What's more useful in the military sense: Mecha or Power Armor?

MyNameIsCharlie · October 26, 2016, 06:49:57 PM

Explain why.

Ian · October 26, 2016, 06:51:41 PM

Dude mecha obviously, fucking spider tanks are bad ass.

Aether · October 26, 2016, 06:54:25 PM

Isn't mecha essentially just beefed up power armor?

Verbatim · October 26, 2016, 06:59:43 PM

gonna have to outline what you mean by those two things

Elegiac · October 26, 2016, 07:07:06 PM

depends on mobility and firepower

Turkey · October 26, 2016, 07:13:54 PM

Gotta clarify

Power armor = Halo, Doom, etc
Mecha = large anthropomorphic robo suits (Gundam, Evangelion, etc)
Mech = (Western) walking tanks (Mechwarrior, Titanfall, etc.)

Mech for peer wars, power armor for asymmetrical urban war, mechas never because anime is silly.

Doctor Doom · October 26, 2016, 07:23:02 PM

Power armor without question. Relatively cheaper, more easily mass-produced, more easily transported, more mobile in battle.

Mecha are cool, but would never actually work efficiently. They probably couldn't even stand under their own weight.

Ian · October 26, 2016, 07:31:23 PM

Look up Mecha on Wikipedia, the term encompasses Mech. The AT series is Star Wars is Mecha for example.

Quote from: TurkTurkBangBang on October 26, 2016, 07:13:54 PM

Mecha = large anthropomorphic robo suits (Gundam, Evangelion, etc)
Mech = (Western) walking tanks (Mechwarrior, Titanfall, etc.)

Turkey · October 26, 2016, 07:35:32 PM

Quote from: Ian on October 26, 2016, 07:31:23 PM

Look up Mecha on Wikipedia, the term encompasses Mech. The AT series is Star Wars is Mecha for example.

Quote from: TurkTurkBangBang on October 26, 2016, 07:13:54 PM
Mecha = large anthropomorphic robo suits (Gundam, Evangelion, etc)
Mech = (Western) walking tanks (Mechwarrior, Titanfall, etc.)

I'm differentiating because they're usually really different designs, but the Wikipedia article does focus a lot on its Japanese origins. I refuse to call an AT-AT a mecha.

big sponge · October 26, 2016, 08:15:07 PM

Quote from: TurkTurkBangBang on October 26, 2016, 07:35:32 PM

I refuse to call an AT-AT a mecha.

That doesn't mean it's not a mecha.

Ushan · October 26, 2016, 08:19:48 PM

Drones.

Mordo · October 26, 2016, 08:23:02 PM

Think of how much shit you could fuck up if most of your infantry were equipped with power armour.

Mechas sound retarded as hell and should stay in the degenerate depths of anime were they belong.

Turkey · October 26, 2016, 08:30:32 PM

Quote from: LC on October 26, 2016, 08:15:07 PM

Quote from: TurkTurkBangBang on October 26, 2016, 07:35:32 PM
I refuse to call an AT-AT a mecha.

That doesn't mean it's not a mecha.

The broader the term, the less specific it is. Mecha generally refers to Japanese designs, though the word encompasses any machine. I wouldn't call an AT-AT a mecha just like I wouldn't call it an automobile. Might as well just call it what its source material calls it: a walker.

Tyger · October 26, 2016, 08:32:05 PM

Only ever need nukes

Mr. Psychologist · October 26, 2016, 08:39:12 PM

Power Armour >>>

I imagine we'll see it in the near future too, as soon as exoskeletons become powerful enough to weld tank plates to we'll have ourselves some spehss mehrens

DAS B00T x2 · October 26, 2016, 08:44:11 PM

All y'all power armor cucks ain't got shit on tank-kun.

Ian · October 26, 2016, 08:45:50 PM

Das is the only one that understand the appreciation of a walking tank.

Quote from: DAS B00T x2 on October 26, 2016, 08:44:11 PM

All y'all power armor cucks ain't got shit on tank-kun.

