War Walkers

[Scarlet Shocker]

Is there a pilot, a living person, in charge of the War Walker, or is it simply an automaton guided by a highly sophisticated computer?

 

I appreciate that when these were invented, only a decade or so ago that would have been a clear cut question but now... well less simple but my question is does it have a living breathing pilot?

 

If it does can we get a collaboration with MechWarriorOnline? 🤣

 

That's flippant and frivolous but Atlas vs children of Atlas has some merit but I'm more curious about the lore aspect of these things and where their "protopilots" come from. Skyraiders? Nemesis? There seem to be a lot of mechanically propelled large opponents (MPLOs?) but it seems some may and some may not. 

 

I want to know why Longbow and/or Vanguard or Hero Corpse haven't utilised them? I know Vanguard has its heavy mechs and they seem to be autonomously mechanical. Longbow have them but seemingly only in some alternative future. Hero Corps are always behind the curve. Arachnos seem to have some but... not often and RIP never, which I find surprising. 

 

But why do the Council and other universally acknowledged bad guys get them when the good guys don't get anything close?

 

Also can I get their orbital cannons? 

[biostem]

2 minutes ago, Scarlet Shocker said:

Is there a pilot, a living person, in charge of the War Walker, or is it simply an automaton guided by a highly sophisticated computer?

I believe they are entirely robotic, with Siege having his AI based upon Tyrant's brain patterns or some such.  I think it's Malta [possibly?] and definitely the Nemesis War Hulks that have organic components.

[Triumphant]

The giant 5th column walkers in Imperious TF have open hatches where you can see the cockpit.  So these, at least, are piloted vehicles like a kind of dieselpunk mecha.  I always felt like the malta bots and council mekmen were fully automated.  Not sure why- they just give me that vibe.  Especially the mekmen, which feel like classic evil robot minions.  Nemesis are clearly organic as you can see the shapes of the dudes floating inside (well, the War Hulks, at least).  Not as sure about those little quad brass guys with the pop-out flame throwers.

[srmalloy]

7 hours ago, Triumphant said:

The giant 5th column walkers in Imperious TF have open hatches where you can see the cockpit.

Also, IIRC, the giant walker at the end of the Hess TF.

[tidge]

14 hours ago, Triumphant said:

The giant 5th column walkers in Imperious TF have open hatches where you can see the cockpit.  So these, at least, are piloted vehicles like a kind of dieselpunk mecha.  I always felt like the malta bots and council mekmen were fully automated.  Not sure why- they just give me that vibe. 

 

There is a Malta arc (from Crimson) that gives the origin of their robots.

 

We don't get a good explanation of 5th Column/Council robots (MekMen, Valkyries, et al), but it is pretty clear they are simply being manufactured.

 

The Nemesis werfers and automatons are pretty clearly just brasspunk, but the dialog and various arcs are wildly inconsistent about their behavior and how they are perceived IMO.

[Uun]

17 hours ago, biostem said:

I believe they are entirely robotic, with Siege having his AI based upon Tyrant's brain patterns or some such. 

Siege's in-game description:

 

Siege is the most advanced android ever created on Praetorian Earth. His original body was destroyed by Primal heroes years ago, and ever since, he has been transplanting his neural networks into newer and newer model Clockworks. Siege relies on multiple backup copies of his programming, which at times hinders what he has experienced versus what he remembers.

 

 

[Snarky]

someone smart recently told me he reason nemesis uses humans for his creations is he dislikes computers.  so he uses "wet ware" even captives can be used, as he needs the automatic brain systems.  the Jaegers, they could be animal types.  dog brains for instance.  them shooting might be the bark response to enemies, or bite response

[biostem]

1 hour ago, Uun said:

Siege's in-game description

Thanks for the correction.  It was Nightstar whose mind was based upon or at least inspired by, someone else, (Dominatrix).

[golstat2003]

4 hours ago, Snarky said:

someone smart recently told me he reason nemesis uses humans for his creations is he dislikes computers.  so he uses "wet ware" even captives can be used, as he needs the automatic brain systems.  the Jaegers, they could be animal types.  dog brains for instance.  them shooting might be the bark response to enemies, or bite response

 

Just saying, fiction versus fantasy incomng?

 

https://neuralink.com/https://neuralink.com/

[srmalloy]

7 hours ago, Snarky said:

the Jaegers, they could be animal types.  dog brains for instance.  them shooting might be the bark response to enemies, or bite response

If so, they're not all lower forms; a number of the jägers speak, either out in the open world or in instanced missions. They might be what happens when one of Nemesis' soldiers is too badly injured to survive being put into a Warhulk.

[Techwright]

On 8/23/2025 at 5:55 PM, Triumphant said:

 I always felt like the malta bots and council mekmen were fully automated.  Not sure why- they just give me that vibe. 

 

Malta's big bots definitely have organics involved.  See Crimson's mission arc for the background of that.  I think, if I remember right, it was once stated that the Sky Raider's jumpbots have a human origin.  Whether that is organic, and therefore cyber, or whether that is from scanning a mind, I'm not sure.  I also don't know if that process is used on their giant crimson robot at the end of Market Crash or not.

[huang3721]

On 8/24/2025 at 3:30 AM, Scarlet Shocker said:

Also can I get their orbital cannons? 

The time between issuing an attack and the laser hitting its target takes less than 5 minutes, so either someone put an overwhelmingly powerful cannon on geostationary orbit or dozens of smaller cannons on LEO. And there's more: the weapon system is on par with WMDs.

 

I am not sure which one is straining my suspension of disbelief: non-state entities have enough money to fund, build, and launch WMDs into orbit in such a short time, or other world governments are being chill with those rogue entities placing death lasers above their head.