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Sentry Drone range
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Annubis Lorn
Ministry of War
Amarr Empire
#1 - 2012-10-30 01:54:19 UTC
I just started getting into drone boats. Purchased a sweet Rattlesnake and got it fit...

Heres my question...

There are skills and mods that will increase the optimal range on my sentry drones, but what i need to do is increase the falloff. Will the falloff increase as the optimal increases? Are there any skills or mods that Im overlooking that will increase falloff on sentries? Or do i need to put this time into training up heavies because sentries are just gonna be short range, period?
Zhilia Mann
Tide Way Out Productions
#2 - 2012-10-30 02:18:15 UTC
Short answer: no mod increases drone falloff.

Long answer: this is an add question. Basically, the only drone where you'd really want to increase falloff would be Bouncers simply because they already have an insane falloff range and even that would be marginal.

More likely, you are falling prey to a common misconception about optimal range. There are two factors that govern how well turrets (and drones) hit: tracking and falloff. Any target at or under optimal range is only affected by tracking. Targets further out than optimal range get less damage due to falloff mechanics.

What this means is that as long as you can track, the entire range below optimal is full damage range. Thus, more optimal range is actually a very good thing; it means you don't have to deal with falloff mechanics.

Optimal does not mean that anything closer gets any kind of reduced damage due to range -- though lots of people seem to think it does.

Fitting omnidirectional tracking links increase both optimal and tracking. Thus, they actually increase the potential full damage range (optimal) and they lower the lower bound of range at which sentries are optimal (due to tracking mechanics). Garde IIs with a couple of omnis can hit effectively from something like 10km out to 60km, which is simply great considering they don't have to move to apply that damage.
Tyberius Franklin
Federal Navy Academy
Gallente Federation
#3 - 2012-10-30 02:31:11 UTC
Define "short range?" Bouncers/Wardens hit farther than I can lock in a rattlesnake.