If you enjoy Spacedock, please consider supporting the show at: www.patreon.com/officialspacedock Any donations go a long way to keep Spacedock running and growing. Thanks for watching. :)
The biggest problem is have with mass effect Andromeda is that the golden world's didn't pan out so why not start making a Dyson swarm, why go with planets at all when colonizing a new system, just start minting McKendree, and o'neil cylinders for people to live on
I will quote Neil deGrasse Tyson on "The Martian": "They got the science right they needed to, and they fudged the science they needed to to make a good story". I love the movie, one of my all time favorites.
I still think they could have done it without the ridiculous (as in, requiring thousands of KPH wind to generate the necessary dynamic pressures) UberStorm tho. I mean, come on, how hard is it to think of a rock slide or a mars-quake? Both of those are actually things that happen on Mars (though quakes are much rarer than on Earth due to the mostly dead core). Actually, you know what? A cave in! They could have just had the crew building a rock-sheltered base and a cave in destroys most of it, causing them to evacuate and presume their colleague is dead. Then later he digs himself out. Also, it would explain why there was no greenhouse, it was destroyed in the cave in. You know, I think I might rewatch the Martian, but skip the first part of the movie and pretend that is what happened.
The movie version of the rover was one of the few improvements that they made on the book. The rovers in the book had no real way to carry external cargo, which led to Watney having to make all sorts of modifications, so he could carry all the stuff he needed, including cutting a chunk out of the roof of the second rover...something they included in the movie, but stripped of all the context that made it a sensible thing for him to do.
Neil deGrasse Tyson once said that Armageddon has more scientifically inaccurate statements per minute than any other movie. He also said that the most accurate statement in the movie was, “It’s a big-ass sky.” Both in the same lecture.
Fixing your corvette after a planetary full speed crash? Have fun. Fixing your mako after the same crash? Go get a pump and we'll be off in 20 minutes.
Yayy i hoped for the Mako, wasnt dissapointed. The M35 kicks ass and climbs hills. And yes that is for me the best place for the memorial. Missed the tank in ME3.
That buggy never EVER let me down. So the suspension is a little bouncy. WHO CARES? It’s agile, climbs up and down near vertical mountains like a goat, it’s tough as nails, has awesome firepower, can JUMP and drop from orbit. And like the narrator says, it dropped out of orbit inside the flaming wreckage of shattered corvette at terminal velocity. And the sonofabitch has a flat tire. A FLAT TIRE. I want that shit in my front driveway. Just sayin’. :D
If I remember correctly, a gun was 3D-printed in The Cloverfield Paradox. So putting a gun in a safe isn't going to be such a hard core security measure in the future anymore, when you only need a 3D print blueprint for a gun.
Woo! The Mako is one of my favorite vehicles from science fiction, no question. For a minute, I thought you had the one-per-franchise rule and you chose the Nomad over my baby! The maneuverability of a rover, the firepower of a tank, and the climbing power of a horse from Skyrim, it's the perfect package. Plus, it's just one of the most beautiful ground vehicles I've ever seen in a video game.
Glad to see The Martian being mentioned, def in my top 5 favorite movies. Also that Rover made everybody happy, and i too loved that goodbye scene to death
Honestly expected the Baserunner from Homerunner: Deserts of Kharak to make the list. EDIT: Ignoring size and function, I think the Baserunner is a rover by virtue of being "a vehicle for driving over rough terrain".
Scale isn't so much the factor so much so is the Baserunner wasn't exactly a rover if we use the loose definition of an exploration vehicle. The Baserunner by the definition of Homeworld lore is an expedition support vehicle. Aesthetically though it's certainly awesome. Then again, the Mako is equally poorly qualified as a "rover".
You know, there is actually more information about the rover from The Martian from the novel by Andy Weir. Great book, though I saw the movie before I read it. At any rate, the movie is pretty accurate to the book, minus a few perils Watney had to deal with, like shorting out the Opportunity, traveling through a Martian sandstorm, or flipping the rover.
it is James May was allowed to take one for a test drive.... But they had some NASA guys with the remote control following close behind in case he crashed the 50 Million dollar space car... and yes the NASA guys did slam the breaks on a few times
Still think they missed a great comic moment in The Martian by not having the tire blow out after he finally arrived at the second ship at the end and he pats the tire .
When this video started I said I hope the MAKO is in this..and its No 1!!!! Sweet. I love that MAKO..always did and never had a single problem with it. I hated it wasn't there in 2.
Nothing about the Scarab SRV from Elite: Dangerous Horizons? It has energy shields, lazers, scanners, carries 2 tons of cargo and can refuel itself and repair itself provided it has the required materials to synthesize the components needed.
mkohlhorst just a friendly pointer... But the turret on the Scarab SRV is actually a dual plasma repeater set-up. I know. The shots kinda look like something out of Star Wars...
I have, and always will, love the Mako. It will go anywhere and do anything. It abuses the mass effect technology *exactly* as humans would actually abuse it in real life. My only, sole gripe, has always been that it's scale is too darn small in game, something I always hate, be it Skyrim houses with larger interiors that exteriors, or star ships that obviously couldn't contain their interior layouts like the Pillar of Autumn in Halo CE.
