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Gunslinger Patch
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PostPosted: 19-Feb-2004 22:12    Post subject: RE: Heads Reply to topic Reply with quote

I'm with the give-more armor to the big mechs group. Really, the Altas should have had more armor on the head a long time ago, that is one big head there. Besides, assaults are for well, the assault. Should not an assault machine be well enough protected that a single gauss round won't take it out?

For roleplaying, as I said in the original thread, I let a member of an old group way back when cheat and have 4 internal and 12 armor on his mech, so his character could stay alive. We had a roleplaying rule then, each member of the group had 1 character who would not die, in case of death they were only wounded. I had to make the head rule for Captain Crit (the unit CO) since every time he stepped onto a map a Gauss round took his head off early on.

Now as for the whether heads or no heads is better technically. Well, a remote controlled head, even if the MW is still in the mech.... what about ECM? How much would heat affect the control cables, perhaps more so than if the MW is sitting in the head itself?

And there is the simple argument of don't-want-it. I hear NASA wants the next generation of space shuttle to be a remote control or autopilot rig. No human pilots, just passengers. And no cockpit viewports, I'd wager. Remember The Right Stuff? "We're pilots, put a window on it, right about there."

How many MW want to stuff themselves into a sealed metal coffin burined deep inside the bowels of a mech with a bunch of TV screens? They're human, they want a freaking window they can see out of.

Also, what about heat? How will the pilot eject from a metal coffin buried deep inside the mech torso? How will he make it through the crawlspace alive when the engine is damaged or burning hot? How will he get out after internal damage wrecks the entry crawlspace without the techs literally cutting the torso to pieces to get at him. Will the heat from his damaged engine fry him first? Even aside from the give-me-a-window human factor, for the pilot to be anywhere but in the head will just make the battle more likely to kill the pilot. Being in the exposed head "might" be bad. Being trapped in a blinded, sensorless metal coffin that is getting hotter by the second while your mech is blown apart all around you and you can't eject or even crawl out will always be bad.
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ralgith
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PostPosted: 19-Feb-2004 22:50    Post subject: RE: Heads Reply to topic Reply with quote

Quote:

And there is the simple argument of don't-want-it. I hear NASA wants the next generation of space shuttle to be a remote control or autopilot rig. No human pilots, just passengers. And no cockpit viewports, I'd wager. Remember The Right Stuff? "We're pilots, put a window on it, right about there."

How many MW want to stuff themselves into a sealed metal coffin burined deep inside the bowels of a mech with a bunch of TV screens? They're human, they want a freaking window they can see out of.

Also, what about heat? How will the pilot eject from a metal coffin buried deep inside the mech torso? How will he make it through the crawlspace alive when the engine is damaged or burning hot? How will he get out after internal damage wrecks the entry crawlspace without the techs literally cutting the torso to pieces to get at him. Will the heat from his damaged engine fry him first? Even aside from the give-me-a-window human factor, for the pilot to be anywhere but in the head will just make the battle more likely to kill the pilot. Being in the exposed head "might" be bad. Being trapped in a blinded, sensorless metal coffin that is getting hotter by the second while your mech is blown apart all around you and you can't eject or even crawl out will always be bad.



You just hit exactly what I've been talking about in my posts about the phsycology of this situation. Its simply part of being human to want to see with your own eyes, and also to have a fear of "the metal coffin" of a torso cockpit.

Here is my Torso mounted cockpit ejection system also.
Name: Torso Ejector
Crits: 1 LT, 1 RT
Tons: 1
Rules: This device allows a pilot to eject from a torso mounted cockpit using a concept similar to CASE panels. The system blows out the rear armor panels on the center torso and an explosive charge shoves the cockpit assembly out, at which time the seat underside mounted rockets lift it into the air where it deploys it's parafoil like a standard ejection system. Due to the small amount of explosive in the system a crit to either slot disables it, and can make it explode for 2 points on a roll of 10 or more on 2d6. This explosion cause no feedback damage to the warrior. Any hit to the CT rear armor has the chance to damage the blow out panels and/or get a critical hit. Roll 2d6 to determine if this happens. On a 8 or greater the panels are damaged and the system is unable to blow them. Roll a second time for chance to get a crit. On a 10 or above you roll once on the determining critical hits table. If the blow out panels are damaged and the computer fails to disable the system, and it isnt disabled manually by the pilot, it will destroy the cockpit and kill the pilot on an ejection attempt since the seat rockets would burn inside the cockpit literally roasting the computer circuits, not to mention the pilot.

