Western Mechs vs Eastern Mecha

What do you like better? Western Mechs or Eastern Mecha?

  • Total voters
    58
Relevant.

739pxccmkii.jpg
 
Remus said:
I prefer the western mechs: mechwarrior, C&C, Supreme Commander etc.

However, humanoid giant robots can be cool, it just depends on the design. Example: The Iron Giant.

Also I'm not sure, but do the the mechanical suits from Iron Man classify as mechs? Or exoskeletons?
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The commander from Total Annihilation was far more superior that the Com in SupCom

"Did someone order a D-gun?"
 
Man, that thing can turn on a dime.
 
lord_raken said:
In my mind the two are not really comparable. That's not to say you can't prefer one over the other, but either one embodies an entirely different symbology, and philosophy.

The western mech is, as you say, a machine, a walking tank. It is a tactical piece of military hardware, and is only holds significance based on what it can do on the battlefield.

The eastern mech is more symbolic in its role. Instead of a military weapon the eastern mech embodies the spiritual strength of the pilots. The battles between eastern mechs often represent internal struggles or personal conflict between the two pilots. The mech is literally an extension of the pilots mind. This approach falls closely in line with he eastern concept of the warrior.

Edit: This Extra Credits video explains the difference between the way western and eastern cultures view weapons.

[video]http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/extra-credits/3261-The-Myth-of-the-Gun[/video]

The armored core pictures I think draw a nice middle ground between the two styles. I do like both styles as long as they are well done.
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Damn it I was going to post that!



I think my biggest problem with the typical Japanese mecha is that they look like toys. They look like they're made of shiney plastic, not metal and electronics. It's not the humaid characteristics that bother me, it's just they don't look like robots. For instance, this guy is awesome:
xtUIn.jpg





Also,
Unrivaled
MejX8.jpg
 
Aesthetically my favorite mech is definitely the Vulture, followed by MadCat probably.

I was a lot more effective with the Daishi though in MW4, but the thing did get hot like hell so very quickly. MW4 was my first online multiplayer game, actually.

And I'll raise you all with this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxfKZZ4RNng
 
ZT said:
Eastern Mechs are not mechs. They are just large gay robots.
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What ZT said.
(What NeptuneUK felt)


I would vote Western mainly because they seem to be designed for maximum functionality as opposed to (homosexually inclined) aesthetics.
 
PvtRyan said:
Aesthetically my favorite mech is definitely the Vulture, followed by MadCat probably.

I was a lot more effective with the Daishi though in MW4, but the thing did get hot like hell so very quickly. MW4 was my first online multiplayer game, actually.

And I'll raise you all with this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxfKZZ4RNng
Click to expand...

Man, I bought MW4 when it came out (I was probably like 12 or so) and I watched that intro all the way through most of the times I started the game. It's so awesome. The MW3 and MW2 intros are good but 4 was always my favorite. The live actors are so cheesy but it's epic nevertheless.
 
I recently reinstalled MW4 on my laptop but soon remembered why my 12 year old self was unable to grasp the controls for some time.
 
Don't have a joystick?
I can't play MW games without a joystick. Doesn't feel right.
 
Let's not forget that the original BattleTech included a lot of mechs just plain copied from Eastern mecha series such as Macross, Dougram and Crusher Joe.

The so-called 'Unseen' mechs that continue to be a source of legal difficulties with relations to BattleTech/MechWarrior products.

Also, I think MechWarrior games are fine without joysticks.

If I ever do get around to deciding to play MechWarrior again I should definitely hook up my Steel Battalion controllers to my PC, there are even pre-made MW2/MW3/MW4 profiles for it out there.
 
Acepilotf14 said:
Man, that thing can turn on a dime.
Click to expand...

Classic C&C unit movement really!

Also, I like how it's been given the sound clips of the Apocalypse Tank from Red Alert 2. Soviet voices don't really go very well with GDI units.
 
<sniffles and wipes away a tear> You guys... you all make me so proud! Well most of you anyway!
 
Stylo said:
Classic C&C unit movement really!

Also, I like how it's been given the sound clips of the Apocalypse Tank from Red Alert 2. Soviet voices don't really go very well with GDI units.
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I think it's the Emperor Overlord from Zero Hour actually.
 
eastern mechs are not trying to be tanks
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zaku2.jpg


Not all 'Eastern Mechs' are Gundams or super robots, and even Gundam included machines like the above that were specifically supposed to seem like semi-realistic military machines, at least within the economical confines of late seventies animation.

Sure, as things have worn on the toy-like designs have been packed into shows like Gundam Wing because they sell (oh, and homoeroticism. Apparently). But this thread is a loaded question. It asks 'do you like big realistic machines drawn in high detail illustrations and rendered 3D games or do you like big flamboyant colourful doodles that appeared in some extremely low-budget, aired for a year cartoon?'.

I confess myself ignorant to what constitutes a 'western mech', but if it can be so narrowly defined as you have done, I like 'eastern mecha' because there's a shitload of variety.

Also, since someone is bound to have said 'Why not have both'

system-a-99.jpg


A Cautionary tale?
 
Both? That's an ugly ass old school Eastern Mech!

And do you really think the question was loaded? I was just using example images I found. You're not supposed to base it off the example images.
 
