Best and worst Mechanical Designs in science fiction

[Sidewinder]

The most idiotic designs I can think of are the Sword Strike and Sword Impulse GUNDAMs. Whose bright idea was it to give a specialized antiship weapon system swords instead of long-range guns or missiles, which means the pilot has no choice but use authorial fiat to get past the murderous antiaircraft and antimissile defenses a warship can mount? They're not even stealthy, which might let the GUNDAMs get close enough to use their damn penile compensators, assuming their pilots aren't fried by the powerful radars a warship can mount.

Say what you will about the APUs from The Matrix, but at least the Wachowski brothers didn't think, "Gatling guns are cool and all, but you know what'll be really badass? Katanas! Let's have the APUs use giant samurai swords to slice up the Sentinels! That'll be soooo much cooler than having them blast away with Gatling guns!"

[Alyeska]

A point of realism on the Mass Effect walkers. They can be knocked down. You can drive right into them knocking them over. How many games have portrayed that weakness of a walker?

[Aaron]

A point of realism on the Mass Effect walkers. They can be knocked down. You can drive right into them knocking them over. How many games have portrayed that weakness of a walker?

Good point, I forgot about that. There also slow as hell, you can out run them easily in the Mako.

[Ford Prefect]

Let's have the APUs use giant samurai swords to slice up the Sentinels! That'll be soooo much cooler than having them blast away with Gatling guns!"

Actually, that would have been cooler than 'stand still, fire guns'.

Neder Gundam.

I don't know. While the WindmillNeder Gundam is astonishing in it's ridiculousness, I still think it looks a whole lot less ugly than the Zakrello. Also Tequila Gundam is bitchin', with its sombrero and cactus theme. But most of the mechanical designs in G Gundam are strangely compelling, like how the British Gundam is basically an eighteen metre Queen's Life Guard.

[Peptuck]

In the same vein as the Halo Scarab I'll nominate the Geth Armature and Colossus from Mass Effect, the later is basically a scaled up version of the Armature. Not only do there legs taper to a point but they are supposed to operate over rough terrain and be air-dropped. The only way I can justify the design IU is that they probably have an element zero core like the Alliance Mako.

Well, when they're air-dropped, the legs fold up underneath them and they impact on the ground like balls of metal. Then they unfold.

That being said, like others have pointed out, they can be easily knocked down. I personally attribute this to the simple fact that the geth have been hiding out behind the Perseus Veil for three centuries and haven't fought anyone in actual warfare since they ran the quarians off, and that was when the geth were just humanoids. They probably didn't anticipate some crazy-ass humanoid would come driving up in a six-wheeled death jeep and ram them.

Hell, all the geth technology seems to be focused on static, fixed warfare, considering how slow their munitions are and how they focus on fixed emplacements.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, most of the armor and vehicles in ME seem to be well-designed. The Mako seems perfect for a recon tank in extreme rugged terrain, especially considering its extremely low height, and there seem to be similair Alliance-engineered tanks/armored vehicles elsewhere in the game that are essentially longer, wider Makos with only slightly larger turrets, though those may simply be larger troop tansports and not full tanks.

[Aaron]

On the opposite end of the spectrum, most of the armor and vehicles in ME seem to be well-designed. The Mako seems perfect for a recon tank in extreme rugged terrain, especially considering its extremely low height, and there seem to be similair Alliance-engineered tanks/armored vehicles elsewhere in the game that are essentially longer, wider Makos with only slightly larger turrets, though those may simply be larger troop tansports and not full tanks.

I believe those are the Grizzly APC's that the Mako is replacing. They appear to have poor ground clearance though.

[Darwin]

To be fair GR, Zor did actually ask about designs people liked whether they were realistic or not.

In any case, I deliver the worst design in all categories: Zakrello.

Not so.

[Stark]

The guns in Gears are awful. None have stocks bar the sniper rifle (which is nearly 2m long), the lancer has a chainsaw that magically turns after passing through the magazine well (which also has a movable baseplate for apparently no reason) and is covered in lights (which turn off, as seen in a trailer where Marcus picks up Dom's gun, re-activates it, and gives it to him). The bowshot has limbs that don't even connect and appears to be a high-velocity PIAT. The hammerburst has a magazine that requires a crazy feed system to move rounds up to the level of the muzzle. The boomshot uses drums that contain a single round. The machine pistol has dual-feed magazines, only one of which is ever changed. They LOOK cool, and I like the aesthetic, but they're only MARGINALLY better than Mass Effects guns-that-transform-for-no-reason.

