Macross Frontier Mecha/Technology Thread II *Read 1st Post*

[d3v]

Raiden Fighters baby

No, Gradius!

[Morpheus]

I wonder how big the Dulfim is, this ship got my particular interest due to the split hull design. Its kinda a mixture between UNS/NUNS with Zentraedi design. judging from the image below, the Dulfim is quite big, and probably there's around 4 forward cannon on it. I believe the Dulfim carried several squadron of VF-171 as well (In epi.7 Canalia ask the space in front of her to be cleared off so probably several VF are defending the Dulfim at that time).

Since Dulfim is the only survivor from Galaxy fleet, maybe we can see her in action again as it led SMS or NUNS in search of Galaxy.

pic.

[kalvasflam]

I am wondering how hard it would be to code the three robot laws into the AI. I mean the worst that can happen is that the AIed Ghosts sacrifice themselves. May be a built in kill switch or something. Overall, I'd rather like the idea of Ghosts running on AI, I wonder though if the Ghosts we saw on Ep 1 were really on AI or were they actually UCAVs. Seem like the latter, since their signals were interfered with.

[Graham]

I think colony ships in the Macross universe really need to upgrade their intruder detection systems as it seems really easy for enemy forces to sneak on board and hide out for long periods of time undetected.

We have seen this happen in both the Macross 7 and Macross Frontier fleets.

In Macross 7, Gigile manages to hide in City 7, together with many Varauta troops and even several Fz-109 Elgerzorene mecha. And of course there was also Sivil.

In Macross Frontier A red Vajra and several smaller yellow Vajra hide out in a hole in the underside of one of the islands (Island 2 or 3 during episode 3 IIRC). Don’t the colony ships have damage detection systems? Wouldn’t a work crew have already been assigned to repair the damage and likely stubled accross the Vajra?

And of course, we now have Brera Stern on Island 1. It wouldn’t surprise me if his VF-27 is also somewhere on board also.

With today’s technology, it’s easy to have a city-wide network of surveillance cameras using facial recognition software. Such a system would automatically pick up an individual that wasn’t registered in the population database and report them to the law enforcement authorities. We are already moving that way in real life, with UK for example having 40 million surveillance cameras! Just surprised that after Macross 7, such a system wasn’t adopted as standard on colony fleets to guard against infiltration by hostile forces.

Graham

[Sulendil Ang]

Well, Graham, it's a nice suggestion, as long as no one scream "HOW ABOUT OUR PRIVACY!!!".

The point: Maybe the lack of these detection system is more of a political issue rather than a technologically one.

[Graham]

Well, Graham, it's a nice suggestion, as long as no one scream "HOW ABOUT OUR PRIVACY!!!".

The point: Maybe the lack of these detection system is more of a political issue rather than a technologically one.

It's difficult to speculate accurately without knowing more about the political situation in 2059.

Certainly, in the real world there has been an erosion of personal privacy in many countries, due to fears of terrorism and/or increasing crime rates.

Graham

[d3v]

I am wondering how hard it would be to code the three robot laws into the AI. I mean the worst that can happen is that the AIed Ghosts sacrifice themselves. May be a built in kill switch or something. Overall, I'd rather like the idea of Ghosts running on AI, I wonder though if the Ghosts we saw on Ep 1 were really on AI or were they actually UCAVs. Seem like the latter, since their signals were interfered with.

Well, I reckon you can't really program the three laws into a Ghost seeing as it's a weapon that chances are will have to eventually be used against humans and/or zentraedi.

Also, the term UAV (and therefore UCAV) covers both unmanned craft controlled either by remote or by AI/programming (in fact modern thinking in UAVs prefers the latter).

And interference would affect even AI since they basically wouldn't be able to send data back to the fleet (of course the jamming used by the Vajra also disabled the Ghosts, indicating some form of EMP).

