Mech/Walker Synonyms http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/science-fiction/threads/48141 Wolf-Perseus Hey, y'all! Just a quick thread here. Okay, well I need a another name for what are known as mechs or walkers. You know, something catchy! 'Mech' just isn't doing it for me, and 'walker' doesn't fit because my machines aren't like the ones in Star Wars which resemble "slow walking tanks." Mine are more like the ones found in anime, so to speak. Any help would be dearly appreciated! NOTE: It can't be something strictly restricted to abbreviations like, "H.M.V." (Humanoid Military Vehicles). Okay? ;) Sun, 18 Dec 2011 14:24:03 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/science-fiction/threads/48141?page=1#forum_thread_comment_982373 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/science-fiction/threads/48141?page=1#forum_thread_comment_982373 The_Halla Armature Exoskeleton (or Exo for short--would better fit a smaller unit) Mechapede or Technopede Construct Battle Suit Sun, 18 Dec 2011 17:21:15 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/science-fiction/threads/48141?page=1#forum_thread_comment_982872 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/science-fiction/threads/48141?page=1#forum_thread_comment_982872 Darkfeather21 If your not planning on publishing your writing, Gundam. Sun, 18 Dec 2011 17:29:21 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/science-fiction/threads/48141?page=1#forum_thread_comment_982904 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/science-fiction/threads/48141?page=1#forum_thread_comment_982904 Steampunk avi8or The one I always use is drone. Mon, 19 Dec 2011 09:56:52 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/science-fiction/threads/48141?page=1#forum_thread_comment_984588 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/science-fiction/threads/48141?page=1#forum_thread_comment_984588 lasalle202 Battlebots Warsuit Human Tanks MilVees (military vehicles) Armored Infantry Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:26:20 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/science-fiction/threads/48141?page=1#forum_thread_comment_985496 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/science-fiction/threads/48141?page=1#forum_thread_comment_985496 phantom000 I had an idea of a story based around military mechas. The official name was Mechanized Humanoid Assault Forces, which gets shortened to Mechanoids. I thought it was clever but turns out someone already thought of it. You could also give them some kind of weird nick name that has little or nothing to actually do with what they are. Why do you think we call them 'Tanks'? it's because the British developed the first tanks in secret so the men who built them were told they were mobile water tanks for desert warfare. In an old PC game with mechas they were developed in secret under the code name Project: Hawk, so they called them Hawks. Tue, 20 Dec 2011 09:26:39 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/science-fiction/threads/48141?page=1#forum_thread_comment_987217 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/science-fiction/threads/48141?page=1#forum_thread_comment_987217 lasalle202 or bring back a name from the old hand to hand combat days and repurpose it, like Sabres, or Hauberks or Brigandines or Cestus. Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:21:22 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/science-fiction/threads/48141?page=1#forum_thread_comment_987815 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/science-fiction/threads/48141?page=1#forum_thread_comment_987815 Wolf-Perseus Hey, thanks a lot, everyone! I like quite a few of these. Tue, 20 Dec 2011 21:45:21 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/science-fiction/threads/48141?page=1#forum_thread_comment_989804 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/science-fiction/threads/48141?page=1#forum_thread_comment_989804 Tolaura Bookchild I have large combat vehicles called Dinks because the main company that makes them is Dinkershins. Does your universe have large corps? Fri, 30 Dec 2011 18:12:00 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/science-fiction/threads/48141?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1012441 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/science-fiction/threads/48141?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1012441 Sekava I decided to call them "skeletons". Because people don't like saying "exoskeletons" all the time. Mon, 02 Jan 2012 10:54:06 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/science-fiction/threads/48141?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1021439 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/science-fiction/threads/48141?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1021439 Wolf-Perseus Yes, actually. One of them is central to the plot of the novel... but they're a relatively new corporation, and I don't want any one company coining the "walking robo-tank." I wanted it sort of emerging like the tank: a result of wars between various large nations. I don't have the exact details on who or during what war they were made, but that's the basic history. They're more feasible as well, because the planet where Humanity has migrated to, is somewhat smaller than Earth, so that they are easier to raise because of its lower gravity (I'm pretty sure off-world engagements would use crawling tanks and whatnot for higher gravity worlds). But thanks, I rather like the idea... Hm. Maybe a special breed of mechs made by a company... with the ability to... to... FLY! Yes, that could work. :) Sat, 07 Jan 2012 15:37:30 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/science-fiction/threads/48141?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1039520 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/science-fiction/threads/48141?