EVE General Discussion

Here is the video
http://www.gamefront.com/files/20842919/drone+bug.avi

Here is the bug
1. X amount of drones are shooting same target
2. Some of the drones kill the target in end of their firing cycle, but not all drones are involved in this.
3. Those drones which were not involved in "kill shot" got still their final firing cycle running and are locked to "dead" target.
3.1 These "special final cycle"-drones are assigned or acquire new target while the cycle still continues.
3.2 When their cycle finishes, they finally realize that their target has been dead/gone/killed for a while already and they reset.
3.3 After reset they either acquire new random target or have to be assigned to new target, depending are they active or passive.

As explained above currently drones stay locked to their "original" target for their entire firing/mining cycle, no matter are they assigned to to new target or does their "original" target even actually exist any more. Drones perform this test only in end of their cycle and this has to be fixed.

Here are the symptoms
- Drones going idle.
- Focus target is not working.
- Drones attacking random targets.
- Mining drone animation locked to wrong asteroid.

Here is the fix
To fix the bug flawlessly following checks has to be added to the code:
when target in the grid dies/vanishes/depletes every drone needs to check "was it my target?", unlock and disengage if it was.
when drone is acquiring new target and focus fire is on, check have all other drones unlocked and disengaged before taking action.
when drone is manually assigned to new target, immediately unlock and disengage from the old target if one exists.

If above causes too heavy server load, this method fixes the bug from most parts but is not totally flawless:
when pilots own drone kills/depletes target, all his other drones need to check "was it my target?", unlock and disengage if it was.
when drone is acquiring new target and focus fire is on, check have all other drones unlocked and disengaged before taking action.
when drone is manually assigned to new target, immediately unlock and disengage from the old target if one exists.

Here is the thread
https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=7038

Here is the bug report
117251, "We are already aware of this problem, and have added your bugreport to the existing issue in our defect tracking system"

Here is current CCP status report on the issue
https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&m=110530#post110530
https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&m=205991#post205991 *Work in progress*
https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&m=217419#post217419*Team BFF investigating*
https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&m=223535#post223535*Issues found and confirmed*

Estimation to get a fix
Winter expansion 2011

Thank you for listening and actually doing something.

Isn't it a rather short period of time that they sit there and then figure out "hey we have a new target" and then start heading off again? Like 2-3 seconds?

Ofc sometimes I have seen the split up and attack different targets thing they do. Which I always thought was funny. But sometimes I really needed them to focus on the one target. If they were going after normal frigates in missions, I wouldn't worry about it.

That's all I've noticed.

Oh wait is this about mining drones or all types?

Oh dear… Missiles 2.0.

Drones have been having issues for so long most have just given up.
That and people found out that if you pull them back after each hit (not far mind you) that they can provide an alpha hit every time.
And of course that leads to a ton of lag.

Then there is the very old code for drones.

Drones need a ton of work and in a lot of cases they are totally useless (sleepers)

Kind of like Gallente pilots, they are becoming a thing of the past.

OH side note.

CCP was once talking about formations.
Well one place that should seriously think about implementing it is with drones.
Drones in formation that act as one entity would eliminate the issue the OP is talking about and reduce lag as the computer would track them as one entity for movement. and weapons.

But that goes along with being able to destroy parts of ships and so forth and so on.
Not in the current code.

When I think of Drones and fleet formations, I think of Homeworld

all drones shoudl be removed.

no ship should be able to kill the ship class below it without seriously being fitted for it. large blaster moros? mediums on bs? triple web combo's on both ofc.

lol, well i can hope cant i?

Drone users should suffer in their afk missioning misery

I have better idea: REMOVE GALLENTE ENTIRELY
Too much trouble from them lately.
FIX HYBRIDS
FIX DRONES
FIX HULL TANKING
FIX CHARACTER UGLINESS

See? EVE will be a better place without feds

bumping continues until my little drones behave more like drones and less like ponies, thread is locked or CCP Phantom performs ninjareplacement of the entire topic....

Join fix drones foundation - fighting for our right to dronepwnage since 2011.
We have food, time and dedication. CCP can not win without cheathaxorcensoring and dirty tricks.
Drones need you today! Fight for better future, slaughter the bug - give a new life to your hobgoblin!

So yes, this is workaround (for PvE at least)...

Adjust the key bindings for engage and return to something easy (Left Alt+E, Left Alt R for me) and when you want them on a new target issue the engage command two or three times. My attention occasionally lapses (after the second scotch) but this works fairly well for keeping the doggies in line.