The Mech Touch

Chapter 6408 Complementary Mechs

Many people did not feel too impressed with the Clairvoyance Ultimate Module at first, but then they started to think further. "It is actually difficult for less experienced mech commanders to maintain a good overview of the battlefield and make the right calls. When you are on the battlefield yourself, it is too easy to get dragged into the action. If this 'Ultimate Module' does what it claims to do, then it may truly be useful in helping a mech commander obtain clarity when he needs it the most." "That doesn't sound particularly unique. This Ultimate Module is just a dedicated unit for data analysis and problem solving. There are generic pieces of hardware and software that can perform similar functions. It is not a good idea for mech commanders to become too reliant on computing systems to calculate what they should do. No decision-making model is perfect, and trying to apply rigid rules to a dynamic battlefield will make it easier for the enemy to read your intentions." "As nice as it sounds to have an additional analysis engine at my disposal, I would rather have an Ultimate Module that can boost the performance of the Jacket Commander more directly. The command mech will probably attract more attention from the enemy than usual, so having better defenses is important." "Why did Professor Larkinson choose to strengthen his Jacket Commander designs with a function that can easily be substituted? As long as the interference is not too excessive, it is normally customary for think tanks and analysts in the rear to draft detailed plans and instructions for the mech units fighting on the battlefield."

Most knowledgeable mech insiders knew that command mechs did not necessarily need this particular function. There were already several other viable solutions that could substitute the role of the Ultimate Module, but they did not think that Professor Larkinson and his collaborators added this module without good reason.

Ves smiled as he faced the skepticism of his audience. "The reason the Jacket Commander models incorporate slightly different versions of the Clairvoyance Ultimate Module is because we took into account the kind of mech pilots that will probably be assigned to pilot these machines. Think about it. True mech commanders that have completed formal officer training are rare and in high demand. Many mech forces have problems filling up all of their available mech officer slots with pilots that possess the right knowledge and inclination. Any mech commander can make a greater impact on the Red War by leading conventional mech units. It is a waste to reassign them to supervise a large number of undisciplined Yellow Jacket pilots." That was unfortunately true. Mech pilot training tended to be very demanding, especially for those that wanted to become a hero and break through in battle.

The vast majority of mech cadets usually got caught up in the martial atmosphere when they attended a mech academy. There was a high drive towards scoring well in various exams where fellow cadets had to defeat each other while piloting virtual or practice mechs.

Losing was not only extremely embarrassing, but could also form a stigma if it happened a bit too often. Poor results in practical tests could cause a mech pilot to fail a class or gain a poorer record upon graduation.

All of these recorded failures could affect a newly graduated mech pilot's chances of finding a good and well-paying job at a respectable company or military institution! Therefore, most mech pilots that graduated from the mech academies tended to have more brawn than brain, relatively speaking.

While they still took enough theoretical classes to understand the basics of physics, orbital mechanics and electronics, they would rather spend extra hours practicing their weapon skills than memorize complicated theories!

True mech commanders could not avoid the fate of taking a lot of theoretical classes. They had to be proficient enough in piloting mechs, but also learn how to manage. soldiers and figure out how to apply the right tactics on the battlefield. They needed to learn a lot of protocols and study the great mech battles of the past. They also had to be able to maintain a sober mind on the battlefield when all of their fighting instincts told them to give into their bloodlust!

Only the more talented and intellectually capable potentates had the potential to become serious mech commanders.

There was always a shortage of such people, so it was no surprise that there were always more vacancies for these positions.

A lot of mech lieutenants and mech captains ended up getting promoted from the bottom. They had to make up for their lack of formal education by completing a scattered collection of training courses and hope they could at least follow orders.

Even those kinds of mech officers were usually far too precious to watch over a bunch of Yellow Jackets. "I see you understand the significance of what I have said earlier." Ves spoke with a smile. "The Jacket Commander should ideally be assigned to an experienced or retired mech pilot that possesses the temperament to lead a group of Yellow Jackets. It is not necessary for the mech pilot to possess all of the competences of a mech commander. The missions undertaken by Yellow Jacket units should generally not be complicated, at least at first. If external instructions are not sufficient, then activating the Battle Planner Ultimate Ability can provide help when it is necessary."

That made a lot of sense. Many leaders and officers had already begun to work on drafting brand-new doctrines and rules regarding the use of the newly announced Yellow Jackets.

The Carmine mechs were clearly positioned at the bottom, so they needed to be treated as such. It was best not to devote too many resources on them, as they were expressly designed to be useful with only a modest amount of effort.

However, letting the Yellow Jackets fight by themselves was a clear recipe for disaster. The Carmine mech units all needed to be led by experienced mech pilots who knew their way around a battlefield. The combination between rookies and an old hand should produce good results without sacrificing anything too precious.