[Aaron]

The guns in Gears are awful. None have stocks bar the sniper rifle (which is nearly 2m long), the lancer has a chainsaw that magically turns after passing through the magazine well (which also has a movable baseplate for apparently no reason) and is covered in lights (which turn off, as seen in a trailer where Marcus picks up Dom's gun, re-activates it, and gives it to him). The bowshot has limbs that don't even connect and appears to be a high-velocity PIAT. The hammerburst has a magazine that requires a crazy feed system to move rounds up to the level of the muzzle. The boomshot uses drums that contain a single round. The machine pistol has dual-feed magazines, only one of which is ever changed. They LOOK cool, and I like the aesthetic, but they're only MARGINALLY better than Mass Effects guns-that-transform-for-no-reason.

In all fairness to Gears, I can't think of to many Sci-fi games that actually have decent weapons (maybe HL but I didn't think of that before), nor do I consider the bowshot to be a firearm (I'm actually not sure wtf it is). The lack of stocks is annoying, though I rationalize that as being designed for urban combat by roid monkeys.

Looking at the Hammerburst just now I notice that the muzzle is much larger then the ejection port.

The ME guns aren't as bad in my mind as the big fuck off cannon on the IFV, I'm still trying to figure out where they store the huge block of ammo it must use.

[Manus Celer Dei]

Not so.

http://j.parsons.edu/~virapat/the_churc ... kurelo.jpg

Ew, what's that? Is that an official MSV or just a piece of fanart?

The most idiotic designs I can think of are the Sword Strike and Sword Impulse GUNDAMs. Whose bright idea was it to give a specialized antiship weapon system swords instead of long-range guns or missiles, which means the pilot has no choice but use authorial fiat to get past the murderous antiaircraft and antimissile defenses a warship can mount? They're not even stealthy, which might let the GUNDAMs get close enough to use their damn penile compensators, assuming their pilots aren't fried by the powerful radars a warship can mount.

Except the Strike and the Impulse both had a loadout focussed on long-range firepower, and it wasn't enough to penetrate the beam shielding on the larger targets that the anti-ship swords were able to.

Also, are you saying that the radars on larger ships alone might be able to kill the pilots outright in their cockpits? Because that is one fucking weird assertion.

[Aaron]

In all fairness to Gears, I can't think of to many Sci-fi games that actually have decent weapons (maybe HL but I didn't think of that before), nor do I consider the bowshot to be a firearm (I'm actually not sure wtf it is). The lack of stocks is annoying, though I rationalize that as being designed for urban combat by roid monkeys.

Looking at the Hammerburst just now I notice that the muzzle is much larger then the ejection port.

The ME guns aren't as bad in my mind as the big fuck off cannon on the IFV, I'm still trying to figure out where they store the huge block of ammo it must use.

Ghetto Edit: Taking another look, your right. The weapons are quite ridiculous, nomination withdrawn.

[Darwin]

Not so.

http://j.parsons.edu/~virapat/the_churc ... kurelo.jpg

Ew, what's that? Is that an official MSV or just a piece of fanart?

fanart far as I know, but easily the basis for a re-vamped and totally not-stupid Zakrello.

The Agguguy on the other hand, as the Acguy's retarded, child-molesting cousin, is a totally lost cause.

[Peptuck]

The ME guns aren't as bad in my mind as the big fuck off cannon on the IFV, I'm still trying to figure out where they store the huge block of ammo it must use.

Considering their rifles can fire thousands of rounds when they're about the size of a submachinegun when fully compacted, I wouldn't be surprised if the ammo block on the Mako wasn't too large. Most of the rounds fired by ME weapons are the size of a grain of sand anyway.

The main cannon on the Mako may use different ammo, though, since you can hear an autoloader working between shots.

[Ford Prefect]

Not so.

Well, I'm impressed.

The machine pistol has dual-feed magazines, only one of which is ever changed.

Oh man, the Gorgon. It was my favourite pistol in Gears 2, but Jesus Christ it's silly. When I first got it and noticed that it had two magazines I spent a few minutes thinking 'what purpose does this serve except making it more impracticallook cool?' I think only the lancer can qualify as having a worse design. The Longshot is retardedly huge though.

Mass Effects guns-that-transform-for-no-reason.

While I can appreciate the 'shriking' design makes carrying around four guns all the times somewhat less impossible (and gives Mass Effect its own aesthetic for weapons, I guess), the guns have so much techno-gadgetry in them (codex lol) that it just shouldn't be possible. A coil gun combined with a mass lightening field generator combined with a targeting computer which makes every bullet as you fire based on environmental data in a package which can fold down to half the size? It sounds kind of cool in a giggly sci-fi sort of way, but it wouldn't be the first time that the game presented something wildly at odds with the Codex.