[Zinjo]

The MQ cannon also seems to have a warping affect. Did anyone notice how when the carrier was hit it started to twist not just expand and blow outward?

Homage to SDFM. The Buster Cannon on the original Macross did simiar damage to Zent capital ships, however we can't discount the possibility they reverse engineered the new cannon from info they gathered from the AFOS since it could do that too...

[Zinjo]

Dunno about the destroids though, they're possibly meant more as an homage to previous Macross shows.

I got the impression that they essentially redesigned the Cheyenne with the new gunpod weaponry. We are to led believe the new gunpods on the VF-25 are superior to anything that has come before.

[Mr March]

Yeah the original did something kinda the same like Zinhumor has said. The original SDF-1 cannon almost looked like it generated a weird "heat wave" effect. The Macross Quarter cannon seems to do the same, but it looks a bit different with the new CGI method of animation. It feels a little more..."warpish"

[Zinjo]

Am I the only one getting the Varuata main carrier vibe from the Dulfim (or Dauphin?)??

It's massive sitting next to the Island!

pic.

[Heron]

Am I the only one getting the Varuata main carrier vibe from the Dulfim (or Dauphin?)??

It's massive sitting next to the Island!

This?

[Mr March]

Not bad Zinjobservant. The Dulfim could be an homage to the Varauta Fleet Flagship. The Dulfim is a bit more linear than the "U" shape of the Varauta Fleet Flagship, but it is a similar style. However, I think the Dulfim also looks a bit reminicent of the Meltran Gunboat. It has that similar pontoon-like look with a smaller connecting structure in between.

[Kronnang Dunn]

This?

It is logical to assume that after the Protodeviln left the galaxy they must have left the Varauta fleet behind. Since Galaxy fleet is the leader of current NUNS technology development, is possible they got hold of the fleet or used it as a basis for upgrading their fleet...

Homage to SDFM. The Buster Cannon on the original Macross did simiar damage to Zent capital ships, however we can't discount the possibility they reverse engineered the new cannon from info they gathered from the AFOS since it could do that too...

Wasn't the SDF-1 Macross cannon a "Super Dimension Energy" cannon? The Vajra seem to have a miniaturized version of the same weapon.

The Macross Quarter cannon is a "Quantum Particle cannon"... which sounds (and looks!) different to me...

Edited May 26, 2008 by Kronnang Dunn

[ChronoReverse]

With today’s technology, it’s easy to have a city-wide network of surveillance cameras using facial recognition software. Such a system would automatically pick up an individual that wasn’t registered in the population database and report them to the law enforcement authorities. We are already moving that way in real life, with UK for example having 40 million surveillance cameras! Just surprised that after Macross 7, such a system wasn’t adopted as standard on colony fleets to guard against infiltration by hostile forces.

Except not =/. There was a recent news article about a study which showed all the cameras in UK had pretty negligible effect on crime. And current facial recognition technology isn't quite as good as you're making it out to be. There's a reason why people are still paid to look for faces.

This doesn't discount the possibility of all this in a Macross future setting though and it does seem like a pretty interesting oversight.

Edited May 26, 2008 by ChronoReverse

[Zinjo]

It is logical to assume that after the Protodeviln left the galaxy they must have left the Varauta fleet behind. Since Galaxy fleet is the leader of current NUNS technology development, is possible they got hold of the fleet or used it as a basis for upgrading their fleet...

Wasn't the SDF-1 Macross cannon a "Super Dimension Energy" cannon? The Vajra seem to have a miniaturized version of the same weapon.

The Macross Quarter cannon is a "Quantum Particle cannon"... which sounds (and looks!) different to me...

Well early on in the show's development it was called the "Buster Cannon", in the series it was referred to as the "Macross Cannon", however I find that a misnomer, since the Mac7's cannon was not as powerful as the Macross cannon, yet still retained the name.

