Firvulag and I had a long discussion about mecha earlier tonight. It started with Macross/Robotech, and eventually worked its way over to Battletech (by way of the Unseen). The point it really took off, though, was when we started talking about one particular what-if.
What if the Clans and the Zentraedi encountered each other?
Consider it for a while. Zent mecha are laughable by Clan standards, but there are just SO MANY of them, they move faster than expected, and some of their officers are actually fairly good. Meanwhile, you'd have the Zents dealing with hideously tough, well-piloted 'mechs and infantry the likes of which they'd never seen. It'd be quite the combat shock. Then they send in micronized spies, and find paradise.
The Clans are a warrior culture, so the Zents would find much of it familiar. They also have art, sports, honor, love... all those things that draw the Zentraedi into micronian life. If anything, they'd fall in love with Clan life even more so than they did Earth culture.
As for Clan opinions of the Zentraedi,, well... It's an entire race dedicated to war, so the warrior caste would be pleased. Every single one of them is a clone, genetically designed by their makers- to Clan sensibilities, that would sound a lot like an entire race of trueborn, complete with something like bloodnames, and the enhancements given to the officer caste of Zents would probably be attractive genetic heritage for soldier breeding programs. The science and technician castes would go bonkers reverse-engineering Zent everything, especially their mecha, ships, and genetics. It's almost like it's meant to be.
This gets a bit silly the instant a Nupetiet-Vergnitzs defolds over Holy Terra, disgorging hundreds of dropships (each the size of a warship, even) onto the homeworld, each of which is full of dozens of mecha and/or 'mechs. The precentors who don't die of strokes will be crapping enough bricks to build a few hundred castles at the thought.
My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours.
I've been writing a bit.
What if the Clans and the Zentraedi encountered each other?
Consider it for a while. Zent mecha are laughable by Clan standards, but there are just SO MANY of them, they move faster than expected, and some of their officers are actually fairly good. Meanwhile, you'd have the Zents dealing with hideously tough, well-piloted 'mechs and infantry the likes of which they'd never seen. It'd be quite the combat shock. Then they send in micronized spies, and find paradise.
The Clans are a warrior culture, so the Zents would find much of it familiar. They also have art, sports, honor, love... all those things that draw the Zentraedi into micronian life. If anything, they'd fall in love with Clan life even more so than they did Earth culture.
As for Clan opinions of the Zentraedi,, well... It's an entire race dedicated to war, so the warrior caste would be pleased. Every single one of them is a clone, genetically designed by their makers- to Clan sensibilities, that would sound a lot like an entire race of trueborn, complete with something like bloodnames, and the enhancements given to the officer caste of Zents would probably be attractive genetic heritage for soldier breeding programs. The science and technician castes would go bonkers reverse-engineering Zent everything, especially their mecha, ships, and genetics. It's almost like it's meant to be.
This gets a bit silly the instant a Nupetiet-Vergnitzs defolds over Holy Terra, disgorging hundreds of dropships (each the size of a warship, even) onto the homeworld, each of which is full of dozens of mecha and/or 'mechs. The precentors who don't die of strokes will be crapping enough bricks to build a few hundred castles at the thought.
My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours.
I've been writing a bit.