History Main / Roboteching

Named for the "[[{{Frankenslation}} adaptation]]" of several {{anime}} known as ''{{Anime/Robotech}}'', in which the behavior was first seen in the West.

Named for the "[[{{Frankenslation}} adaptation]]" of several {{anime}} known as ''{{Anime/Robotech}}'', in which the behavior was first seen in the West. [[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant Has nothing to do with]] [[{{Macekre}} the method in which said series was created]].

* Occurs pretty frequently in the Franchise/{{DCAU}}.

** And then in the ''Best Wishes'' season of [[Anime/{{Pokemon}} the anime]], there's the two-part special wherein Landorus' Therian Forme uses Stone Edge, and the rocks fly all over the place seeking out Iris' Dragonite. Especially bizarre given ''no other Stone Edge has been shown to have this effect.''

* ''LightNovel/FateZero'': The dogfight between Gilgamesh and Berserker has the former's StormOfBlades and the latter's Knight of Owner-corrupted missiles changing trajectory wildly in a deliberate ShoutOut to ''Macross''.

** Of course, any surface that can reflect combat lasers is scientifically wrong. Only partially focused beams would be reflected easily (which is how mirror sattelites would work); fully focused beams used to cause actual damage would roast any mirror in microseconds.

* ''VideoGame/EarthDefenseForce'': Missile weapons with a low-grade lock on rating will fly in a straight line before actively tracking and chasing their targets leading to an abundance of the trope.

* ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' had a missile that, once fired, the player would control in first person view. One puzzle in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2'' required the player to guide said missile through a maze of ventilation ducts. The original ''VideoGame/MetalGear'' had one as well.
%%** The same in ''[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Super Smash Bros Brawl]]''.

* The scram cannon in ''VideoGame/{{Oni}}'' does this. The small [[MacrossMissileMassacre Macross missiles]] fire out lazily in an unfocused ring, then after about half a second the warheads arm and the missiles lock on to [[KillEmAll anyone nearby]].

Named for the "[[CutAndPasteTranslation adaptation]]" of several {{anime}} known as ''{{Anime/Robotech}}'', in which the behavior was first seen in the West. [[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant Has nothing to do with]] [[{{Macekre}} the method in which said series was created]].

** More directly analogous, many missiles launched out of vertical tubes on warships will robotech almost exactly: the missile goes straight up (to clear the ship), then abruptly changes direction. On their final approach to a ship, they will "pop-up and dive" onto the top of the vessel. Some anti-tank missiles will do the same thing, flying over the tank then dropping straight down.

** Battleship broadside guns in ''R-TypeCommand/Tactics'' fire in an "X" pattern, then ''all four shots bend 90°'' to hit their intended target.

** Battleship broadside guns in ''VideoGame/RTypeCommand'' fire in an "X" pattern, then ''all four shots bend 90°'' to hit their intended target.

* Minogame's "[[SignatureMove Reality Hedge]]" from ''VideoGame/{{Hellsinker}}'' [[UpToEleven cranks this trope up a notch]]. Not only dont the lasers fly straight, they home in on targets and when they reach one they stick to it and tears its health down until the target dies. After that the lasers dislodge themselves and then moves over to other targets and repeats the cycle.

** By ''R-Type Final'', every one of the [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters 101 ships]] have some physics-defying effect that comes from a so-called "laser", although this may have something to do with filtering the light through a colored crystal and a baby EldritchAbomination. One of the ships in ''R-Type Final'' has a slow-moving charge shot that can be steered with the right analog stick. [[AwesomeButImpractical You have to reconfigure your entire control setup to be able to use this without losing all self-defense by taking your thumbs away from the face buttons.]] Other ships have wave cannons that chase the closest enemy ship.

* Shows up in ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry4'' with the "Hysteric" cluster micro missiles of Kalina Ann and the missile platform mode of Pandora's Box.

* Shows up in ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'' with the "Hysteric" cluster micro missiles of Kalina Ann and the missile platform mode of Pandora's Box.

