Fan supposition time!

[Final Vegeta]

Someone seems to think the reason Destroids are destroyed so often is the lack of energy converting armor which triples the armor of a VF in battroid. In fact, if you watch the stats

VF-1: 13250 kg

Tomahawk: 31300 kg

Defender: 27100 kg

Phalanx: 47200 kg

Spartan: 29400 kg

Regult: 37000 kg

you may notice that Destoids already weigh three times more than a VF-1. Taking off account some common weight for engines, actuators, and the like, it is very likely Destroids already have the armor of a VF-1 in Battroid, if not even tougher. That said, VFs may actually be the only mecha with energy converting armor, just to keep it in par with other mecha.

The difference in performance is due to something else:

VF-1: 17680 PS

Tomahawk: 2800 bhp + 450 kW

Defender: 2800 shp + 510 kW

Phalanx: 2800 shp + 970 kW

Spartan: 3200 shp

Regult: 1.3 GGV class Esbeliben thermonuclear reaction furnance

(2800 bhp/shp = ~2 MW ; 17680 PS = ~13MW ; 1.3 GGV = 1.3 GW)

To put it simply, the Destroids have a power to mass ratio greatly inferior to that of a VF-1. Also, it is stated the Spartan was four times more agile than the Tomahawk, and the VF-1 is four times more agile than the Spartan. The VF-1 wins over Destroids for sheer agility.

There is something to note about the Regult, also. A VF-1 has two engines which deliver 650 MW each, but the actual power output is 1/100th. Either power is spent in self-controlling the thermonuclear reaction, or engines are never used at full power for safety, we don't know. Considerating differences in shape, the Regult is not that bigger than a VF-1, and it has three times the weight. While the actual power output or thrust is not stated in the Compendium, overall I think the authors wanted to suggest the Regult is actually an even match for the VF-1 (they have edges in different areas though). While the design has its weak points, I don't think it was supposed to be that lightly armored, at least in the front plate.

Now, another consideration.

The Macross Cannon employs (polarized) superdimensional energy.

The Grand Cannon is said to be derived from the technology of Macross Cannon.

The Compendium says "Huge beam weapon whose energy is derived from Earth's gravity".

If gravity could be used as energy, maybe the opposite is true: with energy you could generate artificial gravity. Indeed there is artificial gravity in Macross. How did they explained anti-gravity, though? Watching Macross Zero, it seems that anti-gravity and superdimension theory are related.

When the ASS-1 first came folding near Earth there were irregolarities in the orbit of the Moon. Was the ASS-1 alone massive enough to cause them? Maybe yes. More likely spacetime had to make some room for the ASS-1 out of nothing, however I have the feeling there could have been even some superdimensional influence over gravity. I will explain it later.

When the SDF-1 hid near Saturn, the crew activated the EMC. The name is an obvious reference to ECM, meaning that the purpose is the same, but technology and results differ. I suppose EMC stands for something like "electromagnetic waves canceler".

In episode eight (Longest Birthday) Misa says she doesn't detect anything with the radar, like there wasn't really anything outside. Some background noise is always expected. Then we see Kamjin and he orders his men to turn off the emission of interference waves.

This is what I meant with Minowsky particles in Macross. The only thing is that simple EM waves won't cancel each other, and results shown in Macross aren't those of a ECM. This is something completely different, and now I think superdimension theory was called again.

Among the new things Compendium said, the most interesting one was that thermonuclear engines in Macross employ anti-matter for their reaction. Actually, anti-matter is not mentioned, but "pair annihilation" means only one thing.

the fuel does not necessarily have to be nuclear material and is also easily maintained in plasma state with the use of super dimension spatial theory

Again, superdimension is invoked, this time related to anti-matter.

So, here comes the craziest fan supposition of all time: the superdimensional energy universe was supposed to be something like an anti-universe with properties opposite to "our" own one. Not only it is made of something similar to anti-matter (or it's really anti-matter), but also there are anti-EM waves that cancel matching EM waves and anti-gravity which cancels gravity. These two universes were born out of sheer nothing by "stretching" the void in opposite directions; should they merge again, all will disappear.

As for the feasibility of this supposition, it should be remembered that when the fold engine disappeared, the SDF-1 lost its fold communications, but the Macross Cannon could still be fired (after the transformation, that is). There is more than a way to bend the bounds between "our" universe and the superdimension one. It seems that summoning energy from the "other" universe is actually a lot easier than folding a spaceship from this universe to the other. Actually, the super dimension spatial theory should be used mostly as a mean to keep a spaceship unharmed during folding; after all, while folding they are inside a Macross Cannon beam.

