Science fiction AFVs

Well DUH.

The entire idea of using Humans as the source of energy is idiotic. It's the only species that will offer organized resistance, and the only one that requires a whole digital world to control! Why not use squirrels or whatever?

 

Hey, I won an award!

Maybe we should leave the Matrix alone. It is far too easy a target.
They really should have left it at one film...

Any more AFVs to discuss?

 

Wouldn't a Faraday cage be sufficient to stop an EMP?

 

When you consider that kneeling and getting up again is a standard function of the AT-AT..

 

I believe that the reason there was no antiAT-AT ditch surrounding Echo Base on Hoth is that there hadn't been enough time for the Rebels to construct one. Remember, they had just gotten everything up and running when the Imperial Fleet dropped in for a visit. And it would, indeed, have to have been one mother of a ditch. I figure about thirty meters across and as many deep would have done the job nicely.

Someone commented that the AT-ATs were useful mostly for intimidation; scaring the bejeebers out of the enemy so that he will run for his life rather than face such a behemoth. This isn't a bad policy to follow, although it can get costly if you run into someone who can't be intimidated and has the weaponry to back that attitude up. However, I do believe that the walkers were powerful and destructive weapons, formidable in the extreme.

 

Yes but anyway in via power cables or antenna would allow EMP at the equipment.

 

But if they know their primary weapon is an EMP, making all units (gun turrets, control bay, etc) independant would be an easy solution. Communication could be made using optic fiber cables (made form plastic).

I guess that the people of Zion aren't that smart...

Christian

 

Yes, well I think the trench would have to be dug at different depths, to try to get one leg in the 30-meter part and one in the 20-meter part or something. This would inevitably tip the AT-AT over. The entire ditch would, however, then be a rapid series of deep and shallow 'bumps', quite difficult to construct...

 

Well, no, if the front left (for example) went over the edge of the trench, when another leg is lifted, the AT-AT would overbalance. It is designed to balance on 3 legs at a time. If one of those legs is hovering over a trench at the time... Whump!

 

If the AT-AT crew was able to see this massive trench then they would just have the Walker forward it, much like how anyone can walk down a flight of stairs or off a side walk. This isn't a viable defense against Walkers.

 

Yes but steps are less than half the height up to you knee, (unless you have very short legs or very high steps) and getting down is the easy bit. You now have to get back up. If we assume we've made our trench too wide to step across but not wide enough to fit into fully your effectively going to try to make the step up while pitched forward so your legs won't get up high enough to get purchase on the far side.

 

Well, in that case of wasted manpower, the AT-AT will just blast the crap out of you from several Kilometers away :kill:

 

As long as he can't get at my shield generators go for it. I'm fighting a delaying action : Not to mention AT-AT's are personnel carriers so the stormtroopers are going to have to hop out well short of their objective and those beggers I can zap :bang:.

 

One flaw in the trench theory - surely the AT-AT crew could just blast away at the trench until it basically becomes a crater with walls shallow enough to walk down & up easily.

I believe the Germans used Stukas to 'nullify' Anti-tank ditches in a similar way.

 

As long as its within 17.28 kilometers (Or quite possibly even more) it can dispatch any target. And with fire support from AT-ATs I don't think the Empires elite shock troopers have much to worry about.

 

Two points:

1) if the base has a sheild generator, and the AT-AT is outside the shield, would it even be able to provide covering fire?

2) sticking with the idea of the ditch... If a ditch is prepared in advance it can be nullified. If it is 'created' (by explosives) when the AT-ATs are walking over it, it would be useful. However, one cannot rely on AT-ATs walking in a nice straight line abreast. So we end up with a mine. Admittedly a huge mine. It could be set off by pressure, or remote control. If the explosion itself does not damage the AT-ATs foot/leg enough, or if the power of it does not simply topple the thing, the crater created hopefully will cause it to overbalance.

Danyel - do you reckon this is feasible?

 

Use the force - brute force

Accepted but bear in mind this is a delaying action. An AT-AT thats pratting around blasting out ramps is an AT-AT that isn't advancing.

The mega minefield idea is to be honest a better idea than the mega ditch. Perhaps if we put our mines out front calibrated to explode when something in the AT-AT weight range steps on them. This means that they either have to mess around with engineers trying to clear them or proceed with only infantry and lighter equipment. A much shallower trench should stop the chicken walkers (AT-ST was it?) this leaves the infantry on their own. Bearing in mind that all weaponary in the films seems to be energy based and only direct fire, this means that if you use the lie of the land to shield your front line the infantry will have to assault without heavy support.

Again bear in mind the rebels are not trying to win a stand up fight. They are playing for time so anything that causes the empire to loss momentum is good. For its part the empire can not afford to mess around. Yes they will break through any fixed defense with enough time and effort but time is something they don't have.

While we're on the subject imperial Star Destroyers shouldn't be hanging around waiting for the ion canon to take a pop at them. A few of them should be hammering away at the shield. Yes I know its "strong enough to resist any bombardment" but the transports have to come out somewhere and you might get some hits on the transports or even thought the hole they have passed through. After all your starships aren't doing anything useful so you might as well get some use out of them.

 

No mine is going to topple an AT-AT, sorry.

A bombardment from the destroyers would have completely leveled Echo base, which isn't what they wanted to do. The Destroyers dropped the ground forces. What were they supposed to do, drop the AT-ATs and go fly away to the nearest drive through? No, they're going to wait there untill extraction is needed. Like it or not, thats how the Imperial Navy works.

 

Well, no, not unless it is absolutely huge. But could a shaped-charge type explosion knock off (or at least severely damage) a foot?

I know the armour is phenomanol (du-du, du-du-du!), but maybe?

 

And they get all the best music... :cry: