The battle for Twycross; this desperate gamble by the AFFC (Armed Forces of the Federated Commonwealth) is being touted as a pivotal battle on the scale of the torching of New Vandenberg in the Reunification or Kerensky's Battle For Terra. New tactics, 'Davion Bravado', 'Steiner Determination', and daring planning are all major reasons reporters are giving for the victory. But facts are that two daring people and one Hatchetman turned the tide and won the day for the Inner Sphere's largest state. Thanks to BattleTechnology reporters and courageous chroniclers from the FASA Corporation, we all know of Kai Allard-Liao's bravery against a regiment of Jade Falcons. Yet without his unnamed co-pilot to assist him he could never have held off the Clan forces long enough to destroy that key pass, burying the Falcons under a mountain of stone. (Ed note: See the novel Lethal Heritage, by Michael A Stackpole, for a more complete explanation of this incident.) This accidental teaming of pilot and co-pilot brings to light an idea that has too long been forgotten. Four hundred years ago Star League Battlemasters with expanded command cockpits led the elite regiments of the era. Though it is an old idea, the concept of multi-use cockpits is only now being explored in depth. Since the fall of the Star League, technology has concerned itself with quantity, not progress. This priority has been maintained to such an extent that even simple upgrades in technology are often lost to the military treadmill. Today after 300 years of deadly war, we have seen a birth of new thought and fresh ideas which has given the unique Battlemaster cockpit a handful of new cousins. Exploration of Head Space In the Capellan Confederation, research concentrates on strengthening an undersized army. Scout tanks take advantage of larger crew space to increase the range of their patrols. BattleMech researchers are conducting research to extend the patrol range of 'Mechs. One solution is to expand the cockpit of Vindicators, Whitworths, Grasshoppers, and Ravens. By sacrificing a small amount of firepower, researchers hope to instal a small cabin capable of supporting two MechWarriors for four to five days. Success so far has been limited to a small number of test models. The Banzai Weapons Company has recently announced plans to improve on the unique Hatchetman ejection systems. Scientists plan to move much of the cockpit sensors and avionics into the chest section. The space opened up in the head by this move is to be filled with a larger fuel tank, stronger rocket motors, and retractable steering vanes. Team Banzai hopes to extend the ejection range of the head assembly to at least 25 km. We can assume that success would mean the Wolfhound and Axman would also see these modifications on their newer models. House Kurita's 'secret alliance' with ComStar netted them a number of Star League Battlemasters. Kanrei Theodore Kurita immediately recognized their tactical value (on occasions during the 3039 war, he gave up his trademark Orion to take the back seat in a Battlemaster), and ordered research into incorporating the design into other command 'Mechs. While the classic Kurita command 'Mech, the Dragon, is too small to sacrifice the tonnage for such specialized equipment, the 90 ton Cyclops may very well see a resurrection as a command 'Mech. Controversy in Results Perhaps the most common and controversial design is the DCC, Dual Cockpit Combat System. The basic intent of this system is to separate the tasks of piloting and gunnery into separate systems and roles. It provides a two-seated cockpit with specialized controls to increase efficiency. Though it's commonly thought to be a NAIS brainchild, the DCC has actually evolved in two separate Houses and four organizations. The New Avalon Institute of Science built its ideas into the VNT-1 A Ventilator (Ed Note: The original Ventilator appeared in BattleTechnology # 15). While the Ventilator was not a true Dual Combat System, the presence of the Weapons System Technician greatly reduced the pressure put on the MechWarrior. Recentwork at NAIS produced three Ventilator prototyped. Two of these are nearly identical to the original, while the third is the first NAIS working model of a DCC 'Mech, with all weapons controlled from the gunner's seat. House Kurita originally came across references to the Ventilator design in their Grey Death computer core. It wasn't until their DCMS forces encountered the original NAIS version of the Ventilator that DCMS researchers began research to create their own DCC systems. It is rumored that a mercenary company called Brendon's Bashers has field tested a production model against the Smoke Jaguars on Chupadero. Before we were asked to leave Sudeten, we learned that a Steiner mercenary unit, the Wyld Stallions, possesses two 'Mechs with battletested Dual Combat Cockpits. (Ed Note: Duringthe major Federated Commonwealth planning session which proceeded the action on Twycross, reporter Holloway is alleged to have used his friendshipwith certain