Some Questions on OYW Stuff

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Some Questions on OYW Stuff

This is an assortment of questions that have hit my mind in the past few days while rewatching Gundam 0079 and reading up on my MSV and MSV-R for research purposes into a fanfic I'll be writing soon. Most of them might be questions I could ignore, but I do want this fanfic to be as canon as a fanfic possibly can. So, let's get started...

1. How many Gelgoogs were there? According to the MAHQ profile, only 165 Gelgoogs were built by the Battle of A Baoa Qu, yet it seems that every Zeon faction up to Gundam Unicorn has at least one, often a new variant of some sort. These suits must really get around.

2. How many Pegasus-class ships were constructed? My information is pretty limited, but besides White Base, I do know that the Grey Phantom was active at Side 6, but thats about it.

3. In a bout of fridge logic, I have to ask; How do you feed the soldiers stationed at Solomon? Do you constantly have to supply them with grub, which would be a fatal flaw during a long siege, or are there secret gardens deeper inside the asteroid? On another note, where does Solomon get its water from?

4. How effective was the beam spray gun used by the GMs? My memory may be a bit fuzzy, but I don't remember seeing any GMs actually using one. All I remember seeing them using (mostly in other works) is a machinegun of some kind. Would the beam spray gun kill a Zaku or Dom in a couple of shots?

5. Last question. Considering how many useless prototypes and redundant variants Zeon built in the OYW, how likely would it be that Zeon would build a space-use version of their Zaku Cannon? Heck, how about a Rick Dom Cannon? This question isn't actually crucial to the story, but its just a thought.

Many thanks in advance for whoever answers these for me. You all get a cookie.
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Re: Some Questions on OYW Stuff

Scorpius7692 wrote:1. How many Gelgoogs were there? According to the MAHQ profile, only 165 Gelgoogs were built by the Battle of A Baoa Qu, yet it seems that every Zeon faction up to Gundam Unicorn has at least one, often a new variant of some sort. These suits must really get around.
Most stories tend not to sweat the details of the print publications - especially those supplementary trivia books. I can't really give you much better an answer than that because I'm not much familiar with whatever claims are flying around regarding the Gelgoog.
Scorpius wrote:2. How many Pegasus-class ships were constructed? My information is pretty limited, but besides White Base, I do know that the Grey Phantom was active at Side 6, but thats about it.
This particular post on an old thread is virtually everything you need to know on what we know about the Pegasus-class.
Scorpius wrote:3. In a bout of fridge logic, I have to ask; How do you feed the soldiers stationed at Solomon? Do you constantly have to supply them with grub, which would be a fatal flaw during a long siege, or are there secret gardens deeper inside the asteroid? On another note, where does Solomon get its water from?
To my knowledge, no official publications have ever talked about logistics for space fortresses or any Gundam military installation, so you can let your imagination run wild without contradicting any previous publication.

At least in the case of water, it's easy to imagine that Solomon got some kind of big shipment from some other location (be it frozen lunar water or whatever) that it constantly recycles but you can make up anything you want, really.
Scorpius wrote:4. How effective was the beam spray gun used by the GMs? My memory may be a bit fuzzy, but I don't remember seeing any GMs actually using one. All I remember seeing them using (mostly in other works) is a machinegun of some kind. Would the beam spray gun kill a Zaku or Dom in a couple of shots?
I bolded that part because anytime I see someone make that observation (and I see it from time to time) I wonder if they've actually seen the original series like they claim. If you're really rewatching MSG then you'll get your answers when you get to the part where GMs start popping out. With only a tiny handful of exceptions (like one with a beam rifle that you see for like two seconds) virtually all the GMs in MSG use the beam spray gun.
Scorpius wrote:5. Last question. Considering how many useless prototypes and redundant variants Zeon built in the OYW, how likely would it be that Zeon would build a space-use version of their Zaku Cannon? Heck, how about a Rick Dom Cannon? This question isn't actually crucial to the story, but its just a thought.
If you want to add some kind of prototype Space Zaku Cannon into your story I say go for it. Latter-day Gundam stories have certainly come up with dumber things.
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Re: Some Questions on OYW Stuff

Most stories tend not to sweat the details of the print publications - especially those supplementary trivia books. I can't really give you much better an answer than that because I'm not much familiar with whatever claims are flying around regarding the Gelgoog.
Thats actually good to hear. Nobody can complain when I put Gelgoogs into my story. Yay!
This particular post on an old thread is virtually everything you need to know on what we know about the Pegasus-class.
Well, as I expected, making up a new Pegasus-class carrier might not be possible if my fanfic is going to be as canon as possible. Oh well. The Magellan deserves its time in the spotlight.
To my knowledge, no official publications have ever talked about logistics for space fortresses or any Gundam military installation, so you can let your imagination run wild without contradicting any previous publication.

