SDF-1's command tower

[JB0]

In the TV series, each section of the bridge was a self contained part of the hull itself.  The large transparent hull simply covered another sealed hull wherein sat the bridge (which had a narrow veiwport as well).

Indeed, the DYRL version had no such interior hull sections and was all one open bridge.

Yes, command towers are all very big and vulnerable targets, but quitenecessary not just for veiwing area, but also for communication and detection equipment.  I would think however, that the pin point barrier system would more than compensate for the traditional bridge vulnerability.  Indeed, there was one instance in which the SDF-1 was hit by the main gun of a Zentradi cruiser and was sucessfully defended by the PPB system.

i'd love to agree if they used it more often in the tv series. past ep 13, i can't remember the macross using the pinpoint.

random thought - couldve conserved energy in ep 36 and wasted it on a final dedalus attack on kamjin, or maybe not. . .

The pin point barrier system was shown in other instances, including the final battle with Bodolzaa's fleet in Episode 27 "Love Drifts Away" (specifically during the SDF-1's penetration of Boldolzaa's mothership).

An upgraded version, no less.

If you watch, there's not 3, but 4 barrier disks in use during the "Macross attack". One per cannnon boom, plus one on the Daedalus and one on the Prometheus.

[Mr March]

lol that's a good point. has anyone here seen/remember the cartoon The Centurions, where these guys have these suits that connect to airplane parts, boat parts, etc. you have, good, you get my point with half of every episode taking up the transformation time.

POWER EXTREME.

k im done reminiscing, back to my insane amount of late spring break homework/

No, but I've seen my fair share of annoying cartoons. I'm glad Macross did without as much as possible

[Mr March]

There was still a large gaping hole in the command tower.

Had Kamjin aimed higher, it would've ventillated the bridge, barrier or not.

As I said, the system compensates and serves its purpose. It is not an all-powerful god-like technology that can defend against ANY and ALL attacks. The bridge survived.

[JB0]

There was still a large gaping hole in the command tower.

Had Kamjin aimed higher, it would've ventillated the bridge, barrier or not.

As I said, the system compensates and serves its purpose. It is not an all-powerful god-like technology that can defend against ANY and ALL attacks. The bridge survived.

Since it punched straight through both sides of the tower, I figured that it would've done the same thing whether the barrier was there or not.

[eugimon]

not necessarily, if the barriers work by absorbing/redirecting energy until depleted then it seems like the barriers absorbed most of the energy, dissipated and what was left did the damage shown.

So if the barriers were not there, the damage would have been much worse. imo.

[JB0]

not necessarily, if the barriers work by absorbing/redirecting energy until depleted then it seems like the barriers absorbed most of the energy, dissipated and what was left did the damage shown.

So if the barriers were not there, the damage would have been much worse. imo.

I was thinking that too.

But then I started thinking that it all went in a straight line, so there wouldn't be splash damage, and it ran right through the tower anyways. How much beam flew through the hole doesn't seem really relevant as long as it blew a hole to go through.

It's like if you shoot 10 bullets through a hole or a hundred. If they all go through the same hole, it doesn't matter how many go through. The one that made the hole did all the damage.

If the barrier had blocked the entire shot, it would be unarguable. Or if they had swept the beam across the tower instead of just punching a hole through it.

But as it is, they might not have actually done anything but add "barrier system damage" to their list of problems.

[KingNor]

not necessarily, if the barriers work by absorbing/redirecting energy until depleted then it seems like the barriers absorbed most of the energy, dissipated and what was left did the damage shown.

So if the barriers were not there, the damage would have been much worse. imo.

I was thinking that too.

But then I started thinking that it all went in a straight line, so there wouldn't be splash damage, and it ran right through the tower anyways. How much beam flew through the hole doesn't seem really relevant as long as it blew a hole to go through.

It's like if you shoot 10 bullets through a hole or a hundred. If they all go through the same hole, it doesn't matter how many go through. The one that made the hole did all the damage.

If the barrier had blocked the entire shot, it would be unarguable. Or if they had swept the beam across the tower instead of just punching a hole through it.

