73 replies to this topic

[Aaren Kai]

Something to ponder, Astronaut spacesuits also have "Toilets" built into them. You can not compare a bathroom porcelain throne with a bucket and a lid in terms of comfort but you can call both of them a toilet.

[Carrioncrows]

valkyrie, on 02 March 2013 - 02:11 AM, said:

I'd recommend looking into the science behind ergonomics if I were you. The semi-standing concept could work in some cases, but it does require a bit more effort to stay in a "working" position, and being turned upside-down/thrown on your side/etc. could make it harder to operate compared to being seated.

Also worth mentioning is the fact that standing does burn more calories than sitting for obvious reasons, as does a semi-standing posture. In a warzone where you're already sweating it out to the point where you're fighting heatstroke, you'll definitely want to exert as little stress on your body as possible, and a half-standing position wouldn't really help there. Just my thoughts.

Whatever downside you might get to burning calories the upside would far outweigh the natural sense of balance you'd get from being in that positions.

Additionally you would be strapped in, you have the option to semi stand if you liked or let the straps / seat take all of your weight.

I also approached the matter of the cooling vest and shorts how best to obtain the most efficient cooling of the pilot.

Good thoughts though.

[Stoicblitzer]

sorry but whenever I see thread like this all I can think is this.

[Yokaiko]

grifflyman, on 01 March 2013 - 11:17 PM, said:

So I remember reading a while back that some mechs have small sleeping quarters, but I don't remember it naming specific models.

Does anyone know of any? I love the little details about mechs, and I really wish we could see more cockpit details in game.

That is more of a love question.

I should by an Atlas-K and name it the Shagon Wagon.

[Ranek Blackstone]

Merky Merc, on 02 March 2013 - 12:03 AM, said:

More like a heli is a big friggin target and in my experience you get 50m away from them and dig a little ditch to sleep in. A mech would be more like a tank though, recline the seat and pass out however you can. Though with a crew of 1 you don't have any sort of firewatch.... hmmm damn it battletech another flawwww whyyyyeeeee

Most mechs aren't designed for extended operations away from supply lines, so they'd return to a mobile base for basic repairs and rearming. You'd be able to get some z's there no prob.

[CheebaMech]

haruko, on 02 March 2013 - 12:18 AM, said:

Read the rule book (or was it the one on mech building? I don't remember), it doesn't state specific models because it has no bearing on game play, but yes, some mechs have beds, microwaves, mini freezers, air conditioning, hell, some even have toilets.

A bed and or toilet would probably be only found in some high end pimped out assault mechs though, cant imagine that fitting in a medium or light obviously.

there's a joke about lights, toilets, and knock-downs in there somewhere...

Ranek Blackstone, on 02 March 2013 - 10:13 AM, said:

Most mechs aren't designed for extended operations away from supply lines, so they'd return to a mobile base for basic repairs and rearming. You'd be able to get some z's there no prob.

wut?

[Ryokens leap]

I would for sure swap a command console for a bidet.

[Yokaiko]

Ryokens leap, on 02 March 2013 - 10:30 AM, said:

I would for sure swap a command console for a bidet.

Specially if I get that crit slot back.

[Jacob Dieffenbach]

The question was already answered on the first page with the Tech Manual, but I have some thoughts on the whole matter:

BattleMechs are ideal war machines because they are extremely flexible. They can wade through water, or even submerge, they can climb cliff faces given enough time, they do not run out of fuel (most war machines in BattleTech use high-efficiency fuel sources, fusion engines are rare). If there's a forest in the way, they don't have to tell the infantry to chop trees or find a new path, they just push trees aside. Even though you might think otherwise in MWO, BattleMechs also run top-of-the-line sensor suites and even the most basic 'Mech has some electronic countermeasures (it's how the short combat ranges are waved away--'oh, sensor ranges are really limited because e very unit carries basic ECM).

Do you really think that if people were designing war machines that were so flexible, so incredibly powerful, where even the most basic Spider was a top-of-the-line war machine that could decimate entire armies, that they'd skimp on the cockpit luxuries?

If you send a 'Mech company (a 100% pure 'Mech company is both rare and terrifying in the BattleTech universe) to some distant location, as a general, you do NOT want to hear the words "Sir, our 'Mechs have a maximum range of 200 kilometers because otherwise the pilots will starve". No, you install some ******* refridgerators in the cockpits. And you CERTAINLY don't want to hear the words "Sir, we need to recall our troops, our pilot performance has degraded to the level of Green newbies since they're malnourished, filthy, and their legs are cramping."

