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The Death of a Drone...

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Henry Montclaire
Guild of Independent Pilots
DammFam
#41 - 2013-01-06 22:08:46 UTC
I haven't lost a Heavy or Sentry drone in so long that I actually invested in faction versions. Drones getting targeted can be managed, very well too.

Here are my top tips for saving your drones!

First, fit a drone navigation computer.

Second, fit a target painter (in a rattlesnake this will be especially useful).

Third, use sentries for long range drone combat (doesn't take very long to train to, and you will fall in love with your Bouncers).

Fourth, know your hotkeys, and if your drones get targeted, CALL THEM ALL IN (default is Shift-R I believe). Then redeploy once the NPCs have retargeted you.

And that's really all you need to do.

If that still doesn't work for you, refit your guns for sniping, fit a micro jump drive, and just snipe down all the frigates from range before deploying drones.

Also, I don't even use lights or meds anymore. I find that with a target painter, and a tracking mod or two (for drones), heavy Minmatar drones can hit and destroy even fast moving frigates. They'll also soak up more damage, and save you some grief.

Last but not least, webbing frigates are a drone's worst enemy! Target them first!
Mund Richard
#42 - 2013-01-06 23:48:54 UTC  |  Edited by: Mund Richard
Henry Montclaire wrote:
I actually invested in faction versions.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the faction ones mainly have the larger health as bonus, and a bit more tracking for loosing range and damge, so not that much worth it if you're not loosing drones, or are they?

I'm not sure on the effect of a painter, when I first started using one, I "saw" the effect, but lately I have been thinking "maybe it's just placebo, and I just got used to it".

Drone nav comp: Causes overshooting at times, won't help against the biggest threat: elite frigs. I'd rather take another omni (which does help the SENTRIES), but that's me.

SENTRIES: YES!
They aren't drones but deploy-able guns, explaining why they work so well. Roll
(Assuming 100-125 dronebay, not speedtanking, and some spare dronebay perhaps)

Hotkeys: They can help, though I hover my mouse over the recall for the same effect.
Still doesn't help when a goblin is 1-shot, or webbed, but good advice for avoiding the cumbersome interface I suppose.

And yes, killing elite frigates comes first.
For non-sentries because of the web.
For sentries because once they orbit, they are that much harder to hit, much more fun to pop them with 1-2 salvo at 50km.


Personal experience also depends on the content, playstyle, and the blessings of the random gods.

"We want PvE activities to require active participation and mirror PvP more closely." Stacking penalty for NPC EWAR then? Lock range under 9km from over 100 in a BS is not fun. Nor is two NPC web drones making me crawl 10m/s. PvP SW-900 x5: 75m/s.
Katran Luftschreck
Royal Ammatar Engineering Corps
#43 - 2013-01-07 01:48:04 UTC
It should also be noted that that whole thing about "Frigs target light and up, cruiser only medium and up, battleship heavy and up" etc... all complete rubbish. I've seen plenty of non-elite cruisers and battleships shooting at even T1 light drones.

And speaking of which... for some reason T1 drones draw slightly less aggro. Considering that CCP decided to make every other wreck drop T1 drones as loot as some sort of lame "consolation prize" to drone captains, just figured you might want to know that there is actually a decent reason to downgrade to the stuff that you're essentially getting for free.

http://youtu.be/t0q2F8NsYQ0
Mund Richard
#44 - 2013-01-07 11:45:33 UTC
Katran Luftschreck wrote:
It should also be noted that that whole thing about "Frigs target light and up, cruiser only medium and up, battleship heavy and up" etc... all complete rubbish. I've seen plenty of non-elite cruisers and battleships shooting at even T1 light drones.
Hmm... Interesting.

So far I only saw it from non-aggressed ones, that were all-too-eager to jump at deployed drones.

"We want PvE activities to require active participation and mirror PvP more closely." Stacking penalty for NPC EWAR then? Lock range under 9km from over 100 in a BS is not fun. Nor is two NPC web drones making me crawl 10m/s. PvP SW-900 x5: 75m/s.
zoni Ishikela
State War Academy
Caldari State
#45 - 2013-01-07 23:52:49 UTC
Henry Montclaire wrote:
I haven't lost a Heavy or Sentry drone in so long that I actually invested in faction versions. Drones getting targeted can be managed, very well too.

Here are my top tips for saving your drones!

First, fit a drone navigation computer.

Second, fit a target painter (in a rattlesnake this will be especially useful).

Third, use sentries for long range drone combat (doesn't take very long to train to, and you will fall in love with your Bouncers).

Fourth, know your hotkeys, and if your drones get targeted, CALL THEM ALL IN (default is Shift-R I believe). Then redeploy once the NPCs have retargeted you.

And that's really all you need to do.

If that still doesn't work for you, refit your guns for sniping, fit a micro jump drive, and just snipe down all the frigates from range before deploying drones.

Also, I don't even use lights or meds anymore. I find that with a target painter, and a tracking mod or two (for drones), heavy Minmatar drones can hit and destroy even fast moving frigates. They'll also soak up more damage, and save you some grief.

Last but not least, webbing frigates are a drone's worst enemy! Target them first!


+1

Thanks for constructive & helpful tips for a noob like me as I as I was halfway through the training for sentries II for L4s when the AI changes hit .

Any recommendations for a DNI fit? I'm worried that putting a TP will nix the tank in case something goes south.
Mund Richard
#46 - 2013-01-08 00:41:42 UTC  |  Edited by: Mund Richard
zoni Ishikela wrote:
+1

Thanks for constructive & helpful tips for a noob like me as I as I was halfway through the training for sentries II for L4s when the AI changes hit .

