Since drones use
ship engines in the default config they are very, very expensive for expendable units. You will pay about 1/2 the cost of a fully equipped cruiser and yet have to throw it away when the drone is launched. Either drones should use fighter engines (in which case they must be moved out of fighter tech levels to some 'smaller components' field) or there needs to be a special set of drone engines that are less expensive. In my personal mod I've made the special engines -- half the size and less than half the cost (but more than fighter engines) -- and this helps a great deal with the cost. They still cost about as much as a satellite, which is multi-use while a drone is not, but that's better than half the cost of a cruiser!
As far as explore and patrol, yes, I posted several times in the beta forums that they would be flooded with requests for these two functions if they didn't include them. This is the FIRST use that most people think of for them, not combat. All I can say is, send in those emails.
I hope he will implement remote refueling, too, but that might be more difficult.