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- - Drones (http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showthread.php?t=6055)

OK, I got Gold, so now I'm thinking:

"What possible use are Drones?"

Given what it costs to make them, aren't you better off with ships?

Is it that they don't require maintenance?

As far as I can see they're hellishly expensive missiles with a long range. Anyone got anything good to say about them?

Steve.

Well, like you say, they're better than ships because they require no maintenance. You can build up a huge store of them in peacetime, ready for when the fighting starts.

They're better than missiles because they can be launched outside of combat.

They're better than fighters because they use "grown up" weapons and components instead of those poxy miniaturised fighter ones.

They're better than sats because they move.

(Of course, when I say "they're better than...", I mean "the advantage they have is..." - I'm not suggesting than ships, sats, missiles and fighters are now obselete.)

I don't much like drones... in peace time mothballed ships doesn't cost much in maintenance neither and are more versatile.
Fighters have mini weapons, ok, but you have MANY fighters for the cost of 1 drone, and they don't have maintenance either...

Quote:

in peace time mothballed ships doesn't cost much in maintenance neither and are more versatile

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">True, but your allies can see your fleet of mothballed ships in orbit above your planet. Your drones are hidden=-)

Drones have also given modders a new toy to play with=-)

If your opponent has you outclassed in other techs, drones can kill ships that could otherwise rip through your main fleet.

I've got one solo game where my drones have destroyed more than twice their own tonnage lost.

Fine & dandy all, but is half-a-dozen 100kT Drones better than a 600kT Battlecruiser? Your BC is going to be more versatile, and can be refitted.

I can see the maintenance aspect; but I confess that in most games I play I have an overabundance of material until I start atmosphere conVersions.

At that point I'll normally have a high-speed fleet with a warp-point creator - and a closer - available. Max reaction time: 2-3 moves to any part of the empire, and I'll have closed off some warp points in order to create choke-points.

So I still maintain a surplus. I guess I'll have to play around with Drones to find out if they're worthwhile: I suspect however that if you're down to reliance on Drones defensively you've already got problems.

Mind you, I said I thought Drones were just big, expensive missiles: when they hit they're big, expensive, effective missiles http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif Those special warheads look nasty !

The use of Drones, in my opinion, depends on the current game you are playing. In some games, mabye they're not worth it, in another one just the opposite. an Example, in my lst 2 games of gold, un-modded, I didn't use drones, however the AI did pound some of my ships and planets in the early stages but after I increased my PD's they were less affective. However, in my current game, TDM-Modpack (my lst tdm game), I am currently building drone carriers and drone starbases as the Toran are pushing extremly hard and I found that a good tactic against their waves of DN's is starbases, fleet, and drones. Yes they are expensive but they build faster then a DN, and are excellent in masses for defense of Wormholes.
You can employ large numbers cheaper then large numbers of ships. They also use up the AI's Point defense allowing you to then launch fighters or seekers against their ships. The AI has also launced against my planets as well. They are also good to have on planets, especially those with high cargo space to launch and pick off enemy ships that are in ones or twos going thru your system, this does free up those desperatly needed ships for your main fronts. I guess It depends on the game and where in the game you are and what the AI or human players are using against you. Like I said earlier it really depends on the game that you are currently playing. Some games more use, others little use... Up to you

just some ideas mac

Quote:

Originally posted by mac5732:
<snip>
However, in my current game, TDM-Modpack (my lst tdm game), I am currently building drone carriers and drone starbases as the Toran are pushing extremly hard and I found that a good tactic against their waves of DN's is starbases, fleet, and drones. Yes they are expensive but they build faster then a DN, and are excellent in masses for defense of Wormholes.
<snip>
just some ideas mac

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I used this tactic as well; but even sneakier. I built a spaceyard base and a drone-launcher base in the uncolonized systems scattered throughout a partner AI's territory (asteroid systems, nebula/storm systems). Then, when the AI finally declared war, I had drones ready to launch at his small colonies and undefended colony/transport ships. Not very nice of me, but I was testing tactics for future use... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

I am playing a game where I am able to use drones as intestellar Missles. It sort of works but you have to have spy ships in the target system to use them. If your Physic(sighkick) you can also put converters on them. I am slowly beginning to think they are defensive weapons primarily. And mostly useful in large numbers.

DT, good idea there, question, can you cloak a starbase?? Never tried it but thought i'd just ask, It most definitly is sneaky, espeically against human player, hmmmmmmmm

just some ideas mac