Missions & Complexes

Just as a side note, I don't think the threat model works that well (if it's true at all). Take a Noctis into an active field, drones or not, and watch the Noctis, an unarmed boat, get aggressed. Every single time I've taken a Noctis into an active room, whether I'm in a HAC, T3, or Battleship, and Noctis immediately gets aggro.

Also, others have noted where their salvage drones get targeted in active rooms. I've personally never seen this myself, but if true, it's more evidence (anecdotal or not) that the aggression model cannot be relied on as a model for assessing aggro.

My mission alt flies a domi with no turrets or launchers at all just drones.

Solutions to drone aggro ...

1) MJD out to 100km plus and snipe with bouncers

2) cycle drones in and out whenever they are aggroed

3) if only one drone gets aggro you can:
a) remote shield rep it
b) pull it in and just deploy 4 drones, for some reason many rats only aggro if you have 5 drones out

4) there is some evidence running target painters and remore reppers will draw aggro away from drones but this is not confirmed

5) treat T1 lights as ammo

6) be aware of what will NPCs aggro drones (elite frigates for example) and take these out first ... also note there is a size relationship where for example battlships rarely aggro mediums or smaller and cruisers rarely aggro lights

I know this has probabaly already been stated but in level 4 missions or any other type of combat site, you lose too much dps waiting for travel time on drones and drone aggro, constantly having to pull them so they don't die and what not. The obvious solution to this is running a drone battleship bonused for drones so you can just afk it. Best choices are domi or afktar, in my opinion. Domi's get some nasty fitting. Here's an example or two, and remember, these can be changed to taste.
[Dominix, Cheap Dominix L4 sentry + railgun]
Capacitor Power Relay II
Large Armor Repairer II
Drone Damage Amplifier II
Drone Damage Amplifier II
Drone Damage Amplifier II
Armor EM Hardener II
Armor Thermic Hardener II

Tracking Computer II
Cap Recharger II
Large Micro Jump Drive
Omnidirectional Tracking Link II
Omnidirectional Tracking Link II

425mm Prototype Gauss Gun
425mm Prototype Gauss Gun
425mm Prototype Gauss Gun
425mm Prototype Gauss Gun
Drone Link Augmentor I
Drone Link Augmentor I

Large Auxiliary Nano Pump I
Large Capacitor Control Circuit I
Large Capacitor Control Circuit I

[Dominix, Dominix - 101 km L4 mission runner]
Large Armor Repairer II
Drone Damage Amplifier II
Drone Damage Amplifier II
Drone Damage Amplifier II
Drone Damage Amplifier II
Armor Kinetic Hardener II
Armor Thermic Hardener II

Sensor Booster II
Large Micro Jump Drive
Omnidirectional Tracking Link II
Federation Navy Omnidirectional Tracking Link
Federation Navy Omnidirectional Tracking Link

425mm Prototype Gauss Gun
425mm Prototype Gauss Gun
425mm Prototype Gauss Gun
425mm Prototype Gauss Gun
Drone Link Augmentor II
Drone Link Augmentor II

Large Processor Overclocking Unit I
Large Drone Scope Chip I
Large Drone Scope Chip I


Hammerhead II
Hobgoblin II
Warrior II
Hornet EC-300
Warden II
Garde II

(needs 1% cpu implant)


As you can see, most of these fits are pretty standard, and I've personally tested these, and with specific hardeners and range tank, these things are pretty nasty.

Have fun!

nvm, even my fit was bad

I still find it amazing how little people know about such an easy to understand threat generation/aggro system (one in which it's easier to afk in than the previous system because with this current one you don't even have to take into account missions that have various spawns).

DPS is the low man on the threat totem pole. Logistics is top, followed by EWAR (real EWAR, not things like NOS). If you use a combination of the 3 you can keep aggro off your drones most of the time (though the AI does still throw random checks at the situation causing the rare random aggro switch).

Additionally, the AI doesn't see any ship or drone as 'no threat' just very low threat which is why Noctis and such get aggro, but using the 'triple threat' scheme (logi+ewar+dps) I haven't had any aggro on my noctis or salvage drones in a long long time. And I mean