Drones!!

[Baron Munchausen]

quote:

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Originally posted by mac5732:
The game states Drones, therefore, I know this is a dumb non-modder question, but in the data, txt, etc files is there a listing or catagory for drones? if so is there any type of set up for them where a little tweaking would enable their use??? I would think that if some type of file is in the set up for drones then there must be something in these files that is missing in order to get them to work. Has Richard ever said anything on the drone issue? Could we ask him to mention this to Aaron? or is the drones issue a major code addition? I'm just a dumb non-modder, But someday, when I have time I hope to start modding and then maybe i'll understand more what can and can't be done in mods. please excuse my sometimes dumb questions or ideas. I mean well...

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Yes, the controls for drones are already in the game. You could add them to the VehicleSize.txt and the Techareas.txt files, but there is no ability to launch them in the game, so even if you researched and built them nothing can put them in space for actual missions. Until MM solves some problems with the 'logic' that controls them, they will not be enabled.

Personally, I'd be very happy if they were just available as "cruise missiles" so you could fire off long-range attacks between planets or even between systems. I suppose that allowing only this would require stripping out existing code, though, and that's more work for MM, especially when the time comes to try to implement the extra functions again.

[This message has been edited by Baron Munchausen (edited 20 September 2001).]

[Dracus]

It is kind of like the additional planet types. ALL the pictures are there but they are not used.
There are a number of things that never got added to the game but them in the files.

[ZeroAdunn]

Just thought about drones. Can you make mobile mines? This would work for cruise missiles.

[Lemmy]

quote:

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Originally posted by ZeroAdunn:
Just thought about drones. Can you make mobile mines? This would work for cruise missiles.

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i think not, you can modify them so that engine can be added, but they won't get any actual movement, mines just aren't meant to move.


and the more i think about drones, the more i think they would be better as fighters than ships. If a drone is larger than a fighter, you can make specific components that can only fit on a drone, and you can have a drone weapon mount if you want fighter weapons on drones.
If drones are cheap, then you can make more in one turn if they were fighters.
You can also make drone launch bays, but i'm not sure yet what properties they would have.

[Suicide Junkie]

Mines WILL move, but only in a black hole system:P, or a "random movement" ability system.

[mac5732]

As I read the Posts, I think one of the problems with the use of drones is what exactly we want them to do. My opinion only, I agree with the Baron. I think they should be used in only 2 different ways. The major use would be similiar to a cruise missle. They should have a limited amount of damage capability. They could launch and hit planets, destroying facilities, wp's, etc, but should not be able for 1 to completely glaze one. They could launch plge bombs, destroy 1 or several facilities including shipyards. I haven't decided if they should be able to hit a space station, still kicking this one around. But if they did, I would think they would damage it but not utterly destroy one with only 1 hit, damage should be accumulative with multifple hits and after maximum damage is reached then it would be destroyed. The other suggestion is that they could be used for spying, however, supply would enter into the picture in this regard. If used as missle, a questions comes up if they should be able to be shot down or destroyed by defenses ie; wps, ftrs, bs's. something would have to be done in this area or they could be to powerful or not powerful enough to be worth building. Any ideas on this??? As far as launching, could you take say ftr bays, re-name drone bays and see if they would launch. I know you still have the warp problems and more then likly this would be a hard code problem. SJ any ideas on this, I know you did a lot of changing in your Pirate mod with numerous modifications and possibilities in this launch area???

just some ideas mac

[Lemmy]

Here is what i came up with, there are 3 types of drones.
One is a weapon, like CSM, but bigger, higher seeker damage resistance, and a 30 reload rate, so it can only be fired once per turn : one component = one drone. I tried to add the "Component Destroyed on Use" ability, but that won't work on weapons.
Size := 100
Seeker Damage Resistance := 200
range = 20, damage at range = something between and around 500-1000 ?
Seeker Speed := 7 or 8
i was also thinking that maybe it could skip all shields, because of the large size, shields are useless ?

Another drone is a fighter size, but bigger (50-100kt), and on that drone planet and star destroying weapons can be placed, new components will have to be made for that. This drone shoulds only be usefull later in the game when star/planet destroying components are discovered. To make it usefull in the beginning a Drone Weapon Mount can be available to put fighter weapons on the drone.

And the Last is a ship size, smaller (50-100kt) with low maintenance, extra movement and no bridge etc. required ( a ship size with "Master Computer" ability ). This size is only usefull in the begining of the game for cheap exploring ship. To emphasize this, the ship size could also store some supplies to increase to range.
Later when cloaking is discovered, a cloaked ship size can become available to make it useful later in the game.

The order these drones could become available in :
Ship sized drone. (low tech, every command must be given)
Component drone. (more autonomous, seeks targets)
Fighter sized drone. (can be launched and recovered, can be used for fighting/kamikaze, and star/planet destroying components can be fitted on it.)