gundam X, a beam rifle's power is cut by 50% in water.

Q: How do machine guns work in space?

A: There's no air friction to slow them down, so they will keep momentum as they move instead of losing it and stay on course. They do travel more slowly than beam blasts, but if the target isn't very agile, a bullet or missile will actually retain more of its punch over a long distance than will a beam shot (which tends to dissipate as it travels). In atmosphere, both projectiles and beam weapons suffer adverse effects - beams are further scattered by the atmosphere, while projectiles are both slowed down and pulled groundwards by gravity.

Q: How can a heat weapon block a beam saber?

A: Think of the plasma as pure heat, in a sense. Well, for the heat saber to pass through the heat blade it would either have to absorb the heat or push it out of the way. The blade would absorb some heat (causing damage in the process) but due to the heat-resistant nature would push a lot out of the way. However, due to the i-field, the heat can't expand, and once it can't contract it would push back against the blade and force it back (thus a quick clash). The blade itself would be quite damaged in the process and if the beam sabre was forced continually against it the blade would be toast rather fast. Generally, the way it blocks is due to heat expansion.

Q: Can more than one beam weapon be equipped on a mobile suit at a time?

A: Yes.

Q: Do beam sabers or rifles do more damage?

A: Sabers. While the blast from a beam rifle diffuses over distance, the plasma in the saber's core, superheated at 100,000+0 Celsius, is much more powerful.

Q: In mobile suit specifications, what does it mean by 120 mm machine gun? Is that how thick the bullet is?

A: The measurement refers to the diameter of the projectile itself. The 120mm rounds have a projectile with a diameter (width) of 120mm. The case, which houses the propellant, may be significantly larger in diameter than the projectile. Think of a coke bottle: the cap is the projectile and the bottle itself is the case, housing the propellant.

Q: How many bullets are fired in a round?

A: One bullet is fired in a round. 1 round = 1 bullet, and is usually referred to as a "round of ammunition." Guns have varying rates of fire, how many rounds per second, minute, ect it can pump out. So far, there has never been a solid RoF (Rate of Fire) number given for any MS weapons in Gundam.

Q: What keeps beam rifle's or any other beam weapon's barrels from melting and what are they made of?

A: Beam cannon and rifle barrels have to be replaced after long enough use, similar to the gun barrels of today. If you fire continuously for a period of time, machine gun crews have an extra barrel to change out so the first can be let cool before being used again. The barrels are made of super high tensile steel and ceramic alloy.

Q: What is mass ratio?

A: This figure is the ratio of the full weight of the robot to its unfueled weight - i.e. the weight once all the rocket propellant has been used up. For example, the Gundam Mark II has a full weight of 54.1 tons and a mass ratio of 1.44; 54.1/1.44 = an unfueled weight of about 37.6 tons.

The mass ratio is an important figure in rocketry. The thrust-to-weight ratio doesn't affect the final velocity of a spacecraft, just the mass ratio. (The full formula is velocity = 9.81 meters/sec^2 x natural log of mass ratio x specific impulse. Specific impulse, measured in seconds, reflects the efficiency of the propellant used.) A high-acceleration vessel may reach its final velocity faster, but in the stretch, the Messala (mass ratio 1.96) will outrun the Zeta Gundam (mass ratio 1.70).

The mass ratio of a current rocket is about .91. In a fraction: 91% propellant, 6% payload, and 3% hardware.

Q: How do you figure the acceleration of a mobile suit?

A: Acceleration is simple - just divide the total thrust by the full weight. The thrust is usually given in kilograms, so divide by a thousand to get tons of thrust/tons of mass. This ratio - typically 1.0 or higher - is the acceleration in gees.

(Technically, kilograms aren't a legitimate measure of force. But using kilograms rather than newtons does make things simpler)

Q: What are the modifications needed for a space mobile suit to operate in Earth's atmosphere and why would a space mobile suit need modifications to work on Earth?

