Drone Usage; A Proposal

[Riz]

This is my proposal for a way to bring drones into the Earth and Beyond EMU as usable and manufacturable items. The ability to use a drone is directly based on your device tech skill level. Drones would be in a variety of levels, depending on their purpose and abilities. The ability to analyze and manufacture drones would therefore come directly from your skill in building devices. Now for the less obvious stuff...

Drones work similar to missile launchers. They require a device installed to launch them into action. This device can hold one "stack" of drones at a time, and will reload itself from available drones in your hold just as a missile system will, always taking the first "stack" of drones and ignoring others. This will allow for multiple types drones to be carried on board a ship ready for use in whichever order their owner has loaded them in.

Drone types could be as numeroous or sparse as the DEV's wish. There are more drone types possible than I could imagine, but some basic ideas are...

The Bandage Drone, available at mid levels through high levels. When deployed acts as a hull patch skill. However a L4 drone wold only have the effect of a level 1 HP, this would carry up the drone line till you hit a L9 drone only doing a L6 HP.

The Bouy Drone, should be available at all levels. When deployed it asks for a set of coordinates to go to, and warps there. Once in place it activates a beacon similar to the distress beacon. The catch, the drone only has enough internal power for 30 seconds of operation per level. Thus you cannot use it at low levels to find places far away as it will die before it even arrives as it would warp at only low level (2000).

The Boomer Drone, a classic bit of electronic countermeasures, very much based in reality. When activated, it will thrust off in a random direction, with a signature of approx 16. This will grab the attention of any mob in the area not being actively engaged already. The sig of 16 of course would be for a higher level drone.

The Marquee Drone, my personal favorite, a low level drone which will sit in the spot it is deployed for a set amount of time, and display a user written holographic message (similar to how the N-7 station shows it's ad). While I do like this drone, I also see potential for misuse in it.

A "stack" of Drones would obviously be small, some drones would only have a stack size of 1, while others may have up to 10 in a stack.

Other drones would of course be possible, Shield charging drones, single shot attack drones, whatever the mind can dream up. However I would like to see the drone systems they already had in place (manufacturing of drones was hinted at back in Origins), someday come to fruition, thus I give my idea on how it could be done. However, this is not saying let's develop this and NOT fix the bugs, bug squashing is of utmost importance.

[JusticeZero]

Drones would be good; they would add a consumable to Device to be an extra sink (sinks are hard to get enough of without doing things as aggressively as say, EVE), but there are a lot of details about how they would be used that would need to be hashed out, not just in terms of "making the drones work" but in terms of "making mobs know what to do with the drones" as well as the inevitable balance issues. I don't see them coming soon.

[Terrell [BT]]

I like the idea as well. I think it will have to be relatively limited, and some things will have to be race/class restricted. I'm not sure if the drones launchers would be class restricted, and each launcher only be able to launch specific types of drones, or if the drones themselves would be race/class restricted. No drone should be as good as a player using a skill, and none should have the ablity to use "area" skills.

Each drone would require 6 components, frame, reactor, engine, shield, and two other components. Drones would be vulnerable to attack, moreso than players. The drones themselves would be expensive to build, and have very small stacks, like less than 20.

The Launchers themselves could be manufacturable, like devices, but most launchers would have no buffs. A few rare L8/L9 drone launchers could have one or two, but most times you're sacrificing a device slot, and the buffs you'd get, for the ablity to use drones.

[Phorlaug[IS]]

No stacks.
One Drone = One cargo Slot. (weighs out ammo, to drone, to Loot ratios)
No shield Recharge. It'll Makes the battles a little easier, I don't think the DEVs are trying to do that (But with the way the DEVs has the Heal Aggro it could work)

Drones are NOT Mobile. (Will not move from their Deployed location no engines) (Unless Summoned? )
Drones do not have weapons.....(?)
All drones reguardless of type or Level will have the same Minimal Shields (Or NO Shields)

[color=#FFFF00]All Identical Drones are Unique.[/color] (You can not have 2 of the same Drones in your Hold)

IMO, Drones should be a last ditch desperate use and a Convienence & Hidden NAV marker (Non-Aggro). ie:

[color=#FF0000]Aggro. [/color]= Will recieve Aggression from any NPC, Biological, Humanoid or Machanical in or out of combat.

[color=#FF0000]Aggro.[/color] Hull Patch Drone. 5 Uses?
[color=#FF0000]Aggro.[/color] Manufacturing Drone. 5 Uses?
[color=#FF0000]Aggro.[/color] Aggression Drone. 5 Uses? (Will wipe Aggro from any player clicking on its mini-map Follow I-con)
[color=#FF0000]Aggro.[/color] Ammo Supply Drone. (4-6 slots, Resupply?) Duration: Log off limit (Player logs off or CRASHES the drone expires !)
[color=#FF0000]Aggro[/color]. Repair Drone. ? (Repair your damaged equipment) Duration: Log off limit (Player logs off or CRASHES the drone expires !)
[color=#00FF00]Non-Aggression[/color]. NAV Drone. All group members can see location. Duration: Log off limit (Player logs off or CRASHES the drone expires !)

