Forum - View topicIf you were a mech pilot...
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blind_assassin
 Posts: 755 |
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Would you have trouble knowing that you were likely killing people when you beat their mech? One of the posts in the Eureka 7 topic made me think about how in most mecha shows and games the main character goes all crazy once they realize that they're killing people or once they end up killing someone by accident.
Lets just say you hopped into a Gundam to stop your girlfriend or whatever from getting killed by some random evil terrorist (they're always some random evil terrorist until you have to beat them on a regular basis, at which point they become human beings) and then got dragged into a war for independence or something. You're fighting people that have no qualms with killing civilians and whatever and you're trying to be just in fighting them and all that. My question is, would you end up ditching the front lines like almost every mecha anime/video game hero before you? Personally, even if I hadn't been trained to be a soldier or whatever I'd realize from the start that I was killing my enemies. Even if I couldn't actually see the face of each person, I'd know that I was taking their lives by blowing up the mechs. It might weigh on my conscience when all is said and done but I'm pretty confident that I could at the very least rationalize it while I was in combat. And yeah, this topic is kinda childish but I'm wondering how many people would honestly be able to say that they'd deny the good they were doing for their cause simply because they can't handle sacrificing the people who are trying to kill you in the first place. |
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bluepita
 Posts: 465 |
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Lol, I'll bite. I could never do it. I'd make Shinji look like a brave hero, proudly rushing to the defense of the earth for completely selfless reasons. Between the fact I don't believe in warfare at all and the fact I'd never be able to forget there was a person inside, it's safe to say I would be the absolute worst mecha pilot ever.
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P€|\||§_|\/|ast@
 Posts: 3498 Location: IN your nightmares |
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Do stolen cars count as mechs? I've always wanted to be in a car chase ala Lupin III making a quick getaway in the windy, narrow streets of Europe or Japan.
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LydiaDianne
 Posts: 5634 Location: Southern California |
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You have to rationalize it to yourself in any sort of combat mission, I think.
I would hope that I would realize that I was killing people going into that sort of situation. How could you not know really. But you have to blind or shut off that part of yourself that says killing people is wrong. You are defending whatever it is you're defending. That's your job. I know that I would never be able to do a job like that day in and day out but I like to think that if the situation demanded it, I could step up to the plate and not necessarily hit a homer but at least get to first base. |
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SharinganEyes92
 Posts: 816 |
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Yeah, I'd definitely realize that I was killing people from the first time that I blew up a mech with mine. If there's one thing I noticed in mecha anime, it's that after people realize that all the killing is wrong, then they start to immobilize the enemy suits without killing the pilot, such as spoiler[Eureka 7 with Renton, Gundam SEED with Kira, and in Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz with most of the Gundam pilots.]
I think that at first it would be quite tragic for me, and weigh down my conscience, but after awhile and all the battle, I'd eventually become desensitized to the fact that it didn't really matter. Of course, just piloting a mech would be cool, so I think I'd be good with just that and not the whole mech vs. mech, fight to the death thing. 
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selenta
 Subscriber Posts: 1774 Location: Seattle, WA |
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I'm a pretty... "reliable" person (that's probably the most accurate word) when it comes to things like this. When an earthquake happens, I don't freak out, when a fire happens, I don't freak out. I guess I've never had anything truly tragic happen to me, like my sister getting her brains blown out by some mobster right in front of me while I was being forced to watch or something... but I don't think I'd lose control, I'm not really that kind of guy. I'm the kind of person you'd want by your side in an emergency; as such, I'm pretty confident in that if I were ever placed in a situation like Kira from Gundam SEED, or any other shounen hero, I know that at least I'd be trying to step up to the plate (god knows I strikeout once in a while though...).
I don't know if I'd be able to accomplish quite what characters like Kira do, but I for one, am as confident as possible without having ever been in a comparable situation that I would be as mentally prepared and capable as one can be. I place a very high inherent value on human life, but there are certain things other people can do to devalue their lives in my mind. People that abuse others, don't respect themselves, and don't respect things they should (among other things), should be punished in my book (please, do not respond to this, my views here are more complicated than I think they are coming across as). Terrorists are bad people, regardless of intentions; the ends do not always justify the means, and as much as I value human life, there are some people the world would simply be better off without. Should I somehow find myself enlisted and the government fighting a war I did not believe in, I probably would not be willing to give my life (either through death or several years in jail) to protest the cause, but I would probably be willing to be a draft dodger (if the war were similar to something from Gundam SEED). However, if the cause were something I did believe in, I would have no qualms or second thoughts about risking everything for it (such as the first plot from Stellvia). |
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Richard J.
 Posts: 3367 Location: Sic Semper Tyrannis. |
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Well, the first thing to realize is that there's a big difference between knowing that you're killing people and knowing. If all you ever see is a big machine coming toward you, you know you're killing people when you destroy it but you haven't really seen it. You've seen yourself destroying a machine.
