Figure I start something lighter...
How would you design a real life Mech Cockpit?
We are going to assume a lot of it are going to be automated, since... it's impossible for someone to have to juggle battlemech balance while controlling movement and other scenarios.
But let's look at the "default" cockpit given to us, by PGI and other work of art...
Which, all pretty much are a sort of rendition of current fighter jet cockpit. The thing is, even modern fighter jet cockpit might not be the "fighter jet" cockpit in a few decades, so this idea of a throttle and a stick is just kinda outdated.
For one, your fighter jet can roll onto itself and change direction, so a stick makes sense for roll and turning, and a throttle can change the diameter of a circular movement. However, a fighter jet doesn't torso twist. And also, a mech doesn't "roll" onto itself. So that control scheme being adopted 100% onto a battlemech is just wacked.
In fact, for IRL jets, with vetoring starting to be the norm, it might require a different control schemes to effectively utilize vectoring for crazy movements in the sky.
Basically, this cockpit that we have, is not logical and out of date.
But how do you really control something like this? Assuming my assumption about ACH is correct, in that a pilot is 50% submerged in the cockpit in a standing position, then it's sorta like gundam where you pilot with your whole body, which would make sense because your whole body would certainly allow more control scheme.
The other way I can think of is like a locust, where a pilot basically squat on the control like a motorcycle and instead of throttle, you have pedals for movement. You have 2 stick. Problem is that it may be weird to try to control direction with one hand while the other hand control body twist. So perhaps you simply twist the front of the control scheme like a motorcycle?
And perhaps... circling back to the highly automated assumption of earlier paragraphs...
Perhaps the cockpit of a mech is more like a data center rather than a "cockpit" per se, and you control with keyboards/mouse scheme? I mean, it's radical, but it makes sense right? Cause, you don't really feel clunky using just keyboard and mouse.
I like to read your thought on this. What would a futuristic cockpit look like that can allow you to comfortably control both movement/throttle? (o and we can even go ultra complicated, what if its in space where it's practically directionless?)
Is it time for a new cockpit for MW