Mr March Posted February 12, 2016 Posted February 12, 2016 Oh, we all know that's the real reason... 'cept maybe Mit... but because of that, Kawamori has constructed a setting where a transforming tank would be an entirely redundant thing. He's not alone in doing that either. Most settings where transforming robots exist would be ones in which a transforming tank would be a waste of resources on a machine that has two modes to do the exact same job. (e.g. Southern Cross, Eureka Seven, Mobile Suit Gundam, etc.) I think there might also be a genre/creative bias involved too. Most anime mecha are generally depicted as high-speed, flight-capable, supremely agile and precision machines. Those kind of capabilities translate well when compared to the performance of a conventional fighter jet or a fictional space fighter. These capabilities do not necessarily translate well when compared to the performance of a conventional tank, which (however inaccurate) is generally perceived to be a heavy, slow moving and imprecise vehicle.
Nazareno2012 Posted February 12, 2016 Posted February 12, 2016 If you see a tank in action you will know that they are highly mobile vehicles in various terrain. Tank designers did not put those 1000+ hp engines for no reason. Transforming tank mecha could be somewhat agile, but not as agile as lighter, less armored mecha due to square/cube law.
Mr March Posted February 13, 2016 Posted February 13, 2016 I suggest re-reading my post then. And I happen to know exactly how a tank handles because I've actually been in one. As I said, it's the perception more than anything else, which colors why agile, high-speed and flight-capable doesn't equate "tank" in the minds of most audiences.
Nazareno2012 Posted February 13, 2016 Posted February 13, 2016 I suggest re-reading my post then. And I happen to know exactly how a tank handles because I've actually been in one. As I said, it's the perception more than anything else, which colors why agile, high-speed and flight-capable doesn't equate "tank" in the minds of most audiences.Oops!But yes, I do understand why there are no variable tanks in Macross, something the OP doesn't seem to get after all the discussion here and in another forum. That's why I (and another poster) suggested that he do his own design as a fan work.
Mr March Posted February 13, 2016 Posted February 13, 2016 Yeah, I think I posted a while back that with the amount of time and effort we've all spent discussing this subject, we could've completed a drawn fan art of a transformable tank. If any of us were good at drawing, I suppose, LOL!
JB0 Posted February 13, 2016 Posted February 13, 2016 Yeah, I think I posted a while back that with the amount of time and effort we've all spent discussing this subject, we could've completed a drawn fan art of a transformable tank. If any of us were good at drawing, I suppose, LOL! We could've drafted a vehicle development history and a short story involving it's operation.
Nazareno2012 Posted February 13, 2016 Posted February 13, 2016 I am working on the "Colony of Corpus Christi" sci-fi alternate universe project on Shipbucket with Shipbucket scale drawings, and one of mecha that I am including is a variable tank. I will draw it after I finish the FM-26 Hornet II variable fighter for that project. While it is not set in the Macross universe, the designs from my project could be easily adapted as fan-made Macross designs.
Seto Kaiba Posted February 13, 2016 Posted February 13, 2016 I think there might also be a genre/creative bias involved too. Most anime mecha are generally depicted as high-speed, flight-capable, supremely agile and precision machines. Those kind of capabilities translate well when compared to the performance of a conventional fighter jet or a fictional space fighter. These capabilities do not necessarily translate well when compared to the performance of a conventional tank, which (however inaccurate) is generally perceived to be a heavy, slow moving and imprecise vehicle. Well, perhaps... though I would say it's probably a stretch to say that tanks in mecha anime are depicted as heavy, slow moving, and imprecise. Outside of Super Robot shows, if the setting hasn't had robots completely replace tanks then it usually depicts them as being reasonably effective in combat but otherwise less versatile and/or less well-adapted to fighting whatever threat forced the development of giant robots in the first place. The less futuristic the tech, the more of a threat a conventional tank usually is. The robot's saving grace in shows like that (e.g. Full Metal Panic!, Mobile Suit Gundam: MS IGLOO, etc.) is usually its greater agility vs. the tank. When those settings have a tank that turns into a robot, it's usually depicted as having been stuck with the worst aspects of both... and it being a transformation with two modes that do the same job gets lampshaded by it being shown to be not as effective as either conventional vehicle.
Mit Posted February 15, 2016 Author Posted February 15, 2016 All of this back and forth is ultimately leading to something, right? How to say? At first I just wanted to know the opinion of fans of "Macross" about this idea - I, for example, during the first viewing of the original "Macross" puzzled the presence of very good mek, transforming into a fighter, and a crowd of assorted piece of iron instead of transformable tanks ... we receive some "asymmetry", perhaps? However, "Seto and Co" decided to convince me that "this can not be, because it can not be, ever," though their arguments contradict themselves ... And in the end, everything depends on what Kavomiri simply like airplanes, the rest of the military equipment just for what would have been something explode on the screen ...So I think of a kind of "alternative history", in which the variation tanks will replace the "Destroyers" I'll try to sketch a fanfic ... Such is the result of a dispute - a small, but still achieving
Gubaba Posted February 28, 2016 Posted February 28, 2016 How to say? At first I just wanted to know the opinion of fans of "Macross" about this idea - I, for example, during the first viewing of the original "Macross" puzzled the presence of very good mek, transforming into a fighter, and a crowd of assorted piece of iron instead of transformable tanks ... we receive some "asymmetry", perhaps? However, "Seto and Co" decided to convince me that "this can not be, because it can not be, ever," though their arguments contradict themselves ... And in the end, everything depends on what Kavomiri simply like airplanes, the rest of the military equipment just for what would have been something explode on the screen ...So I think of a kind of "alternative history", in which the variation tanks will replace the "Destroyers" I'll try to sketch a fanfic ... Such is the result of a dispute - a small, but still achieving So, simply... You wanted fans' opinion. You got it, didn't like it, and so discounted it.
Jasonc Posted February 28, 2016 Posted February 28, 2016 It's like helicopters in space. Completely pointless and useless. The Valkryie design has 3 modes that can address everything that a "variable tank" could, and then much, much more. Besides, Kawamori has always been a fan of jets, and so, I don't see why he'd waste time on doing other stuff that the main heroes aren't going to bother with. This isn't Gundam, it's Macross. I couldn't careless about tanks, or ground robots. They are cool for filler in the shows, but I don't why they need to be explored. And of course, 7 did it first.
anime52k8 Posted February 28, 2016 Posted February 28, 2016 this thread... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kc5xopGC-mA
azrael Posted February 28, 2016 Posted February 28, 2016 And lock. Could've just let the thread fall into oblivion like it was going to.
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