199 replies to this topic

[RangerGee412]

I think it would either be a timberwolf or mad dog. Chassis looks like it would be stable and the missile sections look functional. Humanoid mechs would be unstable and probably easy to knock over. The raven is also a good candidate.

[Metus regem]

None, as someone whom works in the weapons industry, a mech is just silly. A tank provides a much more stable platform for weapon systems.

[Brody319]

Well Lets make a list of things a real mech would never have.
1. A humanoid shape. This is kinda a pointless thing. It wastes metal, makes it a large target in the front, and is not very good for deflecting rounds.
2. Arms. These things are not useful for a war machine, would just be vulnerable places that would get the blown off in combat.
3. a large cockpit. Real mechs would likely use a camera system to give the pilot a large view around them, with a small window in case the camera's fail. Windows are a structural weakness and would just increase the chances of a tank shell going through your chest.


With all those criteria which is probably very limited but I am tired, I imagine the Cicada would be the best possible choice. However it likely wouldn't have missiles since a reload system would be vulnerable. It would probably have a large tank cannon, and high caliber machine guns.

[UrsusMorologus]

none of the bipedal upright mechs, they are just absurd

insectoid mechs are much simpler and more feasible, but still have a lot of exposure

[Squirtbox]

Metus regem, on 29 November 2014 - 10:33 PM, said:

None, as someone whom works in the weapons industry, a mech is just silly. A tank provides a much more stable platform for weapon systems.

This. We would be much more likely to see elementals than we would mechs in the real world.

Joints are and will always be the hardest thing to protect for anything that has limbs. Also the insane number of moving parts in a mech would be a nightmare to repair or conduct any sort of maintenance on.

[Metus regem]

Squirtbox, on 29 November 2014 - 10:52 PM, said:

This. We would be much more likely to see elementals than we would mechs in the real world.

Joints are and will always be the hardest thing to protect for anything that has limbs. Also the insane number of moving parts in a mech would be a nightmare to repair or conduct any sort of maintenance on.

I can tell you, that several groups are in a race for the first suit of powered armour, but they are a ways off right now.

[Brody319]

Metus regem, on 29 November 2014 - 10:54 PM, said:

I can tell you, that several groups are in a race for the first suit of powered armour, but they are a ways off right now.

America has already created a functioning exoskeleton. The only thing holding them back is a reliable compact lightweight power source or battery. A lot of our technologies are inhibited because of the limits of our battery power.

[Popper100]

I believe the naysayers are forgetting a few crucial features that have made Mechs the number one fighting machine in the Battletech universe.

1. Every combat mech is armored to take multiple 150 mm rounds. This is large since modern combat vehicles operate on a kill first or be killed doctrine, this is a huge difference. It allows for a variable combat strategy and a failsafe in case of bad planning.
2. Every combat mech is capable of lifting itself. (loremaster requested) This enables a combat mech to change its profile when and where needed and utilize terrain to its advantage.
3. Weapon loadout. A combat mech can wield weapons and mount weapons, meaning it is possible that a handheld weapon may gain popularity and manipulators would allow for variable combat capability.
4. Ease of repair. This is subjective to the design, but a humanoid mech which has lost an arm need only have the arm unit refabbed and the wiring/myomer reattached for it to be functional. Same goes for legs, although the obvious result of leg damage in a battle is death by piranhas.

I believe that each mech could find a place if technology advances to a state where we have partial ai, muscle simulacra, and fusion tech. I believe Stalkers would reign until sufficient refinement in myomers allows for hand to hand combat, in which case it's anyones guess.

My personal want for a RL mech is a Victor, an elegant beast with all the grace of an elephant and the teeth of a walrus.

[Angel of Annihilation]

Metus regem, on 29 November 2014 - 10:33 PM, said:

None, as someone whom works in the weapons industry, a mech is just silly. A tank provides a much more stable platform for weapon systems.

Actually I don't think we are too far off from something along the lines of "Heavy Gear" type mechs. Those mechs aren't really much taller than a MBT and humanoid shaped take would have a huge advantage in terrain passing, especially if they actually managed to get them to be able to run, jump, lay down, etc, etc.

Battletech sized mechs, yeah I am with you there. Way too big and way too big of a target. 30-45 feet tall, yep makes a prefect target for a ATGM.

[Angel of Annihilation]

Squirtbox, on 29 November 2014 - 10:52 PM, said:

This. We would be much more likely to see elementals than we would mechs in the real world.

Joints are and will always be the hardest thing to protect for anything that has limbs. Also the insane number of moving parts in a mech would be a nightmare to repair or conduct any sort of maintenance on.

Yep Elemental's are right around the corner. They already have a battlesuit that uses a powered exo-skeleton coverd by a liquid metal material for bullet proofing and coupled with a helmet that has build in night vision, thermal and zoom functions in the prototype phase. I think they are expecting it to hit production and issue for Special Operations unit within the next 3-5 years.

[SaltBeef]

I read an article that the power source was no longer an issue! Do not remember the source link.

[Scratx]

Popper100, on 29 November 2014 - 11:02 PM, said:

I believe the naysayers are forgetting a few crucial features that have made Mechs the number one fighting machine in the Battletech universe.

