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There is a line in the premier about why aliens have four legs and mechs hve two. Anyone care to guess?
My guess is the four legged aliens are also "harnessed" like the human children and fight the humans becase they are controlled. What do you think?
| angel-lance wrote: |
There is a line in the premier about why aliens have four legs and mechs hve two. Anyone care to guess? My guess is the four legged aliens are also "harnessed" like the human children and fight the humans becase they are controlled. What do you think? |
Certainly sounds plausible. Their version of Cybermen or Borg.
I think, the aliens invaded another two legged planet and stole the machines.
It's an interesting bit that the characters point out. My guess is it will be an interesting / important plot point.
BUT it's not as strange as they make it sound (comments at the bottom here).
They've destroyed the mechs, so I'd imagine that at some point they'd study them. We learn that they at least study some of them as well as the children. Even if every one was blown up with C4 they would have to find "something" inside to indicate a human being in there. Even if skinned, there'd be bones and such.
My guess is that one group is enslaved to the other, and I too thought that maybe humans/kids played a role. Though I also wonder if they're trying to help/save the kids in some benevolent manner.
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Why it isn't as strange in real life as we think. Yes, as kids and in typical science fiction when we think "robot" we think bipedal human approximation. However in real life the direction we're taking autonomous robots is in another direction: less human and more insectoid and/or wheeled.
Humans are fine and all but you have to worry about keeping balance on rough terrain or damaging a single leg making it difficult to get anywhere. Meanwhile insects and things can continue without a leg and (so long as more long than tall) do not have to worry about balance issues. Balance, redundant legs, etc: nature evolved these things for reasons. Meanwhile wheeled-robots have more speed and are more energy efficient.
I'd seen some really strange layouts for robots: insects, worms/snakes, wheeled things, etc. All of which are much more mobile than those bipedal robots they showing from Japan.
The only real advantage the bipedal robot would have is potentially maneuvering through our built structures easier, like winding staircases and tight corridors.
| Frenz9 wrote: |
| My first thought aswell, but I thought they would have seen the controllers on the backs. Or the kids are the drones. |
Drones as in those fleshing things?
Ah, there's a twist. Would make that suffering face of the alien all the more meaningful.
The point of bipedal motion (two legs) as opposed to 4 is to be able to walk upright and see higher. It also frees up two more limbs to carry things (arms). This is why humans came to walk upright; it behooved males primarily to see over tall grass and plants and allowed us to carry more food at once, making us better providers.
As you said though, it does make it easier to climb stairs.
I think the harnessed children are the ones driving the mechs. Therefore, they want the mechs to be bipedal to make it easier for the harnessed children to use.
It would make everyone think completely differently about killing them if they know their own children were driving them wouldn't it?
I also think that perhaps the "true" aliens are those things that are doing the harnessing; the things attached to the children. Perhaps they are harnessing the skidders and whatever are driving the mechs. If you ever watched the original Stargate series you'd know a major theme was the Goa'uld, parasites who took over human bodies to make them stronger, but could also control them to do what they want. That's what these "harnesses" remind me of completely.
| atasu08 wrote: |
The point of bipedal motion (two legs) as opposed to 4 is to be able to walk upright and see higher. It also frees up two more limbs to carry things (arms). This is why humans came to walk upright; it behooved males primarily to see over tall grass and plants and allowed us to carry more food at once, making us better providers. As you said though, it does make it easier to climb stairs. |
True, but in a robot that can be custom built to improve or overcome evolutionary advantages.
Evolution is cool and all, but each species evolve to best suit their environment. With a robot you can take the best physical characteristics of multiple body-types and merge them together into something that can handle alien environments.
For example an insectoid thing that can lift its torso and use of of its legs for arms/hands when needed, or heaven forbid an extra set of hand-appendages on the top-side of the torso.
Bipeds have many advantages. But if you're making a tank-type thing that's going to get hit by heavy calibur gunfire and explosions don't you want something stable and have redundant motion? As it stands we purposely do not make bipedal robots for some things.
Ok, but the aliens have 6 legs and 2 arms ... cleary a mix of insectoid and humanoid forms .....
| mattgus wrote: |
| ...there has to be some alien that is biped-like or diff from the other two for dexterity...otherwise that leap we don't mind taking with sci fi may seem too much of one if we are to believe they are running working in factories and making spaceships etc...yes |
Firstly, "stream of thought" posts are hard to read and interpret. If English is not your first language then that's OK, else consider using paragraphs to make it easier to read.
Science Fiction does not have to explain every single detail, especially right away. The old Star Trek series didn't explain how their Warp drives worked, neither did Star Wars with any of their tech. Both are examples of different kinds of science fiction. Heck, even the classic science fiction works by Isaac Asimov never attempted to explain how Positronic Brains worked and yet they became a staple of science fiction.
Considering the question itself was raised in the show between the teacher and the main character, I would imagine it will become a plot-point later on. That's assuming the show lasts that long. It could be anything: from there are multiple species working together (a la the enemies in Halo), skitters are mutants, robot designs were spoils of war from another planet, humans are involved somehow, skitters are slave-children, etc.
I tend to give writers the benefit of the doubt, especially when a show isn't even half-way through it's first season. They haven't proven themselves to be great or anything, but it's *possible* they're slowly building up to something. Or it's possible they're winging it.
What got me straightaway with the Mechs was their finite line of movement, like if they go too far they lose control, seemingly away from the Skitters or a certain point of origin. They are definitely tied in with the Skitters which strongly suggests the Skitters are the ones in control. I like the idea they're human children or humans as the Mechs, though it has been suggested even the Skitters are not your usual 'aliens', so they're not little green men with big heads that flew in from Mars, which is pretty darn obvious. My idea - they were human. Or at least have been recently, hence why they designed robots to look like how they were/are still inside.
| atasu08 wrote: |
I also think that perhaps the "true" aliens are those things that are doing the harnessing; the things attached to the children. Perhaps they are harnessing the skidders and whatever are driving the mechs. If you ever watched the original Stargate series you'd know a major theme was the Goa'uld, parasites who took over human bodies to make them stronger, but could also control them to do what they want. That's what these "harnesses" remind me of completely. |
I thought this same thing as well. I guess it could be neat if they do it right.
Or even simpler maybe the skidders are very weak.... IE like that entire show thus far has pointed toward. They emulate the stronger human anatomy through their machinery and have figured out how to control them with the harnesses things. I mean the last episode the skidder was like petting all the kids like he loved them. Then again two episodes prior they shot a whole bunch of them (By the way in that scene the skidders point to the kids and direct the mecs to kill, hence they can be controlled by the mechs...). The relationship is probably similiar to that of humans and large dogs. Just because you envy the things they can do does mean you cant stop them from doing it.
