How do you use Drones?

[Kamog]

I haven't used drones very much at all. I find them kind of awkward to use because it's a one-shot unit that you launch and can't recover.

[Slick]

Alneyan said:
Are drones refueled by resupply depots? Hmm...

I believe the Last time I tested this, the answer is yes.

Slick.

[PvK]

* Recon devices to scout and/or check for minefields. Advantages are zero happiness loss on destruction, and zero maintenance.
* To amass a surprise force that the enemy can't easily see, since many can be put in cargo storage, and don't appear unless the enemy can do a long-range scan inside the container.
* When excess resources are not abundant, to continue to increase military strength without adding maintenance cost to the fleet.
* Loaded with seeker launchers and set to Max Range strategy, can be used to overwhelm PD, especially combined with other seeker launchers, kamikaze drones, and fighters. This is one of the few ways in the unmodded game to have a chance of overwhelming numerous high-tech PD in a large battle.
* To scare the enemy and keep them guessing and changing their designs and strategies. A strong direct-fire fleet can be wiped out by enough drones if they don't have enough PD and/or have inappropriate strategies set. Once the enemy feels the risk, they may start deploying more PD and using less effective strategies against ones own strong direct-fire fleets.

PvK

[Atrocities]

Drones are pretty much useless as far as I am concerned. In fact they are more than useless.

[Slick]

more than useless? does that mean less than useless? [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Lightning.gif[/img]

*top of skull caves in*

Slick.

[Atrocities]

Slick said:
more than useless? does that mean less than useless? [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Lightning.gif[/img]

Yes

[narf poit chez BOOM]

Of course not. If something is more than useless, it is usefull. Useless = 0. Usefull > 0. And less than useless would be < 0. Now, if it was more useless than useless, that would be < 0. Less useless than useless is > 0.

See? Entirely logical.

[PvK]

Drones are good as auxiliary weapons, rather than as the backbone of a fleet.

A bunch of drones can overwhelm PD and tip the scales of a major battle. Your enemy can't see how many drones you have with your fleet, and so may likely be surprised by them.

The zero maintenance is also in their favor when an empire is at peace and can't maintain more ships.

PvK

[Slick]

yeah, but only once since you can't recover them. I sure wish that spaceyard ships could build units (but nothing else) while moving. This would let you replenish your units while on the run.

Slick.

[Suicide Junkie]

Disposable repair drones!
Fill 'em with repair bays, and you can E-repair your fleet.