Drones: Magic Cheat?

[tesco samoa]

so people are using drones. I think their too expensive for what they do.

[Fyron]

Yeah, drones are useless. Now, if you could give them the "move to" order, then they might have a few uses. Or, if they could turn into satellites (or maybe just stop in one spot and act like a satellite), then maybe they could be used as remotely deployable satellites, so that you could set them up at warp points or other planets without having to use satellite launching ships.

[PvK]

I wouldn't say they're "useless", but the satellite mode is a cool idea, I think.

I think the main efficient uses of drones are as surprise weapons (can be hidden from human opponents in ways that ships can't), and as relatively maintenance-free build-up arsenals. Depending on your enemies' technology and designs, I think they can be effective in several situations.

Another use is in concert with fighters and missiles - drones can soak up a lot of PD and weapon fire, making the other systems more effective.

They are quite expensive, but I think that helps keep them from becoming too powerful.

PvK

[dmm]

Geoshmo and others point out that a mine field will wipe out your drones. Anyone considered using (cheapest possible) drones purposefully as "minesweepers?" Probably not cost-effective but, since colonies can build them without shipyards, you may be able to field lots of them quickly enough to overwhelm even a maxed-out minefield.

[PvK]

Drones will be a lot more expensive than the mines they would detonate - the engines are one of the most expensive parts. It might be a little more effective if you piled armor on the drones, but still it'd be pretty wasteful. I tend to think minesweeping components should be allowed on drones, but that would require programming work that might better be directed elsewhere.

PvK

[adder_inf]

Just add solar panels to turn them into sats.

[Fyron]

That doesn't do what I was suggesting. You'd still have to use a ship to move them to different planets or to warp points.