When you see the bodies that come out of those machines you just smashed, then you really understand what you've been doing. You can't pretend on any level that it's just a machine you're destroying. I can't speak to NGE, still haven't seen it all, but Eureka 7 really handled that revelation for Renton well. Personally, I'm fairly sure I could do the job and still go home calm and collected at the end of the day. If it's a choice between killing the other guy or being killed by him. . . well, like I said, I'd be going home at the end of the day. It all boils down to how you think of these things. Personally, my life is worth more to me than the life of a person trying to kill me. On the other hand, I couldn't kill a person who wasn't trying to hurt me or anyone else, even to save my own life. (At least I don't think I could. Thankfully, I've never been in a situation where I had to learn the answer.) |
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Redbeard 101
Oscar the Grouch
Forums Superstar  Posts: 16967 |
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I'd be able to do it without much thought. I'm a very realistic, rationale person. If I was in a situation like that I would rationalize that it's either I die, or those I care about, or the person in the mech coming towards me guns blazing. Easy choice for me. You gotta put it into perspective. Most people aren't aware of what they're capable of until they're in the situation themselves. Of course I am a lot more jaded then most and I have personaly dealt with the scum of society if you will.
I have lost friend and one important person to me and I have seen firsthand what others are capable of. I refuse to go into detail but suffice to say I lived in a very bad area once and it was either sink to their level some or wind up in a bag yourself. Of course, working retail for years also makes me wanna get into a mech and just start shooting lol. With my major being what it is I have been around many criminals. I;ve done many a case study on some very unsavory people. I'm not talking about a book report of Charly Manson either. No I'm talking about going to the state Pen. and signing a waiver that I won't sue if I get maimed or killed, so I can my report on the convicted triple homicide perp who happens to have a thing for torture and rape also. Fun visit, got an A though needless to say. I've also had my own life in jeapordy before a few times. I used to work for my state government. I did environmental research and quality control. We'd test drinking and well water samples for different chemicals. Now, we also had a few hazardous projects we did. We'd go clean up spills and help take samples for breakdown and stuff. One particular site has a little quirk to it. It was a dumping and buriel site for military ordenance (ammo, bombs, chemicals) and toxic crap. This was ww2 era crap. Landmines buried there, mustard gas, other fun stuff. We had to go out with the military and when they found stuff we tested to make sure it was ok to move. We were all HAZMAT trained, and those that went to these sites got training up to level 4. Level 5 is the highest. That's the fire department and military who handle anthrax and stuff like that. Needless to say we all signed waivers and when they said don't step there, you didn't step there. We actualy saw a deer find a landmine, bambi for dinner. So between all of that and my criminal justice training I highly doubt I'd freak out. I'm sure I'd have no real problem protecting those around me. The thing is, no matter what you see you just simply don't associate them with people. Even if you see the bodies, don't give them names. You give it a name it's a person. That's just me though. |
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KyuuA4
 Posts: 1361 Location: America, where anime and manga can be made |
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Eh, it's already a general anime rule. The "pilots" at least have some idea regarding the mech's controls - despite never having piloted one before. It's a complete waste of air time watching the total n00bness of an anime character, when it comes to mech-piloting. Of course, there are some exceptions - particularly Shinji getting his ass beat on the first day on the job. 
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Ohoni
Posts: 3421 |
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I don't think I'd go nuts if I found out I HAD been killing, but I don't know if I could fight knowing that I was taking lives. I'm no soldier. Plenty of good people are though, and they could certainly handle it.
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Danno19
Posts: 51 |
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Ya I'd Shinji it up big time. I mean, if I were killing terrorist mech piolets, maybe I wouldnt feel so guilty doing it.
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Animefreak6969
 Posts: 587 |
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well that all depends on the Mech im in, i mean are we talking Gunbuster 2 Mech where there uber powerfullness can throw planets or......something like FMP where there not all that big and can do smalller jobs or LIVING mechs like NGE or The Nirvash or The END in Eureka 7, or just as big as Gundams where they're pretty big like HUGE but can only do damage to big parts of cities at a time or maybe Demonbane where its bigger than almost the city and magical power has more power than most Mecha shows except Gunbuster or Gunbuster 2 (they're like almost DBZ powerful)
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Gage
Posts: 480 Location: United States |
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The thoughts of piloting a Gundam or any other "mobile suit" always occurs to me.
I'd have NO problem with doing that. Heh, we'd all rule and the time for robots to rule has actually come to pass! Ah, that would be great... |
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Hisdon
 Posts: 411 Location: Poquoson, VA |
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considering the going trends with mech piolets in series, if I was a mech piolet I'd probably have a Myspace, wear tight pants, and have the tendency to slit my wrists.
That's right, I'd be emo. : D |
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Animefreak6969
Posts: 587 |
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what do you mean, the going trends and emo? not even most mecha piolets are close to emo, i mean Platinum Ordian isnt, Eureka 7 (close but no cigar), MOST of the Gundam Piolets arent, Gaiking, FMP isnt either, Demonbane's isnt, i was gonna put Gunbuster but whoops i'd almost be wrong |
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