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Why are there no good western mecha designs? I've been

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Why are there no good western mecha designs?

I've been searching for years and years and have yet to find a single example that impresses me. Artists just seem content to rehash Kawamori and Shirow designs and don't know any colours other than gray or brown. This is humorous since "western mecha design" essentially means "knockoff japanese mecha design" yet it's often held in opposition.

Is there anything good at all?
>>
daily shitposting thread

talk about your favorite Valverave episodes here
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>>13700088
Yeah, but you need to look around.
I like Charlie.

>>13700094
I kinda agree with him.
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>>13700088
With some exceptions, mecha in western sci-fi is pretty much limited to military sci-fi (thus the limited color palettes) Really in the sense of "walking piloted vehicle" mecha is rare in western sci-fi to begin with. There's a pretty long tradition of power armor showing up in miliatry sci-fi but outside of stuff like 40k the designs tend towards a more utilitarian aesthetic rather than a fantastical one.

In general you see a lot more focus on ships and fighters in western franchises.
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>>13700088
Gunwolf from Rifts RPG
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>>13700088
I like Monkeylords.
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>>13700464
>Palladium

wildly inconsistent quality, but when the art is good, its REALLY good.
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>>13700088
Mecha is less popular in the west

Therefore mecha is less profitable in the west

Therefore there are fewer professionals who design mecha

Therefore there are fewer good mecha designs
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turn A is literally the only good example everything else is shit
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>>13700088
Excuse me?
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I designed the Turn A.

Suck my dick.
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>>13700088
West doesn't go in for Mecha. Our cultural touchstones have been tanks, aeroplanes, and then rockets. So our sci-fi has always emphasized those machines over "mecha."
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Pacific Rim
Tau stuff from Warhammer 40K
Pretty much all the mech shit in Starcraft is good (Seige tanks, Protoss immortals etc)
Literally everything from Heavy Gear (especially the Grizzly)

There's plenty of good shit, just gotta dig deeper.
>>
>>13700841
Don't be so pessimistic.
>>
I'm not really surprised there's a dearth of good mecha designs in the West, when the mecha genre is considered super niche over here when compared to Japan where it's a major genre (or at least was). There's not much on the way of shows or films or comics which treat them as the main subject, at least not to the same extent as Japan.

It's like how Japan doesn't have much in the way of comics about superheroes in the way that America does.
>>
>>13700088
daily reminder that mechwarrior was and still is an utter shit
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>>13700088
BattleTech is grab bag. Some designs are great, others are utter dogshit. I think a big problem with western mecha, building off of >>13700429, is with the focus on >realism, you get a lot of overdetail and general lack of ambition with designs. You just aren't going to get a lot of mileage when your general concept for a design is 'a box with legs and guns'. It makes it very hit and miss; either you get something cool, or something really uninspired.

Or in short, what >>13700718 said.
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>>13700088
Turn A Gundam
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>>13701355
No arguments here.

I rather like the looks of many 40k machines. Dreadnoughts, Sentinels, etc are often very militaristic looking but still tasteful. All of the races have their own aesthetic that their machines play into. Tau I find to be the most boring.

Old guys, ike 2E Imperial titans, are pretty zany. I love 'em. Modern stuff meanwhile like the Orkonauts and newer Tau machines seem pretty boring.
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>>13700512
that is definitely not an example of the really good stuff. I love the Mauler.
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>>13701395

Love the Battlewalkers.
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>>13700464
>furfags
dropped
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>>13702146

>"Perspective"
dropped
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>>13700088
It depends what you're into.
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>>13702450
>thread about how a lot of Western designs are pretty lowly
>I know! I'll post the epitome of the very issues OP mentioned

Not to be rude but c'mon.
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>>13702530
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>>13700088
Most of the designs done by David A. White (mechamaster/mechazone) are gold, whether original designs or redrawings of existing ones. He's done work in some of the more recent BattleTech technical readouts and did the Mech concept art for the MechWarrior 4 games.
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>>13700088
There are plenty of good western mech designs, it's just that the average westerner has pleb taste in mecha so you usually only get to see the bad ones posted. Also, in the west there is more of a demand for traditional planes/spacefighters/tanks/helicopters/etc which take attention away from humanoid robots. This is in contrast to Japan where everything that is not a humanoid robot is always an after though.
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>>13702563
I'd disagree. Most all of those seem to quite solidly fit OP's descriptions.

>>13702601
It's too bad that guy falls under the "knockoff Japanese" category.
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>>13702477
MadCat/Timberwolf is one of the few good design from BT though. Though it would look even more awesome if a jap artist gave it a make over.
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>>13702614
>It's too bad that guy falls under the "knockoff Japanese" category.

Japs have been knocking off Okawara for decades, why can't others do the same?
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>>13701399
I really like the Warlord Titans. The straight 2nd ed. stuff is a bit to cartoony to me, but there have been some nice fusions of the more modern Titan designs with some of the older heraldric sensibilities. Adeptus Mechanicus stuff in general is pretty great.
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>>13702614
What doesn't fall under your "knockoff japanese" definition? Because it's looking pretty damn inclusive right now.
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>>13700088
I don't understand. What is the problem with western mecha designs?


Could you post a different picture that you find appealing and make points on why the picture I posted is not appealing?
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Isn't it worse for there to be no good Western mech stories than it is for everything to be WE WUZ DESTROIDS N COMBAT ARMORS N SHIET derived
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>>13702563
DA Black Knight can suck my cock.
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>>13702883
OP probably needs to be a little more clear on their definition of western mecha design.
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>>13703001
It was in the MW4 expansion before DA.
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>>13703001
Also, the original Black Knight design was in the Star Wars Holiday Special and The Empire Strikes Back before it was in BattleTech.
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>>13702985
>No good stories
But some battletech books have been good.
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>>13703023
>Both armor designs based on traditional suits of armor
>must be cribbing off each other
ok

Wait, no it isn't. It's literally CALLED the Black Knight. How do you not get that it's inspired by knight armor?
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>>13702985
That's a different subject. we're here to talk about east mecha vs west mecha.
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>>13703001
Head, shoulders and torso are pretty good imo
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>>13700974
>Tau stuff from Warhammer 40K

Tau have the WORST mechs in 40k.

Wraith machines and Dreadnoughts are actually creative and unusual, Tau mechs are the exact same bland Kawamori knockoffs as every other western mech property.
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>>13703080
>worst
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>>13700923
Syd Mead a shit and the Turn A a shit too.
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Moonland already made every robot design motif imaginable and you're looking for something that isn't a "knockoff japanese mecha design" from a market that has fringe interest at best in that sort of thing?
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Post shitty Japanese designs

You bet your ass I went there
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>>13700950
Basically this. Japan had literally none of that pride in machinery that the West had. Their tanks were shit, their planes were cheap, and their rockets nonexistent except for suicide missions.
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>>13703172
??
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>>13703241
SARABA
CHIKYUU YO
>>
SENTINEL SUPERIOR.
TURN A......INFERIOR.
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>>13703241

And that ship did almost nothing the entire war, so that's not the best example.

