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Dev Blog: Giving Drones an Assist

First post First post
Author
Onotole Vassermanov
The Scope
Gallente Federation
#341 - 2014-04-02 11:56:46 UTC
1. You adjust drones to drones, without compare efficiency with turrets or launcher platforms. Look into DPS of clear turret/launcher platform, and look at drones. Drone ship have to be fasten to Sentries or risk miss them. Lower DPS as well. Assist is only 1 reason to use drone boats. Clear Drone platform solo make less DPS than turret/launcher based ships and still suffer of fasten sentries. Also drone can be killed and DPS goes even lower.

3. As drones ARE controlling by boat, make drones affected by e-war applied to boat(dampers, disruptors etc.). If boat e-attacked - effects SHOULD be applied to drones launched from this boat as well. Not WEB, as it affect physical item itself.

2. No Drone based Marauder. Give us a Drone-based Marauder to balance PVE side of Powerful SOLO drone boat.

3. Make a "Drone Control Unit" for drone based subcapital boats. Split/rename actual for "Capital Drone Control Unit". Utility or more dps balance, as for turret ships for close range PVP.

4. "Drone control range" - extra skill that NOT compared with any other skill in Gunnery/launcher? Still needed high power modules/rigs just for distance of usage. Remove this skill and make a drone control range based on targeting range, as per gunnery platform, optimal/falloff still comparable with gunnery and will not act on PVP side of EVE. Otherwise drones needs more units, more skills and still make less damage on less distance. Not balanced at all. Also drone link augmentor needs extra slots, that could be used for utility units or guns. And that make drone platform suffering in compare with turret/launcher.

Something like that.
Bryperium
xXPlease Pandemic Citizens Reloaded Alliance.Xx
#342 - 2014-04-02 11:56:51 UTC  |  Edited by: Bryperium
Consider adding a mid slot drone damage mod to maintain the armor/shield balance (though really this should be done for all weapon systems)

-

TrouserDeagle
Beyond Divinity Inc
Shadow Cartel
#343 - 2014-04-02 11:58:44 UTC
Bryperium wrote:

Also low slot drone tracking enhancer?


did you read the blog
Dorn Val
Ministry of War
Amarr Empire
#344 - 2014-04-02 12:07:59 UTC
What about adding the ability to recall Sentry drones from range? Currently Sentries are unpractical when roaming, and being able to recall them from range makes a few tactics a lot easier to manage.

Sandbox: An enclosed area filled with sand for children engaged in open-ended, unstructured, imaginative play. Also a place for cats to urinate and defecate...

Gilbaron
The Scope
Gallente Federation
#345 - 2014-04-02 12:10:29 UTC
Noroswen wrote:
So is there going to be any change to the availability of Intergrated and Augmented drones then?



there is probably a bajillion unused BPCs in peoples hangars + all those sites in the drone regions nobody ever does because they are not worth it.
Trajan Al'Thor
Rent -IS- Due
#346 - 2014-04-02 12:12:12 UTC
Any chance of getting Shadow Fighter Bombers from the Sansha Loyalty Point Store or as drops more frequently?
As they currently are, they are far to expensive to be of any use to anyone.

Plus they look awesome.
Morwen Lagann
Tyrathlion Interstellar
#347 - 2014-04-02 12:13:28 UTC
CCP Fozzie wrote:
Since it's April 2nd I want to go ahead and confirm once and for all that our balance posts and blog yesterday were 100% legit. We had a little fun subverting expectations and making honest announcements on April 1st. Big smile


Best. CCP. Prank. Ever.

Morwen Lagann

CEO, Tyrathlion Interstellar

Coordinator, Arataka Research Consortium

Owner, The Golden Masque

Vaffel Junior
Aliastra
Gallente Federation
#348 - 2014-04-02 12:19:05 UTC
Death to all supers is still on I see...

Keep it comming
Tal'rakken
Viziam
Amarr Empire
#349 - 2014-04-02 12:23:21 UTC
So in regards to Fighter Bombers.

