Titan Dropship what would it be?

[GrimmReaper]

In the marines source book the GMU Titan has its own dropship what would it be a Modified horizont or something else..

[glitterboy2098]

i'd say that given its size, it would be a special ventral module on a Garfish. replacing the fighter bay module.

though maybe you could dock a Horizont to one instead of the cargo pods. a horiziont would probably lose a lot of performance trying to lug one around though

[GrimmReaper]

i'd say that given its size, it would be a special ventral module on a Garfish. replacing the fighter bay module.

though maybe you could dock a Horizont to one instead of the cargo pods. a horiziont would probably lose a lot of performance trying to lug one around though

thinking you might be right on the garfish

[Alrik Vas]

The GMU had a drop ship, yeah...But the only art if it I ever saw was in a comic from near 15 or more years ago. It didn't look anything like a Horizon-T. Then again, it was a limited view and just a comic book.

[glitterboy2098]

do you know which comic and what context the scene was in? i might be able to figure out what issue and find some pics.

[drewkitty ~..~]

In the Sentinels comics (as I remember it) the drop-ship was depicted as a giant flying wing.

[taalismn]

In the Sentinels comics (as I remember it) the drop-ship was depicted as a giant flying wing.

I thought it reminded me of Zeta Gundam's Garuda aircraft....

[Alrik Vas]

do you know which comic and what context the scene was in? i might be able to figure out what issue and find some pics.

It was definitely the Sentinel's comic. Was a collection of like the first few issues. Goes from post-wedding to the first engagement with the inorganics.

I believe it was the second or third volume, Operation Tirol.

[cobra73]

ok found it
Its in The Sentinels book 1.
Another transport appears in book 2, carrying the Zentraedi to Fantoma.
hope these help.

http://s20.postimg.org/3m8wtvci5/Robote ... _10_17.jpg

http://s20.postimg.org/u61hw0d1p/Robote ... _07_04.jpg

[tobefrnk]

"And just where are these dropships kept?" That's a question that I've been wondering. With stats of the GMU being as they are, the wingspan is approx. 800ft. A lot of origami transformation would be needed to dock just one of these in the SDF-3 or a Tokugawa. Yes? I've been working on a different style of dropship and when I did the measurements it came out to a wingspan of 1000ft! It's just its own shop of the line at that point. haHA! The Garfish transport idea mentioned earlier is quite appealing to me now.

[SRoss]

Weren't there supposed to be a couple of huge dropships attached to the rear of the SDF-3?

[cobra73]

"And just where are these dropships kept?" That's a question that I've been wondering. With stats of the GMU being as they are, the wingspan is approx. 800ft. A lot of origami transformation would be needed to dock just one of these in the SDF-3 or a Tokugawa. Yes? I've been working on a different style of dropship and when I did the measurements it came out to a wingspan of 1000ft! It's just its own shop of the line at that point. haHA! The Garfish transport idea mentioned earlier is quite appealing to me now.

Considering the size of the comic's GMU, i'd concur that the craft could be considered a capital ship by itself. As such it is possible that it has its own fold generator or it rode piggyback on another ship.

[GrimmReaper]

The Comic book image almost looks like the shuttle from Avatar the movie.

http://www.3dcadbrowser.com/th/1/55/55618.jpg

[taalismn]

Weren't there supposed to be a couple of huge dropships attached to the rear of the SDF-3?

Those nightmares? I think the designers didn't put a lot of thought into them...more like they sketched up the revamped SDF-3, then somebody said 'we need a new gimmick for the new look....those rear engine pods look like they could detach, so let's make them big dropships!"
The way they're supposed to operate, with folding wings apparently, makes even less sense.
They're also wholly lacking from the original configuration of the SDF-3(disguised as Zentraedi ship) so you're back to square one with regards to how the GMU was going to be deployed by the SDF-3.

[glitterboy2098]

to be honest, if i'd written up the stats for the GMU i'd have taken a page from the later Bolo books and have the GMU self deploy via limited antigravity systems the same way as the Bolo Mk.XXX through XXXIII's could. basically it would drive out of the ships hanger and float down on its own power. getting back up it would use the same system, just move much slower.

then not only do you remove one very expensive extra unit, the GMU itself can act as a lander for ground troops and smaller mecha. plus it gains a certain amount of ability to extract itself from bad terrain, or to cross obstacles like canyons.

