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are you a drone specialist?
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Stetson Eagle
Paird Technology
#41 - 2012-08-15 11:43:55 UTC  |  Edited by: Stetson Eagle
Using drones as a primary weapon in PVP is completely viable if a bit situational. There will be a lot more people using them now that they got buffed. Especially Bouncer II's.

The main weakness is, of course, losing the drones on the way. This makes them sub optimal for many roaming situations where you are just looking for fights.


The main advantage is that assisted drones completely bypass targeting/capacitor needs from the droneboat itself, and focus fire perfectly from multiple ships simultaneously.

-> Dominixes can use cloak, spider tank etc. while not focusing on dealing damage.
-> Dominix fleet can split damage between guns and drones with separate primaries.
-> Typhoon fleet can do the same.
-> Armageddon fleet can do the same. Navy Armageddons = Hellcats + sentry damage source?
-> Gilas can kite around while having a stationary and focused damage source, which is simultaneously hard to interpret for tacklers going after the kiters.
-> (Shield?) Carrier Pantheon fleet can utilize damage modded sentries for instant focus fire with instant logistics.

For the solo player,

-> Pilgrims (XL ASB anyone?) will deal more damage.
-> Arbitrator and Vexor will deal more damage.
-> Myrmidon will deal more damage.
-> Ishtar and Gila will deal more damage.
-> Dominix and Armageddon have become quite fun on paper gank fits.
-> Neut Dominix will deal more damage.
-> Drone frigates will deal more damage.

-> Procurer / Skiff might have become frigate slaying machines.
Shalua Rui
Rui Freelance Mining
#42 - 2012-08-15 11:53:19 UTC
Oh, Praxis again... I kinda like you. Smile

Drones? I love'em! As a miner, I mostly relay on them for protection or missions... but after dumping some skill points in the relevant skills, you can use them for almost anything pretty efficiently... I'm especially fond of EWAR drones (ECM).

Best drone cruiser in my opinion: Arbitrator

"ginger forum goddess, space gypsy and stone nibbler extraordinaire!" Shalua Rui - CEO and founder of Rui Freelance Mining (RFLM)
Alayna Le'line
#43 - 2012-08-15 13:17:06 UTC
Roime wrote:
Only the Ishtar and Gila have drones as "primary weapon", and that means about 2/3 of total dps. Maybe the Rattler as well? Not sure, anyway drones can't be considered a primary weapon system and you should tailor your training to accommodate both drone and turret/launcher skills.

Gallente is not supposed to be the drone race, we just have more and better options for using drones- Gallente is the brawler race.



CCP Ytterbium, is that you?

The fact that drones aren't all that viable/practical as primary weapons system says more about them being broken and ignored by CCP (no doubt because what you said is an echo of what Ytterbium posted elsewhere, and then [had to?] edited out...) than not being or not being supposed to be a primary weapons system. Also good luck doing much with a Dominix, Vexor, Ishkur or Myrmidon without drones (they do, however, all work quite fine without guns)
Mag's
Azn Empire
#44 - 2012-08-15 14:13:00 UTC
Drones are great, but sentries like them way too much. Lol

Destination SkillQueue:- It's like assuming the Lions will ignore you in the Savannah, if you're small, fat and look helpless.
highonpop
KarmaFleet
Goonswarm Federation
#45 - 2012-08-15 14:32:41 UTC
People who say drones suck, don't use them properly. Its like anything else, there is a drone for every occasion, you just need to be able to figure out which drones you need for the job


And drones are GREAT for pvp... You tell everyone in your fleet to pack ECM drones before undocking and sick them on your enemy in the middle of the fight. Great for harassing enemy logistics.

Also, Drones keep attacking even after YOU are jammed.

FC, what do?
Urgg Boolean
Center for Advanced Studies
Gallente Federation
#46 - 2012-08-15 15:12:03 UTC
I didn't read all three pages, so somone may have said some of this already:

First of all, drones treat commands like suggestions. Once you get the hang of it, you'll naturally spam your attack hot key a few times to ensure they are attacking what you want them to.

Drones are incredibly versatile, from ECM to repping, to combat, to mining.

Capitalizing on this flexibility, I set up a 2-boat Spider Tanking / combat fleet for PvE: I use a Repper Domi (Navy Issue) to service my ISN designed Mach (older design - not the newest super expensive one with T2 rigs). I modified that Mach to use an armor repper in the high slot, and heavy armor maintenance bots X4. So, the Repper Domi can put down an array of drones as the situation dictates, i.e., sentries for DPS, shield reppers if the 3 shield transporters are not enough, light drones to take out web/scram frigs.

My Domi's drones also hit out to about 106km, making a flight of Wardens a perfect combo for the inherent range limits of the Mach's 800mm guns. The Mach's single armor repper and repper drones X4 service the Domi if it takes aggro. Since the bulk of our repper capability is intended for the Mach, we primary ANY/ALL ships NOT shooting at the Mach because they will be shooting at drones or Domi. The repper Domi also has a single armor projector and repairs any drones that get aggroed on the fly.

This set up works so well, that I usually have the mach aggro the entire field, and then warp in the Domi for repping and sentry DPS. Set drones to "defend" or "assist" as needed for critical targets. We usually just pick off the mission ratz methodically.

So : while maxxing your drone skills, fit in some training for a Dominix. Run L4s. Make ISK. Grow from there into a bunch of other stuff.
Mistah Ewedynao
Ice Axe Psycho Killers
#47 - 2012-08-15 22:15:48 UTC
Umm, I may have put my foot in my moth about the drone damage amp.

All it says in the desription is:

Quote:
This module is for combat drones, not fighters or bombers.


Bad assumption on my part (helped by a FEW beers)

Sorry for the bad assumption.

Nerf Goons

Nuke em from orbit....it's the only way to be sure.
Ptraci
3 R Corporation
#48 - 2012-08-16 02:52:46 UTC
I have a toon with 10M or so SP in drones. Drones used to be awesome. Then they got nerfed. Then they got buffed a little, and then nerfed a little. Now they're ok, but not awesome.

However do pay attention to the ships that are designed to take advantage of drones and give bonuses to drones. Ishtar. Gila. Sentinel. Rattlesnake. Etc. Using these ships with awesome drone skills can be quite rewarding for both PvP and PVE. PvP not so much unless you are up against a noob, because an experienced player will realize where most of your dps is coming from and just pop your drones. But the drones can be quite fun. Of course fighters are even more fun...
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