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Are drones still useless in PvE?
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Termy Rockling
Sebiestor Tribe
Minmatar Republic
#61 - 2013-04-13 06:40:05 UTC  |  Edited by: Termy Rockling
Biggest problem is the npc intys/elites swappin to light drones, web em and blab em. Rest i can live with.
Devore Sekk
Ministry of War
Amarr Empire
#62 - 2013-04-14 23:42:39 UTC
Riot Girl wrote:
I've been away for a few months, when I last played the AI had been changed and made drones useless I think?


The initial changes to drones and NPC AI were rough. I tried running some high sec pirate sites with Myrmidon the day the changes hit, and basically all NPCs would switch target to a drone as soon as I let a flight out, and begin nuking it. I would send 5 T2 hobs at a frig, and by the time they got to it, killed it, and returned to drone bay, one of them would be either dead or nearly so. This is with all drone skills at 4 or 5.

So basically there was no way to reasonably use drones, and this is what you are probably referring to.

There have been some changes since then. You can pretty much use light drones at will, as long as you grab the initial aggro, NPCs won't switch to your drones, or at least not for a long time. However, as soon as mediums come out, all NPCs start switching target, at least right up until cruiser class. I find I basically can't properly use mediums. Haven't tried with BS rats. So missioning with drones still works, but not as well, and you have to use lights, so it's slower.

I used to really like drone PvE, especially because :sansha: I really hated having to deal with 10 tracking disruptors on me.
DeLindsay
Galaxies Fall
#63 - 2013-04-15 01:55:04 UTC  |  Edited by: DeLindsay
Quote:
There have been some changes since then. You can pretty much use light drones at will, as long as you grab the initial aggro, NPCs won't switch to your drones, or at least not for a long time. However, as soon as mediums come out, all NPCs start switching target, at least right up until cruiser class. I find I basically can't properly use mediums. Haven't tried with BS rats. So missioning with drones still works, but not as well, and you have to use lights, so it's slower.

I used to really like drone PvE, especially because :sansha: I really hated having to deal with 10 tracking disruptors on me.


Or stop wasting your time using Lights/Mediums until everything bigger is dead via Sentries. THEN you can drop your Lights/Mediums on whatever is left and even when they aggro your Drones there isn't enough DPS to properly kill them. It's simple really, if you run missions use Sentries, leave the Heavies for PvP as they WILL gain aggro and prolly die before you real them in. If you are running missions in a non-Drone boat then who cares really, as the added DPS is poor in comparison to your guns/missiles/etc and you'd almost be better off using Salvage Drones for mission efficiency(I have never had one targeted, even when it's up the ass of another NPC while it's salvaging it's dead buddy).

Besides only a bad Drone user has regular issues with NPC AI.

Quote:
Biggest problem is the npc intys/elites swappin to light drones, web em and blab em. Rest i can live with.


I would argue that Serpentis are certainly annoying for Drone users ESPECIALLY Sentries as every damn BS in the pocket will target them and you are damped down so far you can't target them back, gogo Medium RR!!. But even then it's not the end of the world and you shouldn't be losing Drones regularly. Every once in a while when you're not paying proper attention is fine, no more cost than the ammo others use in EVERY mission.

The Operative: "There are a lot of innocent people being killed in the air right now".

Capt. Malcolm Reynolds: "You have no idea how true that is".
Drake Doe
88Th Tax Haven
#64 - 2013-04-15 22:56:15 UTC
Klymer wrote:
Drake Doe wrote:
That explains why I see so many ratting carriers.



Why risk an expensive set of Fighters when you can use Drone Damage Amplifiers and Senties. They've given people who would otherwise leave the ships docked up or parked in a POS a reason to take them out and do stuff, thus putting them at risk.