Any recommendations for a DNI fit? I'm worried that putting a TP will nix the tank in case something goes south.
As for the specifics he mentioned, read my reply to it...

Back to your question:
The most fun way to do it, is to try and LMJD shield tank the things with minimal boosting and maximal DPS.
There's a guy out there doing these and posting the results on youtube.
Now if you are halfway to sentry IIs, your dps will not be like the one he has in the vids (letting rats closer, thus needing to survive more), plus some missions may have nasty surprises.
Fun nonetheless, and letting you fit a full low for damage, which is always awesome

The opposite way is going for a Rattlesnake instead, stiff shield tank, sitting in the middle of it, and taking the beating.

Third way would be the old-way Domi with a LAR II, DC (or not), rat-specific hardeners(2-4), 0-2 drone damage amp, 0-2 tracking comp, a painter and cap rechargers in the mids, highs a mix of repper/dronelink/hybrids as it suits your taste (such as 0/0/6 or 1/1/4), and cap/armor rigs of your choice (since sentry rigs diminish with DDA, add less damage, affect only sentries, reduce CPU).

"We want PvE activities to require active participation and mirror PvP more closely." Stacking penalty for NPC EWAR then? Lock range under 9km from over 100 in a BS is not fun. Nor is two NPC web drones making me crawl 10m/s. PvP SW-900 x5: 75m/s.
zoni Ishikela
State War Academy
Caldari State
#47 - 2013-01-08 02:52:39 UTC
Mund Richard wrote:
zoni Ishikela wrote:
+1

Thanks for constructive & helpful tips for a noob like me as I as I was halfway through the training for sentries II for L4s when the AI changes hit .

Any recommendations for a DNI fit? I'm worried that putting a TP will nix the tank in case something goes south.
As for the specifics he mentioned, read my reply to it...

Back to your question:
The most fun way to do it, is to try and LMJD shield tank the things with minimal boosting and maximal DPS.
There's a guy out there doing these and posting the results on youtube.
Now if you are halfway to sentry IIs, your dps will not be like the one he has in the vids (letting rats closer, thus needing to survive more), plus some missions may have nasty surprises.
Fun nonetheless, and letting you fit a full low for damage, which is always awesome

The opposite way is going for a Rattlesnake instead, stiff shield tank, sitting in the middle of it, and taking the beating.

Third way would be the old-way Domi with a LAR II, DC (or not), rat-specific hardeners(2-4), 0-2 drone damage amp, 0-2 tracking comp, a painter and cap rechargers in the mids, highs a mix of repper/dronelink/hybrids as it suits your taste (such as 0/0/6 or 1/1/4), and cap/armor rigs of your choice (since sentry rigs diminish with DDA, add less damage, affect only sentries, reduce CPU).


Appreciate your feedback.






Page Starcaster
Blue Angels Mining Company
#48 - 2013-01-11 17:42:18 UTC
Mund Richard wrote:
Page Starcaster wrote:
It would seem that the different aspects of the A.I. are somewhat random. Elite spawns that some times insta pop drones, NPC's that use MWD's and AB's to avoid getting hit. NPC's remote reping and spider tanking. But when they all trigger in the same mission it gets insane. Combine that with a mission containing 9 battleships and 6 battlecruisers with elite frigs and a solo pilot has no chance. I have run sleeper sites that were easier with 5 times the reward.

Are you sure it was remote rep and not local?
Random is random, so is their rep and agro swap.
When too many elites are around, insta-pop can happen in any mission.
Heck, even had issues in a L3 with deploying light drones (shields dead before they got into orbit of the elite frigs). Not that I cared much, were T1s for one and flew a ship that could handle it without drones, but still.

Sleeper sites... prolly this change is a nudge to go that way...
Heck, it works, I want to try WHs now more than ever before!

It was defiantly a remote rep. I have seen it a few times. I can not break the tank on the one getting reped, until I popped the support cruiser that was reping it, Then it went down easy. if it was local rep it would not lose reps when the suport cruiser was popped. As I understand NPC's can not run out of cap.

Spider tanking is common in sleeper sites. Since the A.I. update I have seen it a few times in level 4 missions. Usually involving elite spawns.
Katran Luftschreck
Royal Ammatar Engineering Corps
#49 - 2013-01-12 20:38:05 UTC
Lady Ayeipsia wrote:

NPCs will now only target drones in their size category.

Elite frigates and cruisers NPCs will go for small drones and above.
Frigates and Cruisers NPCs will go for medium drones and above.
Battleship NPCs will go for large drones.


This would be bearable, if it were true, but I've seen NPC cruisers alpha strike small drones with enough frequency to know better.

http://youtu.be/t0q2F8NsYQ0
Mund Richard
#50 - 2013-01-12 20:40:40 UTC  |  Edited by: Mund Richard
Katran Luftschreck wrote:
Lady Ayeipsia wrote:
Elite frigates Attention and cruisers AttentionNPCs will go for small drones and above.
This would be bearable, if it were true, but I've seen NPC cruisers alpha strike small drones with enough frequency to know better.

The ones with the large bounties do go after all drones.
The ones with the small bounties kill the mediums and above.

And if ANY drone pulls proximity agro, or is just randomly targeted on spawn, even battleships will blam it in one go.

(or at least that was my impression, may have been wrong)

"We want PvE activities to require active participation and mirror PvP more closely." Stacking penalty for NPC EWAR then? Lock range under 9km from over 100 in a BS is not fun. Nor is two NPC web drones making me crawl 10m/s. PvP SW-900 x5: 75m/s.
ISD TYPE40
Imperial Shipment
Amarr Empire
#51 - 2013-01-13 11:12:00 UTC
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