For Instant Deployment, Immediate Instant One Time use in area of combat.
[color=#00FF00]Energy Drone. [/color]Area Reactor Recharge

Hint for use:
[u]Deploy all drones [/u]100.00+ K from combat
Deploy NAV Drone To mark the location of drones.[color=#00FF00] (The NAV Drone is the [u]ONLY Drone [/u]that will show up on all group members Sector map like your group members do)[/color]

When needed.
Deploy Hull Patch Drone
Deploy Ammo Supply Drone
Deploy Manufacturing Drone.

I had all these drones with timers...
Then I remembered that timers are a Big cause of Lag, Eeeek !
Can you imagine a sector with 5,10, 20 Drones all on timers ! Ouch !
Per use is the way to go.

One Last thing, And I can't believe I'm going to say this.
The Terran Scout Is the Only one that can Make the Drones and they are tradable.

[Falstar [MOD]]

So many if's and possibilities here. I certainly am interested in the idea, but there would be a whole lot of balance issues to work out, not only from class to class, but player vs mob.

Additionally, [url="https://forum.enb-emulator.com/index.php?/topic/5505-build-drones-skill/"]here[/url]is a post also talking about drones, although not as specific. I thought there was one (involved and specific) earlier, but can't seem to find it yet.

On another note, it would be quite interesting if each race had to build a portion of the drone for it to function - IE reactor from a Jenquai, shield from Terran and weapon from Progen or something along those lines. Edited December 5, 2012 by Dakynos
Update

[Terrell [BT]]

To be a drone builder, we should require that you have to do a mission. To be eligible for this mission you must have a Build Devices skill of 5 or higher, and an overall level of 100 or higher. Upon completion of the mission you would enable the build drones ability. The mission would require you to gather the various ores needed to make the comps if you're an explorer, if you're a trader or JW then you will get class apropraite tasks to accomplish for the NPC.

There would be 3 master missions, one for a JW, one for the explorers, and one for the traders. This would be the one drone you could build without the need of others. The traders would be able to analyze the drone frame given, but all other parts given during this mission would be non-manufacturable. Upon completion of the basic drone, you must turn it in to the mission giver, and you receive 1-3 drone recipes, based on class.

I mentioned requiring all those types of things on a drone to keep it necessary to use more than one class to construct the drone. None of the equipment based comps to build a drone should be vendor avialable. Drone frames should be PM/Loot Only. Traders would have the ablity to analyze drone frames. Some frame recipes could be mission rewards others can drop as analyzable frames, and some rare data disc drops. The drones themselves, could be rare data disc drops, or prints as mission rewards. Some could even drop from mobs, but as very rare drops. Analysis of a drone at the terminal should be more difficult than a device of the same level.

[Phorlaug[IS]]

[quote name='Terrell' timestamp='1354671104' post='67932']
To be a drone builder, we should require that you have to do a mission. To be eligible for this mission you must have a Build Devices skill of 5 or higher, and an overall level of 100 or higher. Upon completion of the mission you would enable the build drones ability. The mission would require you to gather the various ores needed to make the comps if you're an explorer, if you're a trader or JW then you will get class apropraite tasks to accomplish for the NPC.

There would be 3 master missions, one for a JW, one for the explorers, and one for the traders. This would be the one drone you could build without the need of others. The traders would be able to analyze the drone frame given, but all other parts given during this mission would be non-manufacturable. Upon completion of the basic drone, you must turn it in to the mission giver, and you receive 1-3 drone recipes, based on class.

I mentioned requiring all those types of things on a drone to keep it necessary to use more than one class to construct the drone. None of the equipment based comps to build a drone should be vendor avialable. Drone frames should be PM/Loot Only. Traders would have the ablity to analyze drone frames. Some frame recipes could be mission rewards others can drop as analyzable frames, and some rare data disc drops. The drones themselves, could be rare data disc drops, or prints as mission rewards. Some could even drop from mobs, but as very rare drops. Analysis of a drone at the terminal should be more difficult than a device of the same level.
[/quote]

I like this, everyone has a part in it.
But if Everyone has a part in it like The OCD device, everyone should be able to build drones.
Skill acquired at L135 ? It'll Be a big decision to save your skill points.

