Dreamyr said:
...You gave me a link to a post in the Btech RR that went on a biased rant against battlemechs/giant robots in favor of tanks. What else exactly in particular was I supposed to take away from it?
This will be the last post from me regarding this topic, on this thread. WIsh to continue it? Create a new thread.
The point of that thread was that for any given tech level, due to the
inherent differences in
form, a combat-unit shaped like a tank
will always be a more stable firing platform, simpler, harder to hit, better armored and have more motive power per tonnage of engine, over a mech-type humanoid shape.
Likewise, for a given tech level, a dedicated fighter will always be better than a mech in atmospheric flight. A dedicated space fighter, given equal tech, will always be better than a mech-style space combat unit.
The form of a tank is always better optimized for ground combat, over a mech built from equal technology. Because if you have the armor tech to make a mech capable of withstanding hits from... say, Abrams MBT cannon with their large armor (and thus thinner for any given tonnage) surface areas, then equal material used to create the glacis of a tank will shrug off superior weaponry. If you can make joints that can support huge-ass weapons being held in hand-like extension of a mech, you can use those same joints to create ball-turrets for the same weapons at smaller, simpler and lighter yet equally versatile configurations on top or side of a tank hull.
And so forth.
Point still stands though that that post is biased as hell. He doesn't even attempt to discuss any positive points a bipedal platform might have like the ability to scale mountains without having to be airlifted and thus spotted and rain artillery fire down on anything that comes in range.
If you can construct legs with sufficient grip to scale mountains that steep, you can apply that same material to the simpler configuration of a track or a tire. If you have jetpacks of a mech, those same jetpacks can be applied to a tank
and it will fly better than the mech because unlike the complex and unstable form of the mech the tank is 'just' a flying brick. If you have grappling hooks on a mech, you can apply those exact same grappling hooks to a tank. And it will be better, because the tank is simpler, smaller and lighter, or if at same tonnage: of superior performance.
The link goes to the Vs. Debates forum.
