Chapter 6207 Luck or Skill

Chapter 6207 Luck or Skill

The question of whether to shape the first commercial Carmine mech as a thick or thin machine was of great import.

This design choice would affect all of the subsequent choices for the mech design. It could change the lives of a huge amount of Carmine mechs and directly affect their lives and careers!

Millions of heroes would rise and fall solely due to the consequences of this critical design choice!

Since all three Seniors understood the enormous implications of this critical decision, none of them dared to treat the matter so casually.

While they weren't willing to start an entire committee presided by Master Mech Designers over this single issue, they did not want to make a proper decision before they fully explored the implications of either choice.

"I think that we cannot ignore the economic burden of the first Carmine mech." Jovy said. "Human lives are important, but resources are important as well. Small decisions can have a disproportionate effect on the economy and the industry of human civilization if the product becomes popular enough. It is practically set in stone that the first Carmine mech will be produced on a scale unlike anything we have witnessed in the new frontier. The less of a burden we can impose on the producers and resource extractors of red humanity, the better off everyone else will be. It is difficult to point out the benefits of designing a lighter Carmine mech, but they definitely exist."

Ves nodded in agreement. He could easily see how this may be true despite the fact that he had no background in economics and industrial policy.

"Many more Carmine mech pilots will die, though." He voiced a counterargument. "Is it truly right to make life more difficult for these enthusiastic if incompetent amateurs just to save on costs?"

Jovy remained unperturbed. "I am aware that most early Carmine pilots will not possess the skill to know how to evade damage while piloting a highly maneuverable machine. As callous as it is to say it, but the lives of norms who are neither professional soldiers or a member of another high-value profession are not that valuable. That does not mean that we should squander their lives at will. What matters is what sort of Carmine pilots will survive the crucible of war and thrive in the coming years."

"Please elaborate."

"Think about it, Ves. The heavier Carmine mech is more user friendly, but that will also make Carmine pilots lazier and less incentivized to practice the art of avoiding damage. As far as casualties are concerned, it is not unacceptable for the Carmine mechs and pilots to die or lose their combat effectiveness, but the sacrifices must be worth it. Death as a consequence of lacking skill over the normal course of combat is a productive process. Those who are luckier, more skilled or more attentive will survive more often than not. Those who die are simply the less powerful of the group."

"What if they die because they are a poor fit for light mechs?" Vector asked.

"Then they should wait until a heavier Carmine mech becomes available." Jovy shrugged his shoulders. "What I despise are losses that result from poor retreat capabilities. It is a waste to allow Carmine mechs and pilots to perish due to factors that are mostly outside of their control. It is neither fair nor efficient to let them suffer disproportionate losses due to lacking numbers or getting outnumbered. Red humanity needs all of the skilled fighting bodies it can get, especially during the Red Tide Offensive."

"What if those 'fighting bodies' get cold feet and flee without authorization?"

"That is what the command mech is for, correct, Ves?"

The mech designer in question smirked. "Yup. The original designations for the two mechs are 'master mech' and 'slave mech'. Considering that it will be harder to sell the latter by calling them this way, I decided to refer to them with the less controversial phrase 'subordinate mech' instead. Still, my underlying ideas haven't changed all that much. There are at least two forms of hard control that can ensure that the slaves cannot act in opposition to their orders."

"Two?"

"Well, the obvious answer that you are thinking about is a way for the command mech to override the operation of a subordinate mech. This is pretty straightforward, though it leaves the latter with obvious vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit. I am thinking about basing a part of this hard control method on both conventional technology and E-technology, so enemies must gain extensive masteries in both before they can feasibly sabotage Carmine mechs."

"This... is not an ideal method." Vector Loban frowned. "Many customers will find it difficult to trust their Carmine mechs if they are vulnerable to such a devastating threat."

"That is why I favor another solution, which is to rely on the living mechs to control their partners."

"Pardon?! Are you actually suggesting that the mech takes up a dominant position over the mech pilot in defiance of one of the central principles of our industry?!"

Ah. Ves overlooked this pesky factor. The Transhumanist justifiably expressed concern on this matter. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Instead of addressing this subject directly, he pointedly turned to the Survivalist.

Ves curiously picked up the die and casually tossed it onto the table.

5.

"Again."

"Again."

2.

"Again."

6.

6.

"Again."

6.

"Have you seen enough?"

"I think I get it." Ves said. "You can manipulate probabilities a lot easier if you have greater agency over the outcome. Trying to get lucky by trying to manipulate the behavior of enemies is much harder and more energy intensive than trying to manipulate your own actions."

"The same argument applies to your Carmine mech. The lighter machine relies much more on factors that are under the control of the mech and mech pilot to survive and perform well. The heavier and clumsier products do not possess this advantage. If you want to maximize my contribution on this project, then proceed with the smaller and lighter version."

That was a very compelling argument. Ves already became convinced. He really wanted to see a proper mech that properly took advantage of Jovy's exotic specialization. He had been waiting for many years to witness the performance of such a reality defying machine!

"Vector?"

"I am convinced. My colleague here possesses a design philosophy with high potential that is hard to counter and guard against. It would be a dereliction of our duty if we do not give full play to Jovy's strengths."

They came to a consensus on this matter. Ves had no doubt that heavier and much better armored Carmine mechs would come out in due time, but the first ones had to be light and maneuverable.

It was a lot easier to make other design choices after making this key determination.

"It is fitting for the subordinate mechs to be light and fast." Jovy smiled. "That does not mean they must be fragile. The more premium first-class and second-class variants that can be developed later can mount azure shield generators in order to boost their survivability. They will resemble alien phasefighters much more closely in this regard."

He did not mention anything of the sort for third-class variants.

Thank you for reading my work. If you wish to support The Mech Touch, please vote with your golden tickets!

Purchase Privilege for The Mech Touch! Read a varying amount of chapters ahead of regular readers while enjoying a 99% discount on unlocking new chapters!

Join The Mech Touch's unofficial Discord server: https://discord.gg/APB5KCU