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Gangrene
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PostPosted: 20-Feb-2004 00:09    Post subject: RE: Heads Reply to topic Reply with quote

Quote:

On 2004-02-19 22:02, ralgith wrote:
You never seem to have a reply for the Pshyce side of this Gangrene, you can't justify your arguments against it. But Vampire did do a good job on her rules.



Its a trumped up argument you guys dredged up because you have no technical arguments to support you anymore. I can no more deny it than you can confirm it.

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PostPosted: 20-Feb-2004 00:15    Post subject: RE: Heads Reply to topic Reply with quote

Quote:

On 2004-02-20 00:09, Gangrene wrote:
Quote:

On 2004-02-19 22:02, ralgith wrote:
You never seem to have a reply for the Pshyce side of this Gangrene, you can't justify your arguments against it. But Vampire did do a good job on her rules.



Its a trumped up argument you guys dredged up because you have no technical arguments to support you anymore. I can no more deny it than you can confirm it.



Actually modern phsycology confirms it. And we are still posting technical replies as well. You just can't admit that there is as much merit in our side as in yours, which we have admitted.

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PostPosted: 20-Feb-2004 00:38    Post subject: RE: Heads Reply to topic Reply with quote

Quote:

On 2004-02-20 00:15, ralgith wrote:

Actually modern phsycology confirms it.



No it doesn't.

Quote:

And we are still posting technical replies as well. You just can't admit that there is as much merit in our side as in yours, which we have admitted.



I believe my position is correct. You guys don't need my blessing to like heads in Battletech, but in an engineering capacity I think your arguments are weak and do not support them as a good, realistic idea.


[ This Message was edited by: Gangrene on 2004-02-20 00:39 ]
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PostPosted: 20-Feb-2004 00:42    Post subject: RE: Heads Reply to topic Reply with quote

Quote:

Now as for the whether heads or no heads is better technically. Well, a remote controlled head, even if the MW is still in the mech.... what about ECM?



"Remote" does not mean wireless. It simply means the location has been moved. ECM would have no more effect on it than it would a normal mech.

Quote:

How much would heat affect the control cables, perhaps more so than if the MW is sitting in the head itself?



Its possible to manage the direction heat flow so as to protect sensitive systems. Its done all the time on re-entry vehicles, which suffer far greater heat loads than the insides of vehicles.

Quote:
And there is the simple argument of don't-want-it. I hear NASA wants the next generation of space shuttle to be a remote control or autopilot rig. No human pilots, just passengers. And no cockpit viewports, I'd wager. Remember The Right Stuff? "We're pilots, put a window on it, right about there."



NASA is moving back towards the more economical astronaut-in-a-can approach for the next set of space vehicles. From what I have heard there is no true next generation of space shuttle.

Quote:

How many MW want to stuff themselves into a sealed metal coffin burined deep inside the bowels of a mech with a bunch of TV screens?



Those that don't want to be killed in a single shot. People already stuff themselves into dark rooms with nothing but computer screens for money. I'm sure if the sensor feed was adequate they would do it for protection.

Quote:
How will the pilot eject from a metal coffin buried deep inside the mech torso?



Make a section of the structure disposable in the case of ejection. Really, this isn't a big deal.

Quote:
Even aside from the give-me-a-window human factor, for the pilot to be anywhere but in the head will just make the battle more likely to kill the pilot.



Sorry, I do not agree. Your examples are all special circumstances that have similar counterparts with a head. What if a shot to the weak head damages the hatch and prevents the mechwarrior from leaving while his mech blows up? Well thats life. A torso-mounted cockpit is going to put more armor between the pilot and the enemies weapons, and that alone will make it a safer design choice.


[ This Message was edited by: Gangrene on 2004-02-20 00:43 ]
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ralgith
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PostPosted: 20-Feb-2004 01:11    Post subject: RE: Heads Reply to topic Reply with quote

Quote:

On 2004-02-20 00:38, Gangrene wrote:
Quote:

On 2004-02-20 00:15, ralgith wrote:

Actually modern phsycology confirms it.



No it doesn't.


