What good are drones? [EOM]

mac5732 · #1 July 5th, 2002, 06:26 AM

it depends on what use you want them for, I have used them, especially in wormhole defense, put 60-80 drones on wormhole with other defenses and then can make a difference. yes they are expensive, but again, depends on how you use them and how you have them implemented in your various offensive/defensive strategies.... example, I had a number of battles (TDM) at wormholes, launched 50-80 drones, (tactical), along with my defending fleet & bases, they definitly put the hurt on enemy fleet of 81 ships, didn't destroy them, but did take some out and damaged others... did make a difference, also use drones launched from planets to take out single enemy shps coming thru my systems and against colony ships...

just some ideas mac

Spuzzum · #2 July 5th, 2002, 07:52 AM

I really should stop with these plugs (especially considering it isn't even publically available), but...

...In my mod, I made Ion, Tachyon, Null-Space, EMP, Plague, Neutron, Radiation, etc., Versions of drone warheads for my mod -- they're researched as part of their respective weapons categories (i.e. you get Anti-Planet Neutron Warheads if you have Drones and Planetary Weapons). Doubled all of their damage, too.

Drones are definitely useful once you make them useful. =)

Rollo · #3 July 5th, 2002, 02:32 PM

Yes, I agree. Drones are a little weak, but can be made more useful in mods. And since it is shameless plug time: check out DevnullMod

. We added drone engines that only cost about half as much as regular engines. Since engines make the bulk of the drone cost, that helps making them more useful. Advanced engines use less fuel. Oh, and I just added solar sails for drones as well

.

Rollo

Zarix · #4 July 5th, 2002, 04:28 PM

Most people seem to think that drones aren't very useful. I disagree. Drones are very powerful but they need different strategies then ships.

They are a bit expensive to build but no maintenance makes them much cheaper in long run. Drones are very cheap to research. They have big defence bonus. A drove with EMC III has +110 defence bonus. A large drone with all engines has room for EMC and 5 anti-ship warheads. One of those drones can do 3000 damage.

Zarix · #5 July 5th, 2002, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DavidG:
[QB]The just seem so expensive to build and research to me that I've never used them.[QB]

Drones can be researched immediately even with low tech start. If you compare them to ships they are much cheaper. To get a good drone you need to research drones, EMC and engines. To get a good ship you need to research ships, engines, weapons, sensors, EMC and armor/shields.

Ed Kolis · #6 July 5th, 2002, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Spuzzum:
I really should stop with these plugs (especially considering it isn't even publically available), but...

...In my mod, I made Ion, Tachyon, Null-Space, EMP, Plague, Neutron, Radiation, etc., Versions of drone warheads for my mod -- they're researched as part of their respective weapons categories (i.e. you get Anti-Planet Neutron Warheads if you have Drones and Planetary Weapons). Doubled all of their damage, too.

Drones are definitely useful once you make them useful. =)

I heard that special damage types for drone warheads don't work, at least not in the current Version of SE4. Sorry!

Spuzzum · #7 July 5th, 2002, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ed Kolis:
I heard that special damage types for drone warheads don't work, at least not in the current Version of SE4. Sorry!

Ah! I was wondering why they did so little damage to that enemy planet*, when I tested them out with the Starting Tech Level set to High. I simply assumed that the planet had shot most of them down with weapons platforms; I guess I should've taken into account the fact that some features haven't been enabled yet.

...Now I'm wondering why they did any damage at all, though. I bombarded that planet with Plague, Neutron, and Radiation warheads. (Or is the damage simply assumed to be "Normal" type damage?)

(* You'd declare someone your enemy too if they used cheat codes to support several hundred drones on planets near your homeworlds. =) )