At least in the case of water, it's easy to imagine that Solomon got some kind of big shipment from some other location (be it frozen lunar water or whatever) that it constantly recycles but you can make up anything you want, really.
A hydroponic garden onboard a giant asteroid might be so far-fetched, nor recycled water. A fortress like Solomon needs to meet the basic needs of its troops somehow.
I bolded that part because anytime I see someone make that observation (and I see it from time to time) I wonder if they've actually seen the original series like they claim. If you're really rewatching MSG then you'll get your answers when you get to the part where GMs start popping out. With only a tiny handful of exceptions (like one with a beam rifle that you see for like two seconds) virtually all the GMs in MSG use the beam spray gun.
Sorry about that. On my first watching of MSG I didn't really pay attention to the GMs since I just viewed them as yet another cannon fodder mecha. I'll be sure to take some real notes this time.
If you want to add some kind of prototype Space Zaku Cannon into your story I say go for it. Latter-day Gundam stories have certainly come up with dumber things.
The Space Zaku Cannon was just an idea I got after reading that the original Zaku Cannon suffered from recoil problems on Earth, a problem that is null and void in the vacuum of space. Of course, a Space Zaku Cannon with a beam cannon would be even better...
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Re: Some Questions on OYW Stuff

Scorpius7692 wrote:1. How many Gelgoogs were there? According to the MAHQ profile, only 165 Gelgoogs were built by the Battle of A Baoa Qu, yet it seems that every Zeon faction up to Gundam Unicorn has at least one, often a new variant of some sort. These suits must really get around.
The 165 figure only refers to the basic A/B/C type Gelgoog (And their prototypes, the YMS-14, and presumably the MS-14S as well). All the other types (Such as the MS-14Jg Gelgoog Jäger, the MS-14F Marine models, and whatever else) would be in addition to that. For those, at least 60 Gelgoog Marines are built (With half ending up with Cima), and all the other units are presumably built in fairly small numbers, so all told, there are probably around 250 Gelgoogs running around at the end of the war, with around half of them accounted for (Around 70, including the Ace Corps, are at A Baoa Qu, Cima's Marines have 30, and assorted others such as the three Jägers we see in 0080 and the few from 08th MS team off doing their things...).
Scorpius7692 wrote:2. How many Pegasus-class ships were constructed? My information is pretty limited, but besides White Base, I do know that the Grey Phantom was active at Side 6, but thats about it.
Although I'd recommend reading Cardi's thread, as it's interesting (And the others we've had on the subject, such as this one which includes links to more), here's a short and sweet summary of what we know (Or think we know :mrgreen:) about them...

LMSD-70 Pegasus - Assigned to Luna II Fleet. Survives OYW?
LMSD-71 White Base - Sunk at A Baoq Qu
LMSD-72 White Base II - Enters service after OYW
LMSD-73 Throughbred - Survives OYW
LMSD-74 Blanc Rival - Survives OYW?
LMSD-75 Troy Horse - At Naval Review. Fate unknown
LMSD-76 Grey Phantom - Survives Naval Review. Appears crashed in Unicorn.
LMSD-77 Stallion - Built after OYW
LMSD-78 Albion - Built after OYW. Survives Stardust

