17 replies to this topic

[DaZur]

Okay.

You ever take issue with what amounts to a trivial matter and try as you may, you cannot get over it? I've got one and I'm going to share it with this community...

Windows / view-ports on our beloved Mechs. (There I said it... and I'm feeling better already)

While I'm all for a bit of artistic licensing and I'm willing to overlook small gaffs in scale and proportion... The random scale of the cockpit windows / view-ports really is off-putting for me. We all presume the cockpit is roughly in the head area and the eyes or the Mech equivalent of eyes is representative of the view-port from the Mechs cockpit. Taking this fact into account, most Mechs present with what can be considered reasonable proportioned view-ports... Then there's the "other" ones...

Taking into consideration for mass, weight, and overall size... Off the top of my head I can name at least 3-4 Mechs who view-ports are grossly out of proportion / not relational or logical:

• Madcat
  
• Battlemaster
  
• Griffin

...And I'm sure more will come to mind as I type this rambling diatribe.



(Images are for reference and not to scale)

Doing side-by-side analysis against all other Mechs... The cockpits, hence the view-ports would scale to what could best be likened to a foyer or a concert hall. The Madcat is the worst offender and immediately comes to mind for this... From a canonical stand-point, the pilot in a Madcat occupies roughly 1/5th of the cockpit volume... However from a scaled-visual representation the pilot could literally fly a kite in their cockpit and maybe play a little handball.

It goes the other way too... There are some Mechs (mostly light, couple medium...) where the cocpits would be akin to riding in a 50-gallon drum...

Thankfully, I'm pleased that the art department for PGI has a little common sense and as so far have taken this into consideration... The positioning of the cockpit in the left eye of the Atlas (Admit it... how many of you assumed the entire head represented the volume of the cockpit?) The "eye-patch" for the Commando (monocle?) Even a nod to the Hunchback needs to be given as the interior cockpit appears to give way to the exterior shape and it's perceived interior volume.

I do hope this is a common theme from PGI with all the other Mechs...

I apologize for this picayune diatribe but I felt a need to share.

Edited by DaZur, 07 March 2012 - 06:09 AM.

[MaddMaxx]

Here is a cut away of the Timber Wolf. Perhaps the Cockpit is not as large as it seems from the outside, although centered, unlike some others. See the large Missile loading mechanism behind the Pilot's seat.

[DaZur]

MaddMaxx, on 07 March 2012 - 07:47 AM, said:

Here is a cut away of the Timber Wolf. Perhaps the Cockpit is not as large as it seems from the outside, although centered, unlike some others. See the large Missile loading mechanism behind the Pilot's seat.

The cutaway works all by itself... Completely plausible and seems to fit.

However when you stand the Madcat against say the Atlas, taking into consideration mass, weight and scale relative to the size of a pilot ... The size of the pilot and by proxy the volume of cockpit becomes disproportionate. Suddenly the cockpit volume is uber-spacious and pilot winds up with a lot of elbow room.

[Battlefinger]

I think that pretty much settles it, then I think it largely depends on the illustration and designs you look at, something that bothers me with the (still incredible-looking) redone centurion, is the incredibly limited viewport it must have. But as long as it looks cool from the outside, feels great from the inside, and doesn't have a target painted on it, I'll probably be happy piloting it.

[MaddMaxx]

DaZur, on 07 March 2012 - 08:00 AM, said:

The cutaway works all by itself... Completely plausible and seems to fit.

However when you stand the Madcat against say the Atlas, taking into consideration mass, weight and scale relative to the size of a pilot ... The size of the pilot and by proxy the volume of cockpit becomes disproportionate. Suddenly the cockpit volume is uber-spacious and pilot winds up with a lot of elbow room.

And that is really why so many Pilots like to drive one. It would be like going from the cockpit of a "Smart Car" to a "Cadillac DeVille.

Ahhh! I ain't never going back baby. LOL

[DaZur]

MaddMaxx, on 07 March 2012 - 08:05 AM, said:

And that is really why so many Pilots like to drive one. It would be like going from the cockpit of a "Smart Car" to a "Cadillac DeVille.

Ahhh! I ain't never going back baby. LOL

You sir are truly a glass half-full type of person ain't ya? Never mind the fact you have to get out of your seat to roll down the down the window to toss your McDonalds trash away...