[Mark Nguyen]

I question the actual power of the original Macross' cannon versus that of the New Macross carriers and now Macross Quarter. Visual evidence varies, but when Battle 7 opened up, it had a tendency to wipe out at LEAST several Varauta ships in formation, with the potential to destroy several dozen. SDF-01 usually took out one at a time, usually emphasizing the destruction of many squadrons of enemy fighters instead. Finally, we know that Macross Quarter can easily take out at LEAST one ship with one shot, with no other evidence of its power thus far.

Mark

[Zinjo]

I question the actual power of the original Macross' cannon versus that of the New Macross carriers and now Macross Quarter. Visual evidence varies, but when Battle 7 opened up, it had a tendency to wipe out at LEAST several Varauta ships in formation, with the potential to destroy several dozen. SDF-01 usually took out one at a time, usually emphasizing the destruction of many squadrons of enemy fighters instead. Finally, we know that Macross Quarter can easily take out at LEAST one ship with one shot, with no other evidence of its power thus far.

Mark

I can't remember now, but I recall reading it somewhere....

With respect to the M7 destorying several cap ships in one shot, that really doesn't say one way or another except that the Varuata were very poor at deploying their ships, keeping them in such close proximity to one another...

Edited May 26, 2008 by Zinjo

[Morpheus]

I question the actual power of the original Macross' cannon versus that of the New Macross carriers and now Macross Quarter. Visual evidence varies, but when Battle 7 opened up, it had a tendency to wipe out at LEAST several Varauta ships in formation, with the potential to destroy several dozen. SDF-01 usually took out one at a time, usually emphasizing the destruction of many squadrons of enemy fighters instead. Finally, we know that Macross Quarter can easily take out at LEAST one ship with one shot, with no other evidence of its power thus far.

Mark

Battle 7 gunship/Macross Cannon is probably the same size as Quarter . Macross Quarter could be designed as a tactical transformable warships by engaging specific target, while her older brother is a mass destruction type ship.

I quess the rank of the Macross cannon is like this:

Macross Cannon (Mac 2 if its canon) > Battle 7 > SDF-1 > Quarter

[Zinjo]

Battle 7 gunship/Macross Cannon is probably the same size as Quarter . Macross Quarter could be designed as a tactical transformable warships by engaging specific target, while her older brother is a mass destruction type ship.

I quess the rank of the Macross cannon is like this:

Macross Cannon (Mac 2 if its canon) > Battle 7 > SDF-1 > Quarter

With no direct stats, it's all conjecture, including my comments regarding the power of the SDF-1.

[Mr March]

Uh, the very first use of the SDF-1's super dimension energy cannons in SDF Macross episode #1 destroyed two Zentradi ships with a single shot. Also, throughout the series there are several instances where the SDF-1 cannon is used to destroy multiple warships at once, all enveloped in a very wide beam.

IMO, the super dimension energy cannon was likely seen at it's most potent in SDF Macross. Even DYRL doesn't really do it justice. In SDF Macross, the main gun destroys multiple ships at once, can be fired in all modes and it can fire at different settings that either envelope entire formations of warships or splits a single beam to fire on separate ships. More importantly, the super dimension energy cannon can be fired consecutively in the same engagement again and again.

After SDF Macross, the "Macross gun" never did become that powerful again. The Battle 7 indeed seemed able to match and/or exceed the firepower of the SDF-1 gun, but was never shown to be as versatile. In fact, official statistics state the Battle 7 cannon is basically a one-shot deal, requiring over an hour to build up enough power to fire again. The Macross Quarter's quantum cannon seems effective, but is it as versatile as the SDF-1? I'm betting it isn't. The Macross Cannons from Macross II seem impressive, but their capabilities were never shown to exceed the SDF-1, as it was shown in SDF Macross.

I think the reason the Macross main guns seem somewhat less impressive later in the franchise was due to the influence of Yamato on the original SDF Macross series. At the time, Yamato's wave motion gun was the big thing and Macross was basically an anime hero warship created from the same mold, as it were. Once the Macross franchise moved on and Valkyries began overtaking the "warship" aspect of the Macross franchise, the big guns weren't a priority and were lessened in their emphasis.

