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Player Features and Ideas Discussion

 
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Updating the drone interface
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Penny Ibramovic
Wormhole Engineers
#1 - 2012-07-26 17:13:24 UTC
Compared to other sections of the user interface, it could be argued that the drone interface is outdated, as it still requires context menus to achieve many tasks. Perhaps it can be improved, and hopefully in a way that is intuitive and not difficult to implement.

Drones are used as weapons and effects, against ships and rocks in the same manner as modules. Perhaps a simple and effective change would be to allow drones, grouped in the drone bay, to be added to the HUD in the way that ordinary modules automatically are.

If the drones are in the bay when the HUD button is activated then they are launched. You can then target a ship and activate the HUD button again to initiate the drones to attack the target.

Maybe a context-menu on the HUD could be used for recalling drones, akin to reloading launchers/guns. Alternatively, there could be a changeable default behaviour, switching between recall and orbit, and recall and return to the drone bay when activating the hotkey with no target selected.
Shish Tukay
Caldari Provisions
Caldari State
#2 - 2012-07-26 20:54:06 UTC
Mostly I just want the drone list to start expanded, rather than having to keep clicking to make things visible; once I can see what's there, the rest is keyboard (f to attack, shift-r to return)
Vincent Athena
Photosynth
#3 - 2012-07-26 22:26:56 UTC
Drone shortcuts I would like to see:

"Launch group"
"Select next group"
"Select previous group"

Then you need a visual cue as to which group is the currently selected group. Hit your up or down shortcut until the desired group is selected, then launch drones. All drones not in a group would be treated as the top, default group.

Also groups should have a separate memory of their being expanded or collapsed for in-space and in-bay. I think most players want to see the list expanded for the drones in space, but see just the groups (not every drone in the last group recalled) for those drones in the bay.

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Tawrich Tistrya
Aliastra
Gallente Federation
#4 - 2012-08-01 17:46:06 UTC
Welll apart from the UI being outdated my biggest issue with drones is how badly they perform. I dont mean stats of the drones but the issue of drones not foccusing fire etc. even when it's selected. I was out of the game for about 3 years before i finally got back and was surprised ( to say it gently ) that this was still as bad as it was before i left. As a domi and carrier pilot i use drones alot and it basically pisses me off on a daily basis that they are so **** behaviour wise.
Gabrielle Lamb
Pator Tech School
Minmatar Republic
#5 - 2012-08-01 17:58:57 UTC
Hard not to agree with everything said in this thread so far. As a sidenote you could add that drones warp with ship, I really don't see any reason why this would be overpowered or unbalance things in any way. Drones users are the only ones (except probers) that can accidentially leave behind millions in equipment for no apparent reason.
PinkKnife
The Cuddlefish
Ethereal Dawn
#6 - 2012-08-01 18:30:04 UTC  |  Edited by: PinkKnife
They showed a concept for the new drone UI at fanfest, so it is definitely already in the works. They are aware of how terrible it is.

You can see somewhat what they are aiming for in the new UI video they released in April.

Youtube UI fanfest video, Drone bits.
Tawrich Tistrya
Aliastra
Gallente Federation
#7 - 2012-08-02 03:12:11 UTC
I've seen that move and like the updates , but really i just want better behaviour from them , ui looking old is the least of my worries tbh
Ja'thaal Deathbringer
The Directionally Challenged
#8 - 2012-08-02 07:00:09 UTC
Agreed. The drone interface is long overdue for an update, especially given that the rest of the UI has been given a lot of love. If you're on the test server you'd know that there are now information panels for modules. You hover your mouse over a turret and you instantly know its tracking rate, optimal and falloff ranges. It's all great, but drones definitely need some love and attention. After all, they might just be cold heartless machines, but they need love too :3