LOL!

[Bullwerk]

I agree with the OP's premise, yet disagree at the same time...

Let me explain, while it is true that the cockpits on the mentioned mechs as referenced by the visualized view ports would be extremely large, there is no reason to believe that the pilot isn't a little dude sitting in a chair at some well positioned spot surrounded by all that wonderful view port. Enhancing the ability of the pilot to see out of his mech is a useful design feature and given that the view ports are themselves nothing more than transparent armor (not a glass material) there is little reason not to have good view port area if the design of the mech allows it.

The same concept works for a mech like the Centurion with a very small view port actually, that is the technology available to the mech designer solves the problem. The form of the centurion limits area available for physical view ports but the 360 degree HUD projection provided by sensors goes along way to make up for this.

Of the two I'd prefer having the big expansive view ports and the HUD projection like in the larger mechs if possible but sometimes those big mechs aren't the right tool for the job. Now if only they could simulate the 360 to 180 HUD projection in the game in a way that made sense, that would be cool.

[Kenyon Burguess]

i'd rather have small windows in the armor and large view screens on the inside of the pit. why expose more than you have to

[DaZur]

Geist Null, on 07 March 2012 - 08:34 AM, said:

i'd rather have small windows in the armor and large view screens on the inside of the pit. why expose more than you have to

Obviously, there's very good reason tank view-ports are fairly small windows (with really thick glass)...

These bubble canopy type view-ports of these Mechs support the form over function logic and as designed, in particular the BMaster and Griffin give homage to their anime roots more so than some other others...

I look at the Madcat and I can't help but see a nice little greenhouse to grow flowers and exotic plants...

It's almost as if someone was perusing through a WWII aircraft recognition book and thought the nose of an HE-111 would make a good Mech-pit...

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Edited by DaZur, 07 March 2012 - 09:26 AM.

[TheRulesLawyer]

I don't care so much about the artistic rendition. The trouble comes in a real time game like MWO. Then the cockpit is much easier to hit on some mech than others.

[FinnMcKool]

OK whats really important is where do we aim for that head shot ?

The Altas appears to be the Left eye???

will we see / Know where the others are?

[GrimJim]

MaddMaxx, on 07 March 2012 - 07:47 AM, said:

Here is a cut away of the Timber Wolf. Perhaps the Cockpit is not as large as it seems from the outside, although centered, unlike some others. See the large Missile loading mechanism behind the Pilot's seat.

I always wondered where they put the engine in this pic.

[TheRulesLawyer]

GrimJim, on 07 March 2012 - 10:47 AM, said:

I always wondered where they put the engine in this pic.

Its labeled. In the back just to the left of the LRM case.

[GrimJim]

TheRulesLawyer, on 07 March 2012 - 01:04 PM, said:

Its labeled. In the back just to the left of the LRM case.

Yeah right! Like I'm to believe the heaviest, bulkiest (XL) thing in the 'Mech is to the left under the rumble seat!!!

Logic is not one of Battletech/MechWarrior's selling points. Just sit back and enjoy the fiction...

[syngyne]

GrimJim, on 07 March 2012 - 10:47 AM, said:

I always wondered where they put the engine in this pic.

I always wonder where all the myomers are supposed to go. The limbs are shown packed full of stuff.

[GrimJim]

syngyne, on 07 March 2012 - 03:22 PM, said:

I always wonder where all the myomers are supposed to go. The limbs are shown packed full of stuff.

Touche...

Funny, but a lot of Japanime like Gundam & Macross are more realistic in their cockpit placement. Buried in the heavily armored torso as opposed to the exposed head. That being said they usually put all the cameras and optics up in the head, so its the same effect if you get headcapped. (not dead but blind which basically takes you out of the game.)

[The Smith]

I know that it is explained in cannon as translucent armor, but I never cared much for the glass. I really like concept mecha art where the cockpit is deep inside the mech and cameras are used for visual input.

[Vexgrave Lars]

People were designing Mechs to look cool, using Mr. Scotts transparent Aluminum, you know when they rescued the whales.

This is a conceptual flaw in the physical characteristic of the machine, based on being "cool" Frankly I hope MWO does away with big glass canopies. Its bogus, unrealistic, impractical, but not because of damage/pilot threat issues... moresoe because its really freaking heavy, and expensive.

IMHO..