Scale of 1 to 10, how awesome does this sound

[Berserk Monk]

World War II with giant robots piloted by the Allies and Axis.

I just got an idea for a comic about the above statement. The moment I thought of it, my brain almost died from awesome overload. I know this probably belongs in arts and crafts, but I'm putting it under media because I want to know if the ideas been done before (I doubt it has, but there could be some movie, comic, TV show I'm unaware of).

[The Rose Dragon]

I'd say about 4.

It just sounds bland. You can't put mecha in a setting and expect it to be magically awesome.

[13_CBS]

This Garand of mine glows with an awesome POWER! Its burning grip is telling me to defeat you!

That said, sounds cool! It has the potential to be 10/10. But what kind of giant robots? Evangelion sized, Gundam sized, power armor...?




It just sounds bland. You can't put mecha in a setting and expect it to be magically awesome.

That, sir, is heresy. Burn the heretic!

[jamroar]

World War II with giant robots piloted by the Allies and Axis.

I just got an idea for a comic about the above statement. The moment I thought of it, my brain almost died from awesome overload. I know this probably belongs in arts and crafts, but I'm putting it under media because I want to know if the ideas been done before (I doubt it has, but there could be some movie, comic, TV show I'm unaware of).

It's been done as an RPG/wargame.

Gear Krieg (http://www.dp9.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=92&Itemid=75)

[bosssmiley]

Google "Gear Kreig". It was by the guys who did Heavy Gear IIRC...

[Berserk Monk]

This Garand of mine glows with an awesome POWER! Its burning grip is telling me to defeat you!

That said, sounds cool! But what kind of giant robots? Evangelion sized, Gundam sized, power armor...?

Well, the only real mecha anime I even got into was Gurren Lagann, so the best way I could sum up the mechs would be they'd all have great diversity. Some would be twenty feet tall, and others would be the size of a mountain and could store mechs. I got more ideas, but I''l post them later.

[The Rose Dragon]

That, sir, is heresy. Burn the heretic!

Don't get me wrong, I love mecha. I love small ones, I love big ones, I love ones that use galaxies as shurikens...

But it's not a magic bullet. See Mighty Morphing Power Rangers. It has mecha. Is it awesome? Not really.

[Sequinox]

World War II with giant robots piloted by the Allies and Axis.

I just got an idea for a comic about the above statement. The moment I thought of it, my brain almost died from awesome overload. I know this probably belongs in arts and crafts, but I'm putting it under media because I want to know if the ideas been done before (I doubt it has, but there could be some movie, comic, TV show I'm unaware of).

To be honest, mechs just really annoy me. I have yet to see them done well in a setting, or at least 'done well' to me.

[13_CBS]

To be honest, mechs just really annoy me. I have yet to see them done well in a setting, or at least 'done well' to me.

What do you mean by "done well"? If you wanted to make a series about mechs, how would you implement the mechs?





But it's not a magic bullet. See Mighty Morphing Power Rangers. It has mecha. Is it awesome? Not really.

That's true. I do agree with you on that just adding mechs to a setting isn't enough to make it awesome, but it still is a powerful ingredient to make something awesome.

[Killer Angel]

World War II with giant robots piloted by the Allies and Axis.

I just got an idea for a comic about the above statement. The moment I thought of it, my brain almost died from awesome overload. I know this probably belongs in arts and crafts, but I'm putting it under media because I want to know if the ideas been done before (I doubt it has, but there could be some movie, comic, TV show I'm unaware of).

Like this one (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gNIC4eEFhg)? :smallwink:

The thing is: there's a lot of SciFi stuff involving nazi, even when highly improbable (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KEueJnsu80).
SO, there's a little chance to find something original.

[Cubey]

I'd rather use Reals in such a setting than Supers. The latter would be just too jarring. So TTGL-like exploits are out.

Besides, Getter Robo G already had Hidler as an antagonist. (It's like Hitler, but a demon. That is, he has horns. I wish I was kidding.)

[Indon]

It just sounds bland. You can't put mecha in a setting and expect it to be magically awesome.

You say this, and yet, when you add mecha to US presidential politics (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_Wolf_Chaos) it does become magically awesome.

[The Rose Dragon]

You say this, and yet, when you add mecha to US presidential politics (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_Wolf_Chaos) it does become magically awesome.

Yes, but that's not a rule.

[Morty]

1, because it seems to work on the premise that throwing giant robots into something will make it automatically cool.

[Cubey]

Metal Wolf Chaos is awesome because it is over the top, not because it's "US politics - but with GIANT ROBOTS!"

