Drones

Phoenix-D · #1 November 7th, 2002, 07:57 AM

Never really used them before, but with the HH mod and one of my single-player games that's changed (side note: HH mod is more or less on hold)

Can someone please explain why drones A. don't stack B. can't be fleeted and C. when launched, get a name like "Drone 001" instead of "(Drone Class here) 001"? One, maybe two I could deal with, but targeting 83 un-fleetable un-stacked, "Drone 001" named drones.. UGG. I can't tell which one's I've tasked or even which type I'm aiming!

Phoenix-D

Suicide Junkie · #2 November 7th, 2002, 04:48 PM

Shift-click to make a virtual fleet of drones...
And then give orders by increasing number-name...

Are the drones not renamable?

Phoenix-D · #3 November 7th, 2002, 05:59 PM

You think I want to re-name 83 drones that won't exist the next turn?

Though re-naming them by target has some potential..

Phoenix-D

geoschmo · #4 November 7th, 2002, 06:19 PM

Drones are not re-namable. And you can't even build different class drones with the expectation of targets in mind, because as you say when you launch them they display Drone 001 , 002, etc, regardless of design name. Basically in space they get the same kind of display as a unit stack of sats or fighters, but they always have one unit in the stack. Wierd.

And good luck if you launch anti-ship drones and anti planet drones at the same time. To figure out which is which you have to go through two layers of screens for each drone to see it's class. Yeech!

Geoschmo

[ November 07, 2002, 16:28: Message edited by: geoschmo ]

Unknown_Enemy · #5 November 7th, 2002, 06:45 PM

The only use I have been able to figure for drones are light drones mounting EMC and allegiance subverters.

Other than that

Hotfoot · #6 November 7th, 2002, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Unknown_Enemy:
The only use I have been able to figure for drones are light drones mounting EMC and allegiance subverters.

Other than that

Whoa....that's Evil...

Drones are like the ICBMs of Space Empires IV. Got a planet that's really bugging you, but you don't want to send a fleet to glass it? Drone it to death. Need some really powerful, hard-to-stop anti-capital ship missiles? Drones. They kind of combine the role of the fighter, the capship, satellites, and mines, all in one small package. They are also the only units that can travel through warp points.

Also, I suppose you could mod some drones as sort of mobile ship refueling devices. Well, if you could fleet with them, that is.

capnq · #7 November 8th, 2002, 01:01 AM

Quote:

Can someone please explain why drones A. don't stack B. can't be fleeted

Those were deliberate design decisions when MM implemented them.

They can be multi-selected by shift-clicking.

[ November 07, 2002, 23:02: Message edited by: capnq ]

Phoenix-D · #8 November 8th, 2002, 06:00 AM

"They can be multi-selected by shift-clicking."

Yes, but the problem here is I loose track of which drones I've dealt with and which I haven't..

Phoenix-D

capnq · #9 November 8th, 2002, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Yes, but the problem here is I loose track of which drones I've dealt with and which I haven't.

(F6) Ships/Orders/(only) Display Units helps a little; sort by Name, then by Orders, and the ones without orders will separate from the rest. Doesn't do much good if you're sending several Groups out from the same sector, though, since clicking one on the list just sends you to the sector; you still have to pay attention to the numbers to find the one that you clicked on the list.

Dan C. · #10 November 9th, 2002, 09:16 PM

This may be another wild comment chase, however the vehiclesize.txt states that Drones may or may not be under player control (depends on components).
Now in tactial combat I can not seem to ever control the drones. Does anyone know if this comment refers to tactical, or stategic movement and which comonent is referred to or is it all a placeholder for some unimplemented feature?