So going by the numbers, and if you intend to stick to what we know, you can't really make up one, but that doesn't mean you can't steal Pegasus or Troy Horse, which AFAIK are the only ones we don't any details about their operations (Of course, you can always choose to ignore the assorted mangas and video games and take some of the others and use them as you like 8)).
Scorpius wrote:4. How effective was the beam spray gun used by the GMs? My memory may be a bit fuzzy, but I don't remember seeing any GMs actually using one. All I remember seeing them using (mostly in other works) is a machinegun of some kind. Would the beam spray gun kill a Zaku or Dom in a couple of shots?
As Cardi said, if you watch the original series (And the third MSG movie, which has a lot of redone animation), every GM we see in combat in space uses a beam spray gun. That said, they're shown to be just as effective as any other beam weapon, meaning they can take down an MS in one shot if you hit the right spot (And I seem to recall at least one instance of exactly that during A Baoa Qu).
The same person I've been quoting wrote:5. Last question. Considering how many useless prototypes and redundant variants Zeon built in the OYW, how likely would it be that Zeon would build a space-use version of their Zaku Cannon? Heck, how about a Rick Dom Cannon? This question isn't actually crucial to the story, but its just a thought.
Well, for what it's worth, the Federation does make the Zaku Cannon useable in space by the time of Zeta, as we see them on board the Hario when Scirocco stops there prior to the Jaburo drop, so I'd imagine Zeon could have done so if they'd wanted to. I don't know a great deal about the Dom Cannon, so I can't really say if there'd have been any issues with doing so, but as Cardi said, dumber things have certainly been done. :roll:
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Re: Some Questions on OYW Stuff

The Space Zaku Cannon and its handy dandy beam cannon already have something to fit the bill: The Gelgoog Cannon. You already have 'googs in mind, so why not? Of course, no one's such a stickler that it will give them heart palpitations. Heck, with Zeon's history of burning money with prototypes that we never see again, a random Zaku variant popping up is par for the course.

The beam spray gun probably isn't as powerful as a true beam rifle, but it can still carve through Zaku and Dom armor with a well-aimed shot.

I second the suggestion to borrow something like the Pegasus if you're hungry for a ship of that class. No one's used it. It's fair game. But if you're still leery on that, consider the Trafalgar-class (a modified Magellan with big, honking shipping containers slapped on the side to create a crude flight deck) and Nelson-class (same idea with a Salamis, although it's apparently better-designed and lives up to being an actual MS carrier).
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Re: Some Questions on OYW Stuff

I don't suppose anybody might have more info on the Trafalgar-class and Nelson-class? At least according to the Gundam Wiki (take this with a grain of salt), the eight ships of the Trafalgar-class could carry either six Public-class assault ships or sixty Saberfish fighters, but the article says nothing about mobile suits. But the Gundam Wiki doesn't really say a lot about the Nelson-class's history, and I'm not sure where to find it in MSV-R.

Although perhaps I should see this as a blessing. Two classes of ship with little to no backstory or history. This could be a fanfic writer's dream come true.
Heck, with Zeon's history of burning money with prototypes that we never see again, a random Zaku variant popping up is par for the course.
I myself am guilty of coming up with multiple useless Zeon prototypes for earlier drafts of this story, including a psycommu Zaku with funnels, the Zakrello II, and even an entire squadron of Kampfer Kais. A Zaku Cannon Space Type built by some desperate loony is probably the tamest Zeon suit I've ever come up with.
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Re: Some Questions on OYW Stuff

For info on the Trafalgar and Nelson, try looking on this very same message board. We just discussed some stuff about the Nelson here, and that thread included a link to an earlier one with some details on the Trafalgar.

Technically, the Trafalgar and Antietam were designed to carry fighters rather than mobile suits. The MSV material doesn't really address the use of Columbus transports to carry mobile suits - this is never shown in the original series, but it was described in some of the early publications - but presumably these were just regular Columbus types hauling them like bulk cargo.

The Nelson is the first Federation ship we've seen, aside from the Pegasus class, that's specifically designed to launch and support mobile suits. But it seems only three were ever built, and they were completed after the war.

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Re: Some Questions on OYW Stuff

Oh backstory and history, you've struck my creative spirit yet again.

Oh well. If nobody is going to have heart palpitations over a Zaku Cannon in SPACE, then perhaps a Trafalgar-class quickly modified to carry and launch mobile suits wouldn't be so far fetched. Heck, they carried mobile suits on Salamis cruisers without any hangers. A Trafalgar is an enormous bonus.

Just for laughs, an Antietam or two might show up. Part of the story is about how desperate the Federation is, even in the closing weeks of the war.
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Re: Some Questions on OYW Stuff

I've been thinking along the same lines, actually.