No Baserunner? Someone needs to re-watch the Homeworld: Desert of Kharak trailer from back when it was Hardware: Shipbreakers. Sure, it was technically reclassified as a desert exploration vehicle in the full game, but gods, if that doesn't count as one hell of a Rover (or at least an honorable mention), I won't know what's real anymore. :P
A solid axle does have one advantage on an off-road vehicle: It lifts the body of the vehicle up (and presses down on the opposite wheel) when driving over larger obstacles. This increases clearance in many cases, and helps keep the vehicle from getting stuck on the terrain. Combined with the rugged simplicity of a single-axle design, they're actually often been preferred on off-road vehicles.
Not sure if anyone will see this or care, but to provide more info on the RSI Ursa if anyone does: The turret is remote controllable by the pilot or co-pilot as well as being slaved to the pilot's head when not being remoted, it has 4 additional folding seats at the rear compartment with weapon racks for storing firearms in transit and a storage closet presumably for suits/clothing/larger weapons as well as additional smaller storage bays for personal items/samples. It also has internal compartments designed to allow for servicing critical components while inside the vehicle. Finally it has a dedicated cargo grid for storing 4 SCU (1.25m^3 sized crates carrying 1m^3 of internal volume for cargo) when the seats are in a folded up configuration. The vehicle is equipped with a small energy shield and has moderate armour for a vehicle of it's size.
The Martian movie is excellent....but if you want more about the rovers the book has a lot more. I recommend the audiobook as read by Wil Wheaton. It's organized differently from the film and in amazing.
If our Spacedock host loves the Martian movie, he should really read the book. It is so good and actually describes in detail how most the tech in it works and functions
"The ND1 Nomad is great at traveling fast over flat ground..." _flashbacks to Danny2462 using the power of beyblade to launch himself away at warp speed_ Yes...very fast...
There are far more effective ways to blow up rocks, like, for instance, explosives. Also, blowing up researchable rock formations on Mars is kindof thee opposite of what they would have been doing on Mars.
I remember hearing that the only real scientific inaccuracy in The Martian was that the martian atmosphere is too thin to have the severe storms that initiated the plot. But that was it
andyrihn1 I believe the reason they chose that is because it was the only plausible solution to force the crew to leave hastily and be unable to retrieve Watney’s body.
@@awsomebot1 basically the soil on Mars is full of toxic salt that would kill anything you plant in it or anybody that was somehow able to grow something in it. I didn’t mention it as an inaccuracy because nobody knew or really could have known that at the time and even now NASA is working on ways to clean those salts out of the soil
Well I can certainly say the Armageddon rover was a surprise. One I would have included were the rovers from Moon. Giant space monster trucks pretty much
I would like to shout out the Scarab surface rover from Elite: Dangerous. With reaction thrusters you can practically fly on low-G worlds. It's a lot of fun to use!
I've made quite a few rovers in Space Engineers. My favorite is either the SSY-057cer 'Mule' or the SSY-576pixcr 'Behemoth' The Mule is... well... a mule. It carries loads of equipment, stubborn as it's namesake and quite simple to perform maintenance on. It's got autostabilizing gyroscopes and 2 mounted MART/TS turrets(mouse aimed or turret slaved) miniguns for shooting down rockets or fighters. It's just so damn good at it's job 'Civilian Exploration Rover' that I prefer it over the more advanced and powerful models most of the time. It's cheap, simple and above all, dependable. The Behemoth is an absolutely massive industrial landship. It has a massive boring drill in the center that I'm continuing to improve it's range on, a dock for trade ships, industrial refiners, a pair or low cost maintenance drones, repair arms, heavy defense fighters and a long range 'crows nest'. It's by far my biggest project and just making the suspension took over a month of experimentation and improvement. It can travel any terrain and nearly 75 degrees at a comfortable 20km/h. Not the fastest ship, but it is exactly what it needs to be. That and you can literally see it from orbit. Many of the players on the server see it as a 'Neutral Zone'. Nobody attacks it because if you need any earthly metal in OBSCENE amounts, the Behemoth is where to go.
Good list. I have some more for consideration as honorable mentions: The Chariot-"Lost in Space"NETFLIX. A very rugged and versatile ground rover. The APC-"Aliens". Maybe not technically a "Rover," but damned if it doesn't FUNCTION like one...and very tough.
My all time favorite was the Marine Assault Vehicle, from Aliens. I'm not sure if it had an actual designation, if it does I apologize. It was loaded with sensors and had a decent set if armaments. I could see something close to it in the near future being used by our armed forces.
Rovers Chuck’s Favorites 2019 May 27 5. Armadillos mobile drillers (Armageddon (1998 film)) Rockhound rocking the minigun 4. SHADO Mobiles (UFO) 3. Ark II (Ark II) 2. "The Chariot" was an all-terrain, amphibious tracked vehicle (Lost in Space, original) 1. Landmaster (Damnation Alley) great vehicle, great book, dumb movie
You know I think it would be awesome if you covered the Hermes from The Martian actually - it genuinely looks like a spacecraft we might actually see in real life at some point in the mid-near-future.
We get more information about the Ares-3 rover in the book. It's one of two rovers, and Mark uses Rover 1 as a trailer, hooking it up to Rover 2 so he can carry more stuff. He modifies it extensively: stacks solar panels on the roof, hacks in the oxygenator, and even adds an exterior tent to relax. (NASA thinks it's a workshop, but it's actually just to avoid going crazy by sitting in a car-seat for 40-odd sols.)
