EVE General Discussion

Hi, new player here (about a month and a week in game).

I'm Gallente Drone spec'd. I want to be drone spec'd because I want to eventually fly carriers (in particular a Thanatos). My skills are frozen in time due to the battlecruisers and destroyers changes, so for at least the time being, I really can't spec into another combat role, even if I wanted to.

I joined a FW group that is great, great people, very helpful, very friendly etc, but they're trying to force me into roles that I really am not that interested in, or at least, get me out of roles that they don't feel are useful. Fleets are being set up that do not allow drone boats for instance.

I feel like the recent patch has greatly magnified the problems with drone boats in Fleet PVP. By extending the duration of fights, you're more likely to lose your drones, and along with your drones, your DPS, and along with your DPS, your usefulness to the fleet as a whole. Drone boats were controversial in the fleets I fly in only a few weeks ago, but they weren't literally banned from them. The banning is a new development, and I believe its a direct consequence of the t1 logistics ships and extended fight duration. Fleet Commanders are rapidly concluding that in an age of drawn out engagements, weapons that previously never saw the light of day like smartbombs will be used, as well as drones being primaried as an easy means of DPS reduction.

I'm quite frustrated by this.

So here are my questions:

- To what extent can drone boats be useful in fleet situations when using Sentry drones? Is this something I can sell to my fleet-mates, or is this a dead end? I've given up on using regular drones in fleet, because frankly, I think all those guys more experienced than me telling me that drones suck in fleet are right. I'm holding onto hope that I can squeeze out a role as a Sentry boat captain, but most people I've talked to about this seem to think that they're not much better.

- With things as they are (assuming CCP doesn't buff drones for fleet work in the not too distant future) do you think that there's a chance that fleet dynamics will eventually shift to include tactics involving drone boats? Seems to me like with the extreme DPS of droneboats, using gangs of them to try to break through the tanks of logis with concentrated drone assisted burst assaults might have a role, but of course I'm a noob trying to theory-craft in a very complex game with people that have been playing for years. If Rooks and Kings were to release a video showing them using drones to OMGWTF own fleets in t1 ships, that would be a lifesaver, but I doubt that such a video is forthcoming.

I posted a similar post a few weeks ago in here, on essentially the same subject, but franky, things have changed since then. I apologize for those that are tired of the drone boat stuff, but this patch definitely exacerbated the problem.

Alpha can be more important than DPS, also depending on what you're shooting, the sentries have a "signature" like battleship weapons.

You sound like you would like to fly in a "slowcat" fleet.

Do what you want to do. If your current corporation says they aren't willing to let you play around with drones, which you enjoy doing, move on.

Might you reach a point where you realize you need to do more than drones? Sure. But at that point you will have grown with experience- and are making your own choices rather than somebody making your choices for you.

Drones do suck and will continue to suck until CCP revises having drone damage amp's in the lows and omni's in the mids. Train up turrets and everything will go better for you.

Most Corps will try to force you into roles; that's just something I've found while playing EVE. It applies to other games too, and even applies to you when you are the CEO and your members want to take a different route than you.

Just a given.

The plus side, is that if you are training up your Destroyer and Battlecruiser skills for versatility, that means you probably have Destroyers V for all types, and you can probably just fit a role without much trouble.