111 replies to this topic

[Mchawkeye]

CaveMan, on 01 December 2011 - 06:19 AM, said:

The artwork is really nice but I don't like the cockpit design at all.

The way it's set up would be information overload. It has something like 16 different video screens! Too many different, single-purpose displays in too many different places. There's no way you could scan all those displays without taking your eyes off what's outside the cockpit.

All critical combat info should be tightly clustered together in a group of 2-4 Multi-Function Displays that have multiple, easily accessed modes. The displays should be up front and centered in the pilot's view just below the glass. Secondary things like communications info and detailed reports on 'Mech systems can be displayed in lookdown or side-mounted displays.

Compare the cockpit of the Space Shuttle, one of the most complex vehicles ever designed by Man:

http://human-factors...shuttlemeds.jpg

Note that it has only 9 MFDs, and is capable of displaying all relevant flight info, and that's for two people using the cockpit at once. Either pilot is using only 4-5 at a time.

Yes. I see what you are saying.

But that looks like the deck of a shuttle/aircraft.

Not the cockpit of a battlemech. I do appreciate a certain amount of common sense when it comes to these things, but sometimes you just have to be funky, cool and sci-fi about it all, ergonomics be damned,

Anyway, chances are most of the important information would also be viewable on the pilots helmet mounted HUD, making the placement in the physical cockpit less important.

I think the cockpit looks cool. I want to build one. maybe.

[CaveMan]

Mchawkeye, on 01 December 2011 - 06:34 AM, said:

Not the cockpit of a battlemech. I do appreciate a certain amount of common sense when it comes to these things, but sometimes you just have to be funky, cool and sci-fi about it all, ergonomics be damned,

If it was in a movie, "looks cool" would be fine. But since I have to actually use it, "looks cool" has to take a back seat to "works well". Ergonomics are critical in game interface design, particularly in a game where your ability to assimilate information is going to be critical to winning.

[Hanyit Greyhame]

Someone made a comparison with the cockpit image you posted and the graphical design posted on FB earlier:



Looks the the graphical work earlier is another hunchback concept art.

Regards,

Hanyit Greyhame

Credit: Simon Kelly on Facebook

Edited by Hanyit Greyhame, 01 December 2011 - 06:56 AM.

[Brakkyn]

I'm pretty sure the "Secondary Objective" says:

DESTROY AA TURRETS AT NAV BETA

The bottom middle screen...I can't read the red text, but below that, it says:

HEAT LEVEL SEVERE - [ ??? ]. SLOWING
[ ??? ] DAMAGE IN LT

Edited by Brakkyn, 01 December 2011 - 07:05 AM.

[Major Crash]

Can get most of the upper left Comm screen, except whats under the red line which goes exactly through the middle naturally. Reads:
"Commander: We need to destroy that dropship before they can take off. Otherwise they will just keep raiding us. If you take out Theta"...red line interferance.
"Primary objective: Destroy enemy dropship at Nav Alpha
Secondary objective: Destroy all turrents at Nav Beta."

[Major Crash]

The Info display between your legs reflects four missle hits, (red text), followed by Mech status notices stating that, "Heat level. ?Danger?- Net. Slowing. Beware damage in LT".
Not real sure on "danger", could also be "damage". The "Net. Slowing" must be result of hits affecting speed maybe.

[Threat Doc]

Adridos, on 01 December 2011 - 06:24 AM, said:

That targeted mech looks like a Victor to me (slightly redesigned by Alex):

I DO believe you are correct.

[HardDrive]

Longhorn, on 01 December 2011 - 12:00 AM, said:

Well 30 rounds of AC20 means she loaded an extra ton and fire 10 shots so far. No fire rate indicated I can see. Heat level is high, so I think she when hot on the lasers and then got a rupture on coolant. Picture didn't show any rapid stuff, was really still to me. She was by the ocean and went hot so she was not an Ace pilot. Why is she looking at the ocean and not Looking at target and in the ocean is my question. All speculation on my part. Be safe.

My guess would be if the environment is going to have as big of a impact on gameplay as what a lot of us are thinking them heading to a body of water when starting to overheat may in fact help cool the mech back down faster. At least thats what I was thinking when it showed the ocean and heat lvls.

[Threat Doc]

Helmer, on 01 December 2011 - 04:52 AM, said:

I was going by TT rules of 5 shots on AC20 ammo per ton. The question has been floating around, is that 5 rounds or is it separated into multiple round bursts to achieve the same amount of damage.

I'm pretty sure this depends, as with LRMs, on the manufacturer in the universe, or at least developer choice OUT of the universe, hehe.

[Major Crash]

The ocean appears to have been added as fluff only to disguise what is really going on out the Huncher's window for this press release.
Not ready to show any of the game world yet huh FD? Well, he told us he put some stuff in it not worthy of study.
I don't believe it has a thing to do with cooling or anything else, just a visual screen to keep us from peeking as it does not jive w/radar display showing an enemy Mech 450m to the N/NW and an off scope objective to the N/NE.
Besides your badge Flying Debris, I think I got at least one other fluff ID'd.

[Dihm]

I'm betting the jump jets are a red herring, it won't actually have them in game. It was just a concept of where the display would show up in the cockpit.

[GuntherK]

Zendric, on 30 November 2011 - 07:20 PM, said:

I see a head fin on the mech, makes me think its a Centurion.

I agree, the targeted mech looks a Centurion, autocannon on right arm, head fin. The tech readout images allways look too much humanoid for me, Alex will make them more practical machines.

http://www.sarna.net...28BattleMech%29

[BlackWidow]

Greetings fellow Mechwarriors!