[taalismn]

to be honest, if i'd written up the stats for the GMU i'd have taken a page from the later Bolo books and have the GMU self deploy via limited antigravity systems the same way as the Bolo Mk.XXX through XXXIII's could. basically it would drive out of the ships hanger and float down on its own power. getting back up it would use the same system, just move much slower.

then not only do you remove one very expensive extra unit, the GMU itself can act as a lander for ground troops and smaller mecha. plus it gains a certain amount of ability to extract itself from bad terrain, or to cross obstacles like canyons.

The only problem I see with that is that A-G systems seem rare amongst the human forces. Oh, the Garfish hover nicely enough in atmosphere, and you can claim that the reason Southern Cross ships and the Horizon-T's are wreathed in reaction mass thermal plumes while maneuvering in atmosphere is thanks to partial assists from a-g systems, but Emerson's flagship needed tugs to boost to orbit, and everything else the Terran forces used were apparently air pressure hover systems.
Maybe you had to get up to (small) starship mass before Terran-made AG systems became effective(size of installation and available powerplant-wise)?

[glitterboy2098]

the GMU is not that much smaller than a garfish*. and bigger than a Horizont, which seems to use Anti-gravity in the RPG.
and we know that bioroid hoversleds use antigravity subsystems and they're smaller than an Alpha.

i'd say it's within the realm of possibilities.


as for the ASC ships.. given that it seem unlikely the ASC had on active duty the sheer number of ships it employed across the 2nd war (if nothing else, you'd think they'd have thrown all of them at once at the start instead of peicemeal in increasingly large fleets.), i suspect that a lot of the ships the ASC deployed in the later parts of the war were new builds rushed into service or old mothballed ones reactivated last notice. so they may not have had fully functional Antigravity systems

** sizes:
Garfish: 179 meters L x 59 meters W x 33 meters H (without the underslung bays)
GMU: 102.4 meters L x 48 meters W x 48 meters H
which makes it a bit shorter in length and narrower but taller in height.

[Zer0 Kay]

ok found it
Its in The Sentinels book 1.
Another transport appears in book 2, carrying the Zentraedi to Fantoma.
hope these help.

http://s20.postimg.org/3m8wtvci5/Robote ... _10_17.jpg

http://s20.postimg.org/u61hw0d1p/Robote ... _07_04.jpg

Wow, just wow. All the details on every other piece of tech and then to explain how they get down the comic writers decide it is in giant bricks rather than saying the GMU uses its own antigrav pods and thrusters to get planetside

[taalismn]

[
Wow, just wow. All the details on every other piece of tech and then to explain how they get down the comic writers decide it is in giant bricks rather than saying the GMU uses its own antigrav pods and thrusters to get planetside

I get the impression that at the time the Waltrips did that version, they had a lot more leeway in things than later on, under intensified HG dictation. THey were, however, basing their comic on the McKinney novels, which had the GMU landed by a specialist dropship, and so they had to come up with a dropship design.
Of course, later, the novels went out the door in the comics continuity( they may have had premonitions of End of the Circle), and the comics went insane(with a Haydonite-built Ark Angel, no less) and such aberrations as (shudder) Superdimensional Fortress Mordecai...before that license crashed....

[glitterboy2098]

[
Wow, just wow. All the details on every other piece of tech and then to explain how they get down the comic writers decide it is in giant bricks rather than saying the GMU uses its own antigrav pods and thrusters to get planetside

I get the impression that at the time the Waltrips did that version, they had a lot more leeway in things than later on, under intensified HG dictation. THey were, however, basing their comic on the McKinney novels, which had the GMU landed by a specialist dropship, and so they had to come up with a dropship design.
Of course, later, the novels went out the door in the comics continuity( they may have had premonitions of End of the Circle), and the comics went insane(with a Haydonite-built Ark Angel, no less) and such aberrations as (shudder) Superdimensional Fortress Mordecai...before that license crashed....

and all those inconsistencies, and those horrible continuity issues caused them, are why HG chose to dump all the old stuff and start clean slate.

also, in re-reading the GMU entry in the book i have (just the Raw UEEF marines version right now) it says the GMU can be docked underneath a starship, like a garfish.
if i had to guess an Ikazuchi could work as well. that bit at the bottom could house a docking station for a GMU.

i still would have preferred it have antigravity of its own.

[taalismn]

[

i still would have preferred it have antigravity of its own.

