25 replies to this topic

[crossflip]

I say it's because of angled elbows. Even if they're not pointing outward, all mechs with arms have angled elbows with forearms level with the ground. This likens a chickenwalker's movement to the classic bawk bawk walk, minus the flapping. The chickenmechs without proper arms look like birds anyway, and for those I believe the reason lies in the feet. Ducks have webbed feet whereas chickens have regular bird feet. There aren't any mechs I know of with webbed feet.

Besides, the chicken is just that much more iconic than a duck. Sandor Clegane doesn't give a **** about ducks.

[Magna Canus]

crossflip, on 23 May 2014 - 03:13 AM, said:

I say it's because of angled elbows. Even if they're not pointing outward, all mechs with arms have angled elbows with forearms level with the ground. This likens a chickenwalker's movement to the classic bawk bawk walk, minus the flapping. The chickenmechs without proper arms look like birds anyway, and for those I believe the reason lies in the feet. Ducks have webbed feet whereas chickens have regular bird feet. There aren't any mechs I know of with webbed feet.

Besides, the chicken is just that much more iconic than a duck. Sandor Clegane doesn't give a **** about ducks.

Yeah, and Sandor is gonna die a long, messy, painful death too. LOL

[TVMA Doc]

Sergeant Random, on 22 May 2014 - 01:53 AM, said:

I don't really know my oxymorons, but can any one clarify the prejudice against ducks, turkeys, tyrannosaurus rex and raptors?

What is wrong with "raptor mech"? Too vague or violent for the kiddies?

The choice is related to the comedy value. While it might be preferable to the mech pilot to be driving a "Raptor", it's always funnier to be attacking the guy in the "chicken mech".

If you check out fighter pilot nicknames you'll find that some are the "cool" "raptor" type, but more often than not it is the most embarassing thing that anyone could think of that "stuck".

[Sergeant Random]

I had to Google that Game of Thrones reference, you got me there! But that borders on veering off topic, provided we do have a valid topic. Eh, I was wondering today, are bug mechs (spider, cicada) afraid of chicken mechs? Do chicken mechs eat bug mechs? Does that make the cicada a cannibal?

[Ovion]

http://en.wikipedia..../Chicken_walker
http://tvtropes.org/...n/ChickenWalker

I think it's just because, it looked like a bird, plus invaribly flightless, and Chicken Walker rolled off the tongue easier.

Edited by Ovion, 23 May 2014 - 11:08 AM.

[Sergeant Random]

Aha! Wikipedia references officially make our discussion A Scholarly Topic!

Ah - I remember what Grammomma used to say: "It takes a troll to catch a troll, but it takes snappy banter (or vicious flaming) to retain them in your thread."

The angled elbows angle intrigues me. It appears that crossflip is implying that all mechs with lower arm actuators are chicken walkers. But that leaves the AC20 bearing Victors and Highlander as half-chickens! ....

Were-chickens? Were they bitten by the cannibal cicada? ....

(That or we are running out of material for this thread...)

Edited by Sergeant Random, 23 May 2014 - 12:21 PM.