Power Amplified Body Armor in The Sentinels?

[Rabid Southern Cross Fan]

Okay,

while rewatching The Sentinels it occurred to me that the fellas working the exterior of the SDF-03's exoskeleton appear to be wearing some form of armored spacesuit. While they are too small to make out much detail, it does appear they have articulated joints (judging by the backs of the knees) and have what appears to be a thruster pack. Of course, this is just an interpretation but it would make sense to have a powered exoskeleton for zero-g construction. It likely is rather functional in its look and probably uses the same helmet as the REF Pilots (clear faceplate) and/or REF Troopers (Boba Fett-style faceplate) did in The Sentinels comics and RPG.

SDF-03 Workers (01)
SDF-03 Workers (02)

[ShadowLogan]

I agree it can be thought of as an armored spacesuit, but that doesn't automatically make it a PA (based on the footage). The articulated joints you speak of do not make it a PA, as pressurized diving suits and even some actual spacesuit (ex. AX-5 a NASA) designs (though spacesuits haven't flown, but they have been tested) use them and they don't offer strength enhancement AFAIK.

In many respects the suit could be an evolution of the hard body armor from the TMS era. It has the articulated joints, and built in thrusters to.

[Rabid Southern Cross Fan]

:shrugs:

When I think of Power Amplified Body Armor I think mostly of stuff that would look like the Bubble Gum Crisis Hardsuits or even the EX-Gear from Macross Frontier. The suit seen in The Sentinels could easily be interpreted as being such since none of the Southern Cross 'Power Armors' in the rules qualify. They're more like Battle Armor's (being 3.5m tall in most cases).

[jaymz]

I'm not sure they'd HAVE to be power amplified since they are in a zero-g dock area.....otherwise, yeah armoured suit using a generic detachable space propulsion pack is logical.

[Tiree]

My feeling is that any armor can be an exo-skeleton. IE something that can boost the SPD and STR attribute. Oddly enough Palladium also adds in extra attacks (generally +1).

So there should be classes of Armor...

Body Armor
Exo Skeleton
Power Armor
Robot

And each one could have a range within (light, med, heavy)

[jaymz]

My feeling is that any armor can be an exo-skeleton. IE something that can boost the SPD and STR attribute. Oddly enough Palladium also adds in extra attacks (generally +1).

So there should be classes of Armor...

Body Armor
Exo Skeleton
Power Armor
Robot

And each one could have a range within (light, med, heavy)

That is essentially what they did in Rifts. CA-6EX is an exoskeleton while the SAMAS is a PA.

[jaymz]

edit - removed post that was posted to this thread by accident and for some reason cannot remove it entirely. Carry on.

[ShadowLogan]

:shrugs:

When I think of Power Amplified Body Armor I think mostly of stuff that would look like the Bubble Gum Crisis Hardsuits or even the EX-Gear from Macross Frontier. The suit seen in The Sentinels could easily be interpreted as being such since none of the Southern Cross 'Power Armors' in the rules qualify. They're more like Battle Armor's (being 3.5m tall in most cases).

Well the UEEF CVR-3 does include some of the powered exo-skeleton systems of the Cyclone integrated (RT:TSC RPG pg139m): "...and the boots/lower legs have an integrated system of motors and hydraulics that, when linked to the Cyclone, act as a powered exoskeleton."

Personally I would just turn the existing ASC body armor into power amplified body armor and be done with it. There is enough bulk on them IINM to put the systems in place considering the Cyclone/CVR-3 combo, it might be a lightweight as far as enhancements go without a backpack power system to really rev it up (compared to the Cyclone and Terminator suits). Such a system might explain some of gymnastics we seek Dana do when mount/dismounting from her VHT given the heights involved (at least IMHO).

The CVR-3 text might also be taken to suggest the old UEDF hardsuit was a type of power amplified suit too since it was an update to the old design (though the UEDF hardsuit, like the ASC BAs also lacks exo-skeleton stats).

[Seto Kaiba]

while rewatching The Sentinels it occurred to me that the fellas working the exterior of the SDF-03's exoskeleton appear to be wearing some form of armored spacesuit. While they are too small to make out much detail, it does appear they have articulated joints (judging by the backs of the knees) and have what appears to be a thruster pack. Of course, this is just an interpretation but it would make sense to have a powered exoskeleton for zero-g construction.

Based on the powered exoskeleton(s) we see in Robotech, they don't look chunky or bulky enough to be any sort of powered armor. The only real example we have in the series itself is the Cyclone, and even without all the motorcycle bits that still adds a fair amount of mass to the operator's body. These look too sleek and streamlined to be powered armor of any type. My interpretation would be that these are simply space-use hardsuits (in much the same style as what the TASC pilots wear) with an enlarged vernier pack for zero-g construction work.

