The Mech Touch

Ketis was one of the best characters in the story and could have developed into something great. I always though ves and ketis would be like brothers and sisters since ves once mention wanting a sibling but as usual author wrote ves as a dumb and boring character and didnt explain and stuff and also made ketis like him. Ketis and Ves would have been a great duo and not in love kinda way but more of a sibling kinda way and he would have had someone he could really trust. Kudos to the author for ruining another great character. Great job as always man. You keep your readers proud of you.

This first couple arcs are a fantastic tale of industry intrigue and competition. There are awesome set pieces, mystery, exciting battles, all of which contribute to the overall plot.

The second half is just a Star Trek rip off that even the protagonist can wait to end. Its boring, and has no clear weight on the main plot. There no stakes, no mech designs, no other fun characters (except Ketis way later)

This isn’t the first time I’ve seen an author shoot there story in the foot by introducing a long and, at the end of the day, waste of time arc. Maybe theres a huge pay off at the end, but several hundred chapters to get there means you’re milking the story for your readers money more than advancing the plot.

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Ves Larkinson lives in a universe where mechs rule the battlefield. Mechs and mech pilots are glorified, both in battle and out of it.

As a Larkinson, he is expected to join the family in a long line of historied mech pilots. Alas, since mechs are piloted using a neural relay, some genes affect how good a pilot can be, and Ves simply got one of the worst kind of connection with neural relay.

Disbarred from his family's heritage from a fluke of genetics, he decided to become a mech designer instead, but double alas, he simply isn't good enough...

What can a young man do?

Get a Mech Designing System from his exiled father, of course.

Now, that was the opening premise of the story, and while it seemed cliched, it was plenty interesting at start. But unfortunately, Exlor delivered a different story than what is expected.

The tag 'Space Opera' is probably the important cue here, because the writing suggested that Exlor wanted to have a gritty kind of universe, where the main character is not the focal point which the suns and stars orbit around. The universe is large, and Ves inhabited a small portion at the rim of the galaxy, where tech level is plenty low that he thought the System might be some manner of quantum-like tech from the inner regions of the galaxy, where technology is more akin to wizardry.

There are politics and war between human polities of the Komodo Star System where Ves lives. There are business and politics among the controlling factions in the Bright Republic, the human polity that Ver is a national of. There are competition and politics between famed mech designers. There are jockeying and drama among the Larkinson family. There are...

You get the picture, right? There are a LOT of things happening, so the story does not just revolve around the poor boy and his Mech Designing System.

In fact, compared to standard Systems where one climb a strict hierarchy, here Ves has to spread himself between making a name as a mech designer, making a mech design that is good, getting more skills to make a better mech design, making his mech studio renowned and profitable, making a mech design that fits the requested niche, winning design contests, making connection in the mech production and market world, making business decisions, escaping spies, aliens, mutants, mercs, and armies...

Wait, what has the last one got to do with Mech Design, you say? Well, gritty setting and lots of politics meant that being reputable makes one interesting to others. Ves becomes a resource to be taken over or to be destroyed so that others might not benefit from him.

So again, there are LOTS of things happening, and mech design and the System simply fall to the wayside.

I wouldn't quite say that it was a bait-and-switch tactic, but expectations have been broken that there were quite a large number of bad reviews overall.

Did you like the basic slapdash big-arsed VR mech design from the beginning and the story of the VR pilot who played it? Well, there's not a whole lot of them.

It is not like the delivered storyline is not possibly interesting, but the problem is, Exlor is not at the stage that he could deliver such plotline with his current level of writing.

Later on, when X-Factor, Spirituality, and Resonance start to come into focus -which isn't bad, I just think it ala Newtype from Gundam instead of thinking them as space cultivation- Ves started to gain insights on his mech design philosophy... But the way he gained insights is kind of absurd and not very well expressed. For example, Event A happened, Ves does action B, bemoaned of C; after event passed, several scenes later, when Ves needed to do something, it was recapped that during event A happened Ves learned to do D, E, and F, and he integrated them into his design philosophy!

Wait! Didn't he only think of B and C while A happened!? Where did D, E, and F come from!? And D is just the thing he needed for this design he is currently facing!

Argh.  

The ideas are good, execution needed alot of polish. Plot coherence and scene flow are odd.

As others have stated, this novel is very much a slow burn with rather slow progression and more detail on the finer details such as worldbuilding.

Conceptually, I find this aspect of the story most interesting which is very high praise considering I'm more into fantasy over sci-fi/mechs. The level of detail is just right, in my opinion. Though it does tend to stress certain concepts several times, it doesn't feel repetitive unlike in a certain sword god novel.

I noted that certain arcs felt 'slow' at the time, but looking back, they're very much necessary in how they contribute to worldbuilding and the overall plot.

