These forums have been archived and are now read-only.

The new forums are live and can be found at https://forums.eveonline.com/

Ships & Modules

 
  • Topic is locked indefinitely.
 

Drones and their actual target range according to skills and equipment
Author
Previous Topic Next Topic
Cybertransit
C The Cake
#1 - 2013-08-19 14:09:18 UTC  |  Edited by: Cybertransit
Damn Drones again (sorry!)

https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=270142&find=unread

I posted this two days ago as I needed some help on the info (right click) of drones launched with some items fitted to the ship.

Seems as if the drones info tab itself needs some rework as although the drones give OPTIMAL range there is no definite way to tell what ACTUAL LOCK range you have.

My ship and Skills lock range shows when using Tactical view. Place my mouse cursor over a gun and the Tactical view changes to reflect gun range and optimal ammunition range. (A good thing). Mousing over a sentry drone.. and nada. Mouse over my drone bay... and nada. There is no specific way to see the distance needed for my sentry's to lock and fire. Optimal is like 90km + but launching a drone and pressing F gives a message that states your drones cannot shoot at said target because said target is beyond 57km or something. Surely there should be a info section on drones to give their actual 'Lock Range'.

Yes I know drones can get sent to attack a target but if the target is beyond your drone control range they won't go. Similarly if you instruct your sentries to attack a target they won;t if the target is beyond your drone control range. And there is no way to find out that actual range until you are in combat. Or you rep a corp friend shield or armour.

Surely this is wrong and the info tablet on drones AND teh tactical overlay should reflect your drone target range?

Next you'll be telling me to submit a bug report or place this into the ideas and modification forum...What?
Elena Thiesant
The Scope
Gallente Federation
#2 - 2013-08-19 14:14:57 UTC  |  Edited by: Elena Thiesant
It's not drone targeting range. It's your drone control range, range between your ship and the target you're telling the drones to shoot at.

So if you have a drone control range of 50km, you are 48km from the target and the sentries are 20km behind you, they can still shoot at that target.

Tau Cabalander wrote:

Drone Control Range = 20 km + 5 km * Scout Drone Operation + 3 km * Electronic Warfare Drone Interfacing

Plus modules:

Drone Drone Link Augmentor I = +20 km
Drone Drone Link Augmentor II = +24 km
Black Eagle Drone Link Augmentor = +26 km


Plus there's a Drone Control Range Augmentor rig which gives you +15km control range.

Yeah, would be nice to see it somewhere on the ship's fitting screen. Submit a request to F&I? Twisted
Whitehound
#3 - 2013-08-19 14:18:21 UTC
Cybertransit wrote:
Next you'll be telling me to submit a bug report or place this into the ideas and modification forum...What?

No, you figured it out on your own. No need.

Use EFT or PYFA.

Loss is meaningful. Therefore is the loss of meaning likewise meaningful. It is the source of all trolling.
Cybertransit
C The Cake
#4 - 2013-08-19 14:28:38 UTC
Drones have a base 20km.. My Scout Drone skill is at 5 so +25km and my Electronic Warfare is at 4 so add 12km. 57km Drone control range and I have a OmniDirectional Tracking Link II fitted.

Warped my Domi to the Anom. Launched Sentries. Lock and press F and I still get the warning that 'Your sentries fail to shoot the target at 73KM due to your drone control range being 57Km. No distance added for the Tracking Link 2 and I had stopped moving when i launched my sentries.

So no idea whats going on with this.
Bertrand Butler
Cras es Noster
#5 - 2013-08-19 14:41:41 UTC  |  Edited by: Bertrand Butler
Its not really that difficult to understand...

Omnidirectional Tracking links increase the optimal range and tracking values for all your drones (scout, medium, heavy, sentries and specials). View them as tracking enhancers or targeting computers for your guns. They have absolutely nothing to do with your drones being able to target something.

Drone Link augmenters boost your drone control range. Both your drones and your target have to be inside that range from your ship for your drones to work. That does not mean that the drones have to be inside drone control range from your target for them to work.

Example.

You have a control range of 60km, and a target in front of you 50km away. You also have dropped 5 sentry drones, and they are 50km behind you.

The distance between your target and your drones is 100km, 40km more than your drone control range.

Your drones will shoot at the target with no problems. Whether they hit him or not will depend on their tracking, optimal and falloff ranges, just like a turret.
Elena Thiesant
The Scope
Gallente Federation
#6 - 2013-08-19 15:01:18 UTC  |  Edited by: Elena Thiesant
Cybertransit wrote:
Warped my Domi to the Anom. Launched Sentries. Lock and press F and I still get the warning that 'Your sentries fail to shoot the target at 73KM due to your drone control range being 57Km. No distance added for the Tracking Link 2 and I had stopped moving when i launched my sentries.

So no idea whats going on with this.


Your drone control range is 57km. Hence any target you want your drones to shoot at must be 57km or less from your ship (not distance from the drones to the target, the distance from the ship to your target)

In your case, 57km (drone control range) < 73km (distance to target), hence drones cannot shoot at that, it's not within range.

Omni does not add drone control range. It adds drone optimal, falloff and tracking.
Zhilia Mann
Tide Way Out Productions
#7 - 2013-08-19 15:15:26 UTC
Elena Thiesant wrote:
Cybertransit wrote:
Warped my Domi to the Anom. Launched Sentries. Lock and press F and I still get the warning that 'Your sentries fail to shoot the target at 73KM due to your drone control range being 57Km. No distance added for the Tracking Link 2 and I had stopped moving when i launched my sentries.

So no idea whats going on with this.


Your drone control range is 57km. Hence any target you want your drones to shoot at must be 57km or less from your ship (not distance from the drones to the target, the distance from the ship to your target)

In your case, 57km (drone control range) < 73km (distance to target), hence drones cannot shoot at that, it's not within range.

Omni does not add drone control range. It adds drone optimal, falloff and tracking.


Eh. Not quite. If you want to tell your drones to shoot specific targets, those targets must be within your drone control range. If you let them free fire, they'll pick any target they can hit, drone control range be damned.
Elena Thiesant
The Scope
Gallente Federation
#8 - 2013-08-19 15:50:09 UTC
Zhilia Mann wrote:
If you let them free fire, they'll pick any target they can hit, drone control range be damned.


Interesting. Hadn't noticed that. But then, I tend to leave drones on passive most of the time.