What good are drones? [EOM]

[Puke]

i doubt this will be incorporated into the game anytime before SE-V, but maybe some of the beta-brigade can suggest it:

it would be nice if drones served the same function they do TODAY. a way to do things remotely (move-to order, please) and with out the risk of life. well, of friendly life. if the loss of drones in combat did not affect happyness, or had a reduced effect on happyness, that would be GREAT. preferably moddable from the happyness types file, if killing things with drones made people happy but loosing drones had no adverse effect on your populations mood, there would be a compelling reason to use them.

this could also be extended to master computers. and satelites. it would be neat if it could be extended to replicants produced by organic facilities, but that could be ambigious and unbalancing.

Ideally (would require a complete game overhaul to support) some sort of cultural value system (similar to those in the MOO3 design doc, which probably wont exist in the final Version) where different cultures would view the use of robotic ships differently, or using organic replicants in combat had different morale effects for different cultures.

and while im dreaming, i want a pony. no scratch that, while im dreaming, i want one of these:

http://members.tripod.com/~Slippery_.../Steyr_AMR.htm