[Stark]

The fluff behind the ME guns just makes them worse. OMG SUPAH VELOCITY TEH FRAGZ OF METALLLS! They tried so hard to get people to give a shit about their scifi setting and then made it totally game-irrelevant. Frankly, not being able to carry all four guns EVERYWHERE ALL THE TIME would have improved the game (and made it less like Gears, lol).

Gears has guns that look retarded but don't work based on <insert 'hard' scifi buzzword> and are just bigger, less practical and somewhat daft.

[Sidewinder]

The most idiotic designs I can think of are the Sword Strike and Sword Impulse GUNDAMs. Whose bright idea was it to give a specialized antiship weapon system swords instead of long-range guns or missiles, which means the pilot has no choice but use authorial fiat to get past the murderous antiaircraft and antimissile defenses a warship can mount? They're not even stealthy, which might let the GUNDAMs get close enough to use their damn penile compensators, assuming their pilots aren't fried by the powerful radars a warship can mount.

Except the Strike and the Impulse both had a loadout focussed on long-range firepower, and it wasn't enough to penetrate the beam shielding on the larger targets that the anti-ship swords were able to.

You mean the laminated armor? That calls for a coordinated attack by multiple long-range weapon platforms, such as the Moebius. And it's easier to find a dozen pilots just skilled enough to attack a battleship, build a dozen fighters for them to fly, and a dozen antiship weapons for them to shoot, than to find a newtype with the godlike skills to get past the murderous antiaircraft and antimissile defenses a battleship can mount, and a superweapon that can single-handedly sink the battleship. And unlike Kira Yamato, the fighter pilots and their fighters are expendable and relatively easy to replace.

Also, are you saying that the radars on larger ships alone might be able to kill the pilots outright in their cockpits? Because that is one fucking weird assertion.

Not as weird as you think.

Radar uses microwave radiation to detect the range, speed, and other characteristics of remote objects. Development of radar was accelerated during World War II due to its great military utility. Now radar is widely used for applications such as air traffic control, navigation of ships, and speed limit enforcement.

Less-than-lethal weaponry exists that uses millimeter waves to heat a thin layer of human skin to an intolerable temperature so as to make the targeted person move away. A two-second burst of the 95 GHz focused beam heats the skin to a temperature of 130 °F (54 °C) at a depth of 1/64th of an inch (0.4 mm). The United States Air Force and Marines are currently using this type of Active Denial System.[2]

It has not been shown conclusively that microwaves (or other nonionizing electromagnetic radiation) have significant adverse biological effects at low levels. This is separate from the risks associated with very high intensity exposure, which can cause heating and burns like any heat source, and not a unique property of microwaves specifically.

During World War II, it was observed that individuals in the radiation path of radar installations experienced clicks and buzzing sounds in response to the microwaves radiation. This microwave auditory effect was thought to be caused by the microwaves inducing an electric current in the hearing centers of the brain.[3] Research by NASA in the 1970s has shown this to be caused by thermal expansion in parts of the inner ear.

When injury from exposure to microwaves occurs, it usually results from dielectric heating induced in the body. Exposure to microwave radiation can produce cataracts by this mechanism, because the microwave heating denatures proteins in the crystalline lens of the eye (in the same way that heat turns egg whites white and opaque) faster than the lens can be cooled by surrounding structures. The lens and cornea of the eye are especially vulnerable because they contain no blood vessels that can carry away heat. Exposure to heavy doses of microwave radiation (as from an oven that has been tampered with to allow operation even with the door open) can produce heat damage in other tissues as well, up to and including serious burns which may not be immediately evident because of the tendency for microwaves to heat deeper tissues with higher moisture content.

There's a reason radar sets have radiation warnings stamped on them.

[Shinn Langley Soryu]

Also, are you saying that the radars on larger ships alone might be able to kill the pilots outright in their cockpits? Because that is one fucking weird assertion.

Not as weird as you think.

-snip Wiki stuff-

There's a reason radar sets have radiation warnings stamped on them.

You'd need really, REALLY huge amounts of microwave radiation in order to cook a mobile suit pilot in his cockpit. The Earth Alliance did manage to pull off such a feat, but they required a truly massive array of microwave emitters buried under one of their bases in order to do so (the Cyclops self-destruct mechanism). I doubt the typical Earth Alliance or ZAFT warship puts out anywhere near that much radiation whenever it uses its sensors.

[Samuel]

Hard radiation is recommend due to having higher energy levels and being more damaging. Given the cooling systems on the machines, hitting them with microwaves is probably useless (after all, the shooter has to insure that it doesn't overheat themselves) and if the cockpit is covered then it takes time to burn through. Of course, if the cockpit is exposed, I recommend the use of a laser pointer to disable the opposing pilot.