Wasn't called 'Hotel Yamato' for no reason.
>>
Everything posted in this thread other than Turn A just proves OP right
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>>13703682
Define western mecha. It's starting to sound like the argument could be said that there are no eastern tank and aircraft designs because they didn't originate there.
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>>13704104
As I see it, Western mecha is mecha designed for Western media.
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>>13703049
It looks like the same subject to me. There are zero memorable stories about Western piloted robots the same way there are basically zero memorable Western designs since they're mostly cribbed from early 80s Japanese designs and never evolved. They're stuck in that time period design and setting wise
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>ITT: Opinions
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>>13702625
Uh dude. Your mech from Turn A Gundam was designed by an America. Syd Mead, making it a western mech by default.
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>>13702191
are you referring to the leg, which is pivoted slightly behind the other to facilitate a high-speed turn, or the fact that one leg is thicker than the other
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>>13703112
>Turn A a shit too.
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>>13704256
>Uh dude. Your mech from Turn A Gundam was designed by an America. Syd Mead, making it a western mech by default.

Good job retard, you completely missed the fucking point.
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>>13704181
Oh, well, I only see mecha as beautifully crafted metal, and the not stories they are attached too. You do make a point though about western mecha lacking story.

But when you are talking about memorability of the western mecha is it more about having the mecha genre evolve into something different? Like it creates its own splitting genre of japanese mecha? Would you want it to involve an american take on humanoid robots or branch off to something slightly different like having power armor capable of becoming a speeding bullet that could take a Gundam down on it's own?

Also what makes a mecha memorable? Is it's design, shape, or what it can do?
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>>13704446
Gundam. Zaku. Mazinger. Getter. VF-1. Jehuty. Metal Gear. All of these are very popular robots and all look very different from each other and it's because they're all part of stories. They are in your face and do amazing things whenever they're on the page or on the screen. They look very cool sure, but they're involved in pieces of fiction and they get you more engaged

Your view appears to be one that most fans of 'Western mecha' have, they're just cool looking robots. But most of them appear only on pieces of paper and don't move around in any medium unless it's a Battletech game. For the most part, they're drawings with a write up of their statistics and capabilities and it's up to the consumer to think of cool stuff for it to do. Most of those robots are just setting material, they're part of settings but not part of any stories. Most of those settings take their cues from Battletech, which is stuck in the 80s since it was born from 80s anime designs and that aesthetic. It's all the same crap

This is a fault with creators more than anything that they can't stop fellating the blocky 80s designs. Consumers of American mecha media have shown that they will form attachments to particular robots and react positively to them more than they will with the Battletech inspired hunks of metal that exist as setting material

Megas XLR is a cult classic because of Megas
Voltron and the Megazord are much more beloved than Golion and DaiRyuJin ever were because they were the first hero robots
Optimus Prime is a pop culture icon

tl dr: make mecha stories not just mech settings and mechs
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>>13704562
So western mecha are vehicles with pilots and eastern mecha are superheroes that have meatbags inside.
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>>13704847
They're not vehicles really, they're designs. They have no function, they're just 'combat vehicles'

Modern weaponry, aircraft, tanks and navel vessels are liked by enthusiast because they have functions, not just because they're real. Tanks blow things up. Planes shoot and scout things. Guns are used for shooting. They're used against other people and in specific contexts to accomplish a goal and all of their specs and loadouts are for their intended mission. Those vehicles you post don't really have any purpose, they aren't usually part of any made up conflicts
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>>13704562
thanks for the insight. What I'm understanding is make a mecha that is used for the purpose of the stories situation. Not have story revolve around mecha. That's why western mecha doesn't have a good hold on the mecha fan base.

An example is a metal gear. Metal Gear Rex was made for the purpose of ending wars between nations. And the subject of the story was the conflict between two nations.
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>>13705315
Also evolve your aesthetic, jesus christ.

Here's a good example. Gravion's not actually that old a mech, it's from the 2000s, but the image shows off what's wrong with Western mechs in general. The image on the left is drawn in much the way Gravion would have been drawn in the 70s or 80s. Odd, blocky proportions, flat colors, stock standing straight at attention pose. In Eastern media they've evolved past that as a design aesthetic as technology has improved and it's become easier to draw better, to do more with proportion and detail. You can tell what decade something was designed in because it shows a transformation in style. In Western media they've just taken that late 80s/early 90s aesthetic and imitated it over and over. New artists copy the old ones without updating what they draw or how they draw it.

Probably the most original new mech designs we've gotten in Western media come from fucking Magic the Gathering.
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>>13705449
You literally, LITERALLY quoted a post with an image that did exactly what you just described.
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>>13705315
>What I'm understanding is make a mecha that is used for the purpose of the stories situation. Not have story revolve around mecha.
Not necessarily. What that tripshit was saying was that the mecha in a story need to actually matter instead of being a fucking background footnote in order for American audiences to start appreciating the mecha. It's for this reason that people appreciate something like Megas. In its show, Megas is front and center, intergral to the story, does a whole bunch of cool shit onscreen and its design is distinctive and reflective of these facts.

Compare this to something like a chicken walker from Star Wars. Fucking no one watches Star Wars for the chicken walkers and if you remove them, absolutely fuck all changes. They're just there as part of the background. So unimportant that I can't even remember their actual names. The problem with most western mecha fiction is that they follow the Star Wars model rather than the Megas model.
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>>13705498
>I can't even remember their actual names.
Neo /m/ is real.
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I liked the stop motion puppet stuff from Robot Jox.
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>>13703294
To be fair, the US kept their battleships behind and threw planes at basically anything they can throw planes at.

Yamato and her escorts was swarmed by like 15 carriers worth of planes.
Destroyer Yukikaze still got out of that mess though, that fucking unsinkable ship.