"He's got space dementia!" I'm an Astrophysicist, and some of my undergrad classes would rip on that film for a few minutes each day... great guilty pleasure.... and without that movie, we wouldn't have Team America World Police.
One thing to remember for visual media is that production design follows a visual language that the designs have to follow. For instance THE MARTIAN uses shape motifs in production design, generally circles vs triangles. So the Martian’s rover has those triangular windows for this reason.
To me it was more annoying than fun - to the point where I tended to drive it around in reverse all the time - slower, but a LOT less bouncy and even semi-controllable - but a pain to navigate. Rear-wheel steering was very useful though and is frequently underrated.
I think they put the mini guns onto the Armadillos because the writers probably got stuck and couldn't think of a way to get the crashed team out of their shuttle, or how to get "Rock Hound's" crazy scene to look certifiably crazy. For a Mars or asteroid exploration or drilling mission, a small heavy slug launcher could be useful for seismic testing, like what they did on Jurassic Park. That kind of testing could help identify suitable drilling zones for core samples on Mars, or for faster drilling sites on the asteroid. It could also be used to knock samples off formations that might be too dense to break by hand with a rock hammer or power hammer. The gun could be mounted on a turret to provide better control for the experiments, but I see absolutely no reason why it would have such a rapid firing rate, or such a large capacity ammunition clip. However, since it goes completely unexplained in the movie why it's even there, it's just because of the writers getting stuck and needing a way out.
What I found annoying is that the Andromeda rover and the Tempest lacked any weaponry, I get that it was a civilian initiative but it just seemed foolhardy. It reminds me of how Capt. Archer didn't want weapons on the Enterprise which he saw as an exploratory vessel but a few seasons later he admits that he wished they set out with more weapons.
Considering how in the very first episode Archer is rambling about how the ships still used outdated plasma guns instead of the better phase cannons, Archer never seemed to be that much of a pacifist.
the funny thing about the martian is that in the book watney has a problem carrying cargo on them as they are very tall and have a large cargo volume meant for multi person expeditions, they're basically nasa's concept lunar rover, in fact he has a problem grabbing the sojurner probe because of this, but in the movie they just fix this obvious flaw by giving it a flatbed and a small crane. Its one of the few times where hollywood has actually one upped the book
Why have mini guns on a Mars rover? They look cool. Do you need more justification? The rover did need some go faster stripes and some Corinthian leather bucket seats.
He tasks me. He tasks me, and I shall have him. I'll chase him round the Moons of Nibia and round the Antares Maelstrom and round Perdition's flames before I give him up! [No one responds.] Prepare to alter course.
Excellent list. But I have one more for you. As silly and ridiculous as the 1960's "Lost in Space" became, the Robinsons' mobile rover, the "Chariot," was actually a rather practical, even plausible all terrain vehicle and I believe deserves an honorable mention. Netflix's reboot of "Lost in Space" utilizes a reimagined version of the Chariot, somewhat similar to "The Martian" vehicle.
The Mako is easily the best exploration vehicle. The Nomad is a speedster. As you say, great on flat terrain. And while it could handle rougher stuff, it wasn't nearly as adept at it, I felt. Plus, it didn't handle hazardous environments as well. The Mako may not be as fast, but it could take ANYTHING. And in an exploration vehicle, where you don't know what you're getting into, that is what you want.
Did you watch the new Netflix version of Lost in Space? It has a lot of great designs including the Jupiter, the Rover and the big ship ( i've forgotten its name) but it looks all very realistic
I seriously loved the Mako so much that I couldn't stop playing the game at one point I ended up falling a sleep while driving I quickly woke up to find myself half way up a mountain.
I'd say No Man's Sky's Roamer or Colossus rovers had an interesting design. The Roamer is a small 4-wheeled buggy while the Colossus is an 8-wheeled mobile cargo tub essentially. The rovers in the game had large, almost spherical wheels and lacked any steering linkages, instead using differential torque to turn. This means they could turn on the spot, and I'm sure doing away with steering arms and stuff would help reliability.
Armageddon! Either you’re too young to remember the movie when you first came out or your’re too angry to appreciate its yahoo! fantasticness. Either way I do very much enjoy your work please keep it up.
One of the biggest problems with reviews like this is taking the "design and technology" out of the era it was made, then making modern comparisons. Armageddon was, and is, a great movie. Some scenes have become dated just due to stylized way movies are made today, but the rovers in Armageddon have nothing particularly wrong with them. Your comment about locking up a pistol, but having heavy armament in the rovers is ignorant. I could physically touch over 20 torpedoes and Tomahawk cruise missiles on the subs I served on, but all of the small arms are kept locked up, in a huge safe. And yes, it would be easier to train a group of mission specialists to be astronauts, than to try and give astronauts years of experience on a proprietary drill design they initially assembled incorrectly. Is the Armadillo a feasible design based on modern knowledge and exploration data, no, but that does not remove it cinematic wow factor.
They needed master drillers that would stay alive long enough to finish the drill job not master astronauts that would take too long to complete the drill job.
i think my favorite is the baserunners from homeworld deserts of kharak. nothing crazy going on with the design, just a regular six wheeler like you'd expect, but it's got some nice details.