Great cockpit shot. Definitely in line with todays modern flight sims. I have a few comments about this.


1. People mention "single" cockpit vs unique. With the AC20, it's obvious to most here it's unique to the HUNCHBACK. But, if you look at all the previous iterations of the MW franchise, they have always had individualized cockpits. Even Mechwarrior 1 has different viewpoints depending on the mech you were driving. I'm sure we have much goodness to look forward to in this regard.

2. Anyone else notice the left and right view screens? Not the 360 deg view some are looking for, but hella-cool anyway. It actually allows you to look "through" that awesome AC20 on your shoulder.

3. Where is the dang HULA GIRL?

4. I wonder if in addition to keyboard/mouse/rudder/joystick, they could actually incorporate an "active" cockpit. I.e. can I actually "touch" the button on the radar to cycle through the modes instead of just hitting the "R" key five times. I would LOVE LOVE LOVE this especially since I have two 23" touch screen monitors. Can you say fully immersive cockpit?

Can hardly wait to see more!

BW

[Odin]

Posted this accidentally on the other topic.
I think all but the MFDs are gonna be fakes in the final version. Nevertheless, its a cool thing to have all those switches.

[MacKenzie Wolf]

As someone with experience operating large heavy vehicles (commercial pilot) with complex system and information management displays and controls, this cockpit does it for me. It is exactly what I would expect from a space where a mechwarrior has to take in and manage information about all sorts of things. System status and control, fire control, communication, navigation, the surrounding battlefield through sensor suites, etc... I would feel right at home. The only thing that doesn't do it for me is the commercial looking joystick and throttle. They don't seem to have the look of durability. Those components in commercial aircraft are always what is subject to the most wear and tear and often the most most "used" looking part of the cockpit.

[Odin]

MacKenzie Wolf, on 01 December 2011 - 10:39 AM, said:

As someone with experience operating large heavy vehicles (commercial pilot) with complex system and information management displays and controls, this cockpit does it for me. It is exactly what I would expect from a space where a mechwarrior has to take in and manage information about all sorts of things. System status and control, fire control, communication, navigation, the surrounding battlefield through sensor suites, etc... I would feel right at home. The only thing that doesn't do it for me is the commercial looking joystick and throttle. They don't seem to have the look of durability. Those components in commercial aircraft are always what is subject to the most wear and tear and often the most most "used" looking part of the cockpit.

Agreed!

Take a look here

[Adridos]

Odin, on 01 December 2011 - 10:45 AM, said:

Agreed!

Take a look here

That is made in Russia. Americans cannot handle so much at the same time.

No offense, just kidding.

[xhrit]

I was hoping the reboot and redesign would do away with the more retarded design elements that have plagued the series since its inception.

Bad enough we have blocky top heavy shot traps on legs, but come the **** on, windows and led mfd screens? I was hoping for something at least comparable to modern technology.

In a universe where we have neural interfaces, we do not even need viewscreens, but lets for the sake of argument say we have them. The cockpit should be a sealed system incased in armor at the center of the battlemech, The main screens should have the same interface and composition as the secondary screens, and be fed data from sensors covering the mech.

I used to run p&p mechwarrior game and the same kid every time would always say he aims for the glass. No, that isn't glass, battlemech's don't have windows. I don't care if the picture shows them with windows, whoever drew that is retarded, mech's don't have windows. They just don't. And even if they did they would not be made of glass.

A mech cockpit should look more like this...




or better yet, this...

Edited by xhrit, 01 December 2011 - 01:20 PM.

[Barantor]

Sorry Xhrit... BT/Mechwarrior doesn't equal real life.

BT/Mechwarrior != Reality


I have been trying to figure out all the different mechs that could be on the display screen and one that I keep looking at is the Griffin. The Griffin has both a missile rack and a 'gun' in it's case a PPC. It could be another potential target for our beleaguered hunchback.


In regards to the garbled message, I could believe it could say Cadet as that would be a rank, which most military bodies capitalize. It could be a name too, both seem to fit.

Edited by Barantor, 01 December 2011 - 01:25 PM.

[Mchawkeye]

xhrit, on 01 December 2011 - 01:14 PM, said:

I was hoping the reboot and redesign would do away with the more retarded design elements that have plagued the series since its inception.

Bad enough we have blocky top heavy shot traps on legs, but come the **** on, windows and led mfd screens? I was hoping for something at least comparable to modern technology.

In a universe where we have neural interfaces, we do not even need viewscreens, but lets for the sake of argument say we have them. The cockpit should be a sealed system incased in armor at the center of the battlemech, The main screens should have the same interface and composition as the secondary screens, and be fed data from sensors covering the mech.

I used to run p&p mechwarrior game and the same kid every time would always say he aims for the glass. No, that isn't glass, battlemech's don't have windows. I don't care if the picture shows them with windows, whoever drew that is retarded, mech's don't have windows. They just don't. And even if they did they would not be made of glass.

A mech cockpit should look more like this...

or better yet, this...

So when I paint the cockpits on the miniatures...what the hell am I painting? it's not glass, granted....but they definitely have cockpit windows of some kind, otherwise there wouldn't be up-rights separating the pains of transparent armour. I mean, of it looks like a duck and it sounds like a duck...

So since the minis are canon, as is the lore...i figure no score draw and pick one good for the VG. having windows lets you contact the environment much more so than if you were aware you were watching something on a screen on a screen...perhaps.