The impressive one is the Musashi, which took nearly 20 torpedo hits to go down.
>>
Most of this thread makes good points. 'Merican mech designs are stuck in the 80s, with their chicken Walker designs and box on legs stuff. Having a robot that has character, it sticks out from a crowd and has a "personality" of its own helps. What I'm trying to say is it exudes heroism if it's a hero robot, and evil if it's a villain robot. 'Merican designs keep Reiterating the military so it looks military and it's boring with its repetitive nature. Tbh some of my favorite western designs are steampunk robots and transformers designs. How about let's take the old anime idea of remote piloting a robot ala giant robo or tetsujin and make more western mech stories and designs like that. It'd be appealing to me and I think a lot of People would like it.
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>>13705544
Just try to start telling stories with robots instead of drawing them to be part of setting fluff. Don't just make a bunch of designs either that all look like variants and descendants early 80s Kawamori. Aim more towards Gundam

Gundam
Guncannon
Guntank
GM
Ball

Zaku II
Gouf
(Rick) Dom
Gelgoog
Gogg
Z'Gok
Acguy
Gyan
Braw Bro
Elmeth
Zakrello
Zeong

I can name all of these of the top of my head from just the Gundam TV anime. It's what, less than 20 robots? But they're all different aesthetically and do different things in the story, rather than all being walking fortresses that exist only as part of a setting without any events
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>>13705544
And yet Real Steel was still shit.
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>>13705603
When creating a mecha why should I aim more towards a Gundam? I don't understand what the appeal is. Some of the designs do look nice, especially the zaku and the most of the zeon army and I enjoy the looks of the Turn A. But every other Gundam seems some what similar. Not exactly the same, they all do look different, but they follow a sort of same design scheme. And if I would make a mecha similar to a gundam design, I feel I would get flak for making a rehash of gundam.
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>>13705658
Gundam is a dinosaur series that has gone on far too long for its own good but is still around so Sunrise can be lazy with their mech designs when they think of new plamo.

Personally I'm of the opinion that western stuff needs to adopt a more "super robot" (for lack of a better term) mentality to design and show structure. Have the show revolve around one main robot. It's much easier to make one unique and cool design than 20 and it allows you to focus more on trying to tell a story. It's also much easier to make that one robot significant when it's the only one that's there. Note that this also applies to having one singular mecha made of several combining components, but it's harder to pull off design wise. Still easier than taking the "real robot" approach, but it's rare that I see a combining robot where it looks like every part perfectly complements every other part.
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>>13705658
They're all memorable, unique and serve a specifc function. Don't ape the Gundam DESIGN, people should try to be like Gundam in use of the robots. I couldn't name all the units in any other mecha series but 0079 because of how unique all the suits are and aren't just slightly different from each other with the exception of the marine type units


Gundam- prototype all terrain unit with beam rifle and saber
Guncannon- prototype mid range combat unit, uses ballistic weaponry
Guntank- prototype long range combat unit with treads and no hand manipulators, has no use in space, ballistics
GM- mass produced all terrain unit derived from the gundam with cheaper beam weaponry
Ball- repurposed space pods fitted as a last resort to fight Zeon MS

Zaku II- workhorse of Zeon, capable of combat on earth or in space, standard equipment was a machine gun and heat hawk
Gouf- proposed Zaku successor for combat on Earth that never went through with a focus on melee combat, heat rod
(Rick) Dom- Zaku successor with hovering legs and a sword and bazooka as standard equipment, Doms were designed for earth use but the Rick Doms were repurposed to be able to use in space with its extra thrusters
Gelgoog- final Zeon grunt suit of the war, they've finally figured out beam weaponry without having it built into the suit and are equipped with beam naginatas and rifles
Gogg- marine type suit with claws and a chest mounted mega partical cannon
Z'Gok- basically the same as the gogg but improved
Acguy- basically the same as the above two. However they all look different from each other despite having the same functions and their loadouts are slightly different, like the Acguy having guns in its hands
Gyan- prototype melee type unit with a beam saber and a shield with missiles
Braw Bro- tiny ship with beam weaponry
Elmeth- tiny ship with beam weaponry and deployable laser guns in space
Zakrello- tiny goofy looking ship with claws and a missile launcher.
Zeong - incomplete drone MS
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>>13705721
>>13705804
Thank you so much i'll be sure to put more effort into my next iteration of my mecha design with all this valuable information in mind.
>>
>>13705804
>Guncannon
>Ballistics
Wait, what? I don't remember it ever reloading.
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This game is fucking great. It's made by Western devs and does exactly what it's going for. A humorous kind of anime game. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_cCOBF9KZ8
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>>13705943
By humorous I mean poking fun at a lot of mecha tropes.

>Push over character that comes out of nowhere and obsesses over you as her "Rival"
>The entire love triangle thing
>The posters and magazines scattered around

It's pretty fun. Made by the devs of FEAR, Condemned, AvP 2, Blood, No ones lives forever, etc.
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>>13705943
>Monolith will never be allowed by WB to make >their own mecha game.

>We will never get SHOGO 2.
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>>13705930
Well in GvGN+ it doesn't fire beams from the cannons and there's recoil
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>>13705989
I'd love to see a new one. It's a niche thing though. People who don't watch mecha probably wouldn't enjoy Shogo as much and will probably miss what it's trying to do. Like watching a sort of subtle parody of something you've never read/watched/etc
>>
The sad fact that without a toyetic drive to sell giant robots in cartoon there was no market for it.

Part of mecha's success was because anime was a toy commercial. Everything mecha related was because it had to clear its plastic stock the best it can or they go outta business
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>>13705610
i thought it had some interesting designs. i havent seen it though so this is based on pictures mostly.
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>>13700911
The Megas feels like a mix between the RX-78 and one of those really old super robots.
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>>13700923
That trophy in the bottom right looks like something you'd see on a cultist's altar.
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>>13705449
>Probably the most original new mech designs we've gotten in Western media come from fucking Magic the Gathering.

That just reminds me of how both Obari and Anno talking about how if you wanted to get into mechanical design and animation. Both said you had to look outside the genre/medium for inspiration, to avoid it becoming incestuous rehashes.
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>>13708306
Well the original RX-78 was still part of that same school of 70s super robot design.
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>>13700911
Apparently guys like you and me aren't allowed here

>>13705592
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>>13705804
But there's the same thing in Battletech. All the mechs have different roles.
>>
the biggest problem with western robot design is the idea that they need to look "realistic" isn't even grounded in actual realism. modern tanks and airplanes look cool and are very maneuverable, but western fans are stuck with the idea that robots need to be boxy and lumbering. when you look at the battletech mechs, a lot of them end up needing to be redesigned when they're used in games because the original designs literally have 0 range of movement.
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I consider mecha designs that don't look like power rangers as western.
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>>13709155
what's wrong with trying to make mechs "realistic"?
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>>13709962
>idea that they need to look "realistic" isn't even grounded in actual realism
boxy shit with legs that can't even articulate enough to walk is hardly realistic.
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>>13710063
sounds like a tank with legs to me. sounds kind of realistic if you can get the waste to rotate than you don't need much articulation other than to move forward or back.
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>>13709962
You are attempting to apply reason and logic to something that defies it by nature. You are rigidifying something which does its best when it is allowed to go and flow freely, and it comes out the worse for it pretty much all the time. By trying to answer more questions more questions are produced.

>>13710138
>boxy shit w/ legs = tank
This is a misconception at best.
You must understand that there are principles which go into a tanks' design and development which lead to its performance as an armored vehicle.

