mechs - Kotaku

posts about #mechs more →
Giant Robots Help Kill Tabula Rasa
Use Steel Battalion Controller for Something Other Than Remorse
Stealing Mechs From Australia
Battlefield 2142 Open Beta In August
Sweet Jesus! New Battlefield 2142 Screens!

Your version of Internet Explorer is not supported. Please upgrade to the most recent version in order to view comments.

Dsmvwl Admin Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×

SegamanXero
02/11/09

In reply to Giant Robots Help Kill Tabula Rasa
I might check this game out.

My only problem is that if I like the game, I may be sad to see it goes when it goes...

oh well...
Reply

SegamanXero was starred SegamanXero was unstarred

BubbleF**kingBuddy
02/11/09

In reply to Giant Robots Help Kill Tabula Rasa
This reminds me of Phantasy Star Online having hoverboards.

Yeah, that's what we wanted in PSU. Hoverboards.
Reply

BubbleF**kingBuddy was starred

hunter3742
02/11/09

In reply to Giant Robots Help Kill Tabula Rasa
Wow...that looks distinctly Tau-ish...
Reply

hunter3742 was starred hunter3742 was unstarred

stupid_mcgee: 1000 angels could save your soul ([k])
02/11/09

@hunter3742: The art design for the Tau is a blatant generic rip-off of conventional anime mecha, and more specifically from Patlabor. This looks more like Battletech than Tau.
Reply

Fishballs
02/11/09

@stupid_mcgeeDon't some of the Battletech mech designs come from anime like Macross and whatnot?
Reply

Fishballs was starred Fishballs was unstarred

Skunky
02/11/09

@Fishballs: Many of the early mechs in Battletech were licensed from the Robotech IP holders. Hence the Marauder looks like a Zentraedi officer pod, the Wasp, the Stinger, and the Phoenix Hawk were various Varitech fighters, and the Warhammer, Archer, Longbow, and a few others were destroids.

When FASA lost the licensing, they were quick to drop and/or change many of those mechs. Some had their designs made more unique (recent versions of the Stinger and Archer look kinda goofy compared to their Robotech designs), others were abandoned (Land-Air Mechs rules were completely dropped, a rulebook flavor text thing written about the loss of technology and how Clanners disliked the blurring of caste lines with LAMs, and no mention after that of the things), and some were phased out just through a lack of mention.

I <3 mechs, can you tell?
Reply

Skunky was starred Skunky was unstarred

MonsterKingRen
02/11/09

@Skunky: no, you said Varitech instead of Valkyrie and Robotech design instead of macross design :P
Reply

MonsterKingRen was starred MonsterKingRen was unstarred

jesterspawn
02/11/09

@hunter3742: All you guys talkin' 'bout ripping off your Robotechs and Battletechs and your Patlabors...

...Am I the only one who thinks that mech's most obvious inspiration was Master Chief?
Reply

jesterspawn was starred jesterspawn was unstarred

Skunky
02/11/09

@jesterspawn: But Samus Aran was totally Master Chief's inspiration.
Reply

Skunky was starred Skunky was unstarred

Skunky
02/11/09

@MonsterKingRen: right, cause I said they licensed it from the Robotech IP holders and not the Macross IP holders. Remember, I'm talking about a couple of US companies, so the IP holder in the US (Harmony Gold?) while not the original IP holder, was the sole controller of rights in the US.
Reply

Skunky was starred Skunky was unstarred

Jazhuis
02/11/09

@Skunky: Except FASA never actually lost the licensing. Harmony Gold just kept suing them over and over again to the point that FASA, being a small company, let the designs go rather than spend money to go to court again and again to prove they were right.

Then, Playmates goes and makes their Exo Squad toys, which included some RT licensing from Harmony Gold, and one of which was pretty much a direct ripoff of a Mad Cat. FASA took that to court and didn't quite win, although the judge shook some fingers in the direction of Playmates.

All of this bringing about the old beardy BT player's battle cry: F*CK HARMONY GOLD
Reply

Jazhuis was starred Jazhuis was unstarred

Skunky
02/11/09

@Jazhuis: I always wondered what was up with the Playmates thing. Having the Robotech toys as part of the Exo Squad line seemed kinda...odd, if not downright wacky. Although I didn't complain when I bought a red Archer/Gladiator cause it almost looked like my personal 'mech I liked to play with.
Reply

Skunky was starred Skunky was unstarred

Earlier discussions Other discussions Show all discussions Show featured discussions only Start a new discussion