cmryan
07/14/04 12:51 AM
4.12.82.110
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The crown of the mechwarrior is his or her neurohelmet. How much is known about the neurohelmet? Does each warrior have a personal neurohelmet? Can anyone learn to use a neurohelmet? What are the limits of neurohelmets and should they be replaced by Direct Neural Interface. I recall reference to young children being able to use neurohelmets in one of the books. What other professions have a need for the neurohelmet. Can a neurohelmet be used to remote control a mech or any type of vehicle?
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Greyslayer
07/14/04 04:31 AM
203.61.73.187
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In general most neurohelmets can be reconfigured to another person's sense of balance and so on. A person trying to use an uncalibrated neurohelmet or one calibrated to another will generally suffer nausea, thus making them quite ineffective as mechwarriors.
Argomechs, while requiring a neural link for balance, only require a neural band (a very simple version of the helmet), thus they are not nearly as nimble as a battlemech.
If a person has not used a neural helmet for awhile I would assume that some sort of calibration would be needed. This would especially be the case for children learning to pilot mechs, their thought patterns would change more often than an adult's would. One would also like to know if say a pilot on drugs would actually still be able to use the same neuralhelmet considering the side-effects of some possibly changing the patterns a brain will operate at.
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Cray
07/14/04 06:49 AM
68.200.106.55
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How much is known about the neurohelmet?
It was described pretty extensively in early BT books, like MW1 RPG. It also received coverage in the CBT:Companion.
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Does each warrior have a personal neurohelmet?
Basically, though it's not as critical of an item as the whole battlemech. A mechwarrior could get a replacement if his broke or was stolen.
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Can anyone learn to use a neurohelmet?
Probably.
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What are the limits of neurohelmets
Their primary role is to provide balance information to the battlemech. Battlemechs are quite capable of standing upright on their own. What they aren't so good at is knowing when to go off balance, as might be required in combat. Hence the neurohelmet.
More advanced neurohelmets provide limited sensory feedback to the user, like a weak virtual reality.
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and should they be replaced by Direct Neural Interface.
Considering the dangers of DNI (as described in the scenario pack, "Unbound") probably not. Even the Clan EI is dangerous to its users.
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What other professions have a need for the neurohelmet.
Fighter pilots do sometimes - the Star League gave its fighter pilots quite advanced neurohelmets. Mechwarrior 1 RPG mentioned a few, high-tech racecars using them, but that's about it. There's not much call for neurohelmets elsewhere.
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Can a neurohelmet be used to remote control a mech or any type of vehicle?
Eh...well, the neurohelmet is just a fancy EEG system. It's a sensor and limited output device, no more. Think of it like a webcam you can get for your computer: it's useless without the rest of the computer.
I suppose if you built an entire battlemech cockpit (neurohelmet included) into a remote control station, you could probably remote control a battlemech.
Ditto for vehicles. But you'd need the rest of the controls for the vehicle, too: accelerator, brake, steering wheel, displays, etc.
The neurohelmet is a very limited device.
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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Spartan
07/14/04 11:42 AM
65.68.201.108
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I don't have that particular scenario pack. Are the dangers of DNI similar to the ones you get with the Clan EI?
Spartan
We demand rigidly defined areas of doubt and uncertainty.
(I refer you to what Nightward said)
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Cray
07/14/04 01:17 PM
147.160.136.10
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I don't have that particular scenario pack. Are the dangers of DNI similar to the ones you get with the Clan EI?
Yeah, but (as I recall) somewhat worse. Damage from every hit to a mech, IIRC. It was also quite experimental, something developed by a NAIS professor on the run due to the questionable nature of his work.
But the benefits were awesome: -2 to gunnery, -3 to piloting.
The advanced neurohelmet presented in Unbound, the Virtual Reality Piloting Pod, was just awesome/munchy: -1 to gunnery, -2 to piloting. And, IIRC, it only took some training to get used to - no other drawbacks. Also a NAIS toy.
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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Spartan
07/14/04 02:18 PM
65.68.201.108
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Wow, talk about motivation to keep moving and stay in good cover.......
Spartan
We demand rigidly defined areas of doubt and uncertainty.
(I refer you to what Nightward said)
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