Therefore, the Jacket Commander suddenly became a lot more attractive than before.

Though Ves had not demonstrated the power of the Clairvoyance Ultimate Ability, as long as his description was valid, then it could truly help a conventional mech pilot figure out what to do next!

Of course, this only applied in forces where the mech officers had enough leeway to make independent judgments. This was not always the case. "Remember that the Clairvoyance Ultimate Module possesses the same advantages as the last Ultimate Module. The older the Jacket Commander and the more battles it has participated in, the more intelligent and knowledgeable its Ultimate Module becomes. Even if a penetrating attack happens to destroy it, no progress will be lost if the command mech receives a replacement. Different Ultimate Modules will develop different biases and preferences based on the actual experiences of individual Jacket Commanders. As long as the command mechs are able to operate for a long time, their Ultimate Modules may one day be able to process far greater information and produce much better battle plans than other analysis engines."

After Ves completed a rather inadequate and incomplete explanation on the uses and virtues of his Clairvoyance Ultimate Module, he was finally ready to wrap up the reveal phases. "This concludes our presentation on the Jacket Commander models. Before we proceed with the final Q&A session and lengthy demonstrations that will run all day, let me discuss where you can purchase the mechs of our Swarm Project. The command mech models share the same purchasing channels as the Yellow Jacket models. Currently, I have positive confirmation that they are sold by the Living Mech Corporation, Isthmus Manufacturing and many different manufacturing partners that are directly affiliated with the Red Association. Third-party mech manufacturers are welcome to license the mech designs and fabricate their own versions of the Yellow Jacket and Jacket Commander. However, they must abide by the special rules attached to the licenses, or else they will not be able to produce the best living mechs."

The virtual portals of the LMC and all of the other relevant companies had just been refreshed. "The new Carmine mechs are on sale!" "Wow, the LMC can already ship my order right away. How many Yellow Jackets do they have in stock?!" "Buy 10,000, no, 50,000 copies of the Yellow Jacket B at once!"

The entire exhibition hall grew noisy again as a lot of people already decided that they had to obtain a Carmine mech as quickly as possible!

Ves smiled at this outcome. He was glad to see that his product reveal managed to do an excellent job at selling the Yellow Jacket.

The sales for the Jacket Commander nearly weren't as hot, but that was okay. The less impressive command mech was starting to increase and would probably settle in a nice ratio compared to the Yellow Jackets.

Now that people had finally gained a comprehensive understanding of the entire Swarm Project, people began to form a lot of questions yet again,

The people attending the product reveal in person were able to submit their own questions at the same virtual portal yet again.

Ves followed the previous process in filtering out the junk and keeping the most serious and important questions.

A woman rose up from her seat as the front of a private box became transparent. "Professor Larkinson, these Yellow Jackets are clearly Carmine mechs designed for the common folk. When will you release a more powerful Carmine mech design? Your elemental Carmine mech concept may give us far more options than before."

Ves stood up and faced the questioner. "I do intend to design an elemental Carmine mech and make it available to the public in the future. Before that, I will design more attribute-less Carmine mechs that are targeted to the middle and upper layers of society. Such mechs will present much more attractive options, but at a corresponding price." "How soon will your next Carmine mech models become available?" "I cannot say." Ves genuinely replied. "It depends on many factors, one of which is how well the Yellow Jackets are received. If the Yellow Jackets are widely embraced, then there is not too much pressure to rush the development of a premium Carmine mech. If you want me to work harder, then I am willing to do so if there is a strong enough gap in the market."

This would never happen in reality. The Yellow Jackets had gained so much popularity that all of the virtual purchasing channels had become congested within an hour! "How much stronger will your next. Carmine mechs become, professor?" "I am not sure myself. I do not have access to sufficient information to make a clearer judgment. Only actual experience can improve this quality"

Ves easily dealt with a few simple questions before he received a more significant one. "Professor, if the mech pilot and a Jacket Commander wants to form a Blood Pact, is it possible for the latter to install a Carmine System to make this happen?"

He reluctantly shook his head. "This feature is not available in the current versions of the Jacket Commander. The Jacket Commander is already filled with components. There is not any space left to fit even a small child. Future iterations of this command mech may include an optional Carmine mech, but we have left it out this time because we believe it is not necessary to share any further information."

The absence of a Carmine System was not a flaw to many customers. They already made up their minds to fill the seats with professional mech pilots that possessed the right genetic aptitudes.

This thought caused many leading figures to look back at their own manpower pools.

Perhaps they may be able to use the enhanced guidance of the Jacket Commander to mass produce mech officers!