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2/11/2020 3:29:27 AM
13
How to write from the perspective of a pilot?
Good evening everybody! This is Aifos coming to you alive from—
. . .
Actually, Pops, doesthis city have a name?
Pops: “I’m glad you asked! This city is the culmination of my genius, a great sanctuary of justice! A monument to the-“
How about “Neonburg”?
Pops: “Yeah, that works, too.”
So, Offtopic, have I ever mentioned how much I love mech suits? No really, I [i]love[/i] mech suits! There’s something about giant pilotable humanoid robots that’s just [i]so cool[/i]!
But I’ve never written anything with mech suits. Partially because I mostly write fantasy, but also because I honestly don’t know how. If you have a movie or TV show of someone piloting a mech, there’s usually shots both inside—reminding you it’s a person—and outside—remind you it’s a mech—amd with games there’s usually some sort of picture of the person’s face from within the mech every time they talk, serving the same purpose.
But, how do you strike that balance in writing?
This applies to more than mechs, of course, but the question popped in my head while playing Stardust Galaxy Warriors: Stellar Climax, so I’m going to focus on mechs.
I’m not actually planning on writing anything (for now) but it’s a question that’s been on my mind.
[b][u]Tl;dr? Here’s my point![/u][/b]
How do you write from the perspective of a pilot, reminding the reader of both the pilot & the (vehicle) without awkwardly jumping back & forth?
This is normally the part where I’d say “Thanks in advance, jambuhbye!”, but let’s mix things up. I’m signing off [url=https://youtu.be/0R77lHxSyiA]WITH A GIANT MECH SUIT![/url]
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[i] Highway to the DANGER-ZONE![/i]
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1 ReplyTitanfall has done a good job with their pilot/titan interaction, its helped by the fact that the titan has some degree of a personality and communicates with the pilot, an example of this is BT-7274 and the pilot/friendly NPCs from Titanfall 2, where he will talk with them and offer suggestions on plans and such. If the mech suit has a personality, like BT, then there should be interaction between them, even if its just rudimentary notifications on the surrounding situation, like I've noticed come from the titans in Titanfall 2's multiplayer, which even suggest relocating out of danger. This goes for all characters, not just the pilot, if the writing will allow. If the mech(s) don't have any personality you can disregard the above. Include the pilots transitions to/from the mech, As well as his actions and current state, is he in the mech or sitting on top of it, or is he down on the ground or an access gantry, or resting in nearby tree enjoying the peace of a lull in the fighting? Also, the pilots interactions with the other characters, like when they are having a conversation, being polite and not shutting the hatch untill they're done talking or swapping over to using the radio/ the loudspeaker/PA system built into the mech? That's all I've got currently, it all works in my head as theory, but I've never actually given it any thought or practice. Now I should.
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5 RepliesHave you tried writing from the perspective of an airplane pilot? I'd imagine they might be similar.
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1 ReplyThe agonising screech of steel on steel reverberated through the chassis as he bore down on the control column with all the strength he could muster. As he watched, the external feed screens began to die off one by one, replacing his only view of the battlefield with featureless static. “No you don’t you big bastārd” he muttered, hands frantically pulling the hydraulic releases for the mechs shoulder locks. Without warning, a deafening roar split the air within the cockpit, the sound closely followed by a gut wrenching shudder. The right arm was gone, and his main weapons with it. Gritting his teeth, Farcoughs eyes fell upon the emergency release. His hand came down to grasp the lever for a moment..but he did not pull. Narrowing his eyes, he glanced over at one of the few tac-screens he still had, watching as a second assault class mech came lumbering toward his unit from the left. “If I’m going, you’re all coming with me” And with that, he flicked up a safety cover to reveal a flashing red beacon between his knees. Core Overload. “TIME TO BURN YOU PRICKS!” [spoiler]thats how I’d go about it, the focus being on the pilot but in such a way that his actions are a constant reminder of what he is piloting..I dunno if that’s any good or if it’s how you’d do it, but that’s how I picture it 😁[/spoiler]
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🙂 ✈️ Like this.
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1 ReplyPlay Ace Combat 5 and then you'll know
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... Maybe try referencing the mech's actions to the various controls the pilot is manipulating inside... [spoiler]not included in the DLC[/spoiler]
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6 RepliesEdited by shell: 2/11/2020 3:52:07 PMYou might want to describe the process of taking control/turning on the mech in more detail, as well as give an idea of the general shape of the cockpit and the display/viewport to help put readers in the pilot's shoes. Beyond that, write what the mech is doing, punctuated by the pilot's thoughts. Only put the focus on the pilot's movements in the cockpit during quiet, introspective scenes. Writing this, I realize it's not much different from television, only the tiny details of all the flips and switches should be left to the audience's imagination. You can add more detail if you want, but I don't think it's vital to do so.
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10 RepliesA person is a pilot. Something along the lines of showing the layout of controls. And the activation, then let the carnage ensue. It’s basically a walking tank after all.
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7 RepliesIs the pilot permanently inside the mech? If so it's just a case of writing what the mech does, and what the pilot says and thinks, possibly describing the way the pilot controls the mech (but only the first time it happens). If not, then you can just keep the two separate - use the pilot as a regular, human character the same way you'd normally write that, and use the mech as a regular vehicle the same way you'd normally write that. It's not something I've ever written so I don't know much better than that.
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Edited by f3: 2/11/2020 12:48:26 PMYou’re writing from the perspective of the pilot. You wouldn’t really be “jumping back and forth”, and I think you’d find it hard to make it awkward.
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6 RepliesEdited by Ronin: 2/11/2020 5:08:22 AMI would think writing dialogue from the pilot, while also flipping perspectives from time to time and describing what the mech is doing, would accomplish that purpose. The dialogue from the pilot reminds you there’s a person in there. Perhaps you could also give thoughts, emotions, stuff like that. In a game, show, or movie, they have to rely on dialogue to communicate a character’s thoughts. In writing, you can expand on the unspoken stuff. As for the perspective of the mech, I think either describing what the mech does as what the [i]mech[/i] does and not what the pilot does to control the mech would work. I also think that the occasional perspective shift to an unnamed bystander would be useful, or even to another major character you have, show the thoughts, emotions, and feelings that arise upon seeing that mech in that other character.
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3 RepliesI don’t know how to help ya but Bump!