Love the channel - thanks for all the effort. I feel bad that I didn't see the "Landmaster" from the 1977 film "Damnation Alley", which I'm not sure is better than all these, but was way-cool to my teen mind when I first saw it. Three wheels per wheel! Come on!
As stupid Armageddon was, it´s soundtrack was great. I can´t believe you put the Mako first XD The drunk rhino was a perfect description, i fought every time i had to drive it. But you haven´t mentioned the SRV from Elite Dangerous, are you not aware of it or didn´t it even make it on a "honorable mentions" list?
You should look into current 4x4 off road tech. It would explain why the rover has no wheel to wheel type standard axles. It's not so much for individual articulation, it because having standard axles ruins ground clearance.
Personal addition to the list would be the Baserunner from the game Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak. I would like to see some Spacedock videos about the vehicles of that game, there's some cool stuff there.
I know Armageddon has no basis in real science, and I really appreciate hard sci-fi shows and movies, but i still have a lot of fun watching it. I just take it for the pure fun action movie it is. great laughs and music too. Although my favorite is ben afleck's movie commentary about astronauts not knowing hot to drill
I would like to point out that the US Army, in the past and present, uses Vulcan Cannons to clear terrain obstructions. This was not and ad hoc or "on the spot" decision. This was, and is, DOCTRINE. Don't know if that changes anyone's perspective, but knowing that, when I saw the miniguns I was genuinely excited to see something I learned in the military used in the film.
OMG!.. When you started to described Armageddon as "stunning," you almost gave me a heart attack!.. Luckily, I recovered as soon as you finished your sentence.
Armageddon came out during my undergraduate degree in Physics, one of my professors would start off class with a screw from the movie and we’d rip on it. “He’s got space dementia!”
If you enjoy Spacedock, please consider supporting the show at:
www.patreon.com/officialspacedock
Any donations go a long way to keep Spacedock running and growing.
Thanks for watching. :)
highlander723 phew, now you've explained they didn't want them the whole film makes sense...
Finally some one who appreciates the MAKO
Have you checked out this new lost in space? Their rover called the chariot looks awesome for tech that is supposed to be A little ahead of us.
The biggest problem is have with mass effect Andromeda is that the golden world's didn't pan out so why not start making a Dyson swarm, why go with planets at all when colonizing a new system, just start minting McKendree, and o'neil cylinders for people to live on
Spacedock it’s an American rover u GOTTA HAVE GUNS AND IT WAS AMAZING
I will quote Neil deGrasse Tyson on "The Martian":
"They got the science right they needed to, and they fudged the science they needed to to make a good story".
I love the movie, one of my all time favorites.
Me too and now I want to go play Minecraft and build a mars like rover in a desert biome
I still think they could have done it without the ridiculous (as in, requiring thousands of KPH wind to generate the necessary dynamic pressures) UberStorm tho. I mean, come on, how hard is it to think of a rock slide or a mars-quake? Both of those are actually things that happen on Mars (though quakes are much rarer than on Earth due to the mostly dead core). Actually, you know what? A cave in!
They could have just had the crew building a rock-sheltered base and a cave in destroys most of it, causing them to evacuate and presume their colleague is dead. Then later he digs himself out. Also, it would explain why there was no greenhouse, it was destroyed in the cave in. You know, I think I might rewatch the Martian, but skip the first part of the movie and pretend that is what happened.
The movie version of the rover was one of the few improvements that they made on the book. The rovers in the book had no real way to carry external cargo, which led to Watney having to make all sorts of modifications, so he could carry all the stuff he needed, including cutting a chunk out of the roof of the second rover...something they included in the movie, but stripped of all the context that made it a sensible thing for him to do.
If I recall correctly, Armageddon was shown to potential NASA scientists to test them on how many goofs they could find.
last i heard it still is and they have to find everything wrong in it
Knightikhan
EVERYTHING?
Neil deGrasse Tyson once said that Armageddon has more scientifically inaccurate statements per minute than any other movie.
He also said that the most accurate statement in the movie was, “It’s a big-ass sky.”
Both in the same lecture.
Well, comets are in space. That's a good one.
And the moon is there too so... two?
It was an old guilty pleasure for me...
Fixing your corvette after a planetary full speed crash? Have fun.
Fixing your mako after the same crash? Go get a pump and we'll be off in 20 minutes.
-We can't land there the angle is too deep find another landing zone!
-THERE IS NO OTHER LANDING ZONE!!
-I can do it
-Joker?
-I can do it
The barely animated face of Saren was just priceless xD
that was the best line from pressly
Yayy i hoped for the Mako, wasnt dissapointed. The M35 kicks ass and climbs hills. And yes that is for me the best place for the memorial. Missed the tank in ME3.
That buggy never EVER let me down. So the suspension is a little bouncy. WHO CARES? It’s agile, climbs up and down near vertical mountains like a goat, it’s tough as nails, has awesome firepower, can JUMP and drop from orbit. And like the narrator says, it dropped out of orbit inside the flaming wreckage of shattered corvette at terminal velocity. And the sonofabitch has a flat tire.
A FLAT TIRE.
I want that shit in my front driveway. Just sayin’. :D
Can we get an analysis the vehicles of Wallace and Gromit: the Grand Day Out?
