Player Features and Ideas Discussion

I like drones and that is one of the reasons I play EVE, but CCP seems to position drones as an auxiliary weapon system. Only limited drones-related modules are provided. Even the weapon upgrade, drone damage amplifier, is the latest introduced module, which should have been there in the game’s first edition.
Not only the types of the modules are limited, the variations are limited too. Most drones-related modules only have two variations, T1 and T2. Some have useless storyline variations and FW-special navy variations. As a result, pilots who love drones, have very few options to customize and strengthen their drones.
Another big problem is that, non-capital ships, except Guardian Vexor, can only launch 5 drones at best. A high slot module should be provided for non-capital ships to increase the maximum number of drones in space.

There are some ideas to make drones more versatile.
1. Mini drone control unit
Basically, it is a drone control unit for non-capital ships. To ensure drones will not be overpowered, this module uses 2 high slots and needs to be activated (energy consuming). It means if you fit one to your high slot, the second slot will not be available. If your capacitor is depleted and the module is forced to close, the extra drones you launched will become idle.
As a result, drone ships like Dominix, can launch 8 drones at best by sacrificing all the high slots.

2. Overloaded drones
In EVE, guns and missile launchers can be overloaded. It is strange that drones cannot be. In PVP, either your enemies will try to kill your ship first and loot your T2 drones or kill your drones first to lower your DPS, so why don’t let them stronger for a short time and then self-destory?
Once they are overloaded, tracking speed, damage modifier, firing range and speed will be increased by 30%. Their structure will lost 15% per 10sec. There will be a related skill to lower the structure damage by 1% per lvl.
It will be too unrealistic if you can simply send a signal to overload your drones whenever you wanted. Instead, you must modified your drones(they must be undamaged) in any space station. The modification won’t change your drones’ name to something like “overloaded warrior”, but you can check whether they are modified in the drones’ properties window, so your enemies should not be able to realize it until they locked your drones.
The requirement of modification means overloading drones is a strategic decision. You must prepare the modification before you get into battlefield. It also increases the advantage of having a large drone bay, as those ships can prepare both unmodified and modified drones for different purposes.

3. Deadspace variations of drone-related modules
If you are willing to spend isk to buy the best equipment, you can have a better dps and defense even if it is not cost efficient. There is no place for drone-lovers to spend their isk. The most expensive module is possible the navy omnidirectional tracking link.
Rogue drones in Deadspace should drop some Deadspace variations of drone-related modules. CCP just changed them into bounty rats and removed their compounds. New Deadspace loots should be a compensation to provide incentive for pilots to kill rogue drones.

4. Augmented and integrated drones
I do not know how many people still remember their existence. They are hard to produce and limited in supply, but yet the only debatable advantage is having two kinds of damage output. On the other hand, although the navy variations have lower DPS than T2 variations, but have by far more hp.
Those drones should be powerful as pirate ships comparing to those normal ones. I think it is reasonable to make them 15% stronger than T2 variations.