Will the Omnidirectional Tracking Links effect their ability to hit their targets and their range or are they still considered to be shooting missiles??
GeeShizzle MacCloud
#350 - 2014-04-02 12:26:45 UTC
Tal'rakken wrote:
So in regards to Fighter Bombers.

Will the Omnidirectional Tracking Links effect their ability to hit their targets and their range or are they still considered to be shooting missiles??


they're still considered using missiles and therefore use a missile range and damage formula of sorts that do not have falloff and tracking etc...

so onmis wont have any effect on them, however DDAs and nav computers i will still work.
Rockstede
Center for Advanced Studies
Gallente Federation
#351 - 2014-04-02 12:31:50 UTC
Weaselior wrote:
Jeinvay Kunsu wrote:
WHY would you reduce the super-carrier drone amounts from 20 to 10, when the carriers, which are a hull class BELOW supers, can field 15? I wouldn't be so baffled by the supercarrier drone

because any supercarrier pilot prefers one fb with double the hp and damage to two fbs with normal hp and damage

the reason why is that bombers love bombing fighter-bombers and with the double hp fb it is much harder to bomb away all your dps

basically use your noggin instead of your feels when it comes to numbers


Also worth pointing out that actually the Carrier can't field 15 fighters without 5 drone control units which requires advanced drone control 5, which in total is 50+ days training.

Both carriers will now deploy the same amount which if it significantly helps the server stability I say is a good thing.
Captn Hammer
The Scope
Gallente Federation
#352 - 2014-04-02 12:42:58 UTC
I understand how Omnis (and their upcoming low-slot tracking enhancer-ish counterpart) won't impact Fighter Bombers, because those don't function like turrets anyway, but how about creating a mod for them that does boost their damage application? I know missiles only have rigs to impact that..

Gardes definitely need the falloff boost, thrilled about the medium/heavy drone speed changes. Basically the whole thing is sorta a dream come true in many respects. Fighters will be viable in many more situations.

My main concern is the clear advantage this gives Shield Super Carriers. I know the same principal applies to many other ships, as long as there are no mid-slot damage mods, but this rebalanced, well, doesn't seem very balanced, in that regard.

You guys (CCP Fozzie/Rise)are doing an awesome job, loved to see such a comprehensive overall of drone balance.
stoicfaux
#353 - 2014-04-02 12:45:13 UTC
Can we haz a Drone Micro Jump Launcher? A module that jumps (teleports) all drones orbiting your ship X distance forward or towards a specific target? Apply that DPS sooner rather than later.

Or sentry drones with a MJD. Given the long range that Wardens have, it would be peachy if you could jump them 60km away from your ship (and then back again for pickup.) The enemy would then have to decide whether to stay at the long range of your sentry drones or the long range of your railguns (i.e. low range == low transversal.)

Pon Farr Memorial: once every 7 years, all the carebears in high-sec must PvP or they will be temp-banned.

Tal'rakken
Viziam
Amarr Empire
#354 - 2014-04-02 12:48:48 UTC
Rockstede wrote:
Weaselior wrote:
Jeinvay Kunsu wrote:
WHY would you reduce the super-carrier drone amounts from 20 to 10, when the carriers, which are a hull class BELOW supers, can field 15? I wouldn't be so baffled by the supercarrier drone

because any supercarrier pilot prefers one fb with double the hp and damage to two fbs with normal hp and damage

the reason why is that bombers love bombing fighter-bombers and with the double hp fb it is much harder to bomb away all your dps

basically use your noggin instead of your feels when it comes to numbers


Also worth pointing out that actually the Carrier can't field 15 fighters without 5 drone control units which requires advanced drone control 5, which in total is 50+ days training.

Both carriers will now deploy the same amount which if it significantly helps the server stability I say is a good thing.


only annoying thing for supers is the slight damage nerf to fighter bombers(and yes i know damage potential is higher)

the hp buff will be nice and each drone control unit will now add the equivalent of 2 drones for the super now so not all bad.
Degalo
Imperial Academy
Amarr Empire
#355 - 2014-04-02 12:52:42 UTC
CCP Fozzie wrote:

  • Grath if you think this change nerfs the speed at which supercarriers reinforce sov structures, you're doing it wrong.