[wautd]

USS Voyager NCC-74585 (Star Trek: V'ger) —not only for the variable-geometry warp pylons but also for the very puny support legs meant to hold that ship up when landed on the ground.

The Galactic Empire would've been better off sticking to vehicles like the HAVw A5 Juggernaut instead of the iconic and dramatic but moderately stupid AT-AT (although legs have their uses in striding over defensive earth works).

The Empire at War tread reminded me of the horrible TIE-tank design as well

[Gunhead]

Battletech. They have some braindead ideas. But one particular gem comes to mind. Their space lifeboat that will not survive a re-entry into an atmosphere. I think that's just fucking hilarious.

I like a lot the spaceship designs found in Legend of the Galactic Heroes. Specially the ships of the Empire.
Even though I know they're not sensible from an engineering point of view. They do look cool.
Also, while I think spacefighters are lame in general, at least theirs have weapons that are mounted on turrets.

-Gunhead

[VF5SS]

Battletech. They have some braindead ideas. But one particular gem comes to mind. Their space lifeboat that will not survive a re-entry into an atmosphere. I think that's just fucking hilarious.

-Gunhead

That's because the atmosphere does hundreds of machine gun bullets worth of damage. The sheer destructive power of a ton of machine gun bullets in the Battletech universe is astounding.

[Bounty]

But one particular gem comes to mind. Their space lifeboat that will not survive a re-entry into an atmosphere. I think that's just fucking hilarious.

That depends on the function of the ship the lifeboat is mounted on, no? The odds of a ship getting destroyed within spitting distance of a friendly, habitable planet are not very good unless it's specifically designed to stick close to those planets. And out in deep space, what would you rather have - a re-entry system with a heatshield, parachutes and whatever braking system is used for the touchdown, or the weight of all that in extra supplies to hold out until a rescue ship arrives?

Assuming you have near-instant communications it makes far more sense to make escape vehicles that have just enough oomph to get away from whatever crippled vessel they are launched from and then keep them spaceborne than fiddle with something as dangerous as re-entry and landing, even assuming that there's a planet in range that supports human life. Space is big.

[Nephtys]

Battletech. They have some braindead ideas. But one particular gem comes to mind. Their space lifeboat that will not survive a re-entry into an atmosphere. I think that's just fucking hilarious.

-Gunhead

That's because the atmosphere does hundreds of machine gun bullets worth of damage. The sheer destructive power of a ton of machine gun bullets in the Battletech universe is astounding.

That's actually one specific model of Lifeboat IIRC that's shaped a bit like a bullet. That's not really representative of lifeboats/escape craft as a whole.

And yes, we all know how silly the machine gun bullets are. Game mechanics, really. Why else would thousands of rounds simultaneously explode, doing twice the damage of actual missiles and cannon shells?

[Gunhead]

That depends on the function of the ship the lifeboat is mounted on, no? The odds of a ship getting destroyed within spitting distance of a friendly, habitable planet are not very good unless it's specifically designed to stick close to those planets. And out in deep space, what would you rather have - a re-entry system with a heatshield, parachutes and whatever braking system is used for the touchdown, or the weight of all that in extra supplies to hold out until a rescue ship arrives?

Assuming you have near-instant communications it makes far more sense to make escape vehicles that have just enough oomph to get away from whatever crippled vessel they are launched from and then keep them spaceborne than fiddle with something as dangerous as re-entry and landing, even assuming that there's a planet in range that supports human life. Space is big.

Obviously you're not familiar with BT. No instant interstellar comm. You're stuck with radio (or in system communication anyway). I would still rather have a mean to get down from say LEO than float around and wait for someone to come and pick me up. Seriously these people can lift thousands of tons of cargo into space without real effort and are capable of interstellar travel. How difficult can it be for them to implement simple re-entry capability when they can construct materials that can ablate the heat generated by armor piercing lasers.

Oh and Nephtys if you can back up your claim that lifeboat is not representative of lifeboats in use please do.

-Gunhead

[VF5SS]

Game mechanics, really. Why else would thousands of rounds simultaneously explode, doing twice the damage of actual missiles and cannon shells?

You know being a game mechanic means it would have been really easy to fix by just saying "MG ammo does not explode or explodes at 1/4 total damage." It isn't a stupid rule until you make it one. The fact that they wrote the ammo explosions rules using MG ammo as an example should've tipped them off. But then again, per Battletech rules a large tree swung by a Battlemech is enough to behead almost any 'Mech so that's like one of several dozen weird mechanics.