A rocket with a handbrake 😁
Would make a great April Fools video
Loved your Armaggeddon mini rant. The movie is fun while really dumb. Yet it was well deserved.
there is never enought bashing Michael Bay... never
If I remember correctly, a gun was 3D-printed in The Cloverfield Paradox. So putting a gun in a safe isn't going to be such a hard core security measure in the future anymore, when you only need a 3D print blueprint for a gun.
They (movie makers) did the same with printed weapons, specifically a pistol, in the new Lost in Space....
Woo! The Mako is one of my favorite vehicles from science fiction, no question. For a minute, I thought you had the one-per-franchise rule and you chose the Nomad over my baby! The maneuverability of a rover, the firepower of a tank, and the climbing power of a horse from Skyrim, it's the perfect package. Plus, it's just one of the most beautiful ground vehicles I've ever seen in a video game.
6:22 "Handles like a drunk rhino."
Trust me. You never want to meet a drunk rhino...
Glad to see The Martian being mentioned, def in my top 5 favorite movies. Also that Rover made everybody happy, and i too loved that goodbye scene to death
Honestly expected the Baserunner from Homerunner: Deserts of Kharak to make the list.
EDIT: Ignoring size and function, I think the Baserunner is a rover by virtue of being "a vehicle for driving over rough terrain".
Baserunner is as much a rover, as an aircraft carrier is a lake fishing boat. That thing is bigger than the three-story house.
The Baserunner is kinda too big to be a rover, seeing as its the size of a two story building
Scale isn't so much the factor so much so is the Baserunner wasn't exactly a rover if we use the loose definition of an exploration vehicle. The Baserunner by the definition of Homeworld lore is an expedition support vehicle.
Aesthetically though it's certainly awesome.
Then again, the Mako is equally poorly qualified as a "rover".
not really, it's not the size of a house.
Saying the Baserunner is a Rover is like saying a UNSC Elephant is a rover.
two reapers stand over a mako:
reaper 1: we destroyed everything in this galaxy but how can we not kill of that thing?
reaper 2: i dont know....
As cheesy as Armageddon is... Its one of my favourite movies.
Guilty pleasure
Cheers, mate.
HE'S GOT SPACE DEMENTIA
2:25 wallace and gromit has always been my favorite sci-fi series lol
The Martian has one of my prefered line ever, when he explains that he's the first human space pirate ever
The beast from the Aliens? I loved that box! ☺
That was a Airport Tug. As an old Ground Service Equipment guy. I really liked it. Of course the inside sets would have never fit
You know, there is actually more information about the rover from The Martian from the novel by Andy Weir. Great book, though I saw the movie before I read it. At any rate, the movie is pretty accurate to the book, minus a few perils Watney had to deal with, like shorting out the Opportunity, traveling through a Martian sandstorm, or flipping the rover.
grandadmiralthrawn92 The thing is movie and book Rover are different.
How so?
grandadmiralthrawn92
One big difference is that in the book it didn't have a crane.
Correct me if Iam wrong, but isnt the Rover from "The Martian" basend on a real life protoype for the upcoming Mars missions?
MrReclaimer343 holy shit. I hope its real
Here is a video of a real mars rover: ruclips.net/video/nPSbOsOJ9Ro/видео.html
they have similar visuals so I guess, it was the inspiration/base
@@wickiei4556 the current rover concept looks more like the batmobile and a camper truck had a baby.
ruclips.net/video/RcPrl0rl76M/видео.html
it is James May was allowed to take one for a test drive.... But they had some NASA guys with the remote control following close behind in case he crashed the 50 Million dollar space car... and yes the NASA guys did slam the breaks on a few times
The mako is my favorite vehicle in sifi and watching that thing drop from orbit is mesmerizing.
Suggestion for topic : ornithopters from Dune. Tnx! Keep up the great work!
Still think they missed a great comic moment in The Martian by not having the tire blow out after he finally arrived at the second ship at the end and he pats the tire .
I want a spaceship breakdown of "A Grand Day Out"!
When this video started I said I hope the MAKO is in this..and its No 1!!!! Sweet. I love that MAKO..always did and never had a single problem with it. I hated it wasn't there in 2.
Nothing about the Scarab SRV from Elite: Dangerous Horizons? It has energy shields, lazers, scanners, carries 2 tons of cargo and can refuel itself and repair itself provided it has the required materials to synthesize the components needed.
mkohlhorst just a friendly pointer... But the turret on the Scarab SRV is actually a dual plasma repeater set-up. I know. The shots kinda look like something out of Star Wars...
you seriusly underestimate the challanges of drilling
I have, and always will, love the Mako. It will go anywhere and do anything. It abuses the mass effect technology *exactly* as humans would actually abuse it in real life. My only, sole gripe, has always been that it's scale is too darn small in game, something I always hate, be it Skyrim houses with larger interiors that exteriors, or star ships that obviously couldn't contain their interior layouts like the Pillar of Autumn in Halo CE.
No Baserunner? Someone needs to re-watch the Homeworld: Desert of Kharak trailer from back when it was Hardware: Shipbreakers. Sure, it was technically reclassified as a desert exploration vehicle in the full game, but gods, if that doesn't count as one hell of a Rover (or at least an honorable mention), I won't know what's real anymore. :P
Its a solid exploration vehicle. Agreed it should've been on the list
Went to the comments just to look for this. I was actually pretty surprised nothing from Homeworld made the list, such good vehicles.