A: In outer space, gravity and friction (no air, no air resistance, no friction) have limited effect. Thus, an object does not need to be aerodynamic in order to move about. To move forward or in any direction, a force in the same direction has to be exerted by the object. Thus the thrusters are fired in the opposite direction of the point you want to get to. intended direction. This is done by firing the main thrusters and expelling thrust mass in the opposite direction as the intended heading. Changing direction (steering) requires the firing of additional thrusters (referred to as verniers).

However, in an atmosphere, the four forces of flight (lift, drag, thrust, and gravity) dictate what type of object can fly efficiently. The first ingredient to making a craft fly is thrust. No craft will fly until there is some sort of propulsion behind it's movement. A rocket shot from and upright position will fly straight upward until it's thrust is exhausted, then crash back to the ground. Aerofoils (wings) allow an aircraft to stay stable in the air, instead of succumbing to gravity and crashing back to Earth. They create two differing areas of pressure above and below the wing. This produces a lifting effect that allows the object to fly. Also, since air exerts friction on all moving bodies, an object would have to be aerodynamic in order to reduce the amount of drag the object produces as it moves through the air. The effects of drag can be seen if you compare the sleek shape of a kayak and a flat-bottomed row boat. Since the kayak is more streamlined than the row boat, it produces less drag in the water and thus can be propelled at a faster rate using the same amount of work than the row boat. Also, steering an aircraft poses a different set of concerns than steering an spacecraft. Aircraft have control surfaces (flaps and alerons) that change the shape of the aerofoils (wings) and thus, change the amount of lift (or drag) on each wing. This causes the aircraft to turn.

Take the example of a Frisbee. Here the four forces are a work as well.
  • Lift- Air moves over the top of the Frisbee, lowering the air pressure and causing the disk to rise.
  • Gravity- Gravity works against lift, and pulls the Frisbee downward, causing to neither rise nor fall, but stay flat.
  • Thrust- The amount of force behind the throwing of the Frisbee determines the amount of thrust it has.
  • Drag- According to the amount of thrust the Frisbee has, the drag will increase or decrease upon throwing. But since a Frisbee does not have infinite fuel, gravity will gradually pull the frisbee toward the Earth, lowering it's speed, and the drag amount of drag will decrease.
Lastly, propulsion in air is a lot different than in outer space. In atmosphere, jet engines require to ingredients to produce thrust : fuel and an oxidizer (oxygen). A Jet carries the fuel that must be burned, but the engine must bring in the oxidizer to the combustion chamber. Since oxidizer is readily available in our atmosphere, jet engines an be used. But since there is no oxidizer in space, spacecraft carry their own supply of oxidizer (and/or hydrogen usually in liquid form) in order to burn fuel.

Q: What does fire-linked mean and what advantage does a fire-linked weapon have over a regular one?

A: Fire-linked means that a weapon is directly attached to the mobile suit's controls. Fire-liked weapons are usually in pairs (i.e. head vulcans) and can be fired at the same or in an alternating pattern.

Q: Where are Reactors located on Mobile Suits?

A: The reactor's location really varies depending on the MS. The backpack is a possible location, but most cutaways for backpacks show they're usually filled up by thrusters. The Zaku has a reactor directly under the pilot. The Gundam has multiple reactors, both in the core fighter and in the Mobile Suit itself. The Superior Gundam has reactors in its shoulders. Most seem to be in the torso, upper or lower depending on cockpit location (both the Dom and the Gelgoog look like they'd have it in the upper torso), some even have smaller reactors in the upper legs. All reactors in Gundam Wing are above and behind the cockpit.

Q: Are Multiple Beam Weapons Too Hard on the Reactor?

A: They can be it the generator isn't powerful enough. If the generator can't generate the power needed to activate a weapon (like to fire a beam rifle), it becomes useless.

Q: What is the impact Of a Colony Drop?

