Karagin
08/13/09 04:37 PM
72.178.75.99
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Okay, you are a mechwarrior, you know how to pilot your mech and at the most drive a car of some kind, maybe even a motorcycle of some time.
Now what I am driving at here is, how hard (skill checks and such) is it going to be for you to jump out of your mech and take over driving a tank?
I am asking this because I got asked about it. I shared my thoughts, and the person wasn't happy with the answer I gave. I said it was unlikely that the mechwarrior would be able to much beyond driving in a semi-straight line, forget combat or anything out of the ordinary. As for manning the guns on the tank as a gunner, again I went with he would unlike be able to be as good as he is in a mech.
Now I figured out that the guy asking want to here that the mechwarrior could be multi-tasking and not pay major modifiers and such, but I just don't see it happening without a lot of things not working in his favor.
So what you guys feel about this? Should the mechwarrior be able to jump from his mech to another fighting unit (aka tank, APC, battlearmor, aerofighter) and still be as proficient as he was in his mech?
Karagin
Given time and plenty of paper, a philosopher can prove anything.
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Bob_Richter
08/13/09 06:03 PM
66.191.9.99
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I wouldn't think so.
These vehicles take very different skills to operate properly, and while the basic principles of gunnery don't change much, the perspectives will certainly be unfamiliar.
You're going to see very little positive transfer, and a potentially great amount of negative transfer, meaning that an elite 'Mechwarrior might actually make a worse aerofighter pilot than an untrained civilian.
Tanks specifically have the problem that they are not designed to be operated by a single person acting alone, leaving open the option that the mechwarrior could operate the weapons or drive, but not both.
-Bob (The Magnificent) Richter
Assertions made in this post are the humble opinion of Bob.
They are not necessarily statements of fact or decrees from God Himself, unless explicitly and seriously stated to be so.
:)
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Cray
08/13/09 06:27 PM
147.160.136.10
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Quote:
Tanks specifically have the problem that they are not designed to be operated by a single person acting alone, leaving open the option that the mechwarrior could operate the weapons or drive, but not both.
This is a key point.
Modern Western tanks are easy to drive and have simple driving controls. You'd need about 2-3 minutes of instruction (at the most) to be able to work the gas, brakes, steering, and ignition. A MechWarrior could probably step in and become a severe road hazard without even that instruction.
The first area the MechWarrior will have trouble with is handling (a tank ain't a car), though this is a minor issue. MBT's work hard to have good handling. He'll be driving in a minute; give the guy an hour at the wheel to practice and he won't run over too many small children and china shops.
The second area, the big one, is what Bob pointed out. The controls are easy, but being a good tank driver means knowing how to work with the whole crew. A good driver knows how to drive the tank so he doesn't screw up the gunner(s) shot, being ready for the commander's orders to go hull down, and so on. A lone MechWarrior used to only being concerned for himself who jumps into a driver's seat and plays "dodge'em stunt driver" the way he does in a 'Mech is going to be a real hinderance to the rest of the crew.
In short, he's going to have a lousy driving skill and even a veteran tank gunner is going to be hindered while the MechWarrior is driving.
Mike Miller, Materials Engineer
Disclaimer: Anything stated in this post is unofficial and non-canon unless directly quoted from a published book. Random internet musings of a BattleTech writer are not canon.
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Karagin
08/13/09 11:39 PM
72.178.75.99
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Thanks for the help. I will pass this on and I do agree with you guys 100%.
Having said that, I can see some folks getting the cross training, I know that as truck driver for the military, I am expected to be able to drive all wheeled vehicles, yet I still need the time to learn them as Cray pointed out.
That might be the better way for my buddy to go about things, I will suggest he have his character take the time to learn the skills even if it is a higher number and all.
Karagin
Given time and plenty of paper, a philosopher can prove anything.
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Tripod
08/15/09 06:56 AM
8.23.64.196
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Considering that in this time what you know can be more important than your life, I dont see a mechwarrior being allowed into a tank unless the battle is so pivotal that his life depends on it. Some bullheadded Warriors will insist on fighting, so...
TBA
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