A solid axle does have one advantage on an off-road vehicle: It lifts the body of the vehicle up (and presses down on the opposite wheel) when driving over larger obstacles. This increases clearance in many cases, and helps keep the vehicle from getting stuck on the terrain. Combined with the rugged simplicity of a single-axle design, they're actually often been preferred on off-road vehicles.
Loved the Martian as well, so much science went into the book and movie so I forgive it when they messed up. Great movie indeed.
Not sure if anyone will see this or care, but to provide more info on the RSI Ursa if anyone does: The turret is remote controllable by the pilot or co-pilot as well as being slaved to the pilot's head when not being remoted, it has 4 additional folding seats at the rear compartment with weapon racks for storing firearms in transit and a storage closet presumably for suits/clothing/larger weapons as well as additional smaller storage bays for personal items/samples. It also has internal compartments designed to allow for servicing critical components while inside the vehicle. Finally it has a dedicated cargo grid for storing 4 SCU (1.25m^3 sized crates carrying 1m^3 of internal volume for cargo) when the seats are in a folded up configuration. The vehicle is equipped with a small energy shield and has moderate armour for a vehicle of it's size.
I just LOVE the disappointment in your voice when talking about the Armadillo. Poor thing, it deserved better.
The Martian movie is excellent....but if you want more about the rovers the book has a lot more. I recommend the audiobook as read by Wil Wheaton. It's organized differently from the film and in amazing.
If our Spacedock host loves the Martian movie, he should really read the book. It is so good and actually describes in detail how most the tech in it works and functions
"The ND1 Nomad is great at traveling fast over flat ground..."
_flashbacks to Danny2462 using the power of beyblade to launch himself away at warp speed_
Yes...very fast...
I absolutely LOVE that Wallace and Grommet are referenced!
The Mini guns on the Arma Rover were there to blow away large rock formations or obstacles in it's path. Was said in the novelization of the movie.
There are far more effective ways to blow up rocks, like, for instance, explosives. Also, blowing up researchable rock formations on Mars is kindof thee opposite of what they would have been doing on Mars.
Griffon Koch what is implied is that they said "f**k expenses we'll use miniguns for extra fun"
I remember hearing that the only real scientific inaccuracy in The Martian was that the martian atmosphere is too thin to have the severe storms that initiated the plot. But that was it
andyrihn1 I believe the reason they chose that is because it was the only plausible solution to force the crew to leave hastily and be unable to retrieve Watney’s body.
And after the book they found a posion in the mars soil
like one vial of poison?
@@awsomebot1 perchlorates I think was what was found
@@awsomebot1 basically the soil on Mars is full of toxic salt that would kill anything you plant in it or anybody that was somehow able to grow something in it. I didn’t mention it as an inaccuracy because nobody knew or really could have known that at the time and even now NASA is working on ways to clean those salts out of the soil
"Wallace and Gromit and the Grand Day Out is a more scientifically accurate depiction of spaceflight than... Armageddon"
Well I can certainly say the Armageddon rover was a surprise.
One I would have included were the rovers from Moon. Giant space monster trucks pretty much
Anyone remember the Chariot from Lost in Space?
Which Lost in Space are we talking about here?
Sadly I can't remember any ground vehicle in both movie/series.
He talks about the "Lost in space" (2018) Netflix series.
The movie and the first series don't have a ground explorer one.
I see, a new version.
Didn't know it exist.
Thanks for the info.
The original had a Chariot it was just not used that often.
The original chariot should of been included.
I would like to shout out the Scarab surface rover from Elite: Dangerous. With reaction thrusters you can practically fly on low-G worlds. It's a lot of fun to use!
I've made quite a few rovers in Space Engineers. My favorite is either the SSY-057cer 'Mule' or the SSY-576pixcr 'Behemoth'
The Mule is... well... a mule. It carries loads of equipment, stubborn as it's namesake and quite simple to perform maintenance on. It's got autostabilizing gyroscopes and 2 mounted MART/TS turrets(mouse aimed or turret slaved) miniguns for shooting down rockets or fighters. It's just so damn good at it's job 'Civilian Exploration Rover' that I prefer it over the more advanced and powerful models most of the time. It's cheap, simple and above all, dependable.
The Behemoth is an absolutely massive industrial landship. It has a massive boring drill in the center that I'm continuing to improve it's range on, a dock for trade ships, industrial refiners, a pair or low cost maintenance drones, repair arms, heavy defense fighters and a long range 'crows nest'. It's by far my biggest project and just making the suspension took over a month of experimentation and improvement. It can travel any terrain and nearly 75 degrees at a comfortable 20km/h. Not the fastest ship, but it is exactly what it needs to be. That and you can literally see it from orbit. Many of the players on the server see it as a 'Neutral Zone'. Nobody attacks it because if you need any earthly metal in OBSCENE amounts, the Behemoth is where to go.
Good list. I have some more for consideration as honorable mentions:
The Chariot-"Lost in Space"NETFLIX. A very rugged and versatile ground rover.
The APC-"Aliens". Maybe not technically a "Rover," but damned if it doesn't FUNCTION like one...and very tough.
My all time favorite was the Marine Assault Vehicle, from Aliens. I'm not sure if it had an actual designation, if it does I apologize. It was loaded with sensors and had a decent set if armaments. I could see something close to it in the near future being used by our armed forces.
