Don't our current day tanks have cameras and stuff to look outside and stay inside as well?
I mean the whole design with 4 treads, wondering if that is at all practical
Tanks!
- Thread starter Santaman
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Don't our current day tanks have cameras and stuff to look outside and stay inside as well?
I mean the whole design with 4 treads, wondering if that is at all practical
No, I suspect not, and neither are the mechas from BattleTech or whatever that franchise is called. Once you start examining fictional universes, such as Halo or Star Trek, massive plot holes and inconsistencies are revealed. You either just have to ignore them or find something else that amuses.
But those massive plot holes & inconsistencies are what make those universes entertaining.
It's why there are so many fans of the Gundam Franchise, despite any plot holes.
Indeed, spotting the plot holes and inconsistencies are part of the entertainment, but I find overlooking them is necessary to persist. If anyone finds them irritating, I suggest doing something else instead. I've given up on series when they become too silly and irritate me - for example, For All Mankind, which had too much soap opera and bad science for my liking.
But since you brought up Battle Tech & I brought up Gundam.
I can't see Bi-Pedal Mecha or any form of Giant Mecha being useful in space, especially in the Star Trek Universe.
Under every logical scenario that I can think of in the Star Trek Universe, any form of Mecha would be suicidal compared to even the smallest of StarShips or Space Fighters when in space.
Space Superiority is pretty much the sole domain of Platforms designed & optimized for Space.
Atmospheric Superiority has ALOT more other factors, but there can be Aircraft / SpaceCraft that are optimized for Atmospheric Superiority, but can work in space.
As for what platforms could win on the ground, I can see Bi-Pedal Mecha having many uses within the realm of operating on the surface of M-Class Planets.
There could be alot of good uses in ground combat / low altitude for Giant Mecha, something tanks can't practically compete with when facing something as powerful & manueverable as a Gundam with it's modular systems & weaponry.
Especially in Combined Arms manuever Warfare.
I can't see Bi-Pedal Mecha or any form of Giant Mecha being useful in space, especially in the Star Trek Universe.
Under every logical scenario that I can think of in the Star Trek Universe, any form of Mecha would be suicidal compared to even the smallest of StarShips or Space Fighters when in space.
Space Superiority is pretty much the sole domain of Platforms designed & optimized for Space.
Atmospheric Superiority has ALOT more other factors, but there can be Aircraft / SpaceCraft that are optimized for Atmospheric Superiority, but can work in space.
As for what platforms could win on the ground, I can see Bi-Pedal Mecha having many uses within the realm of operating on the surface of M-Class Planets.
There could be alot of good uses in ground combat / low altitude for Giant Mecha, something tanks can't practically compete with when facing something as powerful & manueverable as a Gundam with it's modular systems & weaponry.
Especially in Combined Arms manuever Warfare.
Yes, I'm not really familiar with Gundam, BattleTech and their like, but don't they need really small and efficient fusion reactors? We're not getting those anytime soon unless the technological Singularity AIs design and build them, but we'd likely have things other than giant freaking robots to worry about then.
But within the Trek Universe, "MicroFusion Reactors" can scale from personal Generator size that is man portable to powering DS9 if need be.
Don't forget ultra compact energy dense battery sources.
So Energy isn't a problem at that level of tech.
The big issue is that the more dangerous/powerful Energy Reactors like M/A-M, AQS (Artificial Quantum Singularity), Tetryon Reactors, & ProtoStar Containment Reactors are for more dangerous when used on the surface of a Planet.
The failure mode for those would be VERY bad compared to a Fusion Reactor.
M/A-M would be even deadlier than a Fusion Bomb.
AQS could become a run-away artificial Black-Hole if placed on the surface of a Planet.
Tetryon Reactors could release too many Tetyrons into normal space that could react with normal matter causing untold destruction.
Having a Baby Sun on the Surface of a Planet would be a recipe for disaster.
No matter how I look at it, all those more "Advanced Energy Reactors" are better off in space on a StarShip or StarBase.
Fusion & Fission are far more "Safe" when Planet-Side.
And those are just "Relative Safety" factors when they fail.
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Only if one has a limitless supply of self-sealing stem bolts and an Irish chief engineer willing to be tortured at least once per season.
I'm not worried about the self-sealing stem bolts, we can find plenty of those.
Irish Chief Engineers, O'Brien will be training plenty of those for the next generation.
You know he's the most important man in Galactic History.