  • Thanks for reaffirming that you don't play this game, at all.

    1. You are nerfing supercarrier damage 30% from current levels.

    2. Players can choose to compensate by fitting 2 damage mods, at the expense of 2 tank mods, so either more supers are needed to keep the same level of damage on a sov structure, or even more risk on the players' parts.

    3. FBs are doubling in size while maintaining the same size drone bay. Spare FBs? CCP says, NOPE.

    So now, when FBs get bombed, the super loses 10% of it's DPS without a means to replace it - with such a huge impact on dps, FBs will be getting bombed more often.

    We get it, you hate drones and supercarriers, but don't you say we are doing it wrong when you handed us this steaming pile of **** nerf - because you have no understanding of what any of these FB changes actually mean.

    Obil Que
    Star Explorers
    Solis Tenebris
    #356 - 2014-04-02 12:56:57 UTC
    CCP Fozzie wrote:
    Good morning everyone.

    Since it's April 2nd I want to go ahead and confirm once and for all that our balance posts and blog yesterday were 100% legit. We had a little fun subverting expectations and making honest announcements on April 1st. Big smile

    To answer a couple of questions and issues raised so far:



    Can you address the question of access to racial T2 sentries for those with Sentry Drone Interfacing trained to V. As it stands, those with that skill will lose access to existing weapons when the requirement for racial skills is implemented. Will those pilots receive the minimum level of racial skill to compensate?
    Watarigarasu Kawamura
    Vector Galactic
    #357 - 2014-04-02 13:04:15 UTC  |  Edited by: Watarigarasu Kawamura
    I'm somewhat sad about this patch, in many areas.

    The main one being the supers getting nerfed. In my mind, Super capitals are the endgame content, and SHOULD be somewhat overpowered to an extent. Afterall, they wouldn't be supers if they weren't in my view. :P

    Personally, I love the idea of super capitals that Sh*t nightmares and actually scare people when they appear on grid, rather than just: "Meh, its another ship to kill" :P
    -Maybe I'm just a little masochistic in this regard...

    Add to that the love i have of carriers/supercarriers having swarms of drones...

    And the other thing that I'm a little sad about is the changes to drone interfacing V... In my view, seeing as its a pre-requisite for carriers, I really think the 20% suits it. For me, it also justifies the long train time, and makes skilling up for carriers more rewarding.
    (while 10% is still probably worth the train time, for me, it still lacks the same incentive as a mighty 20%)

    However, maybe I'm just different, in thinking that the best part about EVE compared to other games, is that you have to put time in to get something out. i.e. you have to train longer skills to yield better results... :P
    compared to some other MMOs that just require you to have money to dump into it. (ignoring buying characters) ^^
    The idea of a game that isn't totally new player friendly, and is a challenge is what brought me to eve in the first place - a non forgiving game where you aren't guaranteed to see the endgame content :)

    Either way, I'll be interested to see what happens with future balances :)
    Omnathious Deninard
    University of Caille
    Gallente Federation
    #358 - 2014-04-02 13:14:28 UTC
    CCP Fozzie, will we be getting to see drone implants finally?

    If you don't follow the rules, neither will I.

    Danni Bellenger
    Crashing this Bane
    #359 - 2014-04-02 13:17:14 UTC
    I like these changes, my only concern is the use of drone control units on supercarriers. With the 100% bonus to fighter damage, this will effectively give 2 fighter bombers per drone control unit, resulting in potentially double the DPS of a supercarrier without, and even more with drone damage amps. That's dread level DPS on a super.

    XBruin
    Deep Core Mining Inc.
    Caldari State
    #360 - 2014-04-02 13:24:19 UTC
    CCP Fozzie: please stop avoiding the question!

    Clearly this is a buff to Wyverns and a nerf to Armor Supercaps, the Nyx especially.

    The Wyvern will now have the best tank as well as the best DPS due to lowslot availability.


    Please clarify if this was a conscious decision, and if so, what was the rationale behind it?

    I'm sure many of us would appreciate some transparency here...