Next Bloc Upgrade or LEP, if the Marines can get the funding.

[Jefffar]

I'm in favour of the converted Garfish or the SDF-3's special dropships as the transport in the current continuity.

I seem to recall mention of a specially modified Horizon-T in the old Sentinals RPG book, but I'm not sure it would have enough payload capacity to haul the GMU.

[glitterboy2098]

the 1st editions GMU was a lot smaller so could be carried by a Horizont. (and had some major TARDIS effect going on given its carrying capacity and facilities)

the 2nd ed one is a lot bigger (which honestly works better for what it does) but it's the size of several Horizon-T's.

[Chronicler]

Wouldn't mind if they have a big rig dropship like they did in Halo Wars when putting a base together:

http://images-mediawiki-sites.thefullwi ... 155033.jpg

Or something like this at a larger scale (from Section 8 ) :

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D_b_r20ojTk/T ... _lad+2.jpg

But it would also make sense for it to just be dropped from high orbit and land with anti-grav or retro-thrust like the Mako from Mass Effect. Could be latter picked up by a Garfish when all the fighting's done and everything's cleared out.

[Zer0 Kay]

[

i still would have preferred it have antigravity of its own.

Next Bloc Upgrade or LEP, if the Marines can get the funding.

Didn't the version presented in the old RT2: Sentinels have AG? Granted I realize one has little to do with the other.

[Zer0 Kay]

Wouldn't mind if they have a big rig dropship like they did in Halo Wars when putting a base together:

http://images-mediawiki-sites.thefullwi ... 155033.jpg

Or something like this at a larger scale (from Section 8 ) :

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D_b_r20ojTk/T ... _lad+2.jpg

But it would also make sense for it to just be dropped from high orbit and land with anti-grav or retro-thrust like the Mako from Mass Effect. Could be latter picked up by a Garfish when all the fighting's done and everything's cleared out.

Or for a new larger horizont type that acts as wings and does a hot drop and leaves.

One like the first with four thrust nacelles but instead of being a ship it is a drone with that specific purpose. It is stored mounted on the GMUs in the ships docking bay folded so it takes less room. When called to launch the GMU drives off the deck into space. The unit maneuvers it and inserts it into the atmosphere. After a rapid descent the unit engages again to decelerate the GMU and speeds along treetops and terrain until it comes to the drop site. The unit decelerates and releases the GMU and then ignites boosters to return back to the ship at humanly impossible speeds.
Recoverable unit
Rapid GMU insertion
Survivable GMU drop
Less cost
Basically it'd be a GMU fast pack for drops
And would probably be used for recovery too

[glitterboy2098]

[

i still would have preferred it have antigravity of its own.

Next Bloc Upgrade or LEP, if the Marines can get the funding.

Didn't the version presented in the old RT2: Sentinels have AG? Granted I realize one has little to do with the other.

just checked. no. it could fly to an altitude of 500ft at up to 100mph using belly and rear thrusters though.

[taalismn]

[
just checked. no. it could fly to an altitude of 500ft at up to 100mph using belly and rear thrusters though.

...and if those thrusters cut out while it was hovering over you....

[Rabid Southern Cross Fan]

I seem to recall mention of a specially modified Horizon-T in the old Sentinals RPG book, but I'm not sure it would have enough payload capacity to haul the GMU.

Oh, it could but only the actual lineart version for the Tv series and not the Comics/McKinney monstrosity....

[Alrik Vas]

Dig the trailer hitch.

[Zer0 Kay]

[

i still would have preferred it have antigravity of its own.

Next Bloc Upgrade or LEP, if the Marines can get the funding.

Didn't the version presented in the old RT2: Sentinels have AG? Granted I realize one has little to do with the other.

just checked. no. it could fly to an altitude of 500ft at up to 100mph using belly and rear thrusters though.

Hmm, yup. Must have been the giant stupid round wheels combined with thrust flight that made me think AG. But nope.

Meh the whole thing looks like it was a toy design like the land cruiser or moto-launcher from BGC that, thankfully, never saw screen time. Unfortunately the GMU made it off the drawing board.

[ShadowLogan]

Didn't the version presented in the old RT2: Sentinels have AG? Granted I realize one has little to do with the other.

No, but story wise it did achieve AG flight in the Novels by using some creatures on Praxis in an attempt to escape the planet's self destruction (not sure about the Comics/Scripts).

