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EVE New Citizens Q&A

 
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train drone skills?
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Spetznak Sokarad
Sebiestor Tribe
Minmatar Republic
#1 - 2013-01-25 22:36:53 UTC
in light of the effects that retribution had on npc ai towards drone skills, should i hold off on investing into drone skills?

i do alot of exploration for radar/mag/complexes, and was working towards using vexors, arbitrators, pilgrims, tengu, proteus ships...
Merouk Baas
#2 - 2013-01-25 22:40:00 UTC
They are a secondary weapon system on a lot of ships.

I use them in PVE, you just can't use the biggest kind indiscriminately, and may have to recall them now and then.

They are definitely used in PVP.

I recommend training them.
Lost Greybeard
Drunken Yordles
#3 - 2013-01-25 22:45:49 UTC
You should be able to equip T2 light and medium combat drones.

How much you train them beyond that (how much drone interfacing you take, whether you train up all the secondary skills, etc) is a personal call on your part, but being able to put 5 warrior IIs into space and control them is pretty much the minimum basic drone skill for any pilot to claim to have their basic skills done.

That said, this doesn't really require all that much in the way of training, you don't need to remap or anything.

ALSO: if you're using a Vexor/arbitrator, you want all your secondary skills to 3 or so and drone interfacing IV at least. They're the primary weapon system of those two boats. With a proteus, no, train blasters.
Davith en Divalone
Aliastra
Gallente Federation
#4 - 2013-01-25 22:52:57 UTC
Drone combat has gotten better with the recent patch. You still need good situational awareness to identify aggression changes, and the interface is really horrible. Listen and watch the beat of incoming damage, and recall (using the hot key, not the menu) the second you notice a change. You can also use the log window and overview to watch for aggression changes.
Kai Sheia
Center for Advanced Studies
Gallente Federation
#5 - 2013-01-25 22:59:54 UTC
at least basic drone skills aren't really optional. anything cruiser or bigger will come across situations where they either need a special fit, or assistance to kill frigates.

there was a person in help chat the other day who was asking for advice about how they lost their cruiser from a swarm of drone ships that his weapons couldn't touch, and that scrambled him. if he'd had more adequate drone skills (he didn't) he would have been able to at very least, knock out the scramblers and get away, if not be able to more effectively take on the whole situation.

you don't need to go all out if you aren't going to fly drone ships... but drone interfacing 3 or 4, and T2 light and medium drones, is pretty easy, basic and beneficial.
Alexis Valentyne
Anacorn Contracts Agency
#6 - 2013-01-25 23:10:58 UTC
They're pretty essential eventually. Better to get them sooner than later, I've delayed skilling them after a year and a half and am now regretting it.

I seem to smell the stench of appeasement in the air.
Kitty Bear
Deep Core Mining Inc.
Caldari State
#7 - 2013-01-25 23:32:30 UTC
Even with the recent changes in NPC behaviour, I still advocate that drones are made of Win!
Not Politically Correct
Doomheim
#8 - 2013-01-26 01:51:13 UTC
One thing to keep in mind is that it is not usually a good idea to mismatch drones and targets.

If you may encounter frigates, other drones, or destroyers, use Light Scout Drones. Cruisers and BCs, Mediums. BS and above, Heavys or Fighters.
Tau Cabalander
Retirement Retreat
Working Stiffs
#9 - 2013-01-26 06:59:38 UTC
I have 3 Rattlesnake pilots.

Trust me, there is nothing wrong with drones, and they are indeed worthwhile to train.
Marie Hartinez
Aries Munitions and Defense
#10 - 2013-01-26 21:28:13 UTC
Another Rattlesnake pilot and drone user reporting in....

Like everyone has already said, drones are indeed useful and worth the investment.

I've only lost maybe 5 drones since the original release of the current expansion. That was due to the fact I wasn't paying attention, and sending out my heavy drones after targets about 60km away. I now use sentries during missions that have far away targets.

Just pay a little extra attention to them, and don't send out slow moving drones out too far. Though, with some of the fixes, it's not as bad as some people would like you to believe.

Surrender is still your slightly less painful option.
Andres Talas
Center for Advanced Studies
Gallente Federation
#11 - 2013-01-26 22:53:30 UTC
Dominix pilot reporting in.
Katran Luftschreck
Royal Ammatar Engineering Corps
#12 - 2013-01-27 00:00:38 UTC
From former drone user: No, don't bother. Just train for Tengu like everyone else.

http://youtu.be/t0q2F8NsYQ0
Lost Greybeard
Drunken Yordles
#13 - 2013-01-28 03:36:11 UTC
Not Politically Correct wrote:
One thing to keep in mind is that it is not usually a good idea to mismatch drones and targets.

If you may encounter frigates, other drones, or destroyers, use Light Scout Drones. Cruisers and BCs, Mediums. BS and above, Heavys or Fighters.


This depends highly on your actual sp investments and loadout. Medium drones with some tracking enhancers and good drone skills can hit most NPC frigates with no problem and clear them significantly faster than small drones, for instance, and in small or medium-gang pvp your large drones will never do much good even if you have large targets, as they'll be a bit on the slow side and will get two-shot by passing frig support.
Montevius Williams
The Scope
Gallente Federation
#14 - 2013-01-29 00:14:07 UTC
Drones are great. I love Sentry drones.

"The American Government indoctrination system known as public education has been relentlessly churning out socialists for over 20 years". - TravisWB