A: There is no exact calculation for the impact of a colony drop, because the various colonies that have been dropped in the Gundam universe vary in impact. Examples of this are: The canon impact for the piece of colony that hit Sydney, Australia in Operation British is 60,000 Megatons and it took out about a tenth of Australia. In Operation Stardust, there was a huge crater left from the colony drop on Kansas with debris scattered everywhere. In ZZ Gundam, the colony that hit Dublin, Ireland only affected Dublin and the colony was left sticking straight up like a giant lawn dart :P (directly attributed to Plot Contrivance and the general goofiness of ZZ). In Gundam X, the colony (colonies) dropped pretty much decimated most of the Earth's landscape.

Q: How many Mobile Suits can a ship actually carry?

A: Officially, most space ships in UC have pretty small MS capacities, although it varies considerably. Common cruiser types (like Salamis Kai/Musai) have only around 3 while assault carriers (often the star of the series) like the White Base have only around six to eight. The epitome of MS capacity is the OYW's Doros, with MS capacity at around 100?(still need to check). Animation and books usually tend to exaggerate these numbers though, so don't be surprised if ships are said to carry more MS than they are officially and realistically supposed to carry. If you want to be absolutely sure on the MS capacity, check the Mecha Domain, and attribute any extra MS a ship is carrying as either "escorts" or being "strapped onto the outer hull".

Q: When did Mobile Suits start having ejection pods and in what series? How did they work? Did the suit just break apart, did the pod force itself from the rear or front of the suit?

A: While it's not known when ejection pods were first implemented in mobile suits, there have been several examples of their use. The Sazabi has an ejection pod which blasts out of the head which opens up. There's also the famous ejection seat on the Ground Type Gundam.

It appears most suits logically would have an ejection system for operation in space where the entire front armor piece blows off, but this theory is invalidated by gee's that the pilot would endure during ejection. Nearly all suits have some form of from a doomed mobile suit. At least one mobile suit in V Gundam with a rear entry hatch which could possibly used for escape. Also, in one of the Gundam Wing graphic novels, there's a Leo with a rear hatch for sneaky escapes.

Q: Did all mobile suits have frontal entry? Were there any that had any other sort of entry, i.e. rear entry?

A: The majority of mobile suits have them in the chest or pelvic area, but some notable exceptions are the Zeong, Sazabi, and Psycho, all of which have the entry way/cockpit in the head; the Double Zeta also has a cockpit in its double barrel beam rifle. With research, you can find that mobile suits can have many different entry ways.