Giant robots are cool but adding them up into something does not automatically make it awesome. Also, believe it or not, but there are giant robot series that are actually BAD. Yes, me - a total Ryusei*, can admit that.

So, the OP's idea? I'd give it a 6. It's a start, with potential to be bad or good, but it's not even a concept yet - you need more than that to have an actual concept for a series, movie or whatever else. Also you may call me old fashioned, but it's World War II. So having a story like TTGL, with going beyond the impossible to defeat the evil, or having an excuse plot that's just a... well, excuse for stuff blowing up or showing exciting battles - then it would be just disrespectful and leave a bad taste in my mouth. I'd rather take the Gundams' "war is hell" approach, with focus on character growth/drama, and showing how different people cope with the bigger picture. People on both sides - wartime mecha stories tend to (the good ones at least) show that even if one organisation is more good or bad than the other, both still have heroes, villains and just normal people as their soldiers.

*Ryusei Date - a guy who really, really, really, really, REALLY likes giant robots.

[Tengu_temp]

I know this probably belongs in arts and crafts, but I'm putting it under media because I want to know if the ideas been done before (I doubt it has, but there could be some movie, comic, TV show I'm unaware of).

If you count Axis and Allies IN SPACE analogies instead of actual Axis and Allies, then Mobile Suit Gundam did it 30 years ago. In fact, it was supposed to be a World War Two anime first, but executives told Tomino that he must add giant robots.

[LCR]

How about WWI with giant robots? I feel that WWII as a setting is somewhat overused.

[Fri]

Don't get me wrong, I love mecha. I love small ones, I love big ones, I love ones that use galaxies as shurikens...

But it's not a magic bullet. See Mighty Morphing Power Rangers. It has mecha. Is it awesome? Not really.

You're kidding? Power Rangers IS awesome.

[Comet]

I feel this idea would work best with steampunk robots. BattleTech style 'mechs would also work. The more over the top Super Robot-genre would make the point of basing it in WW2 kind of moot, I think. Western 'mechs are the way to go.
I'm pretty sure it's been done, somewhere. Can't remember any examples, though, so I guess it's novel enough.

Yeah, I think it would be fairly awesome, if done right.

[Cubey]

Western 'mechs are the way to go.

Because all Real Robots are western. It's not that the first giant robot show that introduced consistent rules for its mecha that would make sense even in real world with only minor modifications of physics (and LOTS of future technology researched), that portrayed both sides as ambigiously gray with no clear cut "good" and "bad" guys, with patriots and total bastards on both sides of the conflict, and the one that makes clear references to WW II, was Japanese.
No siree.

[Comet]

Because all Real Robots are western. It's not that the first giant robot show that introduced consistent rules for its mecha that would make sense even in real world with only minor modifications of physics (and LOTS of future technology researched), that portrayed both sides as ambigiously gray with no clear cut "good" and "bad" guys, with patriots and total bastards on both sides of the conflict, and the one that makes clear references to WW II, was Japanese.

No siree.
Fair enough.
But when I think "Real Robot genre" I think "Mechwarrior" before anything else.
That's just me being biased and such.

[Cubey]

I might have been too aggressive. I just don't like the "western == realistic, Japanese == over the top and silly" approach.

I mean, just look at VOTOMS (http://mahq.net/mecha/votoms/atvotoms/index.htm). This series has most realistic giant robot designs I have ever seen. They would ALMOST work with current level of technology.

[Flickerdart]

If the war went on for longer than it did, this would have been likely enough. But yes, WWI with this would be better. Just replace tanks with mecha as the tool of choice for punching through barbed wire and you're golden.

[Fri]

If the war went on for longer than it did, this would have been likely enough. But yes, WWI with this would be better. Just replace tanks with mecha as the tool of choice for punching through barbed wire and you're golden.

This. And those who said it before me. WW 2 is kinda overdone. This is way cooler

[Fri]

By the way, this is related to the topic.

http://www.livegrids.net/?p=97

[Nerd-o-rama]

World War II with Giant Robots? Wasn't that the whole point of the original Mobile Suit Gundam? Dammit, Tengu.


I like the idea of chunky, clunky, diesel-powered mechs, although that doesn't have to be realistic - for some reason, Xabungle springs to mind as a design inspiration, though obviously the tone of the series is probably inappropriate. Regardless, it should be something that can follow a group of heroic soldiers and their big old dieselpunk weapons, rather than some idiot kid and his magical machine, or it loses what typically makes WWII fiction interesting. So, real robot feel is definitely the way to go.