Maybe it all started when some human scientists found out that they could provoke a particular pair annihilation reaction which emitted some strange waves able to interfere with EM waves. They called them "Ionesco waves". The rest is history...

I can't say I really believe what I wrote, but it was a neat thought.

FV

[Max Jenius]

ummm... cool?

Destroids are heavier probably because they incorporate different OTEC enhancements. I mean, valkyries are primarily aircraft and can be stored as such, on their struts/wheels(more even dist. of weight and on cushy tires no less). Destroids probably use heavier materials... is all.

Most of the Destroids were just mobile turrets for the SDF-1 anyway. I got a friend into Macross w/o even mentioning valkyries. I told him it was about a ship with a big gun that had these robotic tanks walk around on the hull and defend it.

Interesting read, but its kinda trekkie like don't you think?

[azrael]

Most of the Destroids were just mobile turrets for the SDF-1 anyway.

Exactly.

[Max Jenius]

Most of the Destroids were just mobile turrets for the SDF-1 anyway.

Exactly.

So naturally, you'd want a fortified, heavy platform.

[Noyhauser]

As for the feasibility of this supposition, it should be remembered that when the fold engine disappeared, the SDF-1 lost its fold communications, but the Macross Cannon could still be fired (after the transformation, that is). There is more than a way to bend the bounds between "our" universe and the superdimension one. It seems that summoning energy from the "other" universe is actually a lot easier than folding a spaceship from this universe to the other. Actually, the super dimension spatial theory should be used mostly as a mean to keep a spaceship unharmed during folding; after all, while folding they are inside a Macross Cannon beam.

This sounds disturbingly familiar to what the Protoculture Evil series was attempting to do (from what I remember.) They were attempting to derive power from an alternate sub universe. I took this from the compendium.

PC 2868

On the [aforementioned] scientifically advanced planet, the existence of a sub-universe is confirmed. According to survey results, this sub-universe is abound with super high levels of extra-dimensional energy, and this energy is discovered to have the potential for application.

The trial production of super dimension energy gates which can supply energy from the sub-universe is begun, and genetically engineered biological super dimension organs are developed. These biological super dimension organs are extremely compact, and they are expected to supply enormous amounts of energy.

Because of power problems, the trial production begins implementing the technology from the terminated "Evil Series." No problems are uncovered in simulations.

The internal conflicts within the Stellar Republic revives the development of the "Evil Series."

http://www.anime.net/macross/story/chronol...0000/index.html

I think it correlates neatly with your theory, no?

edited to post citation link

Edited July 16, 2004 by Noyhauser

[Final Vegeta]

I think it correlates neatly with your theory, no?

Obviously I knew it and made the theory according to facts like this.

That is not to say actual superdimension theory, whatever it was as Macross' authors originally thought it, may have been stretched a bit to fit for Macross 7.

While thermonuclear reactors employ anti-matter (but note how authors kept the concept vague), superdimension energy seems more something like a generic form of energy.

Anyway, I think spiritia could be what separate material universe from superdimension one. By tuning properly spiritia (maybe you could do it via singing) you could open a gate between the two universes.

FV

[Knight26]

I've worked under the assumption for quite a while the Macross cannon was actually a sort of high powered particle cannon utilizing gravitational forces, or a gravity cannon. WHat I mean is this, and please pardon any miss-spellings or wierd logic right now as I have been painting all day. Anyway, the Macross cannon as I see it is mostly a gravity based weapon, that is why the impact effects are the way they are, causing the targeted ship to collapse in on itself momentarily before it explodes. This would also explain why near misses also result in catastrophic damage to the targetted ship, the gravitational force of the beam tears the ship apart. The core of the beam however would be a massive particle beam, that is one of the reasons why the cannon has to take time to charge up, it is drawing in particles from surrounding space, remember space is only a near vacuum so there is plenty of floating particles, just in very low quantities. When used closer to a planet the charge time would not be as much and if we assume that it can use shipboard air supplies to charge itself as well then charge time can be further reduced, but at the cost of ship's life supporting ability. This massive compressed particle charge would also give the blast a strong impact force and concentrate the gravitational effect making it stronger, almost like firing a miniature black hole. Well I need to rest and get cleaned up now, paint fumes are still wafting off my clothes making me dizzy.