Q: What are the different on-board ship systems which either enhance, alter, control or communicate with pilots and how do they work?
  • A contraction of "psychic communicator", the psycommu system receives thoughts from a human brain and translates them into commands comprehensible to a computer system. A powerful newtype can project his or her thoughts to the psycommu system and use it to carry out complex tasks, like simultaneously controlling several remote weapons. The system can't be used by ordinary humans, due to their weaker brainwaves. With radio nullified by Minovski particle jamming, psycommu-amplified brainwaves are the only reliable means of controlling remote weapons. Psycommu-equipped mobile suits and mobile armors are typically armed with several remote-controlled drones, known as "bits" or "funnels," which act in concert to surround and destroy enemies. Later developments of the psycommu system include the mysterious biosensor; the super-sensitive psycoframe; and the quasi-psycommu system, a variant which can be used by normal humans.
  • Neo-Psycommu is something used by Newtypes for almost completely unmanned control of a Mobile Armor. As far as I know, we first and only see it in Gundam F91, where it is used by Korozo Ronah in the Lafressia, which is a horribly large, red Mobile Armor with hundreds of tentacles. The Neo-Psycommu in the Lafressia works by attaching to Iron Mask (Korozo)'s mind via cables that attach to the back of his helmet. This means that cockpit space can be virtually forgotten as the pilot controls the entire mobile armor with his mind.
  • Playfully referred to as the 'poor man's psycommu' system, the quasi-psycommu system ACTIVELY scans the pilot's brainwaves (as opposed to just PASSIVELY receiving brainwaves) and translates these into commands that can either control the MS itself or remote weapons called bits (or funnels, depending on the design). Because the pilot doesn't have to project his/her brainwaves into the quasi-psycommu system, it allowed OldType (non-Newtype) pilots to control weapons systems previously reserved for Newtypes.
  • Advanced Logistics Inconsequence Cognizing Equipment (A.L.I.C.E.) This system links to the core learning computer inside an MS and is able to analyze all battlefield situations and capable of tactical decisions on it's own (sounds like the Z.E.R.O. system, doesn't it? ). The final goal is to achieve a fully automated and unmanned control system for MS warfare. A.L.I.C.E. was also programmed with a female personality because the project wants to develop an Artificial Intelligence that is capable of understanding an MS pilot. "She" must be able to fill the role of a capable & understanding woman that would respond to the needs of a pilot. The end result would be for A.L.I.C.E. to "marry" the pilot & evolve into a true Valkyrie (Goddess that carries the souls of warriors into Valhalla). In order for A.L.I.C.E. to approximate human behavior, everything must be taught from scratch (like an infant). Meith Roots (the lead character's mother) was the lead technician responsible for educating A.L.I.C.E.'s basic knowledge, and at the same time providing the role of a "mother". But as the intelligence of A.L.I.C.E. begins to grow, she will also need someone to fill in the role of a "father". But that person must also provide the role of a brother, friend, and lover throughout the development stages. So the project would have to find a man that didn't play by the rules and provide the needed challenges for A.L.I.C.E. to achieve it's goal.
  • The EXAM System is something that has the imprint of a Newtype's mind/soul embedded into it. It enhances the reaction/response time of a Mobile Suit and also allows a non-Newtype to use Newtype weaponry.
  • The Bio-Sensor actively scans the pilot's mind, to a point, and sends data into the Mobile Suit. Thus, any bursts of emotion affect the Mobile Suit greatly, e.g, MSZ-006 Zeta Gundam with Camille Vidan. When he gets enraged, the Zeta becomes a force to be reckoned with.
  • Bio-Computer is from Gundam F91. It is a heavily-upgraded form of our mysterious friend, the Bio-Sensor. It it works by taking the brainwaves of a Newtype pilot, amplifying those in the manner of a normal Psycommu, and then doing the Bio-Sensor method of actively scanning the pilot's brain.
  • The Mobile Trace System takes the pilot's movements and converts them into the Mobile Fighter's actual movements, sort of like a marionette. However, the Mobile Trace system goes beyond just direct control of the Mobile Fighter's movements. It also employs a sophisticated feedback system that allows the pilot (or combatant) to 'feel' any obstacle/opposition to the Mobile Fighter's movement/action. It goes as far as to induce actual pain in the pilot, if warranted.
  • The ZERO system from Gundam W is a unique system that makes it so you are basically the Gundam. It enhances your abilities greatly and You have to be a perfect soldier (aka Heero and Zechs) to control the ZERO system, otherwise you will go insane.
  • The Flash System from Gundam X enables a newtype pilot to control several unmanned "bit mobile suits" in addition to the Gundam itself.
UC questions

Q: When does Gundam take place according to our AD calendar?

A: No one's sure on the actual date when the UC calendar begins, but there are several speculative dates. The original date released by Yoshiyuki Tomino is 2066 AD, but there is some evidence that it could be 2001 AD, some point after 2045 AD or 2081 AD.

For 2001: In episode 26 of the first GUNDAM series, Char is shown a surveillance photo with the date-stamp "2079" (GUNDAM takes place in UC 0079) - the date-stamp was omitted when this sequence was re-animated for the GUNDAM II movie. In episode 8 of ZETA GUNDAM, Char inspects an astronomical photo with the date-stamp "SPT 20 2087" (ZETA GUNDAM takes place in UC 0087). This seemed to be enough to convince the cover designers of the MS SENKI comic, which takes place in UC 0079, to put the date "2079" on the cover in big, bold type.

