Missions & Complexes

I'm thinking of going back to mission running and I have gallente character. Just curious with the recent change to NPC AI, is it AT all possible to still have a drone boat? Having drones as your Main source of damage.

I realize you need to manage them and I'm willing to do that. Just curious if its even possible cause I've heard things such as NPC's instant popping your drones without you being able to pull them back in time.

Also anyone have a good fit for a myrmidon? Is it able to run level 4's effective? Or is it better to go Domi + Drones there?

Sorry for the questions.

Since the latest NPC AI patch, it's gotten a fair bit easier. I've had the best luck using projectile artillery with short-range ammunition and keeping combat range reasonably close for quick recall. Elite frigates are the worst and should be primaried when possible, preferably at close range. Larger NPCs shouldn't aggress on small drones anymore, at least not with the same frequency as earlier. (If I'm feeling particularly patient/lazy I'll burn down cruisers with light drones.)

I keep an eye on the overview and try to recall drones as soon as I see that an enemy has dropped target lock. Usually this gets the drones back into the bay before they take much fire.

EDIT: I do agree that missiles and turrets are potentially easier at this point in time.

I did some hisec anoms with droneboat to check out how that works (was too lazy to seek for suitable lvl2-3 agent and nobody wants hisec anoms anyways), then combined with some observations from lvl4s.

Things work somewhat fine for me, so far I feel like elite NPCs target drones every now and then (and they continue to pound drones unless you recall them all at once and rats re-target you), but regular ones behave almost the way they used to pre-Retri. I'd agree that droneboats probably lost some range projection via mobile drones, but lvl3s and below are what amounts to close combat engagements anyways. Well, mostly.

I did have that TP with me, but when I don't use it, I don't feel that anything changes significantly. Maybe my T2 fit and badly flown scanning Legion looks shiny to NPCs and they hate it more, dunno. Also I had drones on passive all the time, don't know if that changes anything. It really shouldn't, but who knows.

On the comment above on killing elites in close combat, I agree, but if you can blap (or significantly damage) them on approach, it makes life so much easier. After all, once they are in contact with you, they will be responcible for 90% of cases of you controlling drones.

All this bullshit in the posts above.....
The myrm allways has been a pure drone boat, and its about to get better with the upcoming BC changes. I run 5/10 6/10 in my gila or ishar, and you just have to micromanage your drones. Same will go for the myrm (tip: use keybinds). You just can go "afk" mission anymore...

ps: with the changes, the myrm will pobably be a viable sentry platform. I allways preferred sentries over meds and heavies, even lights if you can pull range.

Well, the myrm was a pure droneboat when it could deploy 5 large drones. Hasn't been able to do that for a while now although, yay?, it gets one more drone soon. But i guess that's 'better', even though as stated it will get massive tank and diversity nerf.

Also, why do you respond to 'is the myrm a good mission ship' with, yes, this faction ship or this tech 2 ship are good in missions.... while taking pot shots at others?

Re OP, I wouldn't bother with the myrm for level 4s. Oh, you *could* do it. You'd just never want to do it again after that.

Go with the domi if you must choose a drone boat, then navy domi.

Considering that navy domi costs like your random tier3 battleship now, it won't be exactly long road between them.


Um, excuse me? Why? I don't think it's posistion among mission runners changed significantly, except that it swapped ability to tank for gankboat fleetmates in lvl5s (AI change) for a bit of additional damage (new DDAs).

My previous post was put on the forum abit hastily, you know, beceause im @ work. Anyway ill elaborate abit:



so only ships which can deploy 5 bonussed heavies are pure drone boats? think the vex and arbi are pretty much pure drone boats too... I can't think of a ship that doesnt have a dual weapon system bonus, 1 of which is drones, besides the myrm. I think that qualifies don't you? The tank nerf is abit meh on it, true. Tbh, besides the crappy drone bandwith, the myrm was in a pretty good spot imo.



I did not, that was a response to Brewlar mostly. As my 1st line should pobably clearify; im responding to all posters above me.



The myrm is a pain in lvl 4s as much as a drake is, even worse after the AI changes. Its not really meant for it anyway..... For (younger) mission runners its a stepping stone to the domi/navy domi or ishtar while you are doing lvl 3s in it.

Lot of these newer folk (AI Chicken Littles) don't seem to know that.

They do if the frigs spawn on top of you, and there are ten of them.
My navy domi with up to 4 faction omnis has significant trouble hitting frigs in orbit.
On approach however (IF locking time + range is sufficient) - yeah they blap.
But that's what lights are for. And, I suppose, MJDs. And ogres these days.

Hey ho - wow. I just did my first mission since the Christmas Patch - The Mordus Headhunters - Using a Republic Fleet Typhoon - and my Vespa IIs all eventually died before I could pull them beack from the Merceneries (Mordo Mercenaries - the Elite Frigates).

That was my first attemp since the patch - so I'm not too bothered as I learnt a lot. But they were only out at close range. They just would get Webbed and then you couldn't get them back. I lost more in drones than the mission reward - so I stopped deploying drones after that.

It takes a LONG time to kill elite frigates with torpedoes - they can't kill you - you can't kill them - and heaven forbid they point you and you are stuck there!!! The mission was almost as much fun as mining. I hate to think what the ammunition cost was!!! But I probably won't be using Tech II drones again - so I probably won't be using drones again - So my RF Typhoon is going away for a bit. Back to the Maelstrom.

Or - Are people running missions in multiple runs now - go in with a Hurricane and kill Frigates that you can pull then go in with a Battleship? And use drones once the Frigs are dead - rinse and repeat for all the rooms - Or are we now in the era of fitting medium size secondary armaments on PvE boats - like I lose the Quad 425s off the 'Phoon and put on 220's ???

Lets see :)


How are you getting on - are you flying drone boats at all anymore?