WWI is also a viable option and significantly less overdone.

[Thrawn183]

Why not Korea? The only thing better than shooting nazis is shooting commies.

[Kato]

I also wonder if Giant Robots make everything great... I mean, I love Gundam, and TTGL, and CG and all kind of other Robots anime, but there ar other things making them good.
Also, WWII is really kind of overused. (We even know who will win, and probably who are the good and who are the bad guys, meh. I actually don't look forward to another 'Let's kill all those evil Germans!' story.) Really, I'd recommend either a less prominent story, or a completely unrelated war. But thats just me.

[The Rose Dragon]

Why not Korea? The only thing better than shooting nazis is shooting commies.

Is it really a good idea to talk about a war that ended only a couple of years ago, though? :smalltongue:

[chiasaur11]

Is it really a good idea to talk about a war that ended only a couple of years ago, though? :smalltongue:

56 is a couple now?

Learn something new every day.

[The Rose Dragon]

56 is a couple now?

Learn something new every day.

That was the signing of the armistice. Which doesn't mean the end of the war.

If I recall correctly, the peace treaty was signed only a couple of years ago.

I might be wrong, of course. It might not have been signed at all.

So, technically, there was still a war going on. Only it's been at a ceasefire for many years.

[Cubey]

Wow, these last ~40 years would make a really interesting storyline. Especially for frontline action.

[13_CBS]

That was the signing of the armistice. Which doesn't mean the end of the war.

If I recall correctly, the peace treaty was signed only a couple of years ago.

I might be wrong, of course. It might not have been signed at all.

So, technically, there was still a war going on. Only it's been at a ceasefire for many years.

If I remember correctly, it's simply been an amistice the whole time. No official peace treaty or anything.

...was it even technically a war? I don't recall ever hearing about Congress declaring war on North Korea for that one. I guess it depends on what you mean by a "war".

[The Rose Dragon]

I don't know about the American site, but I'm 95% sure that the Koreans did declare war on each other.

So, there was a war there.

[warty goblin]

I'd give this idea a 3 or maybe 4. It just sounds...cheesy, and not in a good way. I can see the appeal of a giant robot in a sci-fi setting, where technology/laws of physics can be sufficiently brutalized for it to make something like sense. WWII however has really quite set levels of technology, obeyed the laws of physics with uncanny devotion.

Not only do you have to screw a whole bunch of stuff up to get giant robots into WWII to begin with in terms of simple mechanics, you have to change around a lot of other stuff to make them a practical option.

Giant robots in WWI is even worse. Besides being thirty years more primative in terms of technology, there's the problem that a mecha really can't replace a tank in terms of the role they filled in WWI. See tanks were invented to break through the shelled out, muddy and often flooded hell that was no-man's-land, and then be able to cross the very large and deep trenches on the other side. Mud is bad enough for a tank, but for anything that walks it's going to be even worse. Then there's the trench problem, namely how disgustingly tall you'd have to make a mech to be able to cross one.

[Nerd-o-rama]

I'd give this idea a 3 or maybe 4. It just sounds...cheesy, and not in a good way. I can see the appeal of a giant robot in a sci-fi setting, where technology/laws of physics can be sufficiently brutalized for it to make something like sense. WWII however has really quite set levels of technology, obeyed the laws of physics with uncanny devotion.Don't think of this as historical fiction. Think of it as sci fi set in an alternate history. Plenty of people (http://superdickery.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=33%3Aweird-science-index&id=474%3Athe-cyclone-terror&Itemid=37) have done that with WWII before. (http://superdickery.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=461:the-furious-assault-of-the-hell-divers&catid=33:weird-science-index&Itemid=37)

[Flickerdart]

I'd give this idea a 3 or maybe 4. It just sounds...cheesy, and not in a good way. I can see the appeal of a giant robot in a sci-fi setting, where technology/laws of physics can be sufficiently brutalized for it to make something like sense. WWII however has really quite set levels of technology, obeyed the laws of physics with uncanny devotion.

Not only do you have to screw a whole bunch of stuff up to get giant robots into WWII to begin with in terms of simple mechanics, you have to change around a lot of other stuff to make them a practical option.