For 2045: The timeline used in Bandai's books, and since adopted by other publishers, claims that construction of the first space colony began in 2045 AD. The next date listed in the timeline is UC 0001, at which point actual migration presumably begins. Since colonists can't move into the colony until it's close to completion, there could be a gap of several years - if not decades - between the beginning of construction (2045 AD) and the beginning of emigration (UC 0001).

For 2081: (taken from Mobile Suit Gundam: High Frontier) In the last episode of Gundam 0080, a newspaper is shown with the date Monday, 14 January 0080. If this is canon, then it gives us a very specific reference point from which to determine which dates in Gundam history correspond to which days of the week. Tenuous? Perhaps. But it’s internally consistent weekdays and weekends match up with the dates given for them—and the timeline in B-CLUB’s Gundam 0080 Visual Comic, Volume 2, seems to to have been used as a source for the timeline in Sunrise’s Gundam 2000 calendar. Furthermore, the official Shindosha timeline indicates that, like the Gregorian calendar to which it appends, UC leap years are multiples of four—in Gundam ZZ, Axis proclaims itself to be Neo Zeon on 29 February 0088—so UC 0080 must be a leap year in which 14 January is a Monday. This further invalidates the 1969 AD and 2001 AD start dates, as in neither case would 14 January 0080 be a Monday.

There are, in fact, only three dates more than 80 years (to reach UC 0080) but less than 150 years (to be reasonable) subsequent to 2045 AD in which 14 January falls on a Monday in a leap year: 2132 AD, 2160 AD, and 2188 AD. If UC 0080 were 2132 AD, then UC 0001 would be 2053 adjusting eight years. It took that long to put a Man in a Can onto the Moon, from Project Mercury on 31 January 1961 to Apollo 11 on 20 July 1969. O’Neill himself projected 25 to 30 years for it—had we started building his High Frontier in 1979 AD, we’d just be finishing it around 2002 AD. If UC 0080 were 2188 AD, then UC 0001 would be 2109 AD—64 years or about three generations. That’s almost as long as from the beginning of the UC to the timeframe of the original series. Too long!

The sweet spot is 2160 AD. By this reckoning, the Universal Century begins in 2081 AD over a century after the original series aired following 36 years of construction—on par with O’Neill’s own projection and Von Braun City is completed in 2107 AD, with the original series action taking place in 2159 AD. (Note: This theory assumes that all colonies follow O'Neil's speculation that it takes thirty years to build a colony.)

Q: How is Zeon spelled?

A: Any way you want. Most Japanese texts favor "Zion", which may or may not be a dubious political commentary. Regardless, the English-language term is pronounced "zy-on", whereas Gundam's evil empire is pronounced "jee-on" or "zee-on". I favor "Zeon" as a more-phonetic compromise, but it's been pointed out that a classic Star Trek episode features bad guys whose name is spelled "Zeon" but pronounced "zay-on". Maybe "Jion" is the only option left.

Q: Are the Zeon Nazis?

A: Originally, they were not really nazified. They did have the "Seig Zeon" rally cry, the fact that they gassed several colonies (similar to the persecution of the Jews), and Gihren himself is called "Hitler's Tail" by his own father at one point, but they more resemble WWI-era Austro-Hungary than they do WWII Germany. When Yutaka Izabuchi started working on Gundam in 0080 UC was when you see more and more German and Nazi symbolisms, like panzer faust (Tank Fist in German), Kaempfer (Fighter in German), Wermacht looking uniforms, and small arms similar to that of Nazi Germany.

Q: What does Seig Zeon mean?

A: Victory Zeon. Seig is German for victory.

Q: What's an E-cap?

A: A device stores Minovsky particles in a high-energy compressed state, so that only a little energy is needed to trigger the fusion into mega particles. Once all used up, it must be replenished at a Mobile Suit's home base or ship. Simplified, it's like a rechargeable battery for beam weaponry.

Q: What's an E-pack?

A: A removable E-cap that can be replaced during battle.

Q: What's an apogee motor?