Wouldn't mind if they have a big rig dropship like they did in Halo Wars when putting a base together:

Isn't that the purpose of the new Crusader Drop Ships shown in Prelude that are docked with the SDF-3 now?

I seem to recall mention of a specially modified Horizon-T in the old Sentinals RPG book, but I'm not sure it would have enough payload capacity to haul the GMU.

That might be a campaign thing as I recall, the Garfish in 1E Sentinels book is said to be the standard transport for the GMU.

Those nightmares? I think the designers didn't put a lot of thought into them...more like they sketched up the revamped SDF-3, then somebody said 'we need a new gimmick for the new look....those rear engine pods look like they could detach, so let's make them big dropships!"
The way they're supposed to operate, with folding wings apparently, makes even less sense.
They're also wholly lacking from the original configuration of the SDF-3(disguised as Zentraedi ship) so you're back to square one with regards to how the GMU was going to be deployed by the SDF-3.

Those things look like an homage to Tron from the 80s, I forget the name of the craft it was a flyer that "transformed" for landing/flight. Though in 1E days, I had considered using the SDF-3 "arms" as the basis for a new REF ship class since they provided ready made deck plans.

[drewkitty ~..~]

Wouldn't mind if they have a big rig dropship like they did in Halo Wars when putting a base together:

Isn't that the purpose of the new Crusader Drop Ships shown in Prelude that are docked with the SDF-3 now?

The Crusaders are depicted in "The Art of Robotech the Shadow Chronicles on pages 102 (size chart), 104, 105. They bigger then a Shimakaze BC, located on the drive nacelles of the refit SDF-3.

[taalismn]

Dig the trailer hitch.

Plasma Exhaust Pipe?

[Chronicler]

Wouldn't mind if they have a big rig dropship like they did in Halo Wars when putting a base together:

Isn't that the purpose of the new Crusader Drop Ships shown in Prelude that are docked with the SDF-3 now?

I don't know about the name or how it correlates to the Prelude RT Comics, but in "The Art of Robotech the Shadow Chronicles shows on pages 102 (size chart), 104, 105 detachable drop-ships bigger then a Shimakaze BC, located on the drive nacelles of the refit SDF-3.

I don't have the book. Anyone got pics of it?

[Tiree]

Wouldn't mind if they have a big rig dropship like they did in Halo Wars when putting a base together:

Isn't that the purpose of the new Crusader Drop Ships shown in Prelude that are docked with the SDF-3 now?

I don't know about the name or how it correlates to the Prelude RT Comics, but in "The Art of Robotech the Shadow Chronicles shows on pages 102 (size chart), 104, 105 detachable drop-ships bigger then a Shimakaze BC, located on the drive nacelles of the refit SDF-3.

I don't have the book. Anyone got pics of it?

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b174/ ... g~original

this is probably a better version: http://orig04.deviantart.net/6dab/f/201 ... 8v7ger.jpg

[glitterboy2098]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/ ... nfcz6z.png
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/ ... upe0sa.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/ ... tphodl.png

i don't think that they'd be able to carry a GMU internally. while the dropships are giant, their bays are not really designed for something nearly the size of a Garfish. that said i'm sure that they could dock one externally for landing or retrieval.

[Chronicler]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/glitterboy2098/robotech/SDF-3%20crusader_zpsuhnfcz6z.png
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/ ... upe0sa.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/ ... tphodl.png

i don't think that they'd be able to carry a GMU internally. while the dropships are giant, their bays are not really designed for something nearly the size of a Garfish. that said i'm sure that they could dock one externally for landing or retrieval.

Okay? For one they look like part of the SDF-3 as intakes/engines. Then their is the fact that it folds to land having a high as hell ceiling (which by the way would give the enemy a good shot at the cockpit as the silhouette is big and high) and the troops/vehicles are on their sides. Anti-gravity be damned the engineer for it shouldn't have a job for designing that.

Oh who am I kidding it's a sci-fi show/setting. Suspension of disbelieve has been out the window for this for a long time.

[taalismn]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/glitterboy2098/robotech/SDF-3%20crusader_zpsuhnfcz6z.png
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/ ... upe0sa.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/ ... tphodl.png

i don't think that they'd be able to carry a GMU internally. while the dropships are giant, their bays are not really designed for something nearly the size of a Garfish. that said i'm sure that they could dock one externally for landing or retrieval.