I love how the turret could be rotated aft for low clearance.
"No Informations for obvious reasons"
yeah, like the fact it's never coming out..
Rovers Chuck’s Favorites 2019 May 27
5. Armadillos mobile drillers (Armageddon (1998 film)) Rockhound rocking the minigun
4. SHADO Mobiles (UFO)
3. Ark II (Ark II)
2. "The Chariot" was an all-terrain, amphibious tracked vehicle (Lost in Space, original)
1. Landmaster (Damnation Alley) great vehicle, great book, dumb movie
You know I think it would be awesome if you covered the Hermes from The Martian actually - it genuinely looks like a spacecraft we might actually see in real life at some point in the mid-near-future.
We get more information about the Ares-3 rover in the book. It's one of two rovers, and Mark uses Rover 1 as a trailer, hooking it up to Rover 2 so he can carry more stuff. He modifies it extensively: stacks solar panels on the roof, hacks in the oxygenator, and even adds an exterior tent to relax. (NASA thinks it's a workshop, but it's actually just to avoid going crazy by sitting in a car-seat for 40-odd sols.)
"He's got space dementia!"
I'm an Astrophysicist, and some of my undergrad classes would rip on that film for a few minutes each day... great guilty pleasure.... and without that movie, we wouldn't have Team America World Police.
Psssh. MT-25 Soviet Light Tank. Thing looks like a rover for sure.
One thing to remember for visual media is that production design follows a visual language that the designs have to follow. For instance THE MARTIAN uses shape motifs in production design, generally circles vs triangles. So the Martian’s rover has those triangular windows for this reason.
You got a like for the ripping you gave Armageddon alone. 😂😂 Great vid bubby.
Love your rants my dude
The RSI Ursa shout out just got you a new sub!
My vote is for Netflix’s version of the Chariot from Lost in Space.
The rover from the new Netflix Lost In Space is really cool also.
Driving the Mako was like driving around a motorised bouncy castle. It was loads of fun!
To me it was more annoying than fun - to the point where I tended to drive it around in reverse all the time - slower, but a LOT less bouncy and even semi-controllable - but a pain to navigate. Rear-wheel steering was very useful though and is frequently underrated.
I think they put the mini guns onto the Armadillos because the writers probably got stuck and couldn't think of a way to get the crashed team out of their shuttle, or how to get "Rock Hound's" crazy scene to look certifiably crazy.
For a Mars or asteroid exploration or drilling mission, a small heavy slug launcher could be useful for seismic testing, like what they did on Jurassic Park.
That kind of testing could help identify suitable drilling zones for core samples on Mars, or for faster drilling sites on the asteroid. It could also be used to knock samples off formations that might be too dense to break by hand with a rock hammer or power hammer.
The gun could be mounted on a turret to provide better control for the experiments, but I see absolutely no reason why it would have such a rapid firing rate, or such a large capacity ammunition clip.
However, since it goes completely unexplained in the movie why it's even there, it's just because of the writers getting stuck and needing a way out.
What I found annoying is that the Andromeda rover and the Tempest lacked any weaponry, I get that it was a civilian initiative but it just seemed foolhardy.
It reminds me of how Capt. Archer didn't want weapons on the Enterprise which he saw as an exploratory vessel but a few seasons later he admits that he wished they set out with more weapons.
Considering how in the very first episode Archer is rambling about how the ships still used outdated plasma guns instead of the better phase cannons, Archer never seemed to be that much of a pacifist.
the funny thing about the martian is that in the book watney has a problem carrying cargo on them as they are very tall and have a large cargo volume meant for multi person expeditions, they're basically nasa's concept lunar rover, in fact he has a problem grabbing the sojurner probe because of this, but in the movie they just fix this obvious flaw by giving it a flatbed and a small crane. Its one of the few times where hollywood has actually one upped the book
Why have mini guns on a Mars rover? They look cool. Do you need more justification? The rover did need some go faster stripes and some Corinthian leather bucket seats.
"Corinthian leather bucket seats." Oh, aren't you just showing your age! LOL!!!
He tasks me. He tasks me, and I shall have him. I'll chase him round the Moons of Nibia and round the Antares Maelstrom and round Perdition's flames before I give him up! [No one responds.] Prepare to alter course.
'Rich" Corinthian Leather and you have to say it like Khan.
Paint it RED. DA RED WUNZ GO FASTA!
Justification? It’s a Michael Bay film, obviously
Andromeda’s gameplay and feel was really good. It was definitely not a war story like Shepard’s but more a exploration style
Excellent list. But I have one more for you. As silly and ridiculous as the 1960's "Lost in Space" became, the Robinsons' mobile rover, the "Chariot," was actually a rather practical, even plausible all terrain vehicle and I believe deserves an honorable mention. Netflix's reboot of "Lost in Space" utilizes a reimagined version of the Chariot, somewhat similar to "The Martian" vehicle.
2 words DAMNATION ALLEY!
Best rover ever!
The Mako is easily the best exploration vehicle. The Nomad is a speedster. As you say, great on flat terrain. And while it could handle rougher stuff, it wasn't nearly as adept at it, I felt. Plus, it didn't handle hazardous environments as well. The Mako may not be as fast, but it could take ANYTHING. And in an exploration vehicle, where you don't know what you're getting into, that is what you want.