Sure, the Trafalgar-class was built with fighters rather than suits in mind, but, as you suggest, it's not exactly a stretch to assume the Federation would jury rig some sort of "MS option" for a Trafalgar ship during the twilight of the war as Federal suits come into vogue.

Anyway, your story sounds interesting with all the talk of a "desperate loony" building a space-use Z-Cannon and the Federation fielding something like a jury rigged carrier. It sounds like it's true to the spirit of The One Year War. I'm curious to see what the Feds and Zeeks throw at each other.
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Re: Some Questions on OYW Stuff

Anyway, your story sounds interesting with all the talk of a "desperate loony" building a space-use Z-Cannon and the Federation fielding something like a jury rigged carrier. It sounds like it's true to the spirit of The One Year War. I'm curious to see what the Feds and Zeeks throw at each other.
The 'loony' bit may be a bit of a stretch, but the guy who designed the space-use Zaku Cannon will certainly be desperate.

I've been constantly toying with different ideas for desperate mobile suits to put into this story. Many of the originals defied canon law, which doesn't really exist as far as the Japanese are concerned about Gundam, but I eventually decided to keep my story within the realm of 'reality', as if it could actually happen in MSG's background.

There will be a few other 'original' suits, but readers should mostly expect suits we've seen before. The current list of potential original suits include Guncannons made from spare parts, Gundam Ground Types refitted for space combat, the Rick Dom Fischer (a Rick Dom with an electric net similar the one used by Yazan's Hambrabis in Zeta), and the SP-01 Hobgoblin (a mobile suit literally built from spare Zaku and Dom parts to create something hideous). These designs aren't set in stone, though.

All of this new information had been very helpful, and is providing me with added inspiration. Here are your cookies!!!
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Re: Some Questions on OYW Stuff

A Zaku-Dom hybrid, huh? That sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. Those two suits are built by competing companies. (The Zaku is from Zeonic Company, and the Dom series is Zimmand Company's baby.) Unless they're pulled from a Zaku II Kai and a Rick Dom II, which should share a lot of parts as members of the United Maintenance Plan, I would imagine there's going to be a lot of incompatibility between their inner workings.
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Re: Some Questions on OYW Stuff

I wouldn't think that the Zeeks would want to waste a Zaku II Kai or Rick Dom II just to create an ugly mistake. Those two suits weren't common, and had exemplary performance.

If the Hobgoblin does show up, it will certainly be a unique, one-of-a-kind unit probably built by the same desperate soul who makes the Zaku Cannon Space Type. Whether it blows up in its' pilot's face or works wonders for a few minutes before being destroyed is still uncertain.

EDIT: just remembered this. Technically a prototype designed to help Zimmad in perfecting the Rick Dom, and not a cobbled-together franken suit, but still, the concept might not be so far-fetched. Although, if it was a Dom torso and head with Zaku legs...
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Re: Some Questions on OYW Stuff

Scorpius7692 wrote:The Space Zaku Cannon was just an idea I got after reading that the original Zaku Cannon suffered from recoil problems on Earth, a problem that is null and void in the vacuum of space. Of course, a Space Zaku Cannon with a beam cannon would be even better...
How would it be null and void? I mean, the series ignores actual space movement (recoil is identical to any other sort of thrust) so either it would have the same effect as on Earth, or you actually care about the lack of friction and gravity in space, which means it would send the thing into a head-over-tails spin. Since the GM Cannon and Guncannon don't simultaneously fire thrusters behind their heels when they fire their guns, you can ignore option 2 there.
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Re: Some Questions on OYW Stuff

How would it be null and void? I mean, the series ignores actual space movement (recoil is identical to any other sort of thrust) so either it would have the same effect as on Earth, or you actually care about the lack of friction and gravity in space, which means it would send the thing into a head-over-tails spin.
Whoops. Fail on my part for not remembering the physics of space. It would be pretty funny if the Zaku Cannon Space Type suffered even worse from recoil in space, though.
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Re: Some Questions on OYW Stuff

Yes, the Zaku Cannnon's recoil would be even MORE of a liability in space, so keep that in mind.

That said, I expect a space Zaku Cannon would have to be equipped with either a beam weapon (necessitating a new backpack generator or upgraded powerplant) or a recoilless cannon of sorts.Given that the Zaku is nearly a dead design by the time it could be upgraded so, you'd have to make sure your justification was a really valid one. In fact, it would probably have to be retrofitted based on the drafted plans for the Gelgoog Cannon, which begs the question: why not just build a Gelgoog cannon?