Edited May 26, 2008 by Mr March

[junior]

I think colony ships in the Macross universe really need to upgrade their intruder detection systems as it seems really easy for enemy forces to sneak on board and hide out for long periods of time undetected.

We have seen this happen in both the Macross 7 and Macross Frontier fleets.

Don't forget the three Zentraedi spies (four if you count Millia) in SDF Macross.

My own thought is that since Frontier is an entire fleet, there's enough traffic to and from the ships in it that anyone who is really determined and puts a little forethought into it can smuggle themselves in without too much difficulty. And there's been no evidence of surveillance systems inside the main Frontier colony ship. So there's no reason to think that they're any more security conscious than in Japan today. There's even passenger traffic between different fleets as shown in episode 1 (it's possible, though unlikely, that Brera arrived by taking a passenger liner from another fleet).

The primary problem for anyone sneaking onboard is going to be basic necessities. You need a place to stay, you need food to eat, and you need a way to get clothes. The first requires ID. The second and third take money, and for that you need ID. SDF Macross touched on this briefly when the three Zentraedi spies went ravenous with hunger and tried to eat the plastic food display items (and got a job out of it). That ship was also big enough that there were all sorts of compartments that no one ever went to (which apparently allowed them to hide a full-size battle pod) where they could stay. And I'm not gonna touch on the clothing issue...

I'm guessing that there was enough regular havoc onboard the Macross that the person who hired them didn't worry about ID (as well as the point that the idea of someone trying to sneak onboard the Macross would seem a bit nuts).

[azrael]

More importantly, the super dimension energy cannon can be fired consecutively in the same engagement again and again.

I don't seem to recall them using it in more than once/engagement. Also, I'm not sure SDF-1 is the best of examples as the ship was plagued with issues.

After SDF Macross, the "Macross gun" never did become that powerful again. The Battle 7 indeed seemed able to match and/or exceed the firepower of the SDF-1 gun, but was never shown to be as versatile. In fact, official statistics state the Battle 7 cannon is basically a one-shot deal, requiring over an hour to build up enough power to fire again. The Macross Quarter's quantum cannon seems effective, but is it as versatile as the SDF-1? I'm betting it isn't. The Macross Cannons from Macross II seem impressive, but their capabilities were never shown to exceed the SDF-1, as it was shown in SDF Macross.

Macross 13 is a good example of the New-Macross class gunship usage. Now, while the New-Macross class gunship may or may not be as powerful as SDF-1's, I would say the modification options I have with a New Macross gunship are make it much more versatile in usage. The Sound Buster modification is a good example.

[d3v]

I don't seem to recall them using it in more than once/engagement. Also, I'm not sure SDF-1 is the best of examples as the ship was plagued with issues.

That's what you get for using refurbished weaponry.

[Major Focker]

while we're on the subject of big guns, i'm interested to know if there were ever any official material explaining the following:

1. any advantage of the later guns being "held" vs the original "mounted" SDF variety

2. why the later guns are handheld rather than arm mounted ala megatron

3. the need for transformation to fire the main gun

if there are no official materials, i'd appreciate your theories as well

here's my take:

1. comparing firing a bazooka and a rifle (assuming they have dimensions and weight), using the rifle shooting stance allows for faster aim and broader firing arcs without having to move/shift the entire torso/body. but if bretai's 180 towards the end of DYRL is any indication, quickly maneuvering entire ships to get into firing position seems workable enough. besides, at the distances they're shooting, there really isn't a need for huge deflections/course alignment (ie. at long distances you just need a few degrees of course correction to line up a distant target).