cadets to gain access to the AFFC's main Battle Computer. The charge resulted in the BattleTechnology DropShip being required to leave Sudeten with all personnel on the next available transport. Without commenting on the charges, BattleTech nology wishes to thank Field Marshal Lisa Steiner for her aid in resolving an unfortunate misunderstanding.) The Controversy Despite being proven in testing by two House Armies and battlefield testing by two mercenary units, the DCC is far from gaining widespread acceptance. The largest storm of controversy revolves around the need for using two fully trained MechWarriors to pilot a single 'Mech. Opponents to the DCC cite the required training time (at least four months) which these teams must spend before they can perform at regular House standards. An additional four to eight months of training is required before the team begins to surpass individual pilots of comparable experience. The greatest advantage as shown by experimental teams is the greatly increased 'Mech performance and weapons accuracy. With each MechWarrior able to concentrate on one job, he performs that job with marked improvement. The Gunner becomes more accurate; the Pilot more agile. The secondary controls at each station ensure that either MechWarrior can perform any duty of the 'Mech should the other be busy or injured. It should be noted that each station is laid out with the controls specific to the job most accessible. While the DCC is still controversial, the Stallions and NAIS intend to implement DCC pilot training programs. If nothing else, they both hope that MechWarriors trained in this manner will make excellent lancemates in a conventional lance. Simulation Rules for the DCC To receive the advantages for Dual Combat Cockpits all of the listed requirements must be met. All characters must have the skill 'DCC Training' at level 3, and a designated training partner. New characters must purchase DCC training at the cost of 3 pts for three levels. If choosing Academy or University packages, he may exchange one of his level 2 skills for three levels of DCC training at no additional cost. He may also exchange a level 1 skill for this training at the cost of one skill point. Established characters must purchase one level of DCC Training at normal skill costs to begin training. After four months they may increase to level 2 at normal cost. After eight months the 3rd and final level maybe purchased. If the characters train for twelve full months, the third level is free. Two characters with DCC training who did not train together must train for four months to repurchase the third level in DCC. If they train together for nine months, this level is free. A character may never have more than one partner at a time. Training constitutes at least four hours a day six days a week. Time not spent in training is not counted. DCC pilots must have a properly modified 'Mech. To modify an existing 'Mech requires aTech with Tech/Mech 4, Tech/Elec 3, Engineering 4, Computer 3, and a BattleMech repair facility capable of full reconstruction. Level 1 DCC pilots perform together at +1 to all rolls Level 2 DCC pilots perform at normal modifiers. At level 3, the following advantages are gained: Pilot : -1 to all piloting rolls. Pilot does not have to make a skill roll until he receives 30 pts of damage in one turn. If the Pilot makes a successful skill roll at +6 he can keep a 'Mech standing after losing a leg. 'Mech's MPs and stability are unaffected by the first destroyed leg actuator. When second actuator is lost, regular modifiers apply. A successful roll at +8 allows a pilot to keep his 'Mech standing after its second Gyro hit. A +6 roll allows the 'Mech to walk with a gyro hit. Due to increased mobility, a DCC 'Mech is harder to hit. Moved 0-2, +1 to hit Moved 3-4 +2 to hit Moved 5-6 +3 to hit Moved 7-9 +4 to hit Moved 10+, +5 to hit A 'Mech that jumps 6 hexes is at +4. Gunner: -1 to all Gunnery Rolls Attacker Movement Modifiers Stationery: 0 Walked: 0 Ran: +2 Jumped: +2 Sensor hits add +1 not +2 to rolls. A prone DCC 'Mech is at +1, not +2 A DCC Gunner can engage two targets at no modifier for the second target. The third target is at +1. Should either MechWarrior in a DCC 'Mech be absent or incapacitated, the other can pilot the 'Mech with the following modifiers: Pilot: All Pilot bonuses are lost while attempting combat. All Gunnery rolls at +1. Gunner: All Gunnery bonuses lost. All Piloting rolls are at +1. 'Mech Construction, Hit Sheet Details A dual cockpit adds one ton in weight, one critical space to the head. When constructing the Critical Hit Table for the head, the two spaces should be marked 'Cockpit:Pilot' and Cockpit: Gunner'. As described in the text, a hit to one does not knock out the other, but forces the 'Mech to be piloted or fought at a disadvantage. Back to BattleTechnology 17 Table of Contents Back to BattleTechnology List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 1992 by Pacific Rim Publishing. This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com