The reason why boxy junk on legs is not a tank is because it is most often not done with any actual purpose in mind. Surface divisions, paneling, greebles etc. are, on many Western properties, often added with no regard to purpose, merely to making a machine, and this nearly always leads to on the whole poorer-looking designs.

Dougram's "development" by Americans into Battletech and its offshoots IMO epitomizes this. Battletech machines are more often than not clusterfucks and lack a certain purposefulness in their designs. Other franchises manage to do this well, but Battletech is very weak on the whole and because it's tried to stay true to its Western incarnations rather than Dougram, its designs have remained weak.
>>
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>>13710138
>tank with legs meme
you know modern tanks are pretty fast and not even that boxy. plus there's more to walking than just bending your knees. a bunch of battletech designs don't even look like they have a waist to turn anyway.
>>
>>13710415
You can kind see where a waist would go on that one but it has no real way to bring its arms forward. They can only really go up and down as they are now, plus the waist, even if able to rotate, can't bend in any direction. Stiff as fuck.
>>
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>>13703241

>The only time Yamato fired her main guns at enemy surface targets was in October 1944, when she was sent to engage American forces invading the Philippines during the Battle of Leyte Gulf. On the verge of success, the Japanese force turned back, believing they were engaging an entire US carrier fleet rather than the light escort carrier group that was all that stood between the battleship and the vulnerable troop transports.
>>
>>13710490
> citing wikipedia
Wew, lad
Read some of naval historian Robert Lundgren's stuff. Yamato wrecked 4 more ships than the Iowa's entire career, lel. During Operation Hailstone, the Iowa had a hard time even hitting a dead in the water Jap destroyer and BB New Jersey had to join in to finish the job.
>Hey Joe, how many Murican BBs it take to scupper a listing, lone Jap light cruiser?
LOVING
EVERY
LAUGH
>>
>>13710547
Jap cruiser*
>>
>>13710547

m8 I don't give that much of a shit sorry
>>
>>13703172
>Jap planes
>Cheap
The zero wreck every plane in the Pacific pre 43
>Ki84, NK1J, J2M5, H8K, Ki67, Ki 100 ll
>cheap
LEL
>Jap rockets not exsistent
>Kikka
Modern times, they were the first to land a probe on a fucking comet.

Go back to jerking of to History channel reruns, faggot.
>>
>>13710562
>don't care about truth, just shitposting archaic falsehoods.
Stay stupid nigger.
>>
>>13710590
muh taffy 3
>>
>>13710392
What's the purpose of all the weird paneling and golden ventilation? Banshee looks like shit in IMO. How do you know the battle tech mecha body pieces don't have purpose? I don't you see you reciting any information that battletech has to offer other than the oldest designs you have seen. Everything could be said about a gundam since i haven't touched gundam and I bet there is fictitious science to back up a gundams articulation and how it can lift a weapon 10 times heavier than what it can actually lift.
>>
>>13710956
Banshee? What are you talking about?

>how do you know the battle tech mecha body pieces don't have purpose
I am speaking from a design standpoint; they visually clutter the machnes' appearance in a manner that is not condusive to its appearance.
In any case if you look at any existing armored vehicle you can see quite clearly how it is put together. It is not nearly so disjointed as on any Battlemech I have seen.

>reciting information that battletech has to offer other than the oldest designs you have seen
I have not pointed out any Battletech designs at all. I posted the Crab Gunner. It's from Dougram.

The one BT design I actually took note of has no way to move its arms in any manner besides up and down.

>everything could be said about a gundam because I haven't touched it and there's fictitious expanations for its articulation
I don't understand. Which Gundam? What do you even mean? If you mean the RX-78-2 it was intended to evoke samurai imagery. There's nothing in the design intended to sell it as being more real.

Similarly, for articulation just go to a kit. There's a million with varying methods of offering articulation and the HG Revive is quite flexible.
If you want a Gundam lineart-accurate to MSG look at the Robot Damashii A.N.I.M.E version.

In any case no extensive effort is made to cover every conceivable realism base in MSG.

Go watch MSG. If you haven't watched any Gundam at all you're cutting yourself off from quite a bit and a generally enjoyable franchise. At least the original series, yes?

After that, why not try Dougram? Good stuff.
>>
>>13711015
>The one BT design I actually took note of has no way to move its arms in any manner besides up and down.
>implying
You see that big circular thing on the elbow? That's a pivot point. Small circle on the shoulder? Pivot. The shoulder itself can probably rotate too, and maybe the upper arm can twist.
>>
>>13711128
As you say.
>>
>>13700088
>Why are there no good western mecha designs?
Because OP is a faggot. No, seriously.
>yet to find a single example that impresses me
That is the epitome of the fallacy of moving the goalposts. Please list the qualities that a mech would need to embody to impress you. We'll see two things:
1) Your qualifications are nebulous e.g. "original".
2) You're just a weeaboo who cannot distinguish between your own personal preferences and genuine artistic talent in the creation of designs.
>>
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Crab > everything
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>>13711399
Hunchies Master Race here.
your crab was a crap.
>>
>>13712124
A Hunchback?

A Dragon could stomp down your light under weight medium mech.
>>
>>13712165
> heavy mech try to shit on med mech
you're just a big mech with bigger torso.
>>
>>13712165
>>13712124
>a half-pint heavy and fat medium thinking they are even on the same tier as a god
Did the SLDF ever field companies of either one of those mechs? No?
>>
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power armor series of fallout
>>
I love east and west mecha
>>
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>>13712165
man I'm not sure where the idea for the dragon came from...
>>
>>13714136
1984?
>>
>>13714136
I don't see it
>>
>>13714136
The Steel Marader came out in 2010
>>
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>>13714246
>>13714246
>>13714250

The earliest dragon looks nothing like the current design. I can totally see the resemblance it has to the steel marauder. How can you not see it?
>>
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>>13700088
Battletech
BF2142
Star Wars
Earth Siege
Star Siege
Shattered Steel
Chromehounds
Helldivers
Matrix
Warhammer 40k
Dust
Hawken
Command & Conquer
Blacklight Retribution
Total Annihilation
Supreme Commander
Starcraft
Titanfall

...of the top of my head. I thought you at /m/ were supposed to know this shit, im just visiting.

And don't go prancing in your weeaboo hat saying that west is just copying the east, it happens both ways.

To me the best looking stuff is a mix of the utilitarianism of the west with the fantasy of the East. For example: Front Mission Series.

