Strategy talk: How to use drones

Lord_Shleepy · #1 August 5th, 2002, 09:06 PM

This is an rather different issue but: Is it true that cloaked drones are invisible in combat? I have sent them against AI planets on several occasions and have not been fired upon...are the drones invisible...are the colonists "a lot of miserable, cowardly knaves"...or am I really so deadly that no one wants to put up a fight?

geoschmo · #2 August 5th, 2002, 09:17 PM

Well, cloaked ships will not enter combat unless ther is a ship or unit in that sector that can see them. Either one of your own that is not cloaked, or an enemy with sensors capable of beating the cloak. This is true as well with cloaked ships. You have to uncloak to attack. However, IIRC somone was saying that with drones you can't cloak/uncloak. That the cloak is always on. If this is the case, you aren't going to be able to have combat unless you have another drone/ship/fighter along for the ride that is visible to the enemy.

Geoschmo

Lord_Shleepy · #3 August 5th, 2002, 09:35 PM

Hmm...that is what I would have expected...and yet...the race that I was attacking was extremely primitive (certainly with no scanning ability) and my drones arrived unescorted. I cloaked them (in theory...i pressed the button at least) when launching them from a planet a system or two away. They attacked without resistance from weapons platforms and splatted into the planets in magnificent fireballs. Could it be that they can still RAM while cloaked but not, say, fire weapons? I don't know...it seems very strange.

geoschmo · #4 August 5th, 2002, 09:42 PM

Ok, I must hve misunderstood what you were saying. You mean they did do what they were supposed to, but the enemy did nothing to defend itself? If that's the case a stupid question would be "Are you sure the enemy had any weapon platforms?"

capnq · #5 August 6th, 2002, 09:30 PM

There's a known bug that drones don't consistently trigger PDC fire; it's supposedly fixed in the upcoming patch.

[ August 06, 2002, 20:31: Message edited by: capnq ]

Gozra · #6 August 7th, 2002, 01:52 AM

I have only tried this once but... Light Cruisers armed with drones and a few dreadnoughts and a few cruisers can take on a bigger fleet that has bigger ships and win. When your done most of the LC's need extensive repair but that is a lot better than replacing a fleet. The upshot of this tactic is COMBINED ARMS. If you have a good Fleet mix chances are you can fight and win more battles. Keeping your fleet in being is a major concern and advantage if you can do it. Plus LC's and drones are cheaper to maintain. Than the same number of Dreadnoughts. Just a Thought and proven only once.