Gigantic feet...not that that's a bad thing. I do wonder how useful those hands really are, though.
The hands are for punching! Obviously.
I wonder how useful the hands on any 'Mech are. I mean, on the smaller scout mechs, it kinda makes sense, if you're actually using them as scouts. They'd have to bend trees back while bushwhacking, or might need to rip open a hangar door if they're on an espionage mission. But otherwise, it's my understanding that the control systems are too clunky for hands to be much use on any mech, except for modular weaponry. But the only ones that I remember which actually carried handheld rifles are the incubus, Wasp and Valkyrie, all of which had to be removed due to copyright stuff if I'm not mistaken.
And later designs for the valkyrie and wasp featured integrated weapons, which makes the incubus the only one I know of that uses handheld.
I wonder how useful the hands on any 'Mech are. I mean, on the smaller scout mechs, it kinda makes sense, if you're actually using them as scouts. They'd have to bend trees back while bushwhacking, or might need to rip open a hangar door if they're on an espionage mission. But otherwise, it's my understanding that the control systems are too clunky for hands to be much use on any mech, except for modular weaponry. But the only ones that I remember which actually carried handheld rifles are the incubus, Wasp and Valkyrie, all of which had to be removed due to copyright stuff if I'm not mistaken.
And later designs for the valkyrie and wasp featured integrated weapons, which makes the incubus the only one I know of that uses handheld.
The Incubus was revised as well, as the Incubus/Vixen 4, which has a laser stuck on the side of its forearm.
From reading XTRO: Corporations, it's revealed that any mech designs that had the appearance of hand-held weaponry were really just sculpted to look like they were holding things. One of the experimental designs in the XTRO is a Quickdraw with interchangeable handheld weapons and hoists on its back for others. The description comes down on the concept like a hammer and states flat-out that the concept is extremely impractical considering the TSM needed in the arms to even lift the things and the need for numerous "gun caddy" vehicles to haul its extra weapons around.
I think even axe or sword-wielding mechs just have a sculpted fist with a melee weapon stuck through it...
When I questioned the usefulness of the Lupus' hands, I meant in terms of its relatively short arms, as well as the laser barrels that extend past the knuckles.
From reading XTRO: Corporations, it's revealed that any mech designs that had the appearance of hand-held weaponry were really just sculpted to look like they were holding things. One of the experimental designs in the XTRO is a Quickdraw with interchangeable handheld weapons and hoists on its back for others. The description comes down on the concept like a hammer and states flat-out that the concept is extremely impractical considering the TSM needed in the arms to even lift the things and the need for numerous "gun caddy" vehicles to haul its extra weapons around.
I think even axe or sword-wielding mechs just have a sculpted fist with a melee weapon stuck through it...
When I questioned the usefulness of the Lupus' hands, I meant in terms of its relatively short arms, as well as the laser barrels that extend past the knuckles.
Yeah as I've always understood it in the BattleTech universe, hand held weapons are built into the arm. It would seem massively impractical to use energy to hold a weapon physically (or ~cringe~ pull a giant gun's trigger each time it fires) when you could simply do it by structurally integrating (or in the case of firing: a simple electrical switch/signal!) I got that impression based on reading a LOT of the novels (not all though) and any bit of sourcebook material I could get my hands on.
With melee weapons, maybe its less clear? I think the weapons is definitely built into the arm because you have to allow volume (critical slots) and weight for it in the design. However the Mech can still control the weapons with some finer tuning.
I think the use of arms is primarily dependent on the Mechwarrior's skill. However it is described in general as terribly difficult to perform actions like picking up a pilot (happens a few times in the novels).
With melee weapons, maybe its less clear? I think the weapons is definitely built into the arm because you have to allow volume (critical slots) and weight for it in the design. However the Mech can still control the weapons with some finer tuning.
I think the use of arms is primarily dependent on the Mechwarrior's skill. However it is described in general as terribly difficult to perform actions like picking up a pilot (happens a few times in the novels).
Terribly difficult unless you're a Manei Domini with Vehicular Direct Neural Interface implants. Then the mech moves exactly how you want it to, with the slight down-side of having 10-15 years left to live at the most.
