What is your opinion of protagonists that is a rookie teenager

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>>15812479

>>15812479
I don't think it's handled as well as it could be, though that's probably dependent on available animation budget.

Sometimes its justified by them or their mecha being special. Then it's fine.

>>15812502

None; it's just an idea, it's the execution that counts not the base idea. It's no better or worse than having a grizzled veteran, idealistic rookie fresh out of training, depressed zombie ex commando or whatever else you want to name.

>>15812506
It doesn't matter if a chihuahua is highly trained and grizzled from age, he isn't going to survive in a fight against an irish wolfhound pup.

>>15812479
It's a meme. Stories are full of protagonists that can beat veteran or skilled soldiers. Usa teen super heroes do this every time.

The problem here is that a lot of people are in their 23-24. They like more the idea of the veteran soldier as protagonist, especially in this recent times where old "veteran pro" are becomed quite popular in western fiction and videogames.

>>15812479
Can they really called veteran when the MS tech itself was just started around for 8 years?

>>15812511

So what? Your analogy means nothing to the original point, since the two aren't in competition with each other.

At least with judeau it was believable, he had a lot of training.

It was fine in 0079 and Zeta since both Amuro and Kamille were geeks who were obsessed with technology, and also the Gundam doing most of the work in Amuro's case.

>>15812479
what's the worse application of this scenario?

i say the heavy gear animated series:
protagonist is a rookie who somehow fended off against two veterans who ambushed his try out AND demolished the course record somehow.

not exactly life and death but still quite jarring.

>>15812479
That's like the whole idea behind modern warfare.
Ships or aircraft never see each other, they just get confirmations of a lock-on and send the missile away.
It doesn't matter who pushed the button, what matters is the machine itself.

Same thing goes for foot soldiers. Being older there is not only not advantageous, but actually disadvantageous.

That's firearms for you. A kid with a rifle is just as deadly as a soldier. As long as they point the gun the right way (which itself is a skill that is not really related to age), the gun will turn your innards into a mush.

>>15812587
What is your fucking point then?
Protagonist in a conflict with a rival pilot, who is experienced while the protagonist isn't.
The protagonist is piloting an incredibly advanced/supernatural mecha while the vet is piloting something standard issue and unremarkable.
Who has the fucking advantage? All the training in the world isn't going to save you from a god on your tail.

>>15812639

> Same thing goes for foot soldiers. Being older there is not only not advantageous, but actually disadvantageous.

How so? I'm assuming you mean something about age affecting physical performance, but that's offset by experience improving mental performance as an average. At least to a certain point. Obviously it's not going to offset an octogenarian's physical performance, but soldiers in their 30s and possibly even 40s with direct experience of a situation will have some advantages over soldiers in their late teens or early 20s with much less experience. That's why trainers tend to be veterans in the first place, because experience matters and passing it on as much as possible is valued.

>>15812657

Literally nothing to do with any of that. My only point was that whether you a rookie, a veteran or whatever else for your protagonist, it's the execution of the concept that matters, not what concept you use. I forgot to delete the link to >>15812502 in my post after clicking it to open a reply box, since I think that's why you're taking my post as more confrontational than intended. I meant it only as a reply to the OP, not you in particular.

>>15812659
Foot soldiers have an expectancy of what? 5 or 6 years before the weight of their equipment inevitably fucks up their knees and makes them light cripples for the rest of their life.
They have extremely high rates of arthritis and shit like that, just ask /k/.

Experience matters but you use it by dumping them outside of the battlefield. Experience is worth fuck all when you get your artery cut by a shrapnel from a mortar some 16 year old fired at your position.

>>15812670

> Experience is worth fuck all when you get your artery cut by a shrapnel from a mortar some 16 year old fired at your position.

That's actually one of the times it'll count most, since a soldier experienced with being shot, being under enemy fire, being in pressure situations is much, much more likely to keep his cool and thus act in a manner that maximises their survival chances than one who's fresh out of training and has no experience of a real battle.

>>15812677
It's a mortar, anon.
The maximization of chances of survival are the same thing as their helmets. They help, a bit.
The difference is a percent or two at best. And no amount of it will help you against the first hit from anything.

>>15812689

It won't help against a direct hit from a mortar, no. It will help an indirect hit from the mortars splash damage though. It definitely does help in dealing with direct hits from smaller fire though.

>>15812479
It depends. Usually the rookie teenagers are newtypes + have an aptitude for piloting. Experience doesn't mean jack fucking shit in real life.
See : Every single military conflict the US, the ""greatest military power ever"" has been involved in for the past 50 years and subsequently utterly failed at winning or achieving any notable results

>>15812735
To be fair, the USA could 'win' most of their conflicts if they just went all out and leveled everything, but everyone would really hate them for it (or, more than they already do anyway).
Guerilla tactics are very potent against formal standing armies, especially when said armies are constrained by various factors (legislation, PR, public opinion) from back home.

>>15812479

This is what we call 'willing suspension of disbelief'. Like, you sort of have to accept that in the premise, otherwise the whole story falls apart. (Or alternatively, all your protagonists will be military.)

Remember the number of people complaining how IBO ended with the numerically superior and better-led force crushing the scrappy underdogs? It's sort of like that - You have to accept annoying kids, or there's only one way the story ends.

>>15812479
Works for Amuro and Kamille. The Gundam was invinceable for a while so he had time to get good at piloting while Kamille was piloting mobile suits for years.

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>>15812479
I thought it was fairly believable with Garrod.

He was good enough to hold his own, but veteran pilots tended to smack him around.