1. Every combat mech is armored to take multiple 150 mm rounds. This is large since modern combat vehicles operate on a kill first or be killed doctrine, this is a huge difference. It allows for a variable combat strategy and a failsafe in case of bad planning.
2. Every combat mech is capable of lifting itself. (loremaster requested) This enables a combat mech to change its profile when and where needed and utilize terrain to its advantage.
3. Weapon loadout. A combat mech can wield weapons and mount weapons, meaning it is possible that a handheld weapon may gain popularity and manipulators would allow for variable combat capability.
4. Ease of repair. This is subjective to the design, but a humanoid mech which has lost an arm need only have the arm unit refabbed and the wiring/myomer reattached for it to be functional. Same goes for legs, although the obvious result of leg damage in a battle is death by piranhas.

I believe that each mech could find a place if technology advances to a state where we have partial ai, muscle simulacra, and fusion tech. I believe Stalkers would reign until sufficient refinement in myomers allows for hand to hand combat, in which case it's anyones guess.

My personal want for a RL mech is a Victor, an elegant beast with all the grace of an elephant and the teeth of a walrus.

1. Funnily enough, BT tanks use the same armor. Please don't use features in BT-tech that both tanks and mechs can make use of as a "benefit" to mechs alone. (and if you're wondering, the main advantage of BT mechs over BT vees is that vees are easy to immobilize with crit-seekers. On the other hand, vees don't care about heat for ballistics and missiles...)
2. A mech can't really make itself a lower profile than a tank would have, due to its sheer size. And you'd be surprised what tanks can climb over. I don't really think it's a point for mechs. Both sides have situational advantages due to their respective motive systems.
3. Umm... for the most part in BT hand-held weapons for mechs are the exception, not the norm, and you can't reconfigure mechs unless they're omnimechs. Plus, again, omnitech isn't exclusive to mechs. Look up the Epona as just one example. The only thing you get is melee combat. Naturally tanks can't punch or kick. Though they could ram you in the foot I suppose.
4. Eww, ease of repair. That's a lol. Sorry, no. An immobilized tank is generally easy to deal with. Tracks breaking are the most common problem and those don't take much time to deal with. Also, the tank crew itself is trained and capable of dealing with that. Unless it's something that requires lifting the tank or serious weight lifting... Also, you severely underestimate the complexity of what a mech interior must be like, and the number of moving parts inherent to the motive system. Seriously, actuators alone? Then the gyro? Ow.

There's also some real incredible inherent issues with mechs the size of BT's... huge surface to armor up means you need nigh-magical armor to adequately protect it. And , again, if that armor exists for mechs, you can use it on tanks for far superior effect. (or so one would think, 'cept that's not quite how BT armor works, but that's fine)

And then there's the fact BT mechs for their size should weigh a LOT more. Anyway...

BT mechs are fantasy. I like BT mechs. But they're really fantasy. Accept that and enjoy BT for what it is, a feudal battlefield where instead of knights on horses you have pilots inside of battlemechs.

And then go dakka dakka, pew pew and whoosh whoosh at each other.


... I have a weak spot for the Catapult, by the way. Founder mech and all that.

[Nick Makiaveli]

Physics dictate that mechs would collapse under their own weight. The materials just don't exist to support that kind of weight in those dimensions.

[Scratx]

SaltBeef, on 29 November 2014 - 11:34 PM, said:

I read an article that the power source was no longer an issue! Do not remember the source link.

That was about an unpowered exo-skeleton, I believe. Useful for logistics but not quite yer ol' Nighthawk Powered Armor...

[Nick Makiaveli]

Scratx, on 29 November 2014 - 11:43 PM, said:

And , again, if that armor exists for mechs, you can use it on tanks for far superior effect. (or so one would think, 'cept that's not quite how BT armor works, but that's fine)

In TT, tanks etc have the same armor and in some cases way more of it. Canon mechs have half the stock armor MWO mechs come with and some tanks would have far more than that. Thing is they only have 4 sides, so if you hit the front armor, no spreading at all. Whereas a mech you were lucky to hit the same location twice (random locations and all that).

So while tanks outnumbered mechs by orders of magnitude (Locusts numbered in the thousands, and were far and away the most common mech), they died horribly when facing mechs...

[Kilo 40]

If I had to choose one, it's the Bushwacker. It always looked a like a tank on legs, or maybe a helicopter, without the rotors, on legs to me.

I guess that's what drew me to the clans in the first place. They don't look as humanoid as IS mechs, and so they seem much ,more plausible to my brain(even though I know they're not plausible at all).

[LordKnightFandragon]

As for a mech that might actually look stable enough to work? Any of the Quad variants. But in practicality a mech would simply be sniped from 1000m+ by a laser guided tank round or missile to the cockpit....game over.

Or Sabot to the leg joints, game over....

[DaZur]

Commando...

[MadcatX]

Well, this breaks down into three categories:

RL that would use mechs: Catapult. Weapon of choice in RL would be LRM's, indirect fire is how warfare is played out these days. The chassis itself, with the exception of the cockpit being a huge flaw, is symmetrical and seems to have a stable center of mass, it can go decently fast over most terrain. And if things got really dicey, swap regular ordinance with tactical nuclear warheads.

Today's RL: Air superiority is what wins wars. I believe BT Lore got around that caveat by saying that most aerospace fighters / warships manufacturing plants were destroyed in the wars. If memory serves me right, there are treaties against destroying jumpships due to how hard they are to come by.

[SaltBeef]

2 of my commando's are named Twiki BDBDBDBDBD ....BUCK!