crommands

Honestly, such a headstrong pilot would have a good chance to become an ace🤣. Having the mech community figure out how to utilize such a pilot and if building non-combat expert (candidate) mechs is worth it could be a fun side story. Collectors would probably love it and finance it just because. But a non-combat pilot could also develop a will useful for combat, such as strength or endurance. Or maybe a bit of creativity is needed and mining includes "ripping it out of enemy mechs" with a drill or something😄.

I think you mean the non-humanoid amphibian mech he has to design, produce and sell to 1 customer, who then has to use it in an amphibian battle environment(so not necessarily a battle?). But yeah I think that mission is still left open since chapter 2092. In the chapter 3117 Ves' status already included the senior battle mechatronics, but Exlor corrected it to Journeyman. Maybe Ves/Exlor finally starts this commercial mech project so he can get this skill.

Additionally, non-combat Mechs have a longer life span, so they could show off the pilot&mech growth better. But society doesn't seem to respect them or their pilots too much. At least if some breakthrough of a low skilled worker or miner occurs then that would be some great advertising for Ves.

So far they have only considered normal industry enemies, but such a public and successful spiritual engineering work is also practically guranteed to catch some of the compact's attention.

I do hope Ves gets to visit the Ouroboros at some time. With his focus on growth seeing a grown product after 100 years and multiple breakthroughs is an experience he can get nowhere else at the moment. And then there is also the Chiron and Lanie.

They love to make and break their own rules, but it is probably their own pride and love for mechs that makes them create different solutions than warship tech. If they are at the peak of mech design and the best solution they can come up with is to copy warships then that would discredit their entire profession and association. So there are probably some, but the MTA wouldn't allow it to be more than a niche. Even if it makes their average mech weaker, they likely argue it as a research investment into miniaturization, which experts+ benefit from as their resonance is limited in size.

2 snippets from old chapters that could point towards some trauma and maybe a xenophobic obsession afterwards: What about the Star Designers, the very best designers in the galaxy? Legends like Apollo, The Polymath and The Armorer all possessed colorful biographies filled with excitement, struggle and tragedy. They persevered throw their lows and rode their highs towards the very top of the tallest mountain in the galaxy. Even then, they still sought even greater heights, always grasping towards the unattainable heavens above. (232) Obsession and faith had propelled these extreme mech designers into reaching a height few humans had ever reached! (666)

If she met Ves it was likely during a mastery experience, which should usually be actual combat and not a duel or some training, because otherwise the pilots are unlikely to advance, except for mostly Ves shenanigans. But with the golden tickets (or other powers) who really knows, the system could go with "you receive the opportunity to meet a potential highly qualified pupil as a reward(&Task), enjoy time travelling"