DAS B00T x2 · October 26, 2016, 08:47:39 PM

Quote from: Ian on October 26, 2016, 08:45:50 PM

Das is the only one that understand the appreciation of a walking tank.

Quote from: DAS B00T x2 on October 26, 2016, 08:44:11 PM
All y'all power armor cucks ain't got shit on tank-kun.

A railgun carrying, mountain climbing, Amazing Grace playing walking tank, to be precise.

snee0rp · October 26, 2016, 08:58:30 PM

Mecha rely on Anime Physics, which provide much wider tolerances than normal physics when designing a weapon. This allows mecha to be stupidly OP. No contest here.

Korra · October 26, 2016, 09:03:45 PM

A weapon to surpass Metal Gear...

Ian · October 26, 2016, 09:08:04 PM

>A weapon to surpass Metal Gear
>Has Asuka as the pilot

Pick one.

Quote from: Meow on October 26, 2016, 09:03:45 PM

A weapon to surpass Metal Gear...

Korra · October 26, 2016, 09:10:03 PM

Quote from: Ian on October 26, 2016, 09:08:04 PM

>A weapon to surpass Metal Gear
>Has Asuka as the pilot

Pick one.

Quote from: Meow on October 26, 2016, 09:03:45 PM
A weapon to surpass Metal Gear...

fukin fite me fgt

big sponge · October 26, 2016, 09:45:56 PM

Quote from: TurkTurkBangBang on October 26, 2016, 08:30:32 PM

Quote from: LC on October 26, 2016, 08:15:07 PM
Quote from: TurkTurkBangBang on October 26, 2016, 07:35:32 PM
I refuse to call an AT-AT a mecha.

That doesn't mean it's not a mecha.

The broader the term, the less specific it is. Mecha generally refers to Japanese designs, though the word encompasses any machine. I wouldn't call an AT-AT a mecha just like I wouldn't call it an automobile. Might as well just call it what its source material calls it: a walker.

Mecha are just vehicles that take on biological forms or aspects.

Ian · October 26, 2016, 09:54:08 PM

You'd put up a better fight than Asuka would.

Quote from: Meow on October 26, 2016, 09:10:03 PM

fukin fite me fgt

Korra · October 26, 2016, 09:56:57 PM

Quote from: Ian on October 26, 2016, 09:54:08 PM

You'd put up a better fight than Asuka would.

Quote from: Meow on October 26, 2016, 09:10:03 PM
fukin fite me fgt

True Turquoise · October 26, 2016, 09:59:42 PM

Wouldn't power armour be more achievable and cheaper when comparing

Ian · October 26, 2016, 10:00:55 PM

That scene is one of the things that really pissed me off about End of Eva. I mean I get it, we gotta focus on Shinji's problems specifically for this movie; but what we saw in 25 & 26 shows that Asuka has literally no right to be on any high ground against him. She was just as broken if not more so, and unlike Shinji, she never got over her problems in 25 & 26.

Quote from: Meow on October 26, 2016, 09:56:57 PM

Ian · October 26, 2016, 10:01:24 PM

Who cares about how much a spider tank would cost? It's fucking badass.

Quote from: True Turquoise on October 26, 2016, 09:59:42 PM

Wouldn't power armour be more achievable and cheaper when comparing

True Turquoise · October 26, 2016, 10:08:35 PM

Quote from: Ian on October 26, 2016, 10:01:24 PM

Who cares about how much a spider tank would cost? It's fucking badass.

Quote from: True Turquoise on October 26, 2016, 09:59:42 PM
Wouldn't power armour be more achievable and cheaper when comparing

oh

BaconShelf · October 27, 2016, 03:42:58 AM

Here's why mechs are shit

-more complex systems mean more maintenance and logistics problems
-walking/ legs mean an unstable platform for weapons, meaning that you can't have as much firepower
-centre of gravity is high, meaning they can be taken out by blowing up a leg or pushing them over
-they're tall and easy targets for an RPG
-they accomplish nothing that a tank can't do far easier

Mechs are shit.

Powered exoskeletons would be best served for allowing troops to carry more equipment with them, and help reduce fatigue because of this. None of that fallout bulletproof armour bullshit.