@Syvarris: I think first you need to determine what the MMI is going to be used for. Because yes, moving a robotic body around is not that hard. But if it would replace things like Aux rolls made for flying, then it needs an appropriate penalty. Once again, if I'm misunderstanding something, say so.
Why would it replace aux rolls for flying? The only thing I ever said it would replace is an aux requirement for even buying a suit.
But, just to be clear, here is it's purpose: To allow humans to interface with machines without needing any major (I.E. braincasing) procedures.
That means people on Heph who're human, like Maurice and Anton, can make use of possession software, if they wanted to. It means that any aux users can make aux rolls without needing free hands. It means that we can design vehicles with a smaller and simpler cockpit; you just need a plug, not keyboards or anything. It allows operation of those vehicles at the speed of thought.
It was never intended to replace any rolls. In fact, the original purpose wasn't even to replace a stat requirement, since BS's didn't have any. It was purely an RP device, because it didn't have any serious in-game effect (which is also why it was going to be free).
The idea that it would lift the aux requirement only came because that seems logical; a battlesuit would logically have an aux requirement because you operate it with keyboards. An assaultsuit logically wouldn't, because you operate it by moving your arms and legs. If PW doesn't want powerful equipment being buyable by unskilled people, then just have the assaultsuit keep the aux requirement- it's slightly illogical, but you often can't have 'balanced' AND 'perfectly logical'; It is, after all, logical that some things are inherently better than others.
And no, I'm not saying having things be balanced is bad. I think balanced is better than logical, because this game would be far less fun if we revered logic as the utmost goal.
Again, I think it would be best for the HRB and AS to just have a +2 AUX requirement. Giving the MMI an aux requirement is the height of stupidity, because then anyone with a robot body could pilot an AS with no aux skill at all.
Also, I feel Aux is really only out-of-control because PW has allowed certain things to be created without suitable penalties, such as the Aux hardpoint, which should *not* be as good as someone with an equivalent Con skill, but has thus far been treated as such. I feel there are a few ways to fix this, but we'd have to chat with PW about them.
Yeah, I've been saying pretty much exactly this for awhile. PW is very bad at solving these problems; See the name of the Tinker thread, and the fact that neither my char nor his exploits have been killed yet.
@Toaster
The goal of the assaultsuit isn't to be more accessible. It's to incorporate new armor designs into a battlesuit, and fix the various issues with the battlesuit design while we're at it. Note the fact that the AS was fully designed before the stat system was changed, and assumed that the BS had no stat requirement.