No, if you're a general, you want to be able to tell your officers "I want my 'Mechs to camp out this ambush site for the next week. I want them to be beneath camo mesh to prevent satellite spotting, perfectly still. I don't want anyone to leave their 'Mech, 24/7 surveillance."

And if those 'Mechs cost 10,000,000 c-bills (a C-bill is about 20 USD IIRC), and the cost of having that officer say "Yes, sir" is a few mini fridges, a reclining chair, a porta potty and a video screen that can play holo-DVDs or whatever, for maybe 300 c-bills? Yeah, you can bet those 'Mech cockpits will be built for comfort.

Maybe not civilian-level comfort, more military-level comfort. But comfort nonetheless.

Setting all that aside, I'm sure the 'Mechs designed to not move far from the base--I think there's a Hunchback variant with 1 ton of AC/20 ammo, heh, and of course there are the massive 100 ton 'Mechs that move at like 20 kp/h--will have almost no amenities.

And as a final note, you have to remember: in the vast majority of the Inner Sphere, if you're piloting a 'Mech, it's because you're some rich ***** whose family sent him to 'Mech school, and who inherited the family war machine when he was 18. You might be piloting a 400-year-old piece of junk. That being the case, you can bet that even if the 'Mech came with a chair that couldn't recline, your ancestors swapped it out for some plush leather seating centuries ago, and that computer might be running the ancient Windows 31 operating system, but it can play those holo-DVDs just fine (even if the DVD player is taped to the wall and the wires require jiggling to work).

As a final note: Ew, 400-year-old leather seating that's been sat on by sweating MechWarriors in sauna cockpits. Hundreds of gallons of sweat.

[Tarman]

haruko, on 02 March 2013 - 12:27 AM, said:

Here we go:


On toilets:


Microwaves and stuff:


Also they have fold out beds.

And in case anyone makes the mistake of thinking this is some random text off Reddit again, this is from one of the Official Battletech Core Rulebooks, the Tech Manual.

So according to this, Clanners are poopsocking it.

>__________>

[Dexion]

Tarman, on 02 March 2013 - 10:39 AM, said:

So according to this, Clanners are poopsocking it.

>__________>

Still wanna be clanners guys?

[slash b slash]

I don't want to be a clanner.

Edited by slash b slash, 02 March 2013 - 11:03 AM.

[Utilyan]

What I would use as reference is the 18-wheeler truckers. You can find future "18-wheelers" around river city, also gives you a idea how big optimus prime is.

Basicly truckers got bed rooms,microwaves, fridges all in the truck. Its tiny compared to a mech. I couldn't get any images here, but some are pretty pimped out.

[CheebaMech]

Utilyan, on 02 March 2013 - 11:39 AM, said:

What I would use as reference is the 18-wheeler truckers. You can find future "18-wheelers" around river city, also gives you a idea how big optimus prime is.

Basicly truckers got bed rooms,microwaves, fridges all in the truck. Its tiny compared to a mech. I couldn't get any images here, but some are pretty pimped out.

http://www.oneeyelan...olio=56438&cat=

roughing it.

Edited by CheebaMech, 02 March 2013 - 11:53 AM.

[Phoenix Gray]

A bed would only be useful if you're one of those unlucky souls who gets pinned down for a whole maych by those huge LRM barrages. See "LRM Spam is Back in Fashion."

[Targetloc]

Tarman, on 02 March 2013 - 10:39 AM, said:

So according to this, Clanners are poopsocking it.

>__________>

[Ngamok]

SPencil, on 01 March 2013 - 11:37 PM, said:

Have you ever passed out in a chair? You're lucky if you wake up only a little sore...

I have. My neck always suffers.

[Merky Merc]

Ranek Blackstone, on 02 March 2013 - 10:13 AM, said:

Most mechs aren't designed for extended operations away from supply lines, so they'd return to a mobile base for basic repairs and rearming. You'd be able to get some z's there no prob.

I feel like energy heavy mechs wouldn't need that, and if I recall from BT books from a while back. They would often set up rearming points, but not necessarily have any kind of real base.

In any event most of these mechs can't have all that much space in the cockpit. You don't find all the creature comforts in military vehicles, and the quote about microwaves and what not... wat

[Odanan]

Merky Merc, on 02 March 2013 - 12:03 AM, said:

More like a heli is a big friggin target and in my experience you get 50m away from them and dig a little ditch to sleep in. A mech would be more like a tank though, recline the seat and pass out however you can. Though with a crew of 1 you don't have any sort of firewatch.... hmmm damn it battletech another flawwww whyyyyeeeee

So do you think you are safer outside the mech?
Besides, I wouldn't leave my mech for nothing.

[Cebi]

Filthy clanner scum!

D:

Edited by Cebi, 02 March 2013 - 03:25 PM.