[Rimmerdal]

while rewatching The Sentinels it occurred to me that the fellas working the exterior of the SDF-03's exoskeleton appear to be wearing some form of armored spacesuit. While they are too small to make out much detail, it does appear they have articulated joints (judging by the backs of the knees) and have what appears to be a thruster pack. Of course, this is just an interpretation but it would make sense to have a powered exoskeleton for zero-g construction.

Based on the powered exoskeleton(s) we see in Robotech, they don't look chunky or bulky enough to be any sort of powered armor. The only real example we have in the series itself is the Cyclone, and even without all the motorcycle bits that still adds a fair amount of mass to the operator's body. These look too sleek and streamlined to be powered armor of any type. My interpretation would be that these are simply space-use hardsuits (in much the same style as what the TASC pilots wear) with an enlarged vernier pack for zero-g construction work.

They could be powered, Combat systems do take up space in a suit. My guess is even if they are powered. It would be a civilian non-combat Powered suit. no attack bonus but a slew of construction, control and other engineering related enhancements. Plus less features = more compact. otherwise the cyclone would be a a one piece suit with the CVR-3 built in.

[taalismn]

I also find it amusing that would be a Southern Cross tactical recon aircraft apparently also serves as the basis for a zero-gee EVA construction pod(in part because they couldn't use the original Macross Seeker work pods, orf course, but perhaps in-universe because larger work jobs mean a need for longer duration stints 'in the can', for which a larger and more comfortable EVA pod cabin would be desireable).
Replace the underside ducted fan with reaction mass tankage, swap the landing skids and gear for articulated armatures, discard the airbreather engines for multi-vernier'ed rocket pods, and put extra manuevering jets on the wings and you get the depicted EVA pods.
Heck, maybe they keep the wings for emergency re-entry in the event all those helpless workpods have to scurry for the relative safety of a planet if and when a enemy warship nukes the shipyards/orbital work sites. Dump the arms, flush the reaction mass, and start sliding down the gravity wellllllllllllllllllllllll.......

[ShadowLogan]

I also find it amusing that would be a Southern Cross tactical recon aircraft apparently also serves as the basis for a zero-gee EVA

construction pod(in part because they couldn't use the original Macross Seeker work pods, orf course, but perhaps in-universe because larger work jobs mean a

need for longer duration stints 'in the can', for which a larger and more comfortable EVA pod cabin would be desireable).
Replace the underside ducted fan with reaction mass tankage, swap the landing skids and gear for articulated armatures, discard the airbreather engines for

multi-vernier'ed rocket pods, and put extra manuevering jets on the wings and you get the depicted EVA pods.
Heck, maybe they keep the wings for emergency re-entry in the event all those helpless workpods have to scurry for the relative safety of a planet if and

when a enemy warship nukes the shipyards/orbital work sites. Dump the arms, flush the reaction mass, and start sliding down the gravity

wellllllllllllllllllllllll.......

Your propulsion related changes may not be necessary. The platform already uses SLMH fusion engines. All that may be necessary is giving it a "space operation mode" like the Veritech Fighters and several conventional fighters demonstrate. It really depends if the base line TRM saga model is intended to operate in the vacuum of space or not (so "SOM" and Veriner jets may already be part of the design, or specific models).

The question also has to be considered if those pods on the wings are landing skids or mission pods. I've always seen them as mission pods, so really one only needs a mission pod that sports an articulated arm (could potentially be useful for ground side operations when combined with it's hovering capacity).

[Rabid Southern Cross Fan]

The question also has to be considered if those pods on the wings are landing skids or mission pods. I've always seen them as mission pods, so really one only needs a mission pod that sports an articulated arm (could potentially be useful for ground side operations when combined with it's hovering capacity).

The EVA Pod is missing the forward mounted cannon. The canopy also appears to be tinted (which it would need to withstand sunlight if it goes outside the Factory Satellite). Either way, if its a purpose-built version it would have probably greater than 60% parts commonality with the AHR-15 Phantom. I imagine removing the hoverjet would allow for far more reaction mass to be bunkered.

[The Artist Formerly]

I'd say yes. These suits need to be multi-use to keep the costs low. Why build three suits for hazardous construction enviroments (space, underwater and under fire) when you could just build one and kit it out for the spesific work enviroment. The Sentinel mission was going to alien enviroments and had to port all of it's supply lines with the SDF-3/REF fleet. While strength amplification might not be needed in earth orbit, it could pay off low gravity effects, under the waters of alien worlds or on Zentraedi/Masters space crap. No knowing exactly what they were getting into, it makes sense they'd want multi-purpose systems. Save space and weight.

[ArmySGT.]

40K Terminator suits............. Karbarrans would love those.

[Chris0013]

I could see it as a power amplified worksuit...maybe light armor with environmental capabilities that was designed for labor off world and in vacuum.