That said, I think it's a perfectly workable idea to retrofit a Zaku Cannon for space use as a sort of desperation measure, if you wrote it well enough and they didn't have access to a better suit. On top of that, if all else fails, you could have them using a Zaku Cannon just like they were used on 08th MS team...anchor the suit to avoid the recoil. I expect an space-use Zaku cannon would tuck itself against an asteroid or the hull of a ship, "dig in", and provide fire support from as far a range as it could muster. The great mass and inertia of the object its attached to would prevent the recoil from mattering.

This would fit with how they were used on earth, and largely would enable the suit to operate with only the minimum of actual space retrofitting (probably just the addition of maneuvering verniers and life support).

Though again, it all depends on just how many resources your Zekes have access to. If they can fix the cannon's problems, that's one less problem to address.

However, it would even be entertaining if the Zaku Cannon pilot, in order to fire while moving, tried to counteract his shots with forward thrust from the suit. I know we don't see the Guncannons do this, but I always assumed it was largely lack of detail in the animation or a case of having some sort recoil compensation in the weapons themselves. When Kai fights on earth for the first time in the movies and is firing wildly, I remember the Guncannon had some kind of "moving barrel" animation that might indicate such compensation.

But because the Zaku Cannon's recoil is a plot point, unlike most other cannon equipped suits, it ought to be addressed. So yeah, toy around with it. A moving Zaku Cannon pilot, if he's using a suit that has the same recoil problems, could attempt to micromanage his thrust in order to counteract the recoil, but unless the Zekes equipped the suit with a decent AMBAC system, perhaps this proves very difficult? Might make an interesting moment for the pilot.
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Re: Some Questions on OYW Stuff

Scorpius7692 wrote:I wouldn't think that the Zeeks would want to waste a Zaku II Kai or Rick Dom II just to create an ugly mistake. Those two suits weren't common, and had exemplary performance.
I didn't mean to imply that.

Rather, I was saying that this Hobgoblin would probably be a total mess if it used parts from the basic Zaku and Rick Dom. I foresee a lot of problems that are bound to arise when you try to combine two totally different suits built by completely different people with different priorities in mind.

On the other hand, it could actually turn out to be a solid idea if the Zeons in your story had salvaged material from a Zaku II Kai and a Rick Dom II that had been too badly damaged to be rebuilt in their entirety. They're obviously not using that material for anything else, and everything in the UMP was a high performer. Given the compatibility between all of the UMP units, it could be a viable last-ditch strategy for a resource-starved mechanic to cobble them together because he knows he won't be getting anything in the way of reinforcements or spare parts any time soon.

We saw the same things happening with Zakus and Magella Attack tanks on the Earth front when desperate commanders turned to 'suits' like the Zaku Tank to shore up their numbers.
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Re: Some Questions on OYW Stuff

On the other hand, it could actually turn out to be a solid idea if the Zeons in your story had salvaged material from a Zaku II Kai and a Rick Dom II that had been too badly damaged to be rebuilt in their entirety. They're obviously not using that material for anything else, and everything in the UMP was a high performer. Given the compatibility between all of the UMP units, it could be a viable last-ditch strategy for a resource-starved mechanic to cobble them together because he knows he won't be getting anything in the way of reinforcements or spare parts any time soon.
Makes sense. The actual story is still going through its last revisions, and I already decided that there would be a few Zaku II Kais. A Rick Dom II might not be so out of place.
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Re: Some Questions on OYW Stuff

Regarding the Zaku Cannon, and also the Dom Cannon, we discussed some aspects in this thread:

http://www.mechatalk.net/viewtopic.php? ... 1&start=20

Basically, it seems that several different sets of equipment were made for these units. The 0081 version actually replaces the sections that connects the big guns to the backpack with a additional thrusters. If I had to choose an existing Zaku Cannon version for space use, it would probably be that one. Also, Unicorn showed that ejectable boosters can be attached to the Zaku Cannon, as seen as the one that it used to land on Torrington base.

Anyway, Zeta did show a few Zaku Cannons in space already, so the diea os using them in space is nothing new.

