I think the OP's suggestion is simple, effective, AND realistic. The people who are saying the seismic sensor module is fine apparently have no idea how
seismometers work in real life. You set the seismometer in the ground, and it must then remain as stable and still as possible, or you get no reading (or rather, you get too much of a reading). To quote the most relevant section:
Quote
The foundation of a seismic station is critical.[4] A professional station is sometimes mounted on bedrock. The best mountings may be in deep boreholes, which avoid thermal effects, ground noise and tilting from weather and tides. Other instruments are often mounted in insulated enclosures on small buried piers of unreinforced concrete. Reinforcing rods and aggregates would distort the pier as the temperature changes. A site is always surveyed for ground noise with a temporary installation before pouring the pier and laying conduit. Originally, European seismographs were placed in a particular area after a destructive earthquake. Today, they are spread to provide appropriate coverage (in the case of weak-motion seismology) or concentrated in high-risk regions (strong-motion seismology).[5]
Now, Battletech is sci-fi that is set 1000 years in the future, so I'm willing to buy that you don't need to actually stick something directly on the ground to get an accurate reading, but can in fact detect seismic vibrations through the feet of a two-story tall, 100-ton robot. I'm even willing to buy that your Battle Computer correlates seismic readings to your lance comm telemetry and IFF tags and eliminates seismic indicators for friendly mechs. But I'm not willing to buy the idea that a seismic sensor will work
while you're moving, and
certainly not while you're in the air on jumpjets. If you're moving, you are the "loudest" seismic noise your sensor will see, and because you are literally on top of the sensor (which is in the bottom of your feet), it won't "hear" anything but your giant stompy feet drowning out everything else. And if you're not even in contact with the ground, well. That part should be obvious.
Edited by Sable Phoenix, 08 June 2013 - 04:02 PM.