2. what are they going to use those big hands for (aside from holding the gun)? unless they're designing for grappling judo tactics, having the gun arm mounted would have sufficed

3. in SDF/DYRL it was explained as a means of realigning the power grid, but in the later purpose-built ships, i imagine they could have sorted this out. unless battroid form really confers some tactical benefits even for really big ships. as to what, i can't wrap my head around it. so i'm very interested as to what others think about it.

seems like the later designs simply reflected a desire for bigger, badder battroids..

[tankf77]

I don't seem to recall them using it in more than once/engagement. Also, I'm not sure SDF-1 is the best of examples as the ship was plagued with issues.

Macross 13 is a good example of the New-Macross class gunship usage. Now, while the New-Macross class gunship may or may not be as powerful as SDF-1's, I would say the modification options I have with a New Macross gunship are make it much more versatile in usage. The Sound Buster modification is a good example.

Given New Macross flagships as colony guardians, and not being designed to have a main gun equal or exceed SDF-1 doesn't make sense.

Anyway, I think the ability to destroy several ships with a single shot depends on the spread of the beam. The larger the spread, less concentrated, good for "carpet bombing" effect to clear enemy mechas, smaller vessels etc. For concentrated shots, probably meant to take out larger capital ships as seen in the last episode of SDFM when the SDF-1 fired a concentrated salvo on Kyron's crippled poo.

As for SDF-1 main cannon wiping out 2 Zentran ships when they approached Earth, I think they these vessels were probably scout type, hence smaller size.

[Mr March]

azrael

I know for certain episode 13 shows the SDF-1 firing the main gun multiple times on Kamjin's fleet. I don't think the many technical problems of the SDF-1 Macross would be relevant unless they hindered the above described capabilities of the main SDF-1 gun. Regarding the New Macross Class, I agree that in theory the "Gunship" should grant the super dimension energy cannon more options than a static mounted weapon, but whether the Gunship is fired on it's own or fired via the Battle vessel, it's still a one-shot deal, as I understand it. Don't know what the Sound Buster is.

Major Focker

1) As I briefly touched upon with azrael, a separate Gunship should give the New Macross Class vessels more options in battle. For example, the Gunship is far smaller than the NMC ship and so would be able to maneuver much faster into a firing position. It also has it's own reactor and could fire independently.

2) I have no idea.

3) Since the super dimension energy cannon on the SDF-1 could fire in cruiser mode (prior to the vanished fold system) and the Zentradi/Meltrandi ships are seen firing their main guns in the only mode they have, I can't think of any logical reason why the NMC would be intentionally designed with such a blatant weakness. Of course, without this "weakness" there'd be no reason to transform the ship It's Macross; the whole transforming ship concept is kinda daft, but the execution is so damn entertaining, who cares?

tankf77

Actually, aside from the Gunship, the NMC has only four beam cannons and that's it. I think the NMC ships were designed as command carriers, much like the Mobile Fortresses of the Zentradi/Meltrandi fleets, but they were always envisioned to be escorted by a fleet. By comparison, the original SDF-1 Macross was bristling with weapons and was a dedicated front line warship (not surprising, since the SDF-1 was originally a Supervision Army Gunboat).

As for the two Zentradi pickets that were destroyed by the SDF-1, those two ships were so totally obliterated by the main gun, even Britai's Nupetiet-Vergnitzs Fleet command ship couldn't withstand a 500 meter section of the ship being blasted apart. Also, it's important to keep in mind that the SDF-1 Macross barely had enough power for a single shot in the final battle against Kamjin's gunboat (again, the dialog mentioning that in it's weakened state the SDF-1 had only a "single shot" thus indicating that normally the SDF-1 could fire multiple times).

[Mr March]

I noticed in MacF episode 7, that SMS's König Monster have conventional cannons instead of the rail guns.

Note the 2 expended casings on the Dulfin's hull

In my opinion, I don't believe that is an accurate interpretation. Those shells were totally immobile and clearly at rest while the Konig was still recoiling from firing, so they couldn't have come from the Monster. They are most likely munitions from the Dulfim's Valkyrie squadron defenders, which seems more likely since the Dulfim's hull is shown as littered with debris. It's also important to note both the original Monster's guns and the VB-6 Konig's top four cannons are officially described as rail guns.