Isk isn't a worry for carrier pilots, they earn another fighter per isk blink, at least good ones do with only sentries

"The homogenization of EVE began when Gallente and Caldari started sharing a weapon system."---Vermaak Doe-- "Ohh squabbles ohh I love my dust trolls like watching an episode of Maury with less " Is he my Dad " but more of " My Neighbor took a dump on my lawn " good episode! pops more corn" ---Evernub--
Leeloo Aran
Doomheim
#65 - 2013-04-17 12:49:51 UTC
Drones are my most versatile and most important weapon in PvE esp. in lvl4 Mission running. I recently lost a 600mill Navy Apocalypse after hunting down most of the AI battleships as I wanted to warp out to regenerate, 4 frigates disabled my warp drive. It was just to late on evening to recognise I had nothing on board to destroy electronic warfare frigates.

After that I experimented a lot and t1 light scout drones are just perfect to kill them off. In a Megathrone I had like 35 of them, just in case and I lost none, which was surprising. So no, I think they rock, when used wisely...

take care,
Leeloo
mama guru
Yazatas.
#66 - 2013-04-17 13:45:07 UTC  |  Edited by: mama guru
Termy Rockling wrote:
Biggest problem is the npc intys/elites swappin to light drones, web em and blab em. Rest i can live with.


This right here.

Besides that the main downsides have always been sentry drones inability to move and follow your ship which leads to excessive travelling times.

However, with the changes to the dominix i belive the Ndomi will become a very potent PVE ship. 50% Optimal and tracking with BS V is nothing to scoff at. 70k gardes doing 750 dps with the same tracking as an Electron Blaster Cannon will rip through absolutely anything with ease. Especially if they orbit your ship.

EVE online is the fishermans friend of MMO's. If it's too hard you are too weak.
Bugsy VanHalen
Society of lost Souls
#67 - 2013-04-17 16:36:32 UTC
Katran Luftschreck wrote:
A lot of non-drone people will tell you a lot of crap they read from each other about drones being fine as if it were the truth.

Actual drone users will tell you that they're full of crap.

Frigates are not all you have to worry about. Every rat on the screen can and most likely will target your drones, regardless of the size of the rat or your drones.

You have been warned. Start training for a Tengu now.

this line of BULLSHlT tells me that you are not a real drone user. At least not anymore. You must have abandoned drones before they were fixed. The A.I. change did make drone use very difficult for a few months, but several adjustments have been made since then.

Drones are a little harder to use now. They were broken for a while but are fine now. Drone aggro generation has been turned down several times now, and battleships and BC's no longer target light drones.

It took a while to find the right balance but the current state of drones is fine. I actually find my Domi even more effective now than before the change. As long as you keep an eye on them, designate their targets, and do not just let them attack at will. I rarely have to pull them back in now due to them catching aggro. But you must keep an eye on them, if you ignore them they will die fast.

heavy drones are still a problem as they do get targeted and hit by battleships, and they are to slow to return to drone bay before dieing. But I rarely used heavy drones before, so not big change for me. light drones, medium drones, and sentries, are very effective currently.
Sjugar
Science and Trade Institute
Caldari State
#68 - 2013-04-17 20:49:26 UTC
Ok, I PvE and do sanctums and havens, only using drones, I make over 130M/hour.

Oh, I also do 10/10s with only damage from drones, 35 minutes.

Yes drones are still useless in PvE.
Leeloo Aran
Doomheim
#69 - 2013-04-18 11:21:25 UTC
Sjugar wrote:
Ok, I PvE and do sanctums and havens, only using drones, I make over 130M/hour.

Oh, I also do 10/10s with only damage from drones, 35 minutes.

Yes drones are still useless in PvE.


130 Million an hour? How that?
Sjugar
Science and Trade Institute
Caldari State
#70 - 2013-04-18 16:21:35 UTC
Leeloo Aran wrote:
Sjugar wrote:
Ok, I PvE and do sanctums and havens, only using drones, I make over 130M/hour.

Oh, I also do 10/10s with only damage from drones, 35 minutes.

Yes drones are still useless in PvE.


130 Million an hour? How that?

A carrier with 15 sentrydrones finishes those really fast.
Zangorus
Live Adult Entertainment
Federal Krab Office
#71 - 2013-04-18 17:23:56 UTC
if you use 2 accounts you dont even need to worry about drones getting aggro.
just use RR and cap chain between the ships and the rats will NEVER focus drones! very good for afk monies!

Like my comment and recieve 1 million isk ingame!