But as it is, they might not have actually done anything but add "barrier system damage" to their list of problems.

you're totaly over analysing this.

you gotta remember this isn't a war documentary.

the barrier system helped lessen the blow of the attack. i doubt they took into consideration all this physics crap and argued it to a fine point.

the serise creators wanted to damage the bridge and main guns of the ship with out killing the bridge crew.. so the barrier system was turned on to lessen the damage. i doubt they put any more thought into it than that.

as for the actual bridge itself. i think that glass is supposed to work like a gigantic HUD. isnt' it possible that the glass is like 12 feet thick? that would be pretty strong.

i for one don't think there is enough info to argue one way or another about the glass, and second, since it was never broken in any of the shows, i don't think they ever even considered it as a plot point.

the glass is strong enough, its never explained how or why its is strong enough, it just is. if theyd thought it wasn't they would have made an episode or something that involved the "precarious" bridge.

thats my opinion.

Edited March 29, 2004 by KingNor

[Boxer]

I suppose this answers the question "why don't Zjentohlauedy ships have windows?"

Since the glass was present on the supervision army version of the gunboat I suppose it's assumed

A) The Supervision army wasn't afraid of lasers

B) Their glass was of a different formula than that of Earth made glass

C) They stuck Zentran observers in the head to die and all this time we've put the bridge somewhere else.

Er...I think B is the most reasonable...

Maybe the glass on the SDF-1 is the same glass on the ASS when it landed. It must have been so strong to withstand landing and the crash, and hence wasn't replaced.

And besides, a giant window like that has to have some protection even from non-combat issues, like space debris, dust, rocks, etc. If you can't stop a micrometeor or other stellar debris then why do you have a giant window?

Maybe this should be filed under 'Anime Law...'

[Druna Skass]

Well since we never see it crack or shatter, is it even glass at all?

[Renato]

Yeah I know I stole it from yellowlightman's site, but he's not here now is he?

Hey, it's not like he drew it or anything.

[dna]

I suppose this answers the question "why don't Zjentohlauedy ships have windows?"

Since the glass was present on the supervision army version of the gunboat I suppose it's assumed

A) The Supervision army wasn't afraid of lasers

B) Their glass was of a different formula than that of Earth made glass

C) They stuck Zentran observers in the head to die and all this time we've put the bridge somewhere else.

Er...I think B is the most reasonable...

Maybe the glass on the SDF-1 is the same glass on the ASS when it landed. It must have been so strong to withstand landing and the crash, and hence wasn't replaced.

And besides, a giant window like that has to have some protection even from non-combat issues, like space debris, dust, rocks, etc. If you can't stop a micrometeor or other stellar debris then why do you have a giant window?

Maybe this should be filed under 'Anime Law...'

Do we know if the glass was there originally or was it added during the Earth refit?

[KingNor]

Do we know if the glass was there originally or was it added during the Earth refit?

i thought the glass comand tower was on the original ship.

could be wrong though.

its kinda odd, the macross, even in its original configuration is vastly diffrent than the zentradi ships.

[Druna Skass]

Is possible that the bubble could be some kind of special plastic?

[dna]

its kinda odd, the macross, even in its original configuration is vastly diffrent than the zentradi ships.

To be expected - it wasn't really a Zentraedi ship.

[JB0]

not necessarily, if the barriers work by absorbing/redirecting energy until depleted then it seems like the barriers absorbed most of the energy, dissipated and what was left did the damage shown.

So if the barriers were not there, the damage would have been much worse. imo.

I was thinking that too.

But then I started thinking that it all went in a straight line, so there wouldn't be splash damage, and it ran right through the tower anyways. How much beam flew through the hole doesn't seem really relevant as long as it blew a hole to go through.

It's like if you shoot 10 bullets through a hole or a hundred. If they all go through the same hole, it doesn't matter how many go through. The one that made the hole did all the damage.

If the barrier had blocked the entire shot, it would be unarguable. Or if they had swept the beam across the tower instead of just punching a hole through it.

But as it is, they might not have actually done anything but add "barrier system damage" to their list of problems.

you're totaly over analysing this.

you gotta remember this isn't a war documentary.

the barrier system helped lessen the blow of the attack. i doubt they took into consideration all this physics crap and argued it to a fine point.

the serise creators wanted to damage the bridge and main guns of the ship with out killing the bridge crew.. so the barrier system was turned on to lessen the damage. i doubt they put any more thought into it than that.

I think it was intended more to demonstrate that the pinpoint barrier had limits, and wasn't infinitely strong.

They'd been giving the impression that as long as their system operators could keep up, the Macross was invincible. It was a dramatic way to show that this impression was false, the barrier system had restrictions on what it could block, and that a suitably determined enemy could still ventilate the ship.