Giant robots in WWI is even worse. Besides being thirty years more primative in terms of technology, there's the problem that a mecha really can't replace a tank in terms of the role they filled in WWI. See tanks were invented to break through the shelled out, muddy and often flooded hell that was no-man's-land, and then be able to cross the very large and deep trenches on the other side. Mud is bad enough for a tank, but for anything that walks it's going to be even worse. Then there's the trench problem, namely how disgustingly tall you'd have to make a mech to be able to cross one.
Nah, it makes sense. They wouldn't have to be very big, but 10-15ft armour suits could do incredibly well for sending a guy to wreck machine gun nests and barbed wire, which they could be able to do better than a tank with their arms. Built-in gas masks would protect the guys inside from gas, which tanks of that era could not do.
Alternately, a single colossus could be used for scare tactics more than anything. In a war where your force is mostly infantry, a robot as tall as ten men that shrugs off machine gun fire, spits at barbed wire and eats artillery shells for breakfast is going to send men packing as soon as they see that you can't take it down very fast. You wouldn't deploy them into flooded terrain either, rocky terrain would work perfectly and there would have been some around.
Before machine guns, a psychological attack tactic existed whereupon your forces all marched leisurely at the enemy to scare them with sheer numbers. With mecha, this could be done again. They'd need infantry support to mop up after them, of course, but still.

What's interesting is that the tank designs were done by naval engineers. What agency would deal with mechas?

[The Dark Fiddler]

I'm going to be completely honest here.

Plopping giant Mechas in WWII for no adequate reason other than for 'awesomeness' (or any other war in history, as others have been suggested) sounds completely uninteresting, not to mention stupid.

[warty goblin]

Nah, it makes sense. They wouldn't have to be very big, but 10-15ft armour suits could do incredibly well for sending a guy to wreck machine gun nests and barbed wire, which they could be able to do better than a tank with their arms. Built-in gas masks would protect the guys inside from gas, which tanks of that era could not do.

Here's the advantage of breeching lines with a tank- all it has to do is move forwards and it handles barbed wire just fine. No delicate arm mechanisms to be jammed by enemy fire, no having pause and whack away at things, just rolling forwards. There's no particular advantage to building your gas masks into your vehicle or wearing them independantly.


Alternately, a single colossus could be used for scare tactics more than anything. In a war where your force is mostly infantry, a robot as tall as ten men that shrugs off machine gun fire, spits at barbed wire and eats artillery shells for breakfast is going to send men packing as soon as they see that you can't take it down very fast. You wouldn't deploy them into flooded terrain either, rocky terrain would work perfectly and there would have been some around.
I serously doubt you could build a 60 foot robot capable of 'eating artillery shells for breakfast' with anything like contemporary technology. Remember this was more or less the golden age of field guns, since they didn't have to worry about close air support, and they were in fact the most lethal weapon in the war. We're talking 15 inch mortars flinging 2,000lbs shells here, weapons that could threaten a battleship, and do so from miles away. Even the smaller guns would be deadly if the shells hit joints- which they would due to sheer volume of fire.

And let's see, non-muddy terrain. That would be the fighting in the Alps? Mountains are ideal giant robot terrain.


Before machine guns, a psychological attack tactic existed whereupon your forces all marched leisurely at the enemy to scare them with sheer numbers. With mecha, this could be done again. They'd need infantry support to mop up after them, of course, but still.
A needlessly complicated and vulnerable to artillery version of tank shock in other words. The difference being that with tanks you don't have to be leisurely.

[nanobot_swarm]

Sounds a little bland, its just WW2 with giant robots
Better idea:
In 1968, Soviet scientists try revive Jospeh Stalin, however the process instead transforms him into a frankenstien monster esque monster that seeks to destroy the US, and rapidly grows in size. American scientists seek to combat this threat by building super powered robots modeled after the presidents: Teddy Rosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and FDR. Together they form the freedom force, and must combat the evil communists, while spreading freedom and propaganda.

[The Dark Fiddler]

Sounds a little bland, its just WW2 with giant robots
Better idea:
In 1968, Soviet scientists try revive Jospeh Stalin, however the process instead transforms him into a frankenstien monster esque monster that seeks to destroy the US, and rapidly grows in size. American scientists seek to combat this threat by building super powered robots modeled after the presidents: Teddy Rosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and FDR. Together they form the freedom force, and must combat the evil communists, while spreading freedom and propaganda.

Now this sounds interesting.

[Nerd-o-rama]

So...FDR is the Guntank?

[Killer Angel]

Don't think of this as historical fiction. Think of it as sci fi set in an alternate history. Plenty of people (http://superdickery.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=33%3Aweird-science-index&id=474%3Athe-cyclone-terror&Itemid=37) have done that with WWII before. (http://superdickery.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=461:the-furious-assault-of-the-hell-divers&catid=33:weird-science-index&Itemid=37)

At this point (WWI), more than Sci-Fi, you can think to a steampunk scenario, ala Wild Wild West, with this huge metallic spider surpassing trenches and barbed wire...

