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In lugnet.off-topic.geek, Lindsay Frederick Braun wrote:
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If you look at most mecha, well, it’s a disaster area of shot-traps, multiple
centers of mass, and sophisticated subsystems that, if disabled, can cause
any number of weird problems. Compare that with the center of gravity on a
tank; compare too the silhouette of the two. A bipedal unit also has a great
liability in the extraneous mass and size; most armor is designed for
mobility and cannon; the body of the vehicle is simply there to protect the
equipment and the crew. When the crew is smaller in stature (see the armor
of the JSDF, for example, which takes into account the smaller average size
of Japanese armor crews), the vehicle can be made smaller. Not quite the
same with mecha, which tend to have one pilot and dwarf that individual.
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Of course you are correct. Plausible or not though, they are much more fun to
build out of lego. I’ve never felt the need for realism to dictate any
limitations on my models, but that’s just the .SPACE in me :)
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This is part of the reason I like Mladen’s stuff so much; it tends towards
multiple pairs of legs (which I do see as a viable platform at relatively low
tech). The bipedal “samurai warrior” type of mecha, I find much less
compelling. I do use bipedal machines in my own “universe,” but they tend to
be highly specialized alien machines, or else role-specific weapons
platforms. The really heavy artillery and main-battle roles are still done
by tanks (gravtanks, sure, but still tanks), which at lower levels of
technology survive the vagaries of combat much better and can operate with
enormous levels of damage.
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If realism, or even plausibility is your bag, then more power to you, but from a
Lego building perspective, the sculptural and engineering challenges in bipedal
mecha are far more interesting to me than a traditional tank design, or even a
hover tank. Whether or not power armour or mecha have a viable future in real
life is irrelevant - they are fun and challenging to build, and that’s what
counts to me.
Cheers,
Allister
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: Tanks or Power Armor
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| (...) Fair enough, but we do all make certain levels of "realism" necessary in our creations, be they space suits for all little spacemen, enclosed cockpits, engines, or even making sure there are wings on our Galaxy Enforcers. :D (...) Well, fair (...) (20 years ago, 27-Aug-04, to lugnet.off-topic.geek, lugnet.build.mecha, lugnet.space, FTX)
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