As a matter of fact many of the concepts for the NCsofts new mech game's units come from western concept artists.
>>
>>13714326
>Chromehounds
>developed by From

Wot?
>>
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>>13714326
Oh Just remembered some more:
Battlezone series
Mass Effect 3
March of War
Avatar
Aliens

Pretty sure the list goes on, so relax. Good Mechs all around.
>>
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>>13714339
It slipped in there, I stand corrected on this one.
One Must Fall
>>
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>>13714326
IMO Warhammer 40k's mecha are very good from an aesthetic-thematic design standpoint. The Titans of each of the races do a good job of reflecting their design philosophies. Imperial mechs are large, clunky, and unwieldy, adorned with castles or whole cathedrals on top, reflecting the theocratic nature of their society. Orky mechs are cobbled together from whatever they can find and covered with claws, saws, and ersatz guns, reflecting how they fight and think. And Eldar mechs are extremely thick and graceful, again fitting with the Space Elf aesthetic. Say what you will about Games Workshop, but their artists and designers knew what they were doing and did some pretty original stuff too.
>>
>>13714378
Ah, I mean *thin and graceful, not thick. My bad.
>>
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>>13714316
And the Steel Marauder looks like a Bushwacker.
Much more than a Dragon looks like it, actually.
>>
>>13714326
>>13714343

Do you not realize that OP and others are complaining about many of those machines?
>>
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>>13702540
One thing about Star Wars is that it rejects the utilitarian "box on legs covered in pointless lines" shit. It's more like a modernized version of the classic pulp sci-fi stuff such as Buck Rogers or Flash Gordon, yet it doesn't just copy that style wholesale.
>>
>>13715496
A part of the reason why I said it's so strong. It goes for its own thing and comes out looking better on the whole for it, rather than making something purely for the reelism.
>>
>>13712124
I'm not a fan of Battletech at all, but I was really impressed by the redesigns for MWO. They kept the established shapes while successfully modernising the look, and managed to cobble together a consistent aesthetic. Just look at the hands on the Hunchback there: apart from being a huge improvement over the old ham hands, it demonstrates how right a giant robot looks weapon proper hands.

Honestly, more Battlemechs could do with dropping the arm cannon thing and getting some fists.
>>
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>>13715587
Hands are for pussies
>>
>>13715681
So are arms, apparently ...
>>
>>13715681
Nobody likes the Dark Crow, m8.
>>
>>13715681

>weapon jammed between upper torso and pelvis

FUCKING

S T U P I D

T

U

P

I

D
>>
>>13715681
Hideous.
>>
>>
>>13714378
Is that Omega Boost?
>>
>>13715978
Haha, nope, it really is a 40k Eldar Titan. 40k Titans have been around since the mid to late 80s, IIRC. While the Tau are obviously pretty Gundam/Macross inspired, the early Titans are a pretty good example of original Western /m/, as far as I know.
>>
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>>13714456
i actually adore the bushwacker... hated its looks at 1st then after piloting it i fell in love
>>
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Battlefield 2142
Awesome game BTW, just wish there was a Battlefield 2143
>>
>>13714326
>>13714343
Everything you listed is the definition of:
>Artists just seem content to rehash Kawamori and Shirow designs and don't know any colours other than gray or brown. This is humorous since "western mecha design" essentially means "knockoff japanese mecha design" yet it's often held in opposition.
>>
>>13716373
and we care why?
>>
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>>13716197
Be careful what you wish for.
>>
>>13716197

My favorite Battlefield game as well.
>>
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>>13714326
Front Mission is not a mix of shit from the west. Wanzers are extremely nipponji.

Can you even name any robots from most of those series you prattled off
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>>13717502
I already used it for MechWarrior: Online. I'll use it again!
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>>13717879
Half of those series have incredibly memorable robots.

>I'm the Juggernaut!
>>
>>13717901
Well remember them then
>>
>>13717901
>incredibly memorable robots
>boxes on legs
Pick one.
>>
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>>13717948
>>
>>13718092
Boxy GM with no hands and a tiny head. So memorable.
>>
I'll ask the question that has probably been asked a thousand times before.
What mecha games are good? Is Mech Warrior Online good? I'd really like to find something fast-paced in space like Gundam but I doubt that exists.
>>
>>13718608
I came back to MWO after it went on steam and I am having a fun time.
>>
>>13718616
Thunderbolt gave me the biggest hard-on for frantic mech combat in space with free jazz. I can't wait until the next episode airs.
>>
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>>13717879
please delete yourself
>>
>>13718624
I just want my Warhammers!
>>
>>13718608
MWO is fun but you should look elsewhere if the criteria you described is what you really want in a mech game. It's slow and ponderous for the most part with a few moments of frantic combat especially for lights.
>>
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>>13718634
Gookshit isn't very western and from google, all that is is a picture. Not a design, just a gritty picture like a bunch of other pics in this thread of a warzone without any story, purpose or context

What, does Mugi-chan make you upset? Because I didn't say anything wrong and you didn't name any robots
>>
>>13704897

Did you just contradict yourself twice within the same paragraph? You just said they're not vehicles, then immediately say they're combat vehicles. Almost immediate you say they have no purpose and then say "they're vehicles for blowing things up", that would constitute a purpose, no? The fuck you on about, son?
>>
So I take it this thread is made for the purpose of stating "Western mechs aren't "good" because they're not Japanese"?
>>
>>13718929
No, they're shit because they're fucking ugly.
>>
Look up heavy gear and early mech warrior
>>
Heavy gear
Deepending on what faction they are either boxy or smooth and rounded in desgin
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Heavy_Gear_Blitz-Grizzly.jpg
>>
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>>13719001
Or both in the case of Peace River and NuCoal designs.
>>
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I'd say Keith Thompson knows what's up when it comes to aesthetics.
>>
>>13719125
I'm digging this, reminds me of Amemiya's art
>>
>>13719125
Keith Thompson has gr8 art. i'd love if they made a game where he was the concept artist and they actually used it instead of some other shitty artist.
>>
>>13719125
I bought the Leviathan books just for his illustrations.
>>
>>13717479
Have you not been reading the thread or something?
Like, did you just skip the OP and all discussion in agreement with it just to post stuff -you- liked or in support of it?s
>>
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>>13719669
was it worth it anon.
>>
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>>
One thing that seems to have been overlooked is what type of enemy would a mecha face. I'm sure if you're making a mech to fist fight 30 ft tall Triceratops people, you might get something a bit more unique.

Is the mecha antagonist important too?
>>
>>
>>
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>>13700088
even though i love this game the mech designs are pretty gross.
>>
>>13719892
yeah, the series is actually pretty good reading for YA "literature". Also cutie reverse trap makes my kokoro go doki doki.
>>
>>13703294
It's the perfect example.
The Yamato class ships were literally gigantic examples of overblown pride and hubris and the disaster it leads to.
>>
>>13719892
Not him, but yes

It would make a great anime. Political scheming, giant robots and giant monsters, a reverse trap, Tesla Teslaing, and more.
>>
>>13720044
>>13720005
yeah i read it back in high school. was really good, imo. reverse trap, mecha porn, biological monsters, bat bombs and all that. i always thought the map was the weirdest drawing of the books.
>>
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>>13700088
I come here to post Metal Arms at you.

