Pacifica Training Center - MechWarrior Academy or just a SimFarm?

[Mendrugo]

The Crescent Hawk games begin and end with the Pacifica Academy. 

In Crescent Hawk's Inception, it appears the academy has lecture courses and progressively harder live-fire field exercises (Chameleon vs. drones; Chameleon vs. one Locust; Chameleon vs. two Locusts. etc.).  The whole facility was reduced to rubble during a 3028 Kurita invasion (which apparently stayed long enough to install a new puppet government, but was rolled back by Operation GOTTERDAMMERUNG as the 4th Succession War kicked off).

At the end of the Crescent Hawk's Revenge (which I just finished replaying last night), Jason is appointed the Training Instructor for the Pacifica facility.  Morgan Kell's words, however, indicate that "the computers have been programmed to simulate fifty different kinds of 'Mech, including three Clan OmniMechs"  To me, that indicates that the 3052-era academy won't have live-fire exercises, but will be exclusively focused on sim-pod exercises. 

Alternatively, it could be that the Pacifica institute could be using field exercises against holographic opponents.  In the Inception game, you encounter local resident Dr. Edward Tellhim, who demonstrates significant expertise with LosTech holographic technology.  The BattleTech cartoon has also established that some training academies use holographic opponents for field exercises (such as the old SLDF base on Romulus). 

The Objectives: Lyran Alliance book did not, to my recollection, list the Pacifica academy as a going concern at that time.  Your thoughts on its fate?  Chara was absorbed into the Blake Protectorate as of the 3072-dated map, so the school may just have been shut down when they took over.

[cavingjan]

Don't most training facilities use both? It doesn't have to be one vs the other. They coexist nicely.

[Mendrugo]

What piqued my interest was that, in the training scenarios, the possibly holographic foes can move around the map.  Circa 3057, the holographic decoys used by ComStar for training exercises at its Sandhurst academy are immobile.  Having mobile holographic 'Mechs in field exercises would imply a significant investment in cutting edge LosTech for the Pacifica facility. 

The question is, with Melissa and Morgan's backing (and presumably using research done by the NAIS and Tellhim), could they have mobile holograms for field exercises in 3052, or is it more likely the "Training Ground" Search & Destroy missions are just sim-pod exercises?

When Kai does a training run through a field exercise, his computer projects images of battlefield units onto stationary target structures, so that seems to be the "standard" field training technology in use circa 3050 for the FedCom.  Mobile holo-targets would seem to be something significantly more advanced (even more advanced than what ComStar fields for its best and brightest.

[mike19k]

How do you play them now? Is there an emulator out or something?

[Mendrugo]

Revenge runs fine on Windows 10 in DosBox. 

[glitterboy2098]

What piqued my interest was that, in the training scenarios, the possibly holographic foes can move around the map.  Circa 3057, the holographic decoys used by ComStar for training exercises at its Sandhurst academy are immobile.  Having mobile holographic 'Mechs in field exercises would imply a significant investment in cutting edge LosTech for the Pacifica facility. 

The question is, with Melissa and Morgan's backing (and presumably using research done by the NAIS and Tellhim), could they have mobile holograms for field exercises in 3052, or is it more likely the "Training Ground" Search & Destroy missions are just sim-pod exercises?

When Kai does a training run through a field exercise, his computer projects images of battlefield units onto stationary target structures, so that seems to be the "standard" field training technology in use circa 3050 for the FedCom.  Mobile holo-targets would seem to be something significantly more advanced (even more advanced than what ComStar fields for its best and brightest.

real world live fire training includes simulated battles where tank/IFV units can assume a series of positions, and the enemy comes at them in a variety of pre-programmed ways.. with the enemy being represented by a series of "pop-up" targets that raise and lower according to the simulated movements.

i could see a similar set up for live fire training in battletech, using holographic and sensor-deception.

that said, i suspect that it would still largely be "pass through this area, engage any targets that appear", more of a fancy gunnery range.
learning manuever vs manuever style combat would still mainly be a case of MILES gear and a dedicated "red force" opponent unit.

[skiltao]

When Kai does a training run through a field exercise, his computer projects images of battlefield units onto stationary target structures, so that seems to be the "standard" field training technology in use circa 3050 for the FedCom. 

This method could be used with non-stationary targets as well, right? Unlike a holographic firing range, though, it'd be limited to units with adequate on-board computers, and you'd have to have competent pilots (I imagine facility staff) in the OpFor 'Mechs... isn't this something like how the Chameleon was supposed to work, big torso slats that let you mock it up as other 'Mechs, and training lasers to record simulated damage?

[Intermittent_Coherence]

I thought the mechs' onboard computers could be networked together for simulated combat?

[beachhead1985]

At the end of the Crescent Hawk's Revenge (which I just finished replaying last night), Jason is appointed the Training Instructor for the Pacifica facility.  Morgan Kell's words, however, indicate that "the computers have been programmed to simulate fifty different kinds of 'Mech, including three Clan OmniMechs"  To me, that indicates that the 3052-era academy won't have live-fire exercises, but will be exclusively focused on sim-pod exercises. 

I think this would be an unwarranted assumption

Since holographics would be harder to source and realize than live-fire during this period, it was probably a mix of sims and live ranges.

[Frabby]

Similar to what Skiltao said, I always assumed they would make use of Chameleons as target drones and their ability to simulate other designs. We know that onboard computers can run a simulation mode to register "hits" from down-powered weapons and simulate "damage" to your 'Mech accordingly; and Chameleons supposedly go to eleven there.