However, there is something definitive about the Konig in this episode; it appears to have more than one forward gun in Shuttle mode. The Konig fires a pair of guns on either side of the nose in Shuttle mode, just before it transforms.

Edited May 27, 2008 by Mr March

[Major Focker]

so as not to be misunderstood: i like big, bad, SDF-sized battroids. the execution is indeed very entertaining, not to mention cool.

i just wish that their existence was better supported in the storyline, like it was in SDF which greatly added to the plausibility of the design.

extrapolating from the SDF logic of re-aligning the power grid to fire the macross cannons, this may still hold true for later macross ships if one would assume that each macross ship has several power centers (which seems to be what was shown in the diagnostic screens in MF ep7), and that in cruiser mode it would be optimal to have them distributed given the size of these ships, but that to fire the macross cannons it would be optimal to bring them closer for more efficient handling of the power discharge. think yoga postures that aim to align chakras for optimal energy flow, but please, no pics of the SDF in lotus pose

they still could have instead designed alternate power wirings instead of transforming the whole ship, but i'm willing to give them that.

this argument falls flat however, given that the gunships have their own reactors (i always thought they relied on the ships main reactors). but if indeed they are independent, it begs the question as to why they need to be docked in the first place. they would be much more versatile if separately deployed, as is the doctrine in the PC game Homeworld 2, where the dreadnaught (basically a big gun with thrusters) can be used in the forward lines while the mothership and carriers hang back.

that game by the way is obviously inspired by macross ie. big beams and itano circus missile volleys. i would encourage you to check it out

[azrael]

azrael

I know for certain episode 13 shows the SDF-1 firing the main gun multiple times on Kamjin's fleet. I don't think the many technical problems of the SDF-1 Macross would be relevant unless they hindered the above described capabilities of the main SDF-1 gun. Regarding the New Macross Class, I agree that in theory the "Gunship" should grant the super dimension energy cannon more options than a static mounted weapon, but whether the Gunship is fired on it's own or fired via the Battle vessel, it's still a one-shot deal, as I understand it. Don't know what the Sound Buster is.

You had to pick an episode that was animated by AnimeFriend, didn't you? But ok.

The Sound Buster modification basically allowed the gunship to take Sound Energy, contain it, then using the gunship's fold subsystems, fold that energy onto a target (namely Geperuniti). They squeezed off a fair number of shots before the damn thing overloaded.

Actually, aside from the Gunship, the NMC has only four beam cannons and that's it. I think the NMC ships were designed as command carriers, much like the Mobile Fortresses of the Zentradi/Meltrandi fleets, but they were always envisioned to be escorted by a fleet.By comparison, the original SDF-1 Macross was bristling with weapons and was a dedicated front line warship (not surprising, since the SDF-1 was originally a Supervision Army Gunboat).

In hindsight, this is probably something Miyatake should have designed but probably skipped over. But it would be silly for any aircraft carrier to not have some anti-aircraft weapons/CIWS. But keep in mind that SDF-1 IS a gunship which holds fighters. The NMc's are carriers. We're comparing 2 different classes of vessels here.

[Kronnang Dunn]

But it would be silly for any aircraft carrier to not have some anti-aircraft weapons/CIWS.

And what about Destroids?

[Gui]

[...]

Major Focker

[...]

3) Since the super dimension energy cannon on the SDF-1 could fire in cruiser mode (prior to the vanished fold system) and the Zentradi/Meltrandi ships are seen firing their main guns in the only mode they have, I can't think of any logical reason why the NMC would be intentionally designed with such a blatant weakness. Of course, without this "weakness" there'd be no reason to transform the ship It's Macross; the whole transforming ship concept is kinda daft, but the execution is so damn entertaining, who cares?