Ship falls from orbit: Totalled
Mako falls from orbit: Mild inconvenience
Did you watch the new Netflix version of Lost in Space? It has a lot of great designs including the Jupiter, the Rover and the big ship ( i've forgotten its name) but it looks all very realistic
I REALLY want a remaster of the original Mass Effect trilogy so bad...
Toy Kaiju Check out some of the HD mods for the ME trilogy, really very good
well. you're in luck boyo.
maco is just SO amazing love the design and its a helluva fighter
you should look into the rovers in the game, homeworld: deserts of kharak. its filled with rovers
I agree, I would suggest the Coalition Baserunner in particular, it's one of the most "iconic" vehicles from that game.
I seriously loved the Mako so much that I couldn't stop playing the game at one point I ended up falling a sleep while driving I quickly woke up to find myself half way up a mountain.
I'd say No Man's Sky's Roamer or Colossus rovers had an interesting design. The Roamer is a small 4-wheeled buggy while the Colossus is an 8-wheeled mobile cargo tub essentially.
The rovers in the game had large, almost spherical wheels and lacked any steering linkages, instead using differential torque to turn. This means they could turn on the spot, and I'm sure doing away with steering arms and stuff would help reliability.
Armageddon! Either you’re too young to remember the movie when you first came out or your’re too angry to appreciate its yahoo! fantasticness. Either way I do very much enjoy your work please keep it up.
Wallace and Grommet. LOL!!
The two rovers from Mass Effect are both candidates for physical builds as R/C vechicles.
Part of the MAKO's handling is that Shepard is just not a very good driver.
Honorable mention to the Lost In Space "Chariot".
One of the biggest problems with reviews like this is taking the "design and technology" out of the era it was made, then making modern comparisons. Armageddon was, and is, a great movie. Some scenes have become dated just due to stylized way movies are made today, but the rovers in Armageddon have nothing particularly wrong with them. Your comment about locking up a pistol, but having heavy armament in the rovers is ignorant. I could physically touch over 20 torpedoes and Tomahawk cruise missiles on the subs I served on, but all of the small arms are kept locked up, in a huge safe.
And yes, it would be easier to train a group of mission specialists to be astronauts, than to try and give astronauts years of experience on a proprietary drill design they initially assembled incorrectly.
Is the Armadillo a feasible design based on modern knowledge and exploration data, no, but that does not remove it cinematic wow factor.
I love the Martian rover most awesome vehicle on your list
They needed master drillers that would stay alive long enough to finish the drill job not master astronauts that would take too long to complete the drill job.
i think my favorite is the baserunners from homeworld deserts of kharak. nothing crazy going on with the design, just a regular six wheeler like you'd expect, but it's got some nice details.
Love the channel - thanks for all the effort.
I feel bad that I didn't see the "Landmaster" from the 1977 film "Damnation Alley", which I'm not sure is better than all these, but was way-cool to my teen mind when I first saw it. Three wheels per wheel! Come on!
When Daniel opened with bashing Armageddon, id not laughed as much all week, brilliant words Daniel
As stupid Armageddon was, it´s soundtrack was great.
I can´t believe you put the Mako first XD The drunk rhino was a perfect description, i fought every time i had to drive it.
But you haven´t mentioned the SRV from Elite Dangerous, are you not aware of it or didn´t it even make it on a "honorable mentions" list?
FACT: the mako is the absolute pinnacle of human engineering
Would have put the Scarab SRV from Elite Dangerous somewhere in the list myself. Your pics are solid. Perhaps if it were a top 10.
I love the Mako. Hammerhead is cool but Mako definitely has heart.
One of my fav. rovers is the buffalo from New Captain Scarlet story arc
The vehicles from the movie Damnation alley were pretty cool.
You should look into current 4x4 off road tech. It would explain why the rover has no wheel to wheel type standard axles. It's not so much for individual articulation, it because having standard axles ruins ground clearance.
Rebuttal: The Armageddons guns were "plot-ammunition armor enabled exploratory drills"
If you make another rover list in the future, you should include the Chariot from the Lost in Space remake. That thing is solid.
I loved the Mako too. Sure it was cumbersome at first, but when you got used to it, it could go anywhere with speed an grace.
Speed? Yes. Grace? not so much. All that bouncing about even over only slight bumps made me queasy.
Personal addition to the list would be the Baserunner from the game Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak. I would like to see some Spacedock videos about the vehicles of that game, there's some cool stuff there.
Ngl the Mako's stupid driving physics is what I love most about it
I know Armageddon has no basis in real science, and I really appreciate hard sci-fi shows and movies, but i still have a lot of fun watching it. I just take it for the pure fun action movie it is. great laughs and music too. Although my favorite is ben afleck's
movie commentary about astronauts not knowing hot to drill
I would like to point out that the US Army, in the past and present, uses Vulcan Cannons to clear terrain obstructions. This was not and ad hoc or "on the spot" decision. This was, and is, DOCTRINE.
Don't know if that changes anyone's perspective, but knowing that, when I saw the miniguns I was genuinely excited to see something I learned in the military used in the film.
OMG!.. When you started to described Armageddon as "stunning," you almost gave me a heart attack!.. Luckily, I recovered as soon as you finished your sentence.
Armageddon came out during my undergraduate degree in Physics, one of my professors would start off class with a screw from the movie and we’d rip on it.
“He’s got space dementia!”