Finally, if what you want is actually just a large physical cannon that can be used in space, I recommed the Zudah's 135mm anti-ship rifle:

http://dalong.net/review/hg/h65/h65_i.htm
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Re: Some Questions on OYW Stuff

Regarding the Zaku Cannon, and also the Dom Cannon, we discussed some aspects in this thread:

http://www.mechatalk.net/viewtopic.php? ... 1&start=20

Basically, it seems that several different sets of equipment were made for these units. The 0081 version actually replaces the sections that connects the big guns to the backpack with a additional thrusters. If I had to choose an existing Zaku Cannon version for space use, it would probably be that one. Also, Unicorn showed that ejectable boosters can be attached to the Zaku Cannon, as seen as the one that it used to land on Torrington base.
Thats actually very interesting, and oddly entertaining. No two Zaku Cannons are the same, I guess. Better think about what mine will be like a little more. Call me odd, but the Zaku Cannon has always been a suit that I liked a lot for some reason.
Finally, if what you want is actually just a large physical cannon that can be used in space, I recommed the Zudah's 135mm anti-ship rifle:

http://dalong.net/review/hg/h65/h65_i.htm
Good God. Zeon must be compensating for something with that gun. How could I forget that thing existed?

I'll have to think hard about using something like that, though, mostly about how if I do use it, how will my group of Zeeks get their hands on it. I haven't seen or heard about another mobile suit using the 135mm gun, and Zudahs aren't exactly legion in the Zeon forces. Maybe it would be some kind of optional weapon for Zakus to make them somewhat viable again? Like I said, I'll think about it.

And a bonus question in exchange for extra cookies...

1. The Efreet. Gundam Wiki says only eight were made, and the thread I read on this said said otherwise, but I'm still woefully confused. Was it a prototype with only two to three units constructed, or did it have a limited production run?

The above question isn't really relevant to my story, but its been nagging at me for a while now. Thanks to everybody for their helpful suggestions and information. More cookies are on the way!
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Re: Some Questions on OYW Stuff

Concerning the Trafalgar class: I don't think it likely that these would be converted to carry mobile suits. As we've seen over the years, you can carry mobile suits just about anywhere - packed into Columbus transports, stuffed into the cargo holds of Magellans and Salamises, strapped to the outsides of ships - which simply isn't true of fighters. Unless you actually refitted a Trafalgar to provide full maintenance and support facilities for mobile suits, there's no advantage over stuffing the same number of mobile suits into a few Columbus transports, and you'd lose one of the few ships that can actually support and deploy space fighters.

Incidentally, if the Federation has 24 Antietam-class auxiliary carriers - these are Columbus transports refitted as fighter carriers, which can carry 25-30 Saberfish fighters each, according to the MSV books - plus 8 Trafalgar-class carriers, which Tomino's novels indicate can carry 60 fighters each, then the Federation's maximum carrier-based fighter strength would be about 1,200 fighters. That's kind of interesting.


As for the Zaku Cannon, it's a machine of many mysteries. In theory, the space version that appears in Zeta Gundam is still armed with a projectile-firing cannon, but the old MSV kit manuals claim that a beam weapon-equipped version was under development at one point. It's counter-intuitive but true that cooling things is much easier in the atmosphere than in space, so it's entirely possible that the Zaku Cannon (like the Zaku I Sniper Type) could only use beam weapons on Earth.

As for recoil, this would be just as much of a problem in space. But consider the GM Cannon; on Earth, it has heavy leg armor to lower its center of gravity and help it balance, but according to the MSV-R series there's also a space version which ditches the leg armor and adds calf thrusters instead. Firing these leg thrusters simultaneously with the cannon should, in theory, solve the recoil problem. So you could image a space Zaku Cannon that uses extra leg thrusters in the same way.

And finally, that 135mm anti-ship cannon probably isn't exclusive to the Zudah; all the Zudah's other weapons are stock Zaku equipment, after all. If you wanted to outfit a Zaku Cannon for space, and the cooling issues ruled out the use of beam weapons, and you solved the recoil problem by adding leg thrusters, then that 135mm cannon might be a fine weapon to install on its backpack. :-)


PS: The old MSV series said there were 5 units of the YMS-08A, which may or may not be completely unrelated to the Efreet. But it's always been said that there were 8 Efreet units.

-- Mark
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