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EVE New Citizens Q&A

 
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Support Frigates and Their Drones
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Kass Ikkala
Caldari Provisions
Caldari State
#1 - 2013-06-13 04:53:40 UTC
Howdy.

I was interested in the support frigates because they're the start of so many paths, such as logi and ewar ships. I noticed also that some of them have drone bays, although never a full complement outside of a combat frigate like the Tristan. For example, the Crucifier can support 3 lights with a few flights in reserve.

However, I can't be the only one that has noticed that both logistics and ewar drones require Drones V and Electronic Warfare IV trained. Doesn't this seem just a trifle odd for a ship intended for a new player? How are we expected to learn about how to use them before committing strongly to the drone path?

Shouldn't drones be part of tiericide?
Thomas Builder
Center for Advanced Studies
Gallente Federation
#2 - 2013-06-13 05:04:57 UTC
Yes, because 8 days of training is a strong commitm...

Oh wait. Shocked

Drones have many problems, but the skill requirement isn't one.
Praxis Ginimic
The Scope
Gallente Federation
#3 - 2013-06-13 05:07:57 UTC  |  Edited by: Praxis Ginimic
The drone bays in support ships are for scout drones. They are their only combat option. Utility drones are themselves a specialty. If you decide to put enough sp into drones it opens up extra options just like t2 ammo.

At least that's how I think about it
Andres Talas
Center for Advanced Studies
Gallente Federation
#4 - 2013-06-13 05:35:31 UTC
Praxis Ginimic wrote:
The drone bays in support ships are for scout drones. They are their only combat option. Utility drones are themselves a specialty. If you decide to put enough sp into drones it opens up extra options just like t2 ammo.

At least that's how I think about it


This.
Ace Menda
Gemini Lounge
#5 - 2013-06-13 05:45:44 UTC
Thomas Builder wrote:
Yes, because 8 days of training is a strong commitm...

Oh wait. Shocked

Drones have many problems, but the skill requirement isn't one.


This.

If you think those are long skills, boy will you be disappointed in the game.

Most of my skills now take 2+ weeks to train EACH

Are you in need of some nice chat? Are you new and want some help? Look no further and join: Crazy Dutch Guy
Kass Ikkala
Caldari Provisions
Caldari State
#6 - 2013-06-13 06:06:51 UTC
I can see how it would seem trivial if you have been playing a long time. However, if you are likely to still be training three and seven hour skills during the first two weeks, it seems a little strange that a player wouldn't likely have access to light shield repair drones before they've already dabbled in destroyers. Outfitting a 200k frigate with the logical 1-4 t1 support drones just seems like something you would do in the first few days anyway.

It would seem like a simple change to have light support drones require support drone skill lvl I, medium lvl III and large ones lvl V. As is, medium and heavies have the exact same skill prerequisite, after the not-insignificant hurdle of drones V.

As is, there is scarcely any difference in training for t1 and t2 support drones. Putting the hurdle at drones III would put a bigger gap between t1 and t2, and it is still required in order to have a full flight of them.
Lost Greybeard
Drunken Yordles
#7 - 2013-06-13 09:19:09 UTC
Kass Ikkala wrote:
However, I can't be the only one that has noticed that both logistics and ewar drones require Drones V and Electronic Warfare IV trained.


Drones is a x1 skill. EWDI is a x5 skill, which means it takes a bit less time to hit IV than Drones does to hit V. If you're mapped to train drones the amount of time investment is trivial, and even if you aren't it's on the order of a week total, and unlocks T2 drones and full loads of 5, both essentially required for a drone pilot as early as possible.

Quote:
Doesn't this seem just a trifle odd for a ship intended for a new player?


It does. That's way, WAY easier than getting any other form of specialized weapon to that level of spec. Getting T2 small turrets is like five to ten times that level of initial investment. They should add a few more required skills in there in between Dones and EWDI.

Quote:
How are we expected to learn about how to use them before committing strongly to the drone path?


You seem to be able to type in English, can we assume you can also read it? If so, the answer is "thirty seconds with Google, then half an hour reading some Evelopedia and forum stuff it turns up, along with some basic arithmetic".

Quote:
Shouldn't drones be part of tiericide?


Tiericide is about eliminating the internal tier structure that added partial skill requirements to certain roles. Drones and other weapons don't have that skill-dependent tier structure, you can equip an m4 drone as easily as an m1 drone at one rank in the drones skill, same as with cannons or blasters.

Further, the roles that EW drones open up to you are already available in the form of frigates with EW capability and bonuses at significantly lower skill levels (usually one rank in a skill with a prereq of Electronics IV or something easy like that to equip the modules). For instance, the Caldari Griffin can be used at Caldari frigate 1, Electronics 1, electronic Warfare 1. You can literally train into the role from scratch in under 15 minutes, if you think that's too much for rookies I don't know what to tell you.
Kass Ikkala
Caldari Provisions
Caldari State
#8 - 2013-06-13 12:35:47 UTC  |  Edited by: Kass Ikkala
The gap of training from t1 to t2 logi drones is only training shield maintenance drones from III to V, a 3x skill.

It's t1 equipment. The t1 equipment that requires Vs in anything tends to be for more advanced players. Light shield maintenance drones just don't strike me as falling into that category.

Even rookie ships get bonuses both to drones, and to ewar, albeit mainly to durability.

I'm not asking that anyone agree with me that newbies should be buffed, only that the current system is unwieldy, and that nothing would be lost in terms of sp or time by shifting the hurdle in the end. In any other game, a week would be an eternity.
Praxis Ginimic
The Scope
Gallente Federation
#9 - 2013-06-13 13:12:52 UTC
Welcome to EVE, where a week isn't enough time to tie your shoes
Roel Yento
Republic University
Minmatar Republic
#10 - 2013-06-14 02:15:06 UTC  |  Edited by: Roel Yento
None of the support frigs get a bonus to drone repair amount. Repping and ewar drones aren't bonused on any lower tech ships. Infact t2 logi cruisers are when you get a bonus to logi drones. So when you are putting drones into your logi frig, it is entirely up to you what you load into your drone bay. That being said, if you want logi drones which require specialization then train for them, if you don't have patience, you will be gone from this game soon. This game has been going for 10 years, there is no end unless the company shuts it down due to funding. You are better off getting frig 5 for a logi frig over getting drones 5 for 1 unbonused logi drone.
Arkenai Wyrnspire
Incorruptibles
#11 - 2013-06-14 07:41:27 UTC
To be honest, getting drones to V is one of the best skill investments you can make as a newbie. A full flight of drones will always serve you well.

Someone.
Tau Cabalander
Retirement Retreat
Working Stiffs
#12 - 2013-06-14 09:00:02 UTC  |  Edited by: Tau Cabalander
Logistics ships typically carry one of the following:
A. A set of repair drones for what they can't repair with modules.
B. A set of repair drones for the same thing they can repair with modules, so they can still repair a bit while being jammed.
C. A set of combat drones to get on kill-mails.
D. A set of ECM drones to get out of sticky situations.