Check again, yes it does. I have a friend who is in college and phsycology is his major. If you want to argue it with him and his professor, go ahead. I'm going to drop this side of the argument since it seems you are too stubborn to listen to reason from anothers pov.

Quote:

Quote:

And we are still posting technical replies as well. You just can't admit that there is as much merit in our side as in yours, which we have admitted.



I believe my position is correct. You guys don't need my blessing to like heads in Battletech, but in an engineering capacity I think your arguments are weak and do not support them as a good, realistic idea.



Check some of my other posts, I have actually made some effort to see things your way, and also posted my Torso Ejection system for your benefit.

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ralgith
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PostPosted: 20-Feb-2004 01:18    Post subject: RE: Heads Reply to topic Reply with quote

Quote:

Quote:

How many MW want to stuff themselves into a sealed metal coffin burined deep inside the bowels of a mech with a bunch of TV screens?



Those that don't want to be killed in a single shot. People already stuff themselves into dark rooms with nothing but computer screens for money. I'm sure if the sensor feed was adequate they would do it for protection.

Quote:
How will the pilot eject from a metal coffin buried deep inside the mech torso?



Make a section of the structure disposable in the case of ejection. Really, this isn't a big deal.



Here is the Ejection System, works for exatly what you want.
http://www.mordel.net/barandgrill/viewtopic.php?topic=3902&forum=1&post=40111
Enjoy

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Oafman
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PostPosted: 20-Feb-2004 11:21    Post subject: RE: Heads Reply to topic Reply with quote

I do my best.

I never play any extended roleplaying, so I guess that gives a different outlook on the whole thing. To me the mechwarriors that pilot my mechs in combat are a dime a dozen. All I am concerned about is whether I have won the battle. I just look at BT as another board game. So I tend not to look at it as seriously as others. I do however enjoy poking holes in peoples arguments when they start to get to serious about this stuff.

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PostPosted: 20-Feb-2004 12:22    Post subject: RE: Heads Reply to topic Reply with quote

Heh, I do play campaigns and still agree with you. Sure, mechwarriors die. But it isnt that big a deal. Its annoying if a lot die, but the game needs that element in it to properly represet the fictional world in which it is set.

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PostPosted: 20-Feb-2004 15:00    Post subject: RE: Heads Reply to topic Reply with quote

"Human life is cheap; battlemechs are expensive."
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PostPosted: 20-Feb-2004 15:09    Post subject: RE: Heads Reply to topic Reply with quote

Quote:

On 2004-02-19 20:37, Gangrene wrote:


I just think that situational awareness can be just as easily attained by 3050 sensor technology than what can be attained by having a nice view.





What happens when the sensors suffer damage...not just the ones mounted underneath the armor, but all of the external cameras, heat sensors, and everything else you are going to need. Some grunt could blind your 'mech with a blast of machine gun fire.
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PostPosted: 20-Feb-2004 16:01    Post subject: RE: Heads Reply to topic Reply with quote

You evil Jade Falcon bastard Mud j/k. That is a quote from several different BT fiction novels. One of them that I own about the gray death legion.

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ralgith
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PostPosted: 20-Feb-2004 16:10    Post subject: RE: Heads Reply to topic Reply with quote

Quote:

On 2004-02-20 15:09, -Mud wrote:
Quote:

On 2004-02-19 20:37, Gangrene wrote:


I just think that situational awareness can be just as easily attained by 3050 sensor technology than what can be attained by having a nice view.





What happens when the sensors suffer damage...not just the ones mounted underneath the armor, but all of the external cameras, heat sensors, and everything else you are going to need. Some grunt could blind your 'mech with a blast of machine gun fire.



Or even an infantry swarn attack. Especially if the infantry knew it was a torso mounted cockpit and destroyed/covered the cameras and sensor bulbs on purpose? It only takes a couple layers of aluminum foil wrap on a radar nob to render it worthless. Thats basically what chaff is for today's aircraft.

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PostPosted: 20-Feb-2004 17:53    Post subject: RE: Heads Reply to topic Reply with quote

I think that was one of the phrases that turned me onto battletech in the first place; I always liked the Mad Max with giant robots feel. The Clans were originally just an inversion of the original premise; lots of high-tech stuff the Inner Sphere didn't have, but a totally barbarian culture.
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