From: clark@daffy.tmc.edu (Matthew Clark)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.anime
Subject: Re: Gundam 0083 Episode 11
Date: 8 Aug 92 05:02:50 GMT
Organization: University of South Florida, Department of Computer Science and Engineering

In article <3130216@hpcc01.corp.hp.com> okamoto@hpcc01.corp.hp.com (Jeff Okamoto) writes:
>emchumbe@athena.mit.edu (Marty) speculates:
>
>> I'm not so sure about that.  I was told that the GP mobile suit series are
>> supposed to be upgrades of the RX-78 to the Zeta unit.
>
>The Zeta was designed by a civilian, Camille Vidan.  The best that the
>EMF could produce (at the start of Zeta) was the Gundam MkII, designed by
>Franklin Vidan, Camille's father.  The best the AEUG produced was the
>Rick Diaz.  The Kalaba didn't really design anything, except the funky
>modified Rick Diaz called the Dijeh.  The Titans had the Galbaldy Beta (and
>the Psycho Gundams) and the Jions had the Quebeley.  Their "grunt suits"
>were the GMII, Nemo, nothing, Hizack & Marasi, and Gaza-C, respectively.
>
>My point is that the suits available at the end of 0083 are much more
>powerful than those available at the start of Zeta (0087).
>
>0083, even more than 0080, shatters any pretext at continuity in the Gundam
>Universe.  As many heard at AX, Tomino said he wishes people would ignore
>the side stories (0080 and 0083).


I think, in an attempt to put it in the continuity, we have to remember

1) The GP's were prototype units.  This, of course, means that the
things were terribly expensive and probably a bitch to maintain.  By
the time 0087 rolled around, while the techonology would be there,
the resources probably weren't.  And while AE is notorious for playing
both sides of the fence, the Titans were probably VERY careful about
what got outside their sphere of influence.

Also, as prototypes, alot of what may be considered "cool" may
not be practical.  The shield for the GP02, for example.  Yeah,
it's a great shield, able to withstand a nuclear blast.  But how
practical is it?  In order to use that shield effectively, you 
would need a LOT of power in your locomotion joints, which of course
drives up research, development, and maintainence costs.  The
verniars are another example.

Also, the advances are, for the most part, within reason.  After
all, the only real advance the GP01-Full Vernier was the propulsion
package.  What else made it so hot?  (not to "poo-poo" it mind you ^_^,
I think it was a Cooooool mech')  And as for the GP02, it was
BIG, had lots of thrust, and had a nuclear payload.  Not terribly
adavanced, IMHO.

So the Gundam Mk II comes out.  It's not as big, bad, or nasty as
the GP's but by the looks of it, it could have been massed produced.

2) The Zeta's a-hell of a lot more powerful than you think.  People
seem to base their judgement of "power" based on the Mega-wattage
of the beam cannons & the like.  But, in my view, the evolution
of the Gundam has truly been in the field of "newtype" interface.
Yeah, the GP01 & 2 have their verniers and the beam cannon, and
you can even throw the GP3's barrier system, but look what the
                             ^^^^^^
			     (look how BIG the SOB is!)
Zeta accomplished (yeah, I know...Camille, but that's the point,
isn't it?  The Zeta's bio-computer took the full load of Camille's
power and still came through.) it's own beam barrier/ psycho-
kinetic shield, that massive beam saber sequence.  And that's
not to discount ZZ and New.  Both represent distinct advances in
the field as well.

Also, if it hasn't been mentioned, the Zeta can transform.  Yeah,
it was during the "transforming" craze, but still...consider the
techonological requirements to make it work with a transformation
time that tooks seconds.  Not only that, but the precision the
system had to be designed with to allow all of these different
sections to fit perfectly together to form the heat shield for
the wave-rider when it entered teh Earth's atmosphere.t

3) By 0087, the Titans had a pretty firm clamp on things, Neo-Jion
had yet to make their arrival, and most disturbances were "protest"
in nature.  So, the Federation (as it has demonstrated time & time
again) let their defenses get weak.  Such over-powered (and
expensive) advances from the GP series simply wasn't necessary, and
by the time they realize "oh shit, we're in trouble," it would
take far too long to mass-produce a MS with that kind of outfit.

As for Tomino-sensi, I can see why he wishes otherwise, but
(as he mentioned time & again) BANDAI (for all practical purposes)
runs Gundam. 8-(
>
>> The suit that Gato rides, resembles alot like the Alpha-Azeiru from Char's
>> Counterattack.

Who knows?  Maybe the guy who designed the AA was watching the
battle from afar?
 ________  ______   _   _   
|_   _|  \/  |   \ | | |_|   EEEEEEEE XX   XX PPPPPPP   OOOOOOO
  | | |      |  \ \| |  _    EE        XX XX  PP    PP OO     OO
  |_| |_|\/|_|_| \___| |_|   EEEEE      XXX   PPPPPPP  OO     OO
clark@galadriel.csee.usf.edu EE        XX XX  PP       OO     OO
clark@jupiter.csee.usf.edu   EEEEEEEE XX   XX PP        OOOOOOO