A lot of mech startup could be fully automated with an expert system with the pilot as an automation manager and this was roundly rejected by 2nd generation pilots. Manual startup sequences are a ritual for a pilot. Therefore, replacing manual startups and checklists would be like tearing down a church full of worshippers at prayer.
Psychometrics has discovered that expert systems dramatically degrade mech pilot performance in adverse conditions, a phenomenon known as automation dependency. As adversity is a primary feature of war, it is better for the highly motivated pilot to manually manage these systems in and out of combat.
The glow of rad-hardened displays are my icons, the sound of HVAC is the choir, the feel of nerve conduits clicking into me are my hands at prayer, the sound of the cockpit's switches are my words, and when full synchronization arrives, it is my ecstasy. I am home, I am machine; welcome home, welcome machine.
