Player Features and Ideas Discussion

I hadn't heard about these changes till today and I don't see any discussion about it on the forums. So I'm wondering if there are specific numbers we can get for the new drone functionality, something more precise than what's listed in the devblog would be helpful. I'm not sure if these changes are live on Sisi yet but I'll be checking that later and updating this post with info as I get it.

From what the devblog says these changes are going to be very fun and bring more meaningful choices to EVE. But I'm wondering if CCP realizes that the new drone orbit ranges are going to reduce Smart Bombs as an effective anti-drone weapon. If I'm reading the devblog correctly they're increasing all drone orbit ranges:

'All combat drones will now orbit and attack at longer ranges than before. Light drones will be orbit between 40% and 60% farther than before, medium drones between 180% and 220% farther, and heavy drones will see their orbit range increased by between 1300% and 1500%. Optimal ranges and attack ranges are rising accordingly. Tracking speed values are decreasing to compensate, but all drones will track better than before when at their optimal ranges.'

Meaning that Small drones will now orbit at 1400-1600m, Medium drones at 2800-3200m, and Heavy drones at 14000-16000m. That puts Small and Medium drones much closer to the max range of the Small and Medium smart bombs and puts Heavy Drones way outside the 5km range of Large smart bombs.

I doubt there are plans to increase the range of the Large Smart bombs to allow them to remain effective against Heavy Drones since that would make them far more powerful than they are now against all other targets too. So I'm wondering if there are plans to make any other weapon or module that's going to be a counter to drones like smart bombs are now and if anyone else can think of any other possibly unforeseen effects of these changes?

The orbit distances and optimals are different.

They orbit much much closer than their optimal/falloff range. Silly, but the extra range means that when they are playing hopscotch with ships they can still somewhat competently apply their dps until their MWD kicks back in.

Things to note heavies/fighters are frigate killing machines. Lost a garmur goin 4300m/s to fighters that were outrunning me. Granted the other guy had drone speed mods on but still. Why are fighters faster then heavies to begin with??