In a semi-realistic Hard sci-fi setting how could you best fit in mechs? what kind of mech would be most realistic.
Is there any situation where walking vehicles makes sense?
What role do mechs serve?
Lincoln Ortiz
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Brandon Perry
>hard sci-fi
>mechs
pick one
Cooper Rodriguez
On high-gravity worlds where for whatever reason you REALLY REALLY need some guys on the ground somewhere.
Jace King
Consider that on EDN in Lost Planet, where your OP pic comes from, Vital Suits are used rather than tracked vehicles because they can trudge through deep snow that a treaded vehicle would sink in, jump or climb up sheer cliff faces, and are mobile enough/strong enough without guns to fight off Akrids without getting swarmed and destroyed since melee ability is something you actually need on EDN where the local fauna can rip a tank apart in seconds, and ones with limbs can manipulate objects without exposing the user to the extreme elements and hungry space bugs.
Lost Planet also has VSs that are more like traditional tanks (Pic related), smaller VSs that are basically an exo suit, and some that are more like an artillery piece that can walk and jump over obstacles, in addition to "normal" vehicles like jeeps and tanks that can be used in areas where it's not covered in literally hundred foot deep snow and helicopters that carry said mechs around.
Brody Hernandez
Powered armor definitely qualifies as mech despite being miniature in scale. It's also very much hard sci-fi given that DARPA is actually researching stuff like that.
Jose Wood
You've made this thread before.
They're just extremely mobile weapons platforms.
Think about what role tanks serve in combat. With mechs, you get that, but all over the fucking place. Mechs could immediately respond to new positioning data for better shots at key targets, and also move out of the fucking way when fire starts coming their way
Easton Wood
Terrain can justify spiderleg/quadraped mechs over treads/wheels but not the balancing required for biped mechs.
Mechanized pods with manipulators or even hands for flexible tool use can do work in space but again, no reason for legs in space
Cooper Lewis
Small mechs make sense in hard sc-fi, large ones don't. I think OP's pic is of a somewhat human sized set of power armor?
Easton Carter
>trudge through deep snow that a treaded vehicle would sink in
It's far, far easier to go over snow than through it.
That's why man invented skis and snowshoes, and why arctic vehicles have treads or giant balloon tires.
I love giant robots as much as the next guy but trying to justify them always ends up taking a faceplant.
Leo Hill
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