Drones

[steveh11]

Fine & dandy all, but is half-a-dozen 100kT Drones better than a 600kT Battlecruiser? Your BC is going to be more versatile, and can be refitted.

I can see the maintenance aspect; but I confess that in most games I play I have an overabundance of material until I start atmosphere conVersions.

At that point I'll normally have a high-speed fleet with a warp-point creator - and a closer - available. Max reaction time: 2-3 moves to any part of the empire, and I'll have closed off some warp points in order to create choke-points.

So I still maintain a surplus. I guess I'll have to play around with Drones to find out if they're worthwhile: I suspect however that if you're down to reliance on Drones defensively you've already got problems.

Mind you, I said I thought Drones were just big, expensive missiles: when they hit they're big, expensive, effective missiles Those special warheads look nasty !

[mac5732]

The use of Drones, in my opinion, depends on the current game you are playing. In some games, mabye they're not worth it, in another one just the opposite. an Example, in my lst 2 games of gold, un-modded, I didn't use drones, however the AI did pound some of my ships and planets in the early stages but after I increased my PD's they were less affective. However, in my current game, TDM-Modpack (my lst tdm game), I am currently building drone carriers and drone starbases as the Toran are pushing extremly hard and I found that a good tactic against their waves of DN's is starbases, fleet, and drones. Yes they are expensive but they build faster then a DN, and are excellent in masses for defense of Wormholes.
You can employ large numbers cheaper then large numbers of ships. They also use up the AI's Point defense allowing you to then launch fighters or seekers against their ships. The AI has also launced against my planets as well. They are also good to have on planets, especially those with high cargo space to launch and pick off enemy ships that are in ones or twos going thru your system, this does free up those desperatly needed ships for your main fronts. I guess It depends on the game and where in the game you are and what the AI or human players are using against you. Like I said earlier it really depends on the game that you are currently playing. Some games more use, others little use... Up to you

just some ideas mac

[DirectorTsaarx]

Originally posted by mac5732:
<snip>
However, in my current game, TDM-Modpack (my lst tdm game), I am currently building drone carriers and drone starbases as the Toran are pushing extremly hard and I found that a good tactic against their waves of DN's is starbases, fleet, and drones. Yes they are expensive but they build faster then a DN, and are excellent in masses for defense of Wormholes.
<snip>
just some ideas mac

I used this tactic as well; but even sneakier. I built a spaceyard base and a drone-launcher base in the uncolonized systems scattered throughout a partner AI's territory (asteroid systems, nebula/storm systems). Then, when the AI finally declared war, I had drones ready to launch at his small colonies and undefended colony/transport ships. Not very nice of me, but I was testing tactics for future use...

[Gozra]

I am playing a game where I am able to use drones as intestellar Missles. It sort of works but you have to have spy ships in the target system to use them. If your Physic(sighkick) you can also put converters on them. I am slowly beginning to think they are defensive weapons primarily. And mostly useful in large numbers.

[mac5732]

DT, good idea there, question, can you cloak a starbase?? Never tried it but thought i'd just ask, It most definitly is sneaky, espeically against human player, hmmmmmmmm

just some ideas mac

[PvK]

You can cloak a starbase, yes. You can also build them in sensor-obscuring storms.

Another good thing about drones is they are one of the few things that can (at high tech levels) absorb large amounts of PD. A combined strike of well-shielded drones and fighters and seeker weapons can overwhelm the PD of a fleet that would have been thought immune to fighters and seekers in SE4.

PvK

[steveh11]

Wait, I'm missing something.

I wasn't aware that drones could move on the main map! I thought they were tactical only.

How do you launch/target them, how do you move them?

(Whole realms of possibilities open..)