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1039520 Crazy_Skillz Really, I never got the tactical applications of mech, but here goes. Suits Interceptors Fast Attack Infantry Or, a nickname by regular infantry-"Tin Cans" Thu, 19 Jan 2012 09:38:30 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/science-fiction/threads/48141?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1073559 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/science-fiction/threads/48141?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1073559 lasalle202 [quote=Crazy_Skillz] Really, I never got the tactical applications of mech, but here goes. [/quote] The tactical application is "The Rule of Cool!!!!!" Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:38:12 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/science-fiction/threads/48141?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1074056 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/science-fiction/threads/48141?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1074056 Crazy_Skillz True, but as a minor fan of military tactics and history, they make no sense. It's basically a less stable tank with arms. If you're going for that, why not just use power armor? Thu, 19 Jan 2012 21:52:01 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/science-fiction/threads/48141?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1075381 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/science-fiction/threads/48141?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1075381 Sekava As far as I've seen, mechs and power armor can be a pretty blurry line. A heavy enough exoskeleteon is going to start looking like a small mech eventually. And they could be excellent shock troops. Depending on their strength and defenses, they could tear through barricades and enemies while being practically immune to small arms fire, while still having most of the mobility infantry has. Fri, 20 Jan 2012 05:39:46 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/science-fiction/threads/48141?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1076026 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/science-fiction/threads/48141?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1076026 Wolf-Perseus Well, that's basically what they are in my story. They're not tanks, but rather big walking people. Imagine being able to dart across the battle field, armed with tank-grade weaponry, yet feel as if you were still you; a human, emerged within via telepresence. That's kind of what they are in my universe: mobile, fluid machines. Most aren't clumsy like the ones depicted in video-games or some movies. The modern ones are comparable to a Transformer (although they lack the iconic ability). To me, if you're going that far into the future, you should at least display the advances in machinery, and that's what the mech/walkers do. ;) Sat, 21 Jan 2012 16:24:02 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/science-fiction/threads/48141?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1079510 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/science-fiction/threads/48141?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1079510 awesomeo The original Gundam had the best justification for giant robotic fighting vehicles. The invention of the Minvosky (spelling?) particle allowed the jamming of all electronic targeting. Guided weapons such as missles became almost useless. In order to hit something you had to actually see it (or carpet bomb). Thus the giant armored robots actually provided a greater view of the battlefield while carrying enormous firepower (beam weaponry), and were NOT vulnerable to over the horizon targeting. That and they were made of alloys that were very resistant to damage. Ordinary soldiers and even tanks could not carry energy weapons or conventional cannons powerful enough to damage them. They were also terror weapons by design, meant to inspire fear on top of deal damage. Thus such "mechs" could certainly be worked into a story for technological or better yet CULTURAL reasons. A honor bound society might love the idea of striding through the battlefield like an oversized knight of yore. Much like they might love the idea of humans going up against enemy ships in space fighters instead of using unmanned drones capable of surviving far greater g-forces and presenting a smaller target. Culture will often override more practical reasoning. Especially if it justifies the warrior ethoes that has been part of said culture for a long time. As for naming: Mechs are small-scale and merely called a "suit" or "carapace armor" in my stuff. They serve mostly as heavy weapons platforms, as the stock soldier is equipped with body armor equipped with personal shields (stops or alters the trajectory of bullets and shrapnel) and dispersion webbing (dissipates the heat of pused lasers, which pass right through shields). Carapace is what you would wear for boarding actions in space or orbital drops as it comes with jump-jets and thrusters. Not enough to fly around like in anime, but enough to guide it planetside and maneuver in zero-g. And like tanks they rarely operate planetside on their own. They are generally supported by infantry. They actually see more use in the civilian market, used as power-loaders like in the Aliens series. Thus suits are a favorite of mercenary outfits and rebel factions that can retrofit them easier than stealing or building an actual tank. Sun, 22 Jan 2012 00:41:54 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/science-fiction/threads/48141?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1080644 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/science-fiction/threads/48141?