>>13719907
It is, but only to a point.
>>
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>>13720080
>>
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>>13720082
>pictured: pain
>>
>>13719122

Having built a Scopedog I can see the influence in that pic super hard. Not that it's a bad thing
>>
>>13720293
It's a good place to start and the Gears do go through lengths to switch things up. No more swivel eye but a rotating mono eye.
>>
I don't understand why you people have to shit on other's tastes. As if one person's opinion is any more correct than another's. There's western designs I like and designs I don't like. There's Jap designs I like and one's I don't like. Many of these from the same series.

How can you convince yourself that someone who likes something you don't is somehow wrong?
>>
>>13720862
This thread wasn't really about taste too much. In reality a lot of this arguing can be considered subjective and can be dismissed as nothing if you feel it means nothing.
>>
>>13701395
REISIG IS BEST WALKER
>>
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>>13702563
>not drawing the Warhammer the way it's supposed to be drawn
Fuck Fasa and intellectual property laws, I do what I want
>>
>>13714136
I got one of those for Christmas when they came out in like 09, it was dope as fuck
>>
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>>13702619
Unfortunately they didn't do any Clan designs that I know of, but Studio Nue did lay their hands on some IS designs.
>>
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>>13704562
I think you are right, but not in the way you think you are right. Those great mecha are great because they are in stories, but more so because ALL Japanese mecha are part of stories.

there is no medium for Western mecha to evolve in. the West does excellent androids, because they are a constant fixture in Sci Fi stories. We don't do robots taller than a man, so there is no market testing ideas and demanding more and more of mecha designers.

i agree, those blocky piles from Robotjox are famous because of the movie. if we had more mecha movies, we would have more famous mecha. But, that's because there would be more demand for well designed mecha.

also, for good mecha, can I point to ED-209 and half of the Transformers universe? because, a lot of those are Hasbro designs
>>
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>>13723489
>>
>>13719990

Delightfully so.

They take all the beauty out of 40K dreadnaughts and turn them into a mass produced box of armor and guns.

You leave them on the battlefield when you're done... They're literally disposable mecha and that gives them a bit of misappropriated charm, like an ugly hunting dog.
>>
>>13705610

It's not its fault. It already lost because it only took the name and general concept from the original work.

Beyond that, it wanted to be a boxing film, an robot film and a father/son bonding film all at once. It didn't spend enough time on any of the plots, leaving the movie with only one scene where it all comes together: The end of the Zeus fight. Pity no one was still paying attention.

Some of you may wonder why I spent this much time defending an mediocre movie, and that's because the bad exaggerates the issues of the good.

Ironically, the mistake of western mecha is TOO MUCH focus on the robot, not a lack thereof. We try to force the robots as the message rather than the vehicle for the message.

What's Battletech's theme? How is it reflected in the designs?
What's Pacific Rim's theme? How is it reflected in the designs?

The Imperial walkers of Star Wars aggressively sell the themes of the Empire: Hard edges, designed to hit hard, but not prepared to face resistance.

Say what you will about the Star War's prequels, the Rogers' design immediately tells you everything about the CIS. The SBD's later show the shift in the separatist agenda and tone.

Western mecha lack spirit, and that's not because they can't have it, but because no one remembers to give them any. That's why fucking no one remembers the details of Striker Eureka or Gipsy Danger, but, for their four minutes of screentime, Cherno Alpha is a nuclear reactor crossed with a Rock-em Sock-em and Typhoon is the three-armed, riced-out Honda.

Western Mecha will only start getting consistently good when we start with "What does this machine mean?" instead of "What does this machine resemble?" or "What kind of toys can we make of this machine?"
>>
>>13723548
i just think that they fall too far into the box realm. little useful articulation points for aiming like in the design i posted, and the way they control is particularly horrible. you play on pc?
>>
>>13723635
they're meant to be cumbersome and lumbering, with a slow turning cone of death, countered by needing your team mates to cover your flanks, the sledgehammer to the helldivers scalpel
>>
>>13723579
>no one remembers the details of Striker Eureka or Gipsy Danger,
Gipsy is supposed to remind you of a cowboy, though I don't know how considering how plain it is.
>>
>>13700923
The Turn A was a horrible design.

The Turn X was good though.
>>
>>13724008
I thought it was a football player
>>
>>13703120
The only problem is that the wings are the lamest jet design in history, and a flat dorito on top of it. I don't normally care about functionality, but that fucker simply can not move properly with those wings.
>>
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>>13703281
This. How yall gonna just dismiss the coolness of western comic robots and robot suits. Thats where all the mecha be.
>>
>>13726001
that looks like shit, and I'm a western mecha fan
>>
>>13726001
Capeshit is just that
>>
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>>13726029
okay how bout dethlok. Hes pretty gnarly lookin right
>>
>>13726038
yeah it doesnt have faux political bs mixed in with 13 year old psychopaths driving giant death machines with energy fairy wings and hong kong knock off lightsabers.

Why even bother.
>>
>>13726052
I said nothing of the sort.
Mecha also lacks faux political BS, terrible writing, terrible art, legitimate pandering issues, normie appeal, horrible inconsistency, and general industry issues.

I'll stick to AD2000. Big Two can stick it where the sun don't shine and you can too by the sound of it.
>>
There was also Exo Squad. Which had a toy line and a cartoon that kinda felt like Battletech for little kids. Really enjoyable cartoon back in the day.
>>
>>13726070
>I'll stick to AD2000. Big Two can stick it where the sun don't shine and you can too by the sound of it.
Wow....did you flip up the collar of your sweet leather jacket after saying that? Or at least elbow a juke box to turn it on?
Cus wow super cool guy huh.
>>
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Apparently custom made 'Earth Corps' figures from the short lived and under rated 'Inhumanoids' Cartoon.
>>
>>13726073
You're the one going on about something or other and fairy wings.
AD2000 has, for years, published comics, from ABC Warriors to other series (e.g. Judge Dredd, Nemesis the Warlock, etc) which involve robots quite directly and more tastefully, I feel, than DC and Marvel. I don't know where or why you get this "cool guy" thing.
>>
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>>13726086
though the fact that they do this is what really makes me wanna get my hands on them.
>>
>>13726087
hehe nah dude it was less the AD2000 thing and more the wording of the 'stick it where the sun don't shine' comment sounding like something the Fonz or fuckin travolta from grease would say.

Also was it AD2000 or 2000AD? Which by the way I loved the shit out of though I only read JD, Halo Jones, and one of my favs Strontium Dog.