Character development is rather good for this reason as well as being a non-plot-driven slow-burn. Other characters are distinct in their characteristics and dialogue and it's not just a slew of side characters.

I'd definitely recommend giving this novel a shot.

In this novel, there's a lot I like and a lot I don't.

I like the Mech design and the MC's progress in it. I feel like there's a lot of potential in that area that's been wasted for the sake of stuffing gods and cultivation aspects down our throats.

The MC is somewhat on the darker side. While intriguing at first, it's gotten sickening after a couple thousand chapters. Still within tolerance, but at the point I'm at, already unlikeable. Many times I get worried about the manic obsessiveness and short-sighted greed of the MC. His great vision and direction all seems unnecessarily forced, overly selfish, and mainly an excuse for the author to force plots. The way he treats people and close ones is also disturbing to say the least. I'm hoping we'll see some redemption phase or somehow see things get better, but so far, it's a downward spiral that's lasting hundreds of chapters.

That brings me to what I dislike the most about this novel; it's slow. The updates are good and regular, but the story itself plods along like a tortoise. Just recently, the MC and company took no less than Six Chapters Just To Launch Their Ships and start their next journey. Twenty chapter battles, chapters that mainly consist of MC's speculation... the writing is very long-winded, and the chapters are short, to boot. There are things we've been waiting for that's still 'coming' since well over a thousand chapters ago. Writing quality is as good as it gets on webnovel, and the updates are thick and fast, so both get 5. Story development would be higher, but due to the slow pacing, only gets a 3.

Also, the author seems to like forcing the MC into trouble-farms on purpose. His aims, his needs, his people... so many of his close ones turn out to be endless sources of trouble. Maybe this is supposed to excuse his twisted personality? Just courting his main LI alone is enough to pitch him into the wrong side of an interstellar war. Plus, I really dislike that girl and all her people. It's a rare situation when I find myself hoping that the side the MC is on would lose the war, if not completely, then at least enough to learn some humility and respect for others.

While there's some effort on the author's part to give some depth and personality to the characters, generally speaking, I don't like them. There were a few I could have liked early on, but at this point, there's almost no character in the story I like any more. I'd give Character Design 2 stars, but that's it.

As for the World Background... I gotta say, I like it. Not entirely, because just having three classes of ranking feels too simplistic, but the spread of humanity across the galaxy and there being many nations and cultures across the void... it has vast potential, though the author seems to be trying to rush past most of it and focus only on the brave lots making an expedition into a new frontier just like the MC. I wavered a bit between giving this four or five stars before settling on 4 because while we know the vast world is out there, a fat lot of it mean very little except for the current places the MC is involved in.

I'm still reading it due to my interest in Mechs, and though there's a lot in it that I dislike, there's enough going for it that I'm still reading. I mean, I've gotten this far with it already, I may as keep going and see how it goes. Overall score: 3.8

This webnovel is over 3000 chapters and should be less than half of the way done considering the main character still hasnt embarked on his grand voyage. Exlor's writing is filled with excessive dialog, detail and explanation. It's clear this saga is just meandering without a clear timeline and will inevitably take 10 years to write or eventually go on permanent hiatus due to a loss in popularity or author's eventual loss of interest. Getting invested would be a mistake.

"The Mech Touch" is a captivating science fiction novel that explores the intricate intersection of technology, humanity, and the power of choice. Set in a world where advanced robotics and artificial intelligence have become an integral part of society, the story revolves around a young inventor named Eli, who discovers a unique ability to forge emotional connections with his creations. This novel delves into themes of empathy, identity, and the blurred lines between man and machine.

Eli's journey is not just about technological prowess but also about self-discovery and the ethical dilemmas that arise when one赋予 machines sentience. The novel challenges readers to ponder the nature of consciousness and the responsibilities that come with creating sentient beings. It asks: what does it mean to be alive, and how far should we push the boundaries of technology?

Throughout the narrative, the author deftly balances thrilling action sequences with profound philosophical discussions, making "The Mech Touch" a thought-provoking read that appeals to both casual readers and tech enthusiasts. The characters are well-developed, and their relationships with their mechanical companions showcase the depth of human emotions even in artificial entities.

In conclusion, "The Mech Touch" is a compelling exploration of our relationship with technology and the potential consequences of playing god. It invites readers to reflect on the ethical implications of progress and the importance of empathy in a rapidly evolving world. A blend of action, suspense, and introspection, this novel leaves a lasting impression on its audience.

Having devoured "Mech Touch," I must say it's a captivating blend of science fiction and character-driven storytelling. The world构建得如此 immersive, with intricate mechs as central to the narrative. The protagonist's journey from humble beginnings to master mechanic resonated with me, filled with thrilling action sequences and unexpected plot twists. It's a thrilling read that keeps you on the edge of your seat, leaving you eager for more. A must-read for fans of tech-infused adventures.