[Cubey]

So...FDR is the Guntank?

This is awful and hilarious at the same time and I wonder how many people got that.

[Mystic Muse]

Sounds a little bland, its just WW2 with giant robots
Better idea:
In 1968, Soviet scientists try revive Jospeh Stalin, however the process instead transforms him into a frankenstien monster esque monster that seeks to destroy the US, and rapidly grows in size. American scientists seek to combat this threat by building super powered robots modeled after the presidents: Teddy Rosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and FDR. Together they form the freedom force, and must combat the evil communists, while spreading freedom and propaganda.

this sounds like a saturday morning cartoon.

mighty morphing founding father rangers!

[Flickerdart]

*things*
You sir, with your realism and your reasonableness. Pah. :smalltongue:

[Astrella]

There are some WW2 themed meches on Keith Thompsons' site.

http://www.keiththompsonart.com/pages/mbw.html
http://www.keiththompsonart.com/pages/panzerfluch.html
http://www.keiththompsonart.com/pages/hausen.html
http://www.keiththompsonart.com/pages/medved.html

[Cubey]

You know, the first one really reminds me of a Panther/Panzer (different romanizations) from Overman King Gainer. And the second is Dogozzo, from the same series.

I'd post pictures but King Gainer doesn't seem to be a very popular series (despite being Tomino), so search returns no results. Perhaps I'll just make printscreens from some episodes and post them here.

[ZeroNumerous]

I'd post pictures but King Gainer doesn't seem to be a very popular series (despite being Tomino), so search returns no results. Perhaps I'll just make printscreens from some episodes and post them here.

Didn't try too hard, did ya? (http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=Overman%20King%20Gainer&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi)

Unless you mean that specific mech.

Either way, WW2 with giant robots has been done(as mentioned twice before) with Mobile Suit Gundam. And they did it well enough that doing it again will just be a pale comparison at best.

[Cubey]

Didn't try too hard, did ya? (http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=Overman%20King%20Gainer&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi)

Unless you mean that specific mech.

Yes, I meant these specific mecha. Finding King Gainer itself is a piece of cake, it's the main unit of the series after all.

[doliest]

I give it a 10/10 in awesomeness, and really the only way to go with this is to make it over the top. Make sure you have robots punching out Hitler while fixing everything via good old American hard work and their are no good Russians, because really it's the only way to go. Essentially this has to be cheesy, because it seems like the only way to make it work.

[Haarkla]

2/10

Seriously uncool. Sounds dumbed down and based on the silly premis that throwing mecha at someting automatically makes it better.

[doliest]

2/10

Seriously uncool. Sounds dumbed down and based on the silly premis that throwing mecha at someting automatically makes it better.

Doesn't it?

[Cubey]

Essentially this has to be cheesy, because it seems like the only way to make it work.


2/10
Sounds dumbed down

Because everyone knows that you simply cannot have a serious mecha series, no sir. Yoshiyuki Tomino and Hideaki Anno are just in denial.

Yes, I just disagreed with both sides of the argument.

[Nerd-o-rama]

I think that many of the naysayers here are responding the the extremely bare-bones premise presented in the OP, and not the idea in general.

If I didn't have at least three ideas for mecha fiction in mind (and two games I'm GMing and ingoring at the moment), I'd write something about this.

[Dienekes]

As someone definitely not in the intended audience I gotta say a 1 or a 2.

Never liked mecha, most the stuff involving mecha I've enjoyed I've enjoyed despite the rather ridiculous looking metal humanoid shapes rather than because of them. Though WWII itself is one of the most interesting eras in history adding mecha would seem to take away from it for me.

Though I guess it all depends on the writing.

[chiasaur11]

For what it's worth, I prefer the WWI option.

World War 2 just...

it doesn't work for me somehow.

Which is odd, as I tend to enjoy that sort of thing in Captain America or Hellboy.

[TheBST]

For what it's worth, I prefer the WWI option.


That's crasser than the WW2 option!

I know plenty of sci-fi and fantasy authors have tinkered with the world wars, but adding giant robots to them is pushing it.

[Nerd-o-rama]

I know plenty of sci-fi and fantasy authors have tinkered with the world wars, but adding giant robots to them is pushing it.Er, why? How is this different from introducing zombies or time travel or Norse deities (http://www.davidbrin.com/thor1.htm)?