The Big O

[nslay]

Based on "Underground Terror", the year  is 2044+ (Expo 2004). In "Missing Cat", the alchemist's lab looks an awful lot like the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Perhaps Paradigm is Philadelphia (or even partly modeled after Philadelphia).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia_Museum_of_Art

[Top_Gun]

Considering the overhead shots of the city, and a lot of other scenery shots we see, Paradigm is almost definitely New York.

[XenopusTex]

I have been to Philly, *flop - twitch* ... Paradigm City is **NOT** Philly ... (grr at mega-cities) ... 250,000 is about my limit of people.  Of course that's more people than would be included if you drew a circle with a 100 mile radius around where I currently live.

Paradigm City is NY, NY.  Examples:

  Coney Island - Ep 17 - Leviathan

  JFK Mark - JFK Airport - The Enemy is Another Big (Intro of Big-Duo)

  Grand Central Station - Several Episodes

  Manhattan Island - Overhead shots - granted it looks a bit different from today

The one place I'm trying to figure out is "Electric City."  What's giving me issues is the hydrodam capable of producing that much power.  I know that there are some hydrodams in a relatively close proximity to NY, NY... but can't think of any new/large enough to produce the kind of power seen in the episode.  The largest hydrodam in my state puts out about 240 megawatts on average ... which is sufficient to power a decent percentage of the state's total population.  Can't think of a comparable dam in the NYC area.

Time setting is a bit challenging.  That isn't "Expo 2004."  I suggest you check your dates 

[nslay]

You're right, it says Expo'04 which could be any hundredth year, including an alternate past (the show has a vintage feel to it).

[XenopusTex]

Of course I'm right

But, in doing research, I can't find any large scale exhibition in NYC in 1904.  The World's Fair was in St. Louis, MO that year.

[XenopusTex]

Been thinking about this topic.  The buildings shown in Paradigm City don't seem to be from late 20th Century NYC.  For example, I don't recall seeing the World Trade Center in S1.  The Empire State building and the Flat Iron building seem to be there, but morer moden one's don't.  Also seems that the building design is not particularly modern, i.e. masonry facing on the buildings, sort of like older skyscrapers.

The vehicles are definitely not later 20th century. 

Hydraulics have been around for a while, so have autocannon.  

[nslay]

Also, there seems to be a city sunken just off the coast. Perhaps this is part of Paradigm. Stranger yet, boats (big ocean tankers) are stuck in the desert side of the city where a coastline likely didn't exist. Perhaps these are old drydocks.

What is the elevation of NYC? Does it differ so much that part of it could be completely submerged like that?

[XenopusTex]

In Ep 12, Big Duo sits on the conning tower of what appears to be a destroyed Ohio Class nuclear missle sub (based on what's left of the outer hull).  I could be wrong on sub ID though.

The tail cone/stabilizer assembly of a Boeing 747 is also present at JFK "mark."  This one's pretty obvious due to tailcone design and APU exhaust location.

A turbofan jet engine can be seen in the snow/dust/whatever it is at JFK mark.

The camera pans through the cockpit of an airliner, assuming it's a Boeing 747 cockpit to match the tail cone, but I don't know my aircraft cockpits that well.

In Ep 17, the scene shifts to Schwarzy finding Big Duo inside a bunker complex that's obviously been hit by anti-bunker / anti-runway bombs due to the damage.  No clue where a bunker of that type would be found in the NYC area, though I'm sure there's probably something buried up there somewhere.  Where's the "concrete monster" in MT when you need it...

The desert to the East includes Coney Island, as demonstrated by the large wooden rollercoaster.

RE oceangoing ships on land.  Ultra-severe weather can toss ships up on shore like toy boats.  Also, there's a way of attacking cities near water by nuclear weapons, which involves detonating the weapon as a water burst.  Pretty sure everybody's see pictures of US weapons testing involving lots of WWII era warships and low-yield nuclear weapons. 

Here's one possible explanation for the sunken stuff/multiple levels. Cities at times are built upon the ruins of previous city.

One thing I've wonder is, could the sunken portion of the city be somehow based on the "Sunken Cathedral" of legend?  That imagery shows up sometimes in games such as WoW (Sunken Temple), and Skyrim (sunken fort Inalta's (sp?) Deep).  Usually associated with much debauchery.

More to follow, later.

Union ... Union .... Uber Alles