Aldnoah.Zero - Mecha, Weapons, and Technology

[willyvereb]

Originally Posted by Fireminer

If we take the proportion of a standard GM Custom (19m) and its 90mm Bullpup to make a compare, we could deduce that the model that Kataphrakts use has the caliber of 70mm.

Now, with that assumption, we presume that a 70mm round has the weight of 324.03 to 400 mg (compare to the 20mm.) The speed of the round, let's just assume that it's 1,850m/s (a bit 150m/s more than that of modern armor penetration.)

(I'm not fammiliar with dragging force, friction, density of the material, etc...) So with the f=m*v fomular, the force of a Kataphrakts round would be about 740N.

Multiply it by 5, and it could be how strong could a Martian barrier be.

Actually, it was told explicitly in episode 1 that Earth mechs use 75mm shells in their mechs.
Good estimate, though.
On the other hand I'm almost certain tha in spite of their claimed diameters both the GM and the Zaku II's machineguns had larger barrels than that.
Much larger.
The Zaku Machinegun's bore was IIRC much larger than a human head.
And then let's not get started with the apparently "just" 350mm wide Bazooka shells which were closer to be the size of a grown man.

In comparison the barrels of the Sleipnir and Areion's machineguns were roughly up to scale.

On a different note it doesn't matter how powerful the shells are because that barrier has far more energetic showings.
Like vaporizing and absorbing entire houses worth of material.
It's quite likely that the mech would've survived the meteor bombardment even if Trilliam would've stayed there.
Actually I can see that being his backup plan in case he chases his target for too long.

[Dr. Dahm]

I haven't decided really if I am a fan of the mecha in this series yet. So far all of the designs seem really really ugly, yet it doesn't seem like that's necessarily strictly by choice like some of the older 80's mecha anime, they just kind of seem to be that way. Maybe it's the 3DCGI which suits something sleeker like the Gardes from Knights of Sidonia. Some of the effects on their technology look pretty neat, but for a setting that bills itself on realism a lot of them seem to have really impractical, context sensitive and not very versatile functions. It's almost as if the Martian mecha are designed around being puzzles for the main character to solve first and foremost rather than weapons of war that could ever see any sort of extended use in a military campaign.

The Earth mecha weapon load outs (not the mecha themselves) also don't always seem incredibly practical in some of the conflicts we've seen. This mostly involves the seemingly cannon fodder real military doomed to die in order to show off the Martian mechs, not Inaho and his apparently elite band of students. At least they seem more versatile than the Martian ones we've seen so far though and like something I could conceivably see getting deployed in numbers as part of an offensive or defensive campaign in a closer to realistic setting. I guess they really are just limited to things like solid weaponry though and I don't really see the point of a side arm and something as small as an army knife for close quarters defense. The rifles and machine guns with rounds that can be swapped in and out ala Front Mission at least seem practical though.


All that said with these models apparently about to get plastic kits ala Gundam I'm not sure there's any one that jumps out at me as something I would want to buy and build yet. If they get tech manuals like Gundam models come with it'd be interesting to read specifics on why some of the designs are the way they are beyond what I said above about the puzzle solving aesthetic.

Originally Posted by willyvereb

Actually, it was told explicitly in episode 1 that Earth mechs use 75mm shells in their mechs.
Good estimate, though.
On the other hand I'm almost certain tha in spite of their claimed diameters both the GM and the Zaku II's machineguns had larger barrels than that.
Much larger.
The Zaku Machinegun's bore was IIRC much larger than a human head.
And then let's not get started with the apparently "just" 350mm wide Bazooka shells which were closer to be the size of a grown man.

The standard Zaku-II drum fed machine guns are pretty huge to the point where in one of the early episodes of the series we see some of the shell casings drop from one being fired and almost fall on top of and crush some people in a jeep. They were 120mm btw while a Zaku Bazooka round was 280mm. The GM machine gun is also 90mm but more of a sub machine gun at that than the Zaku one that uses clips instead of a drum.

[GN0010 Nosferatu]

I like em all so far.

[Wild Goose]

I'm digging the Wadatsumi. Looking at it, it appears to be an evolution of the Hyuga-class DDH (ha! ) and Osumi-class LST (ha! more like an LPD that); looks like a right proper LHD that. Interestingly it's got two guns in bow sponsons, like the Tarawa-class amphibs used to have.

While the guns were useful to have in this scene, as I recall the rationale for deleting them was because of the USN and USMC's shift in amphibious doctrine, to stay far and out, over the horizon. Though in this case, with the severe jamming and utter dominance in electronic warfare shown by the Martians, that doesn't look like it's something Madgebarge can hope for.

[Yu Ominae]

I guess the ones made on Earth are Real Robots.

[Irenesharda]

Originally Posted by LightningZERO

Argyre actually has two beam sabers

Looking at the PV for episode 5, Vlad's going to be swinging out both swords next fight.