A: A small thruster use in concert with the Active Mass Balance AutoControl to help right a suit.

Q: What is a modular frame?

A: It is a basic frame that allows for certain components to be swapped out easily in order to perform quick customizations and repairs.

Q: What does GM stand for?

A: There is no canon answer for this question, but there are four speculative answers: General Model, Gundam Mass-produced, Gundam Mass Production type, or GundaM.

Q: What is a cracker grenade?

A: 'Cracker Grenades' are a sort of MS-scale hand grenade. However, the Cracker is a little different: it's comprised of a small sphere, with several explosive 'bolt' objects set into it. When the main ball explodes, the bolts are thrown out and explode seconds later. Simply put, you could say it's a multi-warhead hand grenade.

Q: Panzer fausts and sturm fausts are almost exactly, if not exactly, the same weapon. They're both single-use, un-guided projectiles on sticks. Fire the missile and discard the stick. So, what's the difference?

A: The difference in the material fired. Panzer faust is a scaled up version of the WW2 weapon of the same name. It does not fire an explosive, but a hard wad of plastic, which first flattens upon impact, then shatters, taking with it whatever armor it has hit. The sturm faust is actually an explosive. It fires a small warhead which detonates upon impact. Hence a sturm faust shot has small (4) foils that stick off from the rear. Those are there to help the warhead connect at the right angle and aim.

Q: What are the various different antennas on mobile suits for?

A: The antennas are, radio antennas, rendering them useless in Minovski-jammed battlefield conditions. The Zeons place them on officer's mobile suits - typically starting at the company commander level for communicating with underlings. The reason why all Goufs have this antenna is to communicate with the Dodai YS bombers that they use as flying platforms. Presumably the addition of antennas to later-model GMs is for non-combat and low-intensity combat situations - patrolling peaceful areas, fighting civilian rebels, stuff like that.

08 MS Team Questions

Q: How many mobile suit teams are in the Kojima battalion and how many vehicles are in each?

A: There are eight Mobile Suit teams each with three mobile suits (type unknown) and one hover truck.

Q: What's that computer chip looking thingy in the RX-79(G)'s hand called and what's it there?

A: It's called a Hand Plug and is used to power the weapon that the Gundam is currently equipped with.

0800:War in the Pocket Questions

Q: What is the Alex's Chobam armor made of. what does it stand for, and how does it work?

A: It's basically a mix of different ceramics, steel and other things to make it super strong. The armor protects the suit against beams. It is comprised of 4 layers. What CHOBAM stands for is: Ceramics Hybrid Outer-shelled Blowup Act-on Materials. Basically it is what we would term today as reactive armor. If an incoming attack was sufficient to pierce the outer layer of the armor, then the second/third layer would explode outward. This would neutralize and incoming weapon attack and save the suit.

Q: What makes the RX-78NT1 "Alex" a newtype mobile suit?

A: The Gundam "Alex", from GUNDAM 0080, doesn't have a psycommu system or anything similar. The only respect in which it's designed for Newtypes is its incredible reaction speed. During the One Year War, the Federation knew virtually nothing about Newtypes; the only case study they had was Amuro Rei, whose most obvious special ability was superhuman reflexes. In the original GUNDAM TV series, Amuro actually starts burning out his Gundam because it can't keep up with him - friction-free magnetic coating is applied to the Gundam's joints as a stop-gap measure, but the Alex was created to be a more permanent solution to the problem. The Federation's logic here is pretty simple. Amuro Rei is a newtype; Amuro Rei is incredibly fast; therefore, Newtypes are incredibly fast. How do we best exploit Amuro, and any similar Newtypes who might appear later? Build faster mobile suits.

Q: What is a chain mine?

A: The chain mine is a weapon composed of several anti-mobile suit mines linked together via some sort of cable. The chain mine has a handle with the cable extending from it, with the mines mounted on the cable. A chain mine wraps around the target and once it's wrapped, all the mines explode on command. A mobile suit needs to be equipped with extra armor to survive a chain mine attack.

