Ships & Modules

Did you even read the thread?

So what's the issue with just using the best drone for the job?

Its true - I'm all for fixing that... but simply making the spreadsheet numbers line up sensibly isn't the way forward. Notably, even doing that would leave Caldari drones as being largely useless. :)

-Liang

Amarr drones have always sucked, nobody who actually looks at the numbers ever uses them. Sentry drones excepted (Amarr sentries are actually decent, though not spectacular).

If would be great to get a fix on this. At the moment, the only drones people use are:

- Gallente: if you want max damage
- Minmatar: if you want max speed

Caldari ones are used in some rare cases when you need kinetic. Amarr? Never. The damage is so bad (in comparison) that it makes more sense to use the other types even when there's an EM hole in the target.

If you would care to read the thread you would see that the arbitrator is considered unusual for amarr ships. I do not mean by players in general, it actually says it right in the in game description, and I even quoted it a few posts ago for you.

I can confirm this to be the case in most situations - the only criteria for selecting the drones I use are the damage type and time to delivery (speed of the drone usually)

There are only two situations where tracking becomes relevant with drones:

1) Sentry drones - here tracking does matter
2) Hitting small targets - this is basically limited to using heavies to hit frigates, there tracking does have an effect, but it's minor compared to the hit up the tailpipe situation.


It's all about damage and speed. Oh and yes - all drones should be considered Gallente thinking of them as "racial" is not meaningful. (And in fact is only relevant when you need to buy the BPOs which make you fly to the right station).


Also the idea to switch the damage modifier between explosive (minmatar) and EM (amarr) drones is clearly an overall nerf to drones. Please don't.

Well then let's cut to the chase: if all that matters are drone speed and DPS then the solution is both simple and obvious

Change Caldari drones (not sentries) to the same stats as Minmatar, but Kinetic damage.
Change Amarr drones to the same stats as Gallente, but EM damage.

Leave minor differences like shield/armor values in place as "flavor".

Mal, I don't know why you would upset the apparent CCP intended progression table by leapfrogging kinetic/caldari drones toward explo/minmatar. Why not keep the same progression but tweak it along the lines you suggested.

I like the table as it appears to have been intended. The gradation is fine imo as long as it would be consistent, and maybe more bifurcated than evenly spaced. If people worry that it would be a nerf to drones and Gallente in general then just tweak the stats a bit.

Without running the exact math (not my forte) the damage multipliers etc could be grouped/bifurcated although not exactly. It could be progressed more like

1.6 1.900 2.8 Thermal/Gallente
1.5 2.100 3.0 Kinetic/Caldari

1.3 2.500 4.0 EM/Amarr
1.2 2.700 4.2 Explosive/Minmatar

Amarr/em drones are already about fast enough to catch fast frigs, it's just that why bother since their damage co-efficient and tracking is worse comapred to explo/min drones. Similarly Caldari dornes could be flattened closer to Gallente drones.

This would help both kin/cal and em/amarr drones get used more. They might not be the best at their end, but considering typical target resist profiles they might have some pvp advantage for being used. Sure therm drones would have more damage, but that typically lower base kinetic resist on armor would present a reason to consider caldari drones. Similarly, if the target is really fast, the still better tracking and speed of the explo drones would leave them a role, but you could consider the em drones to try to attack the em shield hole if a ship had not fortified it.

A progression like this might actually be a slight buff to drone use and Gallente in general.

edit- it might simultaneous buff acolytes and warriors. If a ceptor or dram can no longer figure on warriors only being his enemy he can't just further load the highest base explo resist with an explo resist mod or rig, he would have to consider an em resist mod or rig focus. This would have all sorts of effects on ship weapon damage as well. But I've always felt that pvp should be an omni resist game unless you have definite intel that the enemy fleet is all using lasers or hybrids (could happen) or would prefer it's kinetic missile bonus, etc

2nd edit- thinking more about this, it might lead to mixed drone groupings. Instead of just throwing out 5 warriors in pvp you might go 3/2 warriors plus 2/3 acolytes in your light drone grouping, which imo would be a good thing. Similar mix of therm kinetic heavy drones perhaps instead of just 5 ogres. PVE drone gorupings would be largely unchanged, which is ok.

Minmatard is op in drones too just like in everything, except capitals , but wait those are getting buffed too , oh noo the matar fanboys choir's cry is loud as hell.

Only Exp drones would be "nerfed" by 13% (ie 1.15/1.3)
EM drones would be buffed by the same amount.

Therm and Kin drones would be untouched - Your Ogres, Hammerheads, Hobgoblins, Sentries, etc would be completely unchanged.

Drones as a whole don't get nerfed, the Exp drones get nerfed.