What I want to know is, if the Neurohelmet is so invasive that damage to the mech is felt by the wearer, then why can't an experienced (or strong-willed) mechwarrior train themselves to operate at the same level as someone with VDNI? Piloting a mech would (given what we know about neuroelasticity) be like biofeedback training after a while, resulting in more and more ability by the pilot to fine-tune their neural impulses to achieve desired effects.
Battle Armor already has stuff like manipulators slaved to the wearer's hands. This much is a given. Why can't that be applied to a 'mech? Mech's are myomer-driven, not gear-driven, so they shouldn't have a limit to how precise they can be.
What I want to know is, if the Neurohelmet is so invasive that damage to the mech is felt by the wearer, then why can't an experienced (or strong-willed) mechwarrior train themselves to operate at the same level as someone with VDNI? Piloting a mech would (given what we know about neuroelasticity) be like biofeedback training after a while, resulting in more and more ability by the pilot to fine-tune their neural impulses to achieve desired effects.
Battle Armor already has stuff like manipulators slaved to the wearer's hands. This much is a given. Why can't that be applied to a 'mech? Mech's are myomer-driven, not gear-driven, so they shouldn't have a limit to how precise they can be.
Yeah those darn cyborgs got all the advantages in battle. Luckily with the insanity handicap they won't be threats for too long.
What you said on the neurohelmet makes a lot of sense. It seems they'd be able to "learn" the right moves after awhile. I sorta think they can, provided its the same model of Mech or the same particular Mech. If you were to rebalance all of the gear though I could see that potentially realigning the Mechs sense of balance to a point where it would be like pushing reset on the Mechwarrior's experience. Even in that case though, you'd still think guys would get use to that process too if they experienced it often enough.
On the battle armor, I think there's less fiction out there or fluff as some may say to describe the amount of control. They can definitely use some armors to hold weapons since that is stated for suits like the Tornado PAL. Maybe it depends a lot on the particular design or its resemblance to controlling a human hand...?
What you said on the neurohelmet makes a lot of sense. It seems they'd be able to "learn" the right moves after awhile. I sorta think they can, provided its the same model of Mech or the same particular Mech. If you were to rebalance all of the gear though I could see that potentially realigning the Mechs sense of balance to a point where it would be like pushing reset on the Mechwarrior's experience. Even in that case though, you'd still think guys would get use to that process too if they experienced it often enough.
On the battle armor, I think there's less fiction out there or fluff as some may say to describe the amount of control. They can definitely use some armors to hold weapons since that is stated for suits like the Tornado PAL. Maybe it depends a lot on the particular design or its resemblance to controlling a human hand...?
Well according to Techmanual all you have to do is push the mechs grab button and point the cross hairs at the object you want and pull the trigger, though you probly would not want to use that if you want to pick up a delicate object. For that many mechs are equipped with waldos or sensors in the pilots gloves.
As for the Neuralhelmet, More skilled mechwarriors can and do get more from the mechs, due to a "closer" connection they have via the helmet. Though this advantage is not regularly seen in game.
One such thing a skilled mechwarrior can do is get their mech to do a handstand (though it probably helps to have a faster light or medium mech). Another is where a mechwarrior can make his mech move in ways not typically done with that type of mech (i.e. making a biped move sideways like a quad).
As for the Neuralhelmet, More skilled mechwarriors can and do get more from the mechs, due to a "closer" connection they have via the helmet. Though this advantage is not regularly seen in game.
One such thing a skilled mechwarrior can do is get their mech to do a handstand (though it probably helps to have a faster light or medium mech). Another is where a mechwarrior can make his mech move in ways not typically done with that type of mech (i.e. making a biped move sideways like a quad).
The Shadow Hawk from the Gray Death Legion novels by William Keith had hands.
but not hand-held weapons, or did it? Sorry, didn't read the novel 
In the novel it's not clear if the autocannon is positioned on the shoulder and activated via a hand-trigger; or if it's simpli positioned horizontally to fire but not using the hand.