Okay? For one they look like part of the SDF-3 as intakes/engines. Then their is the fact that it folds to land having a high as hell ceiling (which by the way would give the enemy a good shot at the cockpit as the silhouette is big and high) and the troops/vehicles are on their sides. Anti-gravity be damned the engineer for it shouldn't have a job for designing that.

Oh who am I kidding it's a sci-fi show/setting. Suspension of disbelieve has been out the window for this for a long time.

Like I said; it was an half-arsed last minute move to add some extra bling to an otherwise rather pedestrian design...The SDF-1 had aircraft carriers, the DYRL Macross had ARMDs, the original fit SDF-3 had swiveling laser armatures. The Refit SDF-3 had to have something extra on its sides if it didn't want to look like it LOST capabilities and coolness in the remodeling.
Instead they got a Gumbi-fied spaceship tack-on.

[Chronicler]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/glitterboy2098/robotech/SDF-3%20crusader_zpsuhnfcz6z.png
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/ ... upe0sa.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/ ... tphodl.png

i don't think that they'd be able to carry a GMU internally. while the dropships are giant, their bays are not really designed for something nearly the size of a Garfish. that said i'm sure that they could dock one externally for landing or retrieval.

Okay? For one they look like part of the SDF-3 as intakes/engines. Then their is the fact that it folds to land having a high as hell ceiling (which by the way would give the enemy a good shot at the cockpit as the silhouette is big and high) and the troops/vehicles are on their sides. Anti-gravity be damned the engineer for it shouldn't have a job for designing that.

Oh who am I kidding it's a sci-fi show/setting. Suspension of disbelieve has been out the window for this for a long time.

Like I said; it was an half-arsed last minute move to add some extra bling to an otherwise rather pedestrian design...The SDF-1 had aircraft carriers, the DYRL Macross had ARMDs, the original fit SDF-3 had swiveling laser armatures. The Refit SDF-3 had to have something extra on its sides if it didn't want to look like it LOST capabilities and coolness in the remodeling.
Instead they got a Gumbi-fied spaceship tack-on.

Well pedestrian isn't necessarily a bad thing. I would rather have something that works or make sense than "oh shinny". The SDF-1 had the carriers because they needed resources and would be a waste (plus more mechs and space for it). Plus the place they were attached to was the SDF's hangers for it's original mecha complement.

Also would have liked it if they had something like this: http://www.halopedia.org/M510_Mammoth (It's smaller by couple ft but would have been more manageable.)

[cobra73]

Also would have liked it if they had something like this: http://www.halopedia.org/M510_Mammoth (It's smaller by couple ft but would have been more manageable.)[/quote]

basically, like this

http://s20.postimg.org/64k34hh59/Robote ... _10_02.jpg

http://s20.postimg.org/u9ksm71fx/Robote ... _06_27.jpg

[Zer0 Kay]

Also would have liked it if they had something like this: http://www.halopedia.org/M510_Mammoth (It's smaller by couple ft but would have been more manageable.)

basically, like this

http://s20.postimg.org/64k34hh59/Robote ... _10_02.jpg

http://s20.postimg.org/u9ksm71fx/Robote ... _06_27.jpg[/quote]

No, a mammoth is armed, those megaroad haulers do not seem to be.

[Rabid Southern Cross Fan]

Also would have liked it if they had something like this: http://www.halopedia.org/M510_Mammoth (It's smaller by couple ft but would have been more manageable.)

Well, like I pointed out above, the actual finalized artwork shows the GMU is maybe 7m tall, 10m wide and about 35m long (at most). While it wouldn't be able to carry anything other than say Powered Armor or Cyclone troops, it would be far more manageable than the version presented in either the 1E or 2E RPGs.

Cleaned up a bit, I would have removed the "transforming" bit, stretch the frame to cover the wheels, replace the wheels with treaded tires and just use modular packages that could be "plugged in" (ala the real world German Boxer MRAV) as needed. That would allow for a mix-and-match of different types that could be adapted quickly depending on what the GMU was needed for at that time. Probably need to update the name to be Ground-based Modular Unit....

Potential modules:
Anti-Orbital Assault Gun (on a traversing turret) with "popup" shields (possibly can generate a barrier of some type)
Anti-Orbital/Anti-Hive Assault - Synchro-Cannon Upgrade
Anti-Orbital Assault Ballistic Missile (Hyper-Cobalt Rocket Battery)
Mobile Field Hospital
Mecha Field Repair Facility
Brigade Combat Team HQ
Troop Carrier

[Chronicler]

Also would have liked it if they had something like this: http://www.halopedia.org/M510_Mammoth (It's smaller by couple ft but would have been more manageable.)