You might be takin shit too seriously man.
>>
>>13726113
AD2000
Nemesis the Warlock is really nice, give it a go.
>>
>>13726126
someone should fix their website and various wikis then.
>>
>>13725679
>I've never seen a flying wing aircraft design.
>>
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How about Jovian Chronicles.

Sure DP9 says it's Gundam influence, but the Exo-armors bear little resemblance to the mobile suits. Like the Wyvren
>>
>>13726289
How can you look at that skirt and not see a Mobile Suit staring back at you?
Legs make me think of Physalis.
>>
>>13726071
It really was. Some of the writing was surprisingly mature, I was impressed by the World War II references they made.
>>
>>13726289
It's a rick dias
>>
>>13726071
Nothing about the designs really stick out.
>>
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>>13726087
Wait, are we talking about comics that make Marvel and DC look like bad jokes now? Because I am so in.
>>
>>13726459
that is both METAL and AMERICA as fuck. Is this how the Brits see us?
>>
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>>13700088
>Why are there no good western mecha designs?
>implying
They're rare, but they exist.
>>
>>13726515
It's how everyone sees them. Or cowboys. At least, whenever they're showing them in a good way
>>
>>13726521
>Gipsy Danger
>not Cherno Alpha
We had this discussion earlier in the thread.
>>
>>13726437
actually the design for the exosuits was pretty unique, at the time. and, all the designs are very distinct from one another. the toys have a hard time conveying the more dynamic look of the cartoon. particularly because they have to fit a figure inside
>>
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>>13726048
barring a few notable exceptions, mainstream comic designs are very unambitious and samey. everything is colored body paint, mostly stripes. any armor or protective pads will be very thin and stick as closely to the body, as possible. mechinery is always represented by striated metal tubing.

one of the most striking differences between japanese and western mecha designs are the boldly defined shapes. elements clearly exist in 3 dimensions. they have volume, even if they display no weight. Also, the details are very large and blocky, which makes the machine easy to recognize.

I always notice that western mecha have tons of tiny, thin details that stick very close to the body. for whatever reason, the japanese don't do this. maybe because their design aesthetic is rooted in children's toys, but they make their designs thick, chunky, and pop with contrasting shapes and planes
>>
>>13725679
you can't really judge Super Robot designs on functionality. I mean, there is no reason, on earth, to have a lion head on your chest. and if you can think of some use, there is still no reason for a gigantic, flappy mane.

It just looks cool. the train pauldrons look cool. the wings look cool. that's all it has to do
>>
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>>13726676
I don't think it's a coincidence that toyetic intellectual properties produce strong designs. Star Wars is very toyetic and everyone recognizes battle droids, stormtroopers, imperial walkers, and whatnot.
>>
>>13726676
>>13726716
But a lot of actual military vehicles have those thick, chunky shapes and smooth silhouettes unless they have some extra equipment mounted on top. Just look at the M1. Yea there's some shit mounted on top, usually a turret station or something, but most of it just large shapes that draw the eye. Same for fighter jets. There may be some "panel lining" but it's typically not excessive.

A lot of western mechs on the other hand, look like they're just greeble and junk chunks glued together with holes and shit drilled everywhere because, fuck it, why not.

I think the reality is just that real military vehicles are just as toyetic as the toyetic Japanese mechs, I mean, except for the the humanoid thing.
>>
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>>13726716
>toyetic
>toyetic
You mean colorful, not covered in shit and rust like all yer mature vidya?
>>
>>13726762
Don't be such a cunt and put words in other people's mouths.
>>
>>13726690
You can though. Just because the Brave series has shit designs doesn't mean all Supers do
>>
>>13726515
If you ever get the chance, you should read Requiem Chevalier Vampire.
It's the only comic I ever bought hardcopies of.

It has that over-the-top tongue-in-cheek seriousness that the brits have mastered, plus a frog artist that can actually draw females
>>
>>13726756
This is exactly whatI've been trying to get aross for months.

Western mecha just don't come as close to how things come together as Japanese mecha tend to IMO. I always feel like Western mecha come from a distant concept of how parts and components come together whereas eastern ones more commonly meld together like actual machines tend to.

There are some Western properties that do this but not many. I was thinking of trying to make a sort of "shape chart" or the like to convey this, using colors and the areas of different machines' bodies to indicate the design similarities and differences between existing machines and fictional ones, and to highlight said similarities and differences.
>>
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>>13726716
>TFW no more shiny planes
>>
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>>13726308
How many different ways can you design a giant robot. And those drums at the knees are missile pods.
>>
>>13723579
To put it mildly, as mechs are a background piece of hardware in Western works...

...to have a mech and have the MC use it in an Eastern work is the equivalent of a character getting a lightsaber in the Star Wars movies. Meaning getting a lightsaber has an effect on who and how the story now gets told and focused on, character agency, etc.
>>
>>13702146
got a source for that?
>>
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>>
Western mecha design in a nutshell. It's either this or boxes in Maya and hard edge sculpting in Zbrush.
>>
>>13730761
Come on, the picture on the right is Rob Liefeld's. He represents Western artists like Golden Corral represents food. It's not a fair comparison.
>>
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>>13733822
>>
>>13703109
He's in terminator armor, so he will be fine. The dreadknight is just an afterthought.
>>
>>13715988
Dreadnoughts also had a good reasoning for being so boxy, since they were walking coffins.
>>
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I was always partial to the titanfall mechs despite not liking the game whatsoever.

Honestly if it ditched the fps shit and just focused on the mech fighting and expanded on its mechanics alone i think it mighta been better.

But it would probably have bombed.
>>
Japanese mecha are, for the most part, supposed to be the focal point of the story. To make them more relateable and interesting, they take liberties as far as realism in order to extend character and charm, etc. Thus Japanese mecha tend to make characters out of the mechs themselves.
Thus you get more colours, vibrancy, more unrealistic things like Macross missiles and mecha moving on their own when they shouldn't, etc. You get ridiculously oversized shoulders, leg joints and poses at odd angles that wouldn't realistically support the body, and other unrealistic ranges of motion.

Western mecha more often than not are portrayed as vehicles. They serve a purpose, usually military, so that design is based more on practicality and what serves them best in a military confrontation.
Obviously drawing inspiration from modern industrial and military vehicles. It leads to the boxy overall design to try and stick close to the realistic requirements necessary to support weigh of shoulders, body, etc. while exploring the possibilities of walking machinery.
It's also often trying to display these requirements as they might be for present-day or near-future mecha to exist, using existing materials etc. and often factoring in economics like whether a mecha could be realistically designed, because those kinds of things can come under fire from a western audience.

In short, Japanese mecha eschews some restrictions for evocative imagery and personality, while western mecha aim to be plausible even if it may not be pretty.
Some people may appreciate the practical and mechanical design aspects of western mecha and not necessarily be looking for the most iconic look or vibrant silhouette.

