>>23566404
Forgot my description, that's my somewhat kitbashed GM II built off of different MSIA parts.

Pic related was made out of a Char's Zaku that got chewed up by a dog when I was a kid that I've Rit Dyed and replaced some cables on. I think of it as a field-expedited repair, maybe the shoulder armor is piece of heatshield taken from a Komusai for improvised beam protection.

>>23566389
True about the WWII analogue for the show itself, but I just don't care for it myself. In modern times we don't see brand new aircraft (the closest thing in complexity to a mobile suit) or tanks deployed each month. They take years to test and develop. And that's what I like about my headcannon. Yes, a Zaku II is slightly inferior to a GM, but a GM doesn't automatically beat a Zaku in any scenario. Same for a GM vs a Gelgoog.
>>23566397
>That was specific to the more peacetime nature of the Cold War though. OYW is doing WWII in space. If you really want a cold war analogue the feds should have been forced to sign a humiliating peace treaty that cements Zeon control of North America and Africa. If they’re actively fighting the entire time, mobile suits are going to become obsolete much more frequently.
In my mind, the war has settled into a stalemate with settled lines, somewhat like the trenches of WWI. The One Year War is viewed much like the One Week Battle was in terms of destructiveness compared to the rest of the conflict. Let's say that the Federation fleet won Solomon, but was much more exhausted than it was in the main timeline. They didn't have the forces left to attack A Baoa Que, allowing Zeon time to regroup and make another landing in Africa. But then you have also have the Earth Sphere Alliance declaring neutrality and arming itself against both sides. The Federation may have been leery about overextending again with the possibility of a second front opening up.