0083:Stardust Memory/Last Blitz of Zeon Questions

Q: How did the Physalis manage to toss it's beam saber at the GP01?

A: An explanation from Graybear: Without an atmosphere to work against, a plasma field would be self sustaining in space without having to have a constant input of energy. All that would be required to maintain it is the power required to maintain the control I-Fields. This would allow you to disengage the beam saber from its power supply and throw it at your foe. The plasma field would not react with anything until it hit a solid object.

So all you need is a small battery to power the I Field, and you can throw a beam saber in space.

Z Gundam Questions

Q: How does Hyaku Shiki's anti-beam coating work?

A: It reinforces the armor to help repel beam shots, though it cannot totally stop a beam. But because beams deteriorate after the time they are shot until they hit their intended target the Hyaku Shiki never gets hit by a full blast beam. Think of it as Tomson's Beam Seal.

Q: Why are most of the mobile suits in Zeta produced in few units?

A: Three reasons given:

* Mobile suits developed for newtype pilots: The Bound Doc, Psyco Gundams, et cetera require a newtype pilot, so you wouldn't make more of those than you have newtype pilots. There are also a couple of designs, like the Asshimar and Gaplant, that were originally developed for newtypes but can be operated by normal folks provided they have exception stamina and reflexes.

* Mass-produced mobile suits: The Hizack and Barzam appear to be the only truly mass-produced Titans mobile suits. Technically, the GM II, Marasai, and Galbaldy Beta are superior to the cruddy Hizack, but it's assumed that they were deemed less economical to produce, as they appear only in very small numbers during Zeta. The Galbaldy appears to pre-date the Hizack, and it's designed for space combat only, so it's likely that it was phased out in favor of the Hizack...

* Wacky Scirocco mobile suits: Then we have Paptimus Scirocco, who keeps cranking out unique one-shot scratch-built mobile suits. The Messala, Pallas Athene, Bolinoak Samaan, and The O are all unique; the Gabthley and Hambrabi are also Scirocco designs, and only 2-4 of each were made. Scirocco's apparently godlike ability to crank out butt-kicking mobile suits every few episodes is the catch-all explanation for Zeta's plethora of pointless guest mobile suits.

*Not enough pilots: The Titans had something like a battalion's worth of personnel. Oftentimes they borrowed Side 3's defense fleet for large scale operations, or dragged Federation personnel in to do their dirty work (as with Layla's unit). They just don't have enough pilots to mass produce everything they come up with.

Q: What is the feyadeen rifle?

A: It's a more powerful, slower-firing beam rifle. It'll kill you if it hits, but the Rate of Fire is much to slow for use on quickly moving targets and the rifles are larger, more massive, and thus harder to train upon a moving target. Essentially, it's a one shot, one kill weapon.

Gundam W - all side stories Questions

Q: Does Gundam Wing use Minovsky physics?

A: That is unknown at this point and is still being debated. While the weapons do use the term BEAM and use some form of particle beam, there is not concrete evidence supporting the use of a Minovsky fusion generator in Gundam Wing.

Q: What's the green crystal on the Gundam Wing Gundam's chest and how is it different from the one on Gundam X?

A: On all but the Deathscythe versions (it has none) the green crystal is a casing for the core of the suit and where a cable is connected to power the generator when it is low. It also holds a sensor for cameras, on board computers, and the Zero system (in Wing Zero and Epyon). The Crystal on Gundam X is for receiving the power feed from the moon station when it uses its satellite cannon.

Q: Where's the Sanq Kingdom located in the AC era?

A: It is a known fact that the Sanq kingdom is in mainland Europe, but it is assumed that the Sanq kingdom is either Italy, Greece or a possible combination of several countries.

Q: Why does Heavyarms' Beam Gattling run out of ammo?

A: Heavyarms' Gattling runs on an e-cap, so therefore it must be recharge once used up.

Q: How does the Buster Rifle used by Wing Gundam work?