[GN0010 Nosferatu]

Gonna be another epic slaughter for anyone that isn't our merry band of young ones

[Dr. Dahm]

Originally Posted by GN0010 Nosferatu

Gonna be another epic slaughter for anyone that isn't our merry band of young ones

Hopefully for their sake they at least attempt to fight back and don't just stand there screaming like idiots.

[GN0010 Nosferatu]

But that's grunt tactics 101.

[GN0010 Nosferatu]

Anyone care to discuss the two new pieces of technology we saw in episode 5?

First, the one VERS kataphrakt being repaired in some sort of blue liquid. Was it water? And secondly, those audience chambers.

[hamazura]

Originally Posted by GN0010 Nosferatu

Anyone care to discuss the two new pieces of technology we saw in episode 5?

First, the one VERS kataphrakt being repaired in some sort of blue liquid. Was it water? And secondly, those audience chambers.

LCL

Originally Posted by LightningZERO

New episode, new mecha

Argyre

Spoiler:

Height: 16.5m

Mars Knight, Vlad's personnel Kataphrakt. Equipped with beam saber (does not have the barrier, and its armor seems susceptible to normal gun fire)

please add
weakness : pewpewpew water gun! ugyaah kaboom!

[Irenesharda]

Originally Posted by GN0010 Nosferatu

Anyone care to discuss the two new pieces of technology we saw in episode 5?

First, the one VERS kataphrakt being repaired in some sort of blue liquid. Was it water? And secondly, those audience chambers.

I did find the blue liquid interesting. It's different than your average mech series that has a hanger with a bunch of faceless techs that are running around to fix the machines. However, this time they seem to be using this luminescent blue liquid to hold the mechs in and can repair them in a short amount of time. I wonder...are the martian mechs organic? Can they be "grown" in a way? Is that why each one is unique? Is that why they are held in that liquid?

As for the audience chambers, those look so awesome. And it beats using a cell phone.

[LightningZERO]

Interesting tech for the audience chambers. It seems to transport the user's conscience, generate a hologram, and said hologram seems to be able to move around. Kinda grand.

I wonder if there's Mars Kataphrakt which utilizes this technology for kage bunshin attack

[Dr. Dahm]

Who was it that was joking a few weeks back about the possibility of the Martian mechs weakness turning out to be water again? Whoever it was could they have possibly known how accurate their prediction would turn out to be so far? I mean it's like Aldnoah God Power.....Water......who knew they were apparently incapable of coexisting? That poster did, that's who.

[Irenesharda]

Here's a picture for a little bit of conversation:

Images

Destroyed Argyre

Sorry; dynamic content not loaded. Reload?

Is it just me, or does this thing look like it has teeth? Am I looking at it too hard?

[DevilHighDxD]

^That look disturbing in some way...

[Funkatron]

Originally Posted by Dr. Dahm

Who was it that was joking a few weeks back about the possibility of the Martian mechs weakness turning out to be water again? Whoever it was could they have possibly known how accurate their prediction would turn out to be so far? I mean it's like Aldnoah God Power.....Water......who knew they were apparently incapable of coexisting? That poster did, that's who.

It wasn't because it was allergic or anything, just simple science: super-hot plasma + water = a lots of water turning into steam rapidly and an explosion.

[.Mero]

Originally Posted by Irenesharda

I did find the blue liquid interesting. It's different than your average mech series that has a hanger with a bunch of faceless techs that are running around to fix the machines. However, this time they seem to be using this luminescent blue liquid to hold the mechs in and can repair them in a short amount of time. I wonder...are the martian mechs organic? Can they be "grown" in a way? Is that why each one is unique? Is that why they are held in that liquid?

As for the audience chambers, those look so awesome. And it beats using a cell phone.

Originally Posted by Irenesharda

Here's a picture for a little bit of conversation:

Images

Destroyed Argyre

Sorry; dynamic content not loaded. Reload?

Is it just me, or does this thing look like it has teeth? Am I looking at it too hard?

The liquid, the "skull" and the fact that all the Kataphrakt's from mars that we've seen are different, are leading me to believe that they are based of a lifeform. And the lifeform's abilities and traits are what makes the unit unique.

And they really fixed that head up fast btw

[ImperialKnight]

I was under the impression that it was simply a shell (helmet) that was damaged and so he had it removed and replaced with a makeshift helmet to get back in the fight.

In any case liquid hanger plus organic lifeforms that have armour built around them would indicate something similar to Evangelion.

It may be a reason why we only see so few of them is because these were ancient giant aliens that have been taken and converted for martian use.

[NightKnight]

Just a random interesting fact I've noticed about the Martian mechs. The two so far, Nilokeras and Argyre are both geographic structures on Mars. Argyre is also a mythical Greek island of silver, hence Argyre's color. Nilokeras means horn of the Nile, but I don't really think that applies here...but they're both Martian landforms regardless.