Well, like I pointed out above, the actual finalized artwork shows the GMU is maybe 7m tall, 10m wide and about 35m long (at most). While it wouldn't be able to carry anything other than say Powered Armor or Cyclone troops, it would be far more manageable than the version presented in either the 1E or 2E RPGs.

Cleaned up a bit, I would have removed the "transforming" bit, stretch the frame to cover the wheels, replace the wheels with treaded tires and just use modular packages that could be "plugged in" (ala the real world German Boxer MRAV) as needed. That would allow for a mix-and-match of different types that could be adapted quickly depending on what the GMU was needed for at that time. Probably need to update the name to be Ground-based Modular Unit....

Potential modules:
Anti-Orbital Assault Gun (on a traversing turret) with "popup" shields (possibly can generate a barrier of some type)
Anti-Orbital/Anti-Hive Assault - Synchro-Cannon Upgrade
Anti-Orbital Assault Ballistic Missile (Hyper-Cobalt Rocket Battery)
Mobile Field Hospital
Mecha Field Repair Facility
Brigade Combat Team HQ
Troop Carrier

That would make a lot of sense. I still don't understand why they made it so large in the first place. Why put everything (command center, mecha repair bay, troop carrier, and mecha carrier) in one basket when they could have dozens of independent support vehicles that handle one job well. I would have been alright if they did do a modular GMU like what you stated.

[Rabid Southern Cross Fan]

I still don't understand why they made it so large in the first place. Why put everything (command center, mecha repair bay, troop carrier, and mecha carrier) in one basket when they could have dozens of independent support vehicles that handle one job well.

"Rule of Cool" would be the best guess. It was originally supposed to be a sort of SDF-01 Macross on wheels when it was still a part of the SDC: Southern Cross preproduction. I'm not sure how many refinements it went through, but I would point out that the Jack McKinney novel Dark Powers cover art, ironically, shows the finalized artwork version of the GMU (2 of them even!) that is so much smaller.

Dark Powers Cover GMU

[glitterboy2098]

the old size conflicted a lot with its role in the story though.. as pointed out it's size wasn't much bigger than that Halo tank thing.

but at the same time, the story has it storing almost as much mecha as a Garfish inside it's hanger, and we're talking Alpha's and such. not to mention the giant laser, a command center, etc..

the version we got in UEEF marines is basically the version the story was using.. with the size info adjusted to actually match what it is supposed to be able to do. all that the new book did was to make it bigger so al lthat stuff would fit, instead of handwave the fact that to fi all that stuff into the original size would require a TARDIS..

[Rabid Southern Cross Fan]

the old size conflicted a lot with its role in the story though.. as pointed out it's size wasn't much bigger than that Halo tank thing.

Actually, not the Tv series according to the scripts. The mecha used during the initial recon mission are deployed from transport shuttles and not the GMU itself, which is small enough to be hauled by 6 Alpha's from orbit.

[cobra73]

That would make a lot of sense. I still don't understand why they made it so large in the first place. Why put everything (command center, mecha repair bay, troop carrier, and mecha carrier) in one basket when they could have dozens of independent support vehicles that handle one job well. I would have been alright if they did do a modular GMU like what you stated.[/quote]

well, maybe the idea was that in case the fleet had to leave orbit, the ground troops would have a sizeable command and support structure to fall back on. Which is exactly what happened in the comics when the Farrago was ambushed on Praxis.

As for the dozens of support vehicles, i'm convinced that was the original purpose of the "megaroad" trucks and that they were intended as a support and logistics structure for the Titan.

[glitterboy2098]

The mega road trucks were a comic creation. They were never part of canon robotech. It is notable that aftermath and its spin off sdf Mordecai were non canon even in the old robotech continuity before the great cleanup hg did

[cobra73]

so, in summary, how to get the Titan to the ground:
1) aerospace shuttle like the one on the Sentinels comic.
2) modified Garfish.
3) modified Crusader.
4) modified Crabpot (from the imai files)
5) drop it directly from orbit.
6) give up and find a smaller vehicle.
7) they magically appear on the ground (like the AT-ATs)