Subject:
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Re: IRON MECHA Results!
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.build.mecha
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Date:
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Thu, 9 Feb 2006 17:41:33 GMT
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Viewed:
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2830 times
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In lugnet.build.mecha, Matthew Evans wrote:
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But: I’m not entirely convinced by the ‘practical requirements being met’
idea; perhaps if it was modified with a fair bit of aesthetic leeway. I mean,
I remember reading on lugnet.space here, Tony Hafner talking about how a ship ‘wouldn’t work’ because the
engines aren’t positioned correctly - no offence to Mr. Hafner, but I don’t
really care about that sort of thing, as long as it looks good. It should be
noted that he goes on to say in a later reply, ‘This is Lego, where for the
most part style trumps reality’. My attitude is: if you want to build
something that would work in real life, build a train. Conversely, if those
engines were way out, then not only would it be ‘unrealistic’, it would
probably look pants aswell.
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This is like the difference between Fantasy and Science Fiction, which I often
like to explain. :-) Science Fiction requires some intellectual rigor and logic.
You can certainly make up weird new science, but it has to be self consistent.
Similarly, you can come up with a totally bizarre mecha, unlike anything that
has ever existed, but every single detail has to conform to some sort of
rationale or it’s just a form of junk art - interesting to look at, even
beautiful, but not in any sense realistic (conforming to any possible reality).
If you look at anime mecha designs, even the outlandish ones, the best ones
(IMO) have reasoning behind their details, and are thought out to the level of
having practical internal structures, even if they are never shown!
K
ps - If a rocket motor isn’t positioned to give thrust behind a ship’s center of
mass, it isn’t going to fly very well, and a top heavy mecha with tiny legs also
isn’t going to walk very well. Realistic considerations. ;-)
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Message has 3 Replies:
 | | Re: IRON MECHA Results!
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| (...) Philip K Dick, among countless others, has also addressed this. His distinction between sci-fi and fantasy was similar but more fundamental: if an element of the story is considered impossible, then it's fantasy. Not "improbable" or "currently (...) (18 years ago, 9-Feb-06, to lugnet.build.mecha, FTX)
| | | Re: IRON MECHA Results!
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| (...) Hmmm, good explanation. If we're equating 'self-consistency' with 'realism' then I agree with you. A good mecha design is not going to have any 'out-of-place' details. I guess I misunderstood your initial argument. but on the other hand: (...) (...) (18 years ago, 9-Feb-06, to lugnet.build.mecha)
| | | Re: IRON MECHA Results!
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| (...) Hmmm... Science Fiction has little to do with reality. Allow me to use my absolutely most favorite sci-fi space ship, Imperial (Imperator) Class Star Destroyer. I love Star Destroyers, I drool over any image of a Star Destroyer, however, at (...) (18 years ago, 9-Feb-06, to lugnet.build.mecha, FTX)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: IRON MECHA Results!
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| (...) I don't have enough experience to be up to a serious discussion on this point, beyond the subjective platitude of 'if I like the way it looks then it's a good mecha'. I mean, the only lego mecha I've seen in real life are my own! But: I'm not (...) (18 years ago, 9-Feb-06, to lugnet.build.mecha, FTX)
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