* A late weapon in the ''[[VideoGame/XCOMUFODefense X-COM]]'' games was a guided rocket launcher which sets waypoints for the rocket to pass through before striking its target. The missiles didn't corner especially well, meaning that you couldn't just spam it indoors. More specifically, the first game had the Blaster Launcher while the [[VideoGame/XCOMTerrorFromTheDeep second]] had the similar "Disruptor Pulse Torpedo".
** Waypoints are actually the most effective way to use it. Many players will give it a waypoint twenty feet above the target's head, then another waypoint right on the target, causing the missile to arc over them and then slam down so that even if it misses by a few squares, it still hits the ground and explodes.

** For that matter, ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2'' had a missile that, once fired, the player would control in first person view. One puzzle required the player to guide said missile through a maze of ventilation ducts.
*** It actually showed up in the [[OlderThanTheyThink original]] ''VideoGame/MetalGear'', as well as the first ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid''.
*** The same in ''[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Super Smash Bros Brawl]]''.
*** The concept of player-guided missile is [[Main/OlderThanTheyThink older than that]], though. It was used at least in the 1986 Commodore Amiga classic ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starglider Starglider]]''.
*** And earlier, in the 1984 classic ''Archon II: Adept'', for the titular game piece.

* ''VideoGame/{{Homeworld 2}}'''s Vaygrs love to use missiles. Their missiles often overshoot their targets. What does the missile do? Robotech their way to the original target. Original target died before the missiles reach? Robotech ''again'' to the nearest enemy craft.

* Also in ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureVentoAureo'', the Stand Sex Pistols/Six Bullets can intercept bullets mid-flight and redirect them wherever they need to go. This may not technically be Roboteching, but it will appear that way to those who don't have a Stand.

* In the earlier issues of Creator/ImageComics' ''ComicBook/{{Stormwatch}}'', Flashpoint (one of the members of Stormwatch Prime) also had the ability to control the direction and intensity of his eye blasts. It was ''very'' cool. Too bad the character was a prime {{Jerkass}} and TheMole (actually, all three members of Stormwatch Prime were moles, but he was the only one who enjoyed it and stayed evil. He [[KarmicDeath got his in the end]], too.)

* You can Robotech the shots of the [=RPG=] in both ''VideoGame/HalfLife1'' and ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'' by waving the laser targeting. It's actually necessary in the second generation, as gunships will try to shoot your missiles down, and they ''will'' succeed if you aim them in a straight line.

* In Creator/VernorVinge's ''Literature/ThePeaceWar'', the [[LaResistance Tinkers]] have come up with smart bullets that can be fired from a ''machine pistol''. Lock in your targets, blind-fire one burst in their general direction - ''and twenty Technology Gestapo hit the ground minus their heads!''

* Also in ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureVentoAureo'', the Stand Sex Pistols/Six Bullets can direct bullets wherever they need to go. This may not technically be Roboteching, but it will appear that way to those who don't have a Stand.

* Modern torpedoes behave like this. The United States Navy's ASROC weapon system fires a rocket off a destroyer/cruiser on a ballistic path that drops a torpedo into the water miles away. The torpedo will then go around in one of several search patterns so the torpedo's sonar system can lock on to the target sub before finally closing to attack.

* ''Franchise/DragonBall''

* ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' :

* In ''Manga/KatekyoHitmanReborn,'' Gokudera's Rocket Bomb attack does this with hand-thrown dynamite by having secondary and tertiary charges explode to allow him to control the trajectory. At least some mention is made of how difficult a technique this is.

* In ''Anime/SpaceBattleshipYamato'', Gamilus uses mirror satellites to direct their reflex cannon at the Yamato even when it is on the other side of a planet from their base. FridgeLogic asks, if they have something that FrickinLaserBeams just bounce right off of, why not use it for shields? [[spoiler: Eventually the good guys do exactly this to defend against the Desler Cannon. It's a pretty awesome DeusExMachina, but it doesn't explain why the Gamilusians didn't think of it first.]]

* A weapon type in the ''VideoGame/GalaxyAngel'' games known as a "laser phalanx" is a {{Roboteching}} [[FrickinLaserBeams beam shot]]. [[CoolBigSis Forte Stollen's]] LimitBreak is a whole MacrossMissileMassacre of them.

* In the ''VideoGame/PanzerDragoon'' series, the player characters and the forth game's final boss do this with their [[FrickinLaserBeams "homing lasers"]] (telekinetically-guided blasts of plasma).

* In ''VideoGame/GateOfThunder'', the Stage 2 boss fires FrickinLaserBeams which move straight left and then turn towards your ship at a 90° angle.