[...]

I don't really care personnally, but we should keep in mind that an object in rotation doesn't move its different parts at the same speed. In the case of a small unit, it's not a real trouble, but in the case of the SDF-1, with its huge size but its small and therefore weak crew (contrarily to the zentran/meltran crews for example), a too much fast rotation will probably injure people located at the extremities, and maybe kill some, all the more as the civilian quarters are located at the far end of the ship in cruiser mode; but once transformed and its canons deployed horizontaly, the SDF-1 rotates onto its vertical axis and its humanoid morphology reduces both its width and the strength from the spin at the extremities (ie, its shoulders): this allows to aim at different targets far much faster this way and it may be the reason why the other SDF-1-like vessels present in the various sequels have the same 'feature'. In other words, what was once a solution to a particular, strictly technical problem, became after what some sort of a tactical advantage

[Mr March]

Major Focker

I've actually played both Homeworld and Homeworld II. Long ago, I was actually a member of the relicnews boards even long before the game was released. It was one of my first internet message boards

I kinda just go with the transforming ship idea. Like I said, it's silly, but so is a lot of other sci-fi I enjoy, like energy swords going "vrooomm mhrrmmmmm". So I embrace it because it's entertaining and fun.

azrael

LOL Well, the AnimeFirend/Star Pro animation aside, I just never got the impression the cannon was a one trick pony. There are other indications the thing can ordinarily be used more than once. It could be possible that Kawamori and Co. perhaps envisioned the SDF-1 main gun as a one shot deal and then broke their own rule whenever the episode demanded it or the dialog needed dramatic tension, but hey, who can say?

As for the NMC, I suppose it might have more weapons, but with that many fighters and support vessels it's not like it needs it. It's not a front line fighting ship so I can understand if the only defenses are Valkyries and Destroids. But I agree that the SDF-1 is definitely the scrapper and it looks like the Macross Quarter is too

Gui

As far as a barely plausible justification for a transforming ship, that's about as good as it gets Bravo for putting a lot of thought into it.

[Mark Nguyen]

I'm still wrestling with the SDF-01's main gun's power... Sure, in the first episode she destroyed two ships close together on approach from space; but the NMC cannon did just that after landing on Rax in the middle of Macross 7, destroying many more ships in a dazzling array of stock footage. The SDF-01's gun was fired at least twice within the space of a few minutes, but there's little evidence that multiple firings of other main guns would not be restricted - Battle 7 fired/folded several shots of spiritia blast energy before it overloaded, and in general when Battle 7 fired its Macross cannon, the battle was over shortly after that.

Can we have an episode reference where the original Macross destroyed multiple ships? It's not like the main gun was fired all that often...

Mark

[Garou Kuroryuu]

I'm still wrestling with the SDF-01's main gun's power... Sure, in the first episode she destroyed two ships close together on approach from space; but the NMC cannon did just that after landing on Rax in the middle of Macross 7, destroying many more ships in a dazzling array of stock footage. The SDF-01's gun was fired at least twice within the space of a few minutes, but there's little evidence that multiple firings of other main guns would not be restricted - Battle 7 fired/folded several shots of spiritia blast energy before it overloaded, and in general when Battle 7 fired its Macross cannon, the battle was over shortly after that.

Can we have an episode reference where the original Macross destroyed multiple ships? It's not like the main gun was fired all that often...

Mark

If a remember correctly, in the episode before getting back to Earth the first time, the SDF-1 was being followed closely by Kamjim's ships, and the SDF-1 kept firing volleys from its main gun, destroying several destroyer/scout ships with every shot.

Thou I may remember wrong

Anyway, I'm also a believer of the idea that the SDF-1's main gun could fire with some frequency (minutes to reload/recharge instead of hours) during a battle. In several occasions, the main gun proved not to be a "pull the magical sword, cut the enemy robot and end the episode" device.