A: It generates energy using a reactor in the rear of the weapon, then store this energy in those 3 chambers behind the barrel. When needed, the energy is released through the barrel and the blast radius can be adjusted at the nozzle.

Q: How planet defensors work and how are the controlled?

A: They're largely automated. It's been speculated that the pilot has very limited control over the planet defensors - he'll press a button to deploy them, perhaps set a general formation for them, and command them to return when he wishes. There's another post somewhere around here that lists some possible formations for them - sphere, hemisphere, wall, etc.

Q: Was Tallgeese ever mass produced?

A: No, it was not mass produced. There are only two know original versions to date: the one piloted by Zechs Marquise/Milliardo Peacecraft and the one piloted by Mei Lan Long in defense of the colony at L5. Both have now been destroyed. The Leo is a scaled and powered down version of the Tallgeese, though.

Q: Shenlong is said to have 2 flamethrowers, Altron 4. I know there are flamethrowers installed in the dragon fangs, but Shenlong only has one dragon fang, Altron 2. Where are the extra flamethrowers?

A: There are 2 Flamethrowers per dragon fang, one nozzle on each side of the mouth.

Q: Did Altron's shield have any purpose at all since it's usually just hanging on its shoulder?

A: While we never see the Altron's shield do anything much, but since Shenlong's shield can be thrown it is safe to assume Altron's can too. Also it's a nice tool for ramming enemies with.

Q: What is a Random Binder and how does it help with space mobility?

A: Random Binders are those wings on the Altron's back and it is assumed that the Random Binders are just very thin, lighter versions of the Tallgeese verniers, since both verniers and the random binders increase speed and mobility.

Q: What is the Sandrock Custom's cloak for from Endless Waltz for?

A: The cloak is used by Sandrock Custom for entering and leaving Earth's atmosphere.

Q: Why is the double-bladed beam scythe better than the single-bladed?

A: Think of the Mach 3 razor blade. If the first blade doesn't hit, the second, larger one will.

Q: Wing Gundam, Wing Zero, and the Taurus have their guns showing in their transformed modes. Can they be fired in their transformed forms?

A: Yes, all three suits fire their main gun while in transformed mode.

Q: What exactly is the PX System/Coating that the Griepe Gundam, Geminass twins and the L.O. Booster use in the G-Unit Manga?

A: Its equivalent to G Gundam's Hyper mode. When activated the MS becomes faster and stronger. Also, It seems to be quite taxing, as the pilots' life force is drained whenever the system is activated. The PX system was OZ's answer to the Zero system, but because of a certain coup by OZ prize, it never made it to the main force.

Q: How does the A.S. Planet Defensor from G-Unit work?

A: It's a round metallic shield, similar to the Mercurius's crash shield, over which a protective energy barrier is generated; the end result is a practically indestructible shield. The Scorpio's AS defensor is less all-surrounding than regular planet defensors - it's similar to a regular UC beam shield, which protects against attacks from one direction only.

Q: Are the feathers falling off when Heero activates Wing Zero real?

A: The feathers seen falling off are just reflections off of the real metal surface of the wings.

Q: Why does Wing Zero 'flap' it's wings?

A: There are several explanations to the question, but the most accepted is that they flap because the thrusters are multiple verniers, thus to get all of them working the best way is to shift them in order, via flapping.

Q: What is that bucket located under the standard Leo machine gun?

A: It is a 100 round Drum of 105mm Ball FMJ ammunition.
elena199x
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Jul 23, 2024 11:25 am

Re: Gundam FAQ... anyone know where this is from?

If you’re looking to track down the original source, MAHQ and older fan sites like Gundam Plus might be good places to check. Thanks again for preserving and posting this!
Chill Guy Clicker
Markim Jaspari
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat May 14, 2011 3:17 pm

Re: Gundam FAQ... anyone know where this is from?

Turns out it was the Gundam Project FAQ. I had saved it separately from when it was hosted on Gundam Watch. Mirroring it for posterity here.
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