I am the only one who likes the zone of the enders designs?
 
20090909_21.jpg


This is what you should have shown kupo
 
I love how this thread is basically half people going HEY EASTERN MECHA ARE ACTUALLY PRETTY COOL and half people completely ignoring them ranting about how awesome Mechwarrior is.
 
<RJMC> said:
I am the only one who likes the zone of the enders designs?
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Of course you're not. I like the Orbital Frames. Anubis is probably my favorite among them.


Also all this talk of Mechwarrior makes me sad that 1) There are very few Tesla pods to be found these days, and 2) They're probably all lame-ass Firestorm now, which was made not for people who wanted to experience piloting a giant robot, but casuals. Goddamn casuals.
 
Darkside55 said:
Of course you're not. I like the Orbital Frames. Anubis is probably my favorite among them.


Also all this talk of Mechwarrior makes me sad that 1) There are very few Tesla pods to be found these days, and 2) They're probably all lame-ass Firestorm now, which was made not for people who wanted to experience piloting a giant robot, but casuals. Goddamn casuals.
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Pray do tell, what are tesla pods?
 
Darkside55 said:
Of course you're not. I like the Orbital Frames. Anubis is probably my favorite among them.


Also all this talk of Mechwarrior makes me sad that 1) There are very few Tesla pods to be found these days, and 2) They're probably all lame-ass Firestorm now, which was made not for people who wanted to experience piloting a giant robot, but casuals. Goddamn casuals.
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Oh man.. we had some of those at the dave and busters near here before they took them out. Those were cool as ****. I always dominated erryone.
 
Raziaar said:
Pray do tell, what are tesla pods?
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Tesla pods were enclosed cockpits linked together running Mechwarrior. Seven screens, 40 buttons, joystick, throttle, footpedals. The mechs were customizable down to which generators ran which systems, which could be changed on the fly as combat dictated.

Firestorm, one of the updates, ruined all that, though.
 
Yeah, actually getting to play a round in a TESLA pod is one of my wet dreams.

It doesn't even matter if it would be running Firestorm or not I just want to ****ing sit in one of those bad boys.

I'll just have to hope that BattleTech gets some upswing eventually amongst the gaming community and that I get a BattleTech Center somewhat close to me, like in say London or something. That'd be sweet.
 
Ennui said:
I love how this thread is basically half people going HEY EASTERN MECHA ARE ACTUALLY PRETTY COOL and half people completely ignoring them ranting about how awesome Mechwarrior is.
Click to expand...
Not me. But everyone ignored my post too except for Stylo correcting me.

Stylo, did he have a different voice in Yuri's Revenge? I've played that much less than the original RA2.
 
Darkside55 said:
Of course you're not. I like the Orbital Frames. Anubis is probably my favorite among them.


Also all this talk of Mechwarrior makes me sad that 1) There are very few Tesla pods to be found these days, and 2) They're probably all lame-ass Firestorm now, which was made not for people who wanted to experience piloting a giant robot, but casuals. Goddamn casuals.
Click to expand...
My god. I remember back when I was probably 12 or so I used to get InQuest Gamer magazine because I was all into MTG and whatnot. They had a little article about Tesla pods and I thought they were the coolest things ever.

Never actually have encountered one in real life, the last arcade around here closed about 10 years ago and they didn't have one.

Always ****ing wanted to try one, they look AWESOME AS ****.
 
ríomhaire said:
Not me. But everyone ignored my post too except for Stylo correcting me.

Stylo, did he have a different voice in Yuri's Revenge? I've played that much less than the original RA2.
Click to expand...

Yeah, the added alot of voices to both Allied and Soviet units, including the Apoc tank. IIRC in YR the original "generic" unit voices were restricted to the Rhino and Grizzly tanks.

Anyway - Western Mechs look cool because they look like they're designed to be fighting machines. Similar to well designed tanks or land speed record breaking cars looking cool - beauty is the absence of the unnecessary. Eastern Mecha look like they've been designed to "look cool" - like a brightly coloured toy. They both have a different kind of appeal.

For me, eastern and eastern influenced designs are rather too "busy" in design for my taste, so as a rule I prefer western ones. Even humanoid western mechs have a simple utilitarian appeal compared to the eastern designs.

479px-Warhound9.jpg
 
ríomhaire said:
Not me. But everyone ignored my post too except for Stylo correcting me.

Stylo, did he have a different voice in Yuri's Revenge? I've played that much less than the original RA2.
Click to expand...

Actually, yes. I do recall some of the units getting voices changed from the generic versions in YR. I was pretty hardcore on C&C in its hayday (still think they're great games now) but admittedly I wasn't as keen on Generals and Tiberium Wars, though I still played and enjoyed them. The Scrin were just immensely overpowered in Tiberium Wars though, it took a lot away from the game for me because it was nearly impossible to take them on in harder modes, they could wipe you out within minutes with about 5 units deployed from their already established massive bases.

Original C&C up to Yuri's Revenge is what I'm most knowledgable in. That does include 'Renegade' as well, haha!
 
I miss my Gauss Rifles. T_T

Where are my chain-linked LPPC's???
Where is my Kitfox with all the armor stripped off and every single ounce of weight, spare one laser, allocated to speed and jumpjets?
 
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