Though I'm sure most people here would disagree on the point, neither of these is good or bad. It's just looking for different things in a design.


TL;DR: Japanese mecha aim for style and character, Western mecha aim for practicality and plausibility.
>>
>>13734979
Lolwot. The Titans, if you isolated them, were the weakest part of the game. Titanfall's strong suit was the modernized arena-shooter style movement that gave players what Brink promised (but failed to deliver) and then some. The Titans only work at all because of the movement system makes the asymmetrical combat actually interesting enough to be viable. Titans on their own were boring as shit, which is why the Titan vs Titan game mode was empty since launch.
>>
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I really like the robots in planetary annihilation.
>>
>>13733822
This.

I like Rob Liefeld, I grew up in the era of comics that he, McFarlane, Lee, etc. defined, but he is not representative of American artists.
>>
>>13736539
>megas xlr
>>
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>>13734979
>titanfall
>mechs
but anon, that's a dirty word for developers
>>
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The West prefers robots (giant or otherwise) to mecha. I'm interested to know why particularly. Maybe it's because without the restriction of a human pilot you can have much more interesting shapes?

Played through Wolfenstein: The New Order, the designs in that were pretty neat.
>>
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>>
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>op says western mecha is garbage
>western mechafags proceed to prove him right
>>
>>13740218
>Maybe it's because without the restriction of a human pilot you can have much more interesting shapes?
>proceeds to post a picture of the shape every western mecha has
>>
>>13743449
Yeah basically.

W-what about Charlie n' Scud?
>>
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>>13743459

Sorry, here you go.
>>
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>>13700974
>Heavy Gear
Isn't that just a VOTOMS ripoff
>>
>japanese designers are magically better
There's a lot less stuff being produced, so there will be fewer gems. The vast majority of Japanese designs are underwhelming at best, too. The fact that there's also some really good designs doesn't change this.

>everything that has any influence from any japanese mecha is just a knockoff
Every western mecha is going to be influenced by Japanese designs in some way or another, because that's what the vast majority of designs are from. It's not a matter of taking influence from the Japanese, it's a matter of taking influence from mecha in general, because it's all japanese. There's not going to be some huge "western style" that comes out of thin air.

Both of these are nothing but the fact that there is no major market for mecha designs in the west.
>>
>>13743617
It is.
>>
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CEASE AND DESIST. superior american robot comin' through.
>>
>>13745473
That's not a robot, that's a cyborg.
>>
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>>13700088
want a good western mech: jenner, jenner or motherfucking jenner.
>>
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I can't believe y'all forgot about this guy
>>
>>13746175
Another box with legs, whoop-de-doo.
>>
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>>13701399

The new Imperial Knights look riverside.

I like that.
>>
>>13700094
found the american
>>
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>>13718092

The Loto is western?

I thought it was Gundam?
>>
I thought Robotech had some pretty good designs
>>
>>13710583

>zero
Zero went 1 to 1 with navy wildcats then 19:1 with hellcats.

>Ki-84, N1K, J2M, H8K, Ki67, Ki 100

Other than Ki-84, all were basically desperation one-offs throwing shit at a wall to see what would stick. Homare is one of the few engines that could claim to be less reliable than Jumo 004.

>Kikka

Literally slower than F4U-4 and F8F, climbs and turns like shit.
>>
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I find this much more visually interesting design than any gundam.
>>
>>13746887
>19:1 with hellcats.

Not even close to being correct
>>
>>13746914

I'm looking forward to you pulling out a source that says the Japanese only lost 10 planes then shot down 999999 planes at the battle of Phillipine Sea.
>>
>>13746971

I'm searching for you to cite any source that says the Zero (Which model?) had as bad a record as 1:1 with the Wildcat and 19:1 with the Hellcat.
>>
>>13728233
IT HAS A ROBOT WOLF DICK
>>
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>>13747007
My bad, it was only 13:1 against the zero. All models of A6M were lumped in together.
>>
>>13746325
It is.
Anon is retarded.

The Loto is also a prime example of "east v. west" overlap and how both sides are capable of doing things like each other, i.e. how in reality there's no real difference if you think about it, or else the differences are really subtle in some cases. For the Western end of that you can look at AirMech, SBT, The Big Guy and Rusty, Rob Schrab's work, etc.

>>13746080
Still better than 80% of the stuff ITT.
>>
>>13747030
I think he was asking about the Thor.
>>
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>>13700088
>Why are there no good western mecha designs?
It could be because you need to stop giving "eastern" designs a good blow for once.
>>
>>13747192
My oh my, what could this be? GASP! Yet another box with legs! You sure showed us!
>>
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Why don't we ever have draw- or designthreads? Like, do you remember the "Mech Engineer Quest" on /tg/? Admittedly that was battletech, but... I still remember it being decently entertaining to conk together a giant robutt according to everyone's different ideas, whims and wishes.

Pictured above is the design /tg/ wound up devising. It never reached its real end, however.
>>
>>13748103
>Why don't we ever have draw- or designthreads?
everything would end up being an obvious ripoff or kitbash, just like that pic
>>
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Are sentient biomechs /m/?
>>
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>>13702146
>battletechfags cry about furfags
>also image related to a commercial level
>also clans
>also protomechs
>also huge greasy middle-aged homos by and by
>>
>>13748127
But everyone had fun! And the whole mess of a project also produced a model that's perfectly applicable in-game. Admittedly, gaming isn't the gist of it here, of course.
>>
>>13714346
One Must Fall is based on the old blocky ones though
>>
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>>13748094
this bait, she is so very weak. I hope she is surrounded by her family in her final hours
>>
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>>13748166
hey man, i never said battletech was good, just that animal mechs were bad
>>
>>13700494
>memekey
>not the BRICK
fool
>>
>>13723579
>"What kind of toys can we make of this machine?"
Mecha in Japan have this problem now. Mechs are a niche market in the States, period. If you cant make a MAJOR profit on it it doesn't get funded. Battletech fly's on nostalgia but occasionally tries to evolve their style, see the Project Phoenix TRO, but the fans who play the game and buy their shit don't want that much change. Also using the Mechwarrior Online models as examples is a horrid idea. Their not really a good example of the median Battletech designs. See for details...
>>13715681
>>13705494
>>
>>13746489
I love how they're pretending that The Masters Saga didn't even have robots in it, just dudes in armor.

Guess those toys didn't sell.
>>
>>13734979
it still bombed either way.
>>
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>>13705523

Robot Jox holds up.
>>
>>13746232

Thank the gods. I was scrollin down the whole thread lookin for this guy, wonderin what the shit was going on.
>>
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>>13752256
shame. It was pretty fuckin fun
>>
>>13746175
What the fuck is that abomination, it looks like it belongs in that britbong Robot Wars
>>
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Thread posts: 314
Thread images: 127


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