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1080644 Wolf-Perseus Hm. Very interesting. It make me wonder about the plausibility of my own mechs and other technologies. I don't want to include something akin to the Minovsky particle, because it would shatter a few of the main plot-points I've established, yet somehow I'm feeling the need to expand on their exact advantages over conventional tanks. Well, one of the things I had is the use of programmable matter in my universe, making them more mechanically feasible, by not using modern gears and pulleys. Another thing is the increasingly powerful and accurate weapons of the story, which disallow for stationary targets like tanks, staying that way for more than a few minutes. Then there's the obvious of anti-tank barricades or other such devices that would inhibit the use of them as a superior form of vehicle (despite the Star Fox-style, Landmaster mobility). Yet... I still don't think this is enough. One of my goals for the novel, is to make its setting possible - that is, one possible route that humanity's timeline may follow - while allowing for a few softer ideas to emerge, and for the changes in science that might occur. I want to make it as hard as possible, without denying the things I want achieve with it's plot. This'll be harder than I originally thought... Any suggestions, anyone? I'd greatly appreciate them. :) Sun, 22 Jan 2012 15:30:54 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/science-fiction/threads/48141?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1081902 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/science-fiction/threads/48141?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1081902 Crazy_Skillz Just as a quick nite before, Tanks move incredably fast for offroad-up to 60MPH, and can fire on the move. That's on advantage Mechs lost. Anyway, the real advantage of power armored troops, or their big brothers Mechs is not in attriction warfare. It's guerilla, it's hit and run. To quote Starship Troopers, "We make war as personal as a punch to the nose. We can be selective, applying precisely the required amount of pressure at the specified point at a designated time"- that's the power of Anime-eaque mechs and power armors. To get in, deal damage, and get out. Of course, when doing these things, it doesn't hurt to be able to do it with the aptitude of your own human body-just with your strangth multiplied tenfold, and the ability to carry tank sized weapons. Now here's where power armor has an advantage over mech. A mech is big, bulky. Not only is it making a big target of yourself, but you can't run inside a building and deliver that "Punch to the nose" as Heinlein so delicately called it. Now don't think that mechs don't have their advantages-they do, in the form of weapons. The bigger the platform, the more, bigger guns you can use. And this is all without an extra factor. Who knows, maybe fissile weaponry is common on battlefields, requiring constant protection. Maybe in order to avoid casualties, the pilot is very far away from the mech, piloting it remotely. Sun, 22 Jan 2012 22:49:13 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/science-fiction/threads/48141?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1083705 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/science-fiction/threads/48141?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1083705 Wolf-Perseus In my story, I have one segment where the two main characters are attempting to cross the border into a third-world country - though it's still a heavily fortified one. They pilot their mechs from afar using ansibles (a technology common in my 'verse), and I excused it as being a lot more commotion-less than driving a tank or a convoy in, since these machines are much more well rounded, and can go on for MUCH longer periods than a tank, while still retaining the mobility of a soldier with superior weaponry. I didn't intend these mechs to be used for front line assaults, since from the start I understood some of the advantages of a tank over them; rather they are used in few numbers as superior units, supported by tanks and other such technologies, due to their much more complicated designs and added expense. These mechs were built for pretty much the reasons mentioned by you, Crazy_Skillz: to deal low-profile, guerrilla damage (though when the situation calls for, hold their own). So those were my reasons... but quite frankly, I don't see them justifying them completely. I feel like I need to add some bizarre new science-fiction element into it... an element I can't immediately think of right now. So again, reasons would be appreciate (because if I knew of a couple, there's no telling how many other things I can squeeze into the plot because of it. ). In advance: thank you so much. :) Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:33:41 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/science-fiction/threads/48141?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1094319 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/science-fiction/threads/48141?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1094319 awesomeo I am now inspired to put a scene in my story where two characters quip about naming the mech that shows up to kill them. "Oh no, they have an Class D Humanoid Fighting Vehicle. It's coming in hot!" "What, you mean a mech?" "No no no! It's a scout-frame equipped with endurance thrusters for deep recon. They have retrofitted it for urban combat!" "So basically a lightly-armored mech?" [facepalms] "I'm just saying you're getting bogged down in details here, bud." Fri, 27 Jan 2012 21:00:15 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/science-fiction/threads/48141?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1096306 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/science-fiction/threads/48141?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1096306