[quote name='Dakynos' timestamp='1354665699' post='67920']
So many if's and possibilities here. I certainly am interested in the idea, but there would be a whole lot of balance issues to work out, not only from class to class, but player vs mob.
[/quote]

Yea Thats why A Drone should not have weapons.
Should not Recharge shields.
Is not Mobile.
Has Very Little or NO Shields.
Is an Aggro magnet of everything.
Drones are Unique.

[Terrell [BT]]

[quote name='Phorlaug' timestamp='1354672121' post='67934']
I like this, everyone has a part in it.
But if Everyone has a part in it like The OCD device, everyone should be able to build drones.
Skill acquired at L135 ? It'll Be a big decision to save your skill points.
[/quote]

No it wouldn't be OCD style, it could be accomplished with a TT and JE, unless it requires a Jen restricted reactor to construct. The TT would have to be a master builder, with all the necessary prints, except the reactor. The JE would provide the reactor, and the ores for any comps needed to build the parts. While it would be doable by 2 classes, it may be more practical to involve more, due to skill point constraints, and who has which recipes printed.


Skill is a subset of the build devices skill. You can enable it at OL100 with a mission & Build Device L5 skill, or higher. Those standards are minimum, there isn't a maximum level to get this. You can decide to go to this, well after 150, via overdings, if you so choose.

[Riz]

I am not sure why you think drones should be fully immobile and unique. Most drones that actually exist are very mobile, that is somewhat their purpose. And unique, if someone wants to fill up their hold with a bunch of drones that work less well that a player backup, why not?

[Phorlaug[IS]]

[quote name='Bloody Riz' timestamp='1354687063' post='67945']
I am not sure why you think drones should be fully immobile and unique. Most drones that actually exist are very mobile, that is somewhat their purpose. And unique, if someone wants to fill up their hold with a bunch of drones that work less well that a player backup, why not?
[/quote]

Balance. (Player to NPC,The DEvs I believe are trying to make the game just a little more challenging)
Player Interaction. (There is too much Multiboxing going on now, add the Help the Drones would give you won't need anyone to interact with)
Exploits. (Plop down a bunce of drones on a Boss and go grill a burger. Its almost like running a Macro?)

[JusticeZero]

Other games manage to use mobile pets without it being unbalancing, but it takes a fair bit of balance work and probably a whole new class.

[Stoop]

[quote name='JusticeZero' timestamp='1354863889' post='68245']
Other games manage to use mobile pets without it being unbalancing, but it takes a fair bit of balance work and probably a whole new class.
[/quote]

Playable V'rix or RD? Just kidding, but something I wished I could do in Live

[rhobix]

I think drones should be non-combat to begin with. The contribution of combat drones would need to be so small they would be pointless not to risk unbalancing things completely.
The at that point the ideas remaining are terminal drones (analyze, build and refine), cargo drones, marquee drones, trade drones and buoy drone.
Then cargo drone is a more general version of Phorlaugs ammo drone that could offer temporary storage, say 2 slots per level.
Trade drones would be drones you could sell vendor trash to while hunting, at a considerably lower price than a station vendor, though the differens could decrease with level.
I think those drones could be implemented without impacting too many other systems. They would not have to interact with anything but players. It would probably be possible to introduce them without too much risk of introducing major exploits.

[Phorlaug[IS]]

[quote name='Knix' timestamp='1354896674' post='68291']
Then cargo drone is a more general version of Phorlaugs ammo drone that could offer temporary storage, say 2 slots per level.
Trade drones would be drones you could sell vendor trash to while hunting, at a considerably lower price than a station vendor, though the differens could decrease with level.
I think those drones could be implemented without impacting too many other systems. They would not have to interact with anything but players. It would probably be possible to introduce them without too much risk of introducing major exploits.
[/quote]

The Trade Drone's trades should only give out XP ? OR Credits from the sale/trade has got to come from somewhere? The Player of the drone ?
The Player suppling the Trade Drone would only get the loot from the trade or The trading Player pays a nominal Fee ? I'd go with the Fee from the DEV/Coder stand point It maybe a little easier to get the Fee than to get the goods to the Player of the Drone ?

[rhobix]

[quote name='Phorlaug' timestamp='1355001894' post='68452']
The Trade Drone's trades should only give out XP ? OR Credits from the sale/trade has got to come from somewhere? The Player of the drone ?
The Player suppling the Trade Drone would only get the loot from the trade or The trading Player pays a nominal Fee ? I'd go with the Fee from the DEV/Coder stand point It maybe a little easier to get the Fee than to get the goods to the Player of the Drone ?
[/quote]
You're right. Where a trade drone gets resources from and where it offloads the stuff it buys is a bit hard to explain, but this is only a game. If we want to get far-fetched, it could have a built in miniature worm hole to a station vendor. That would make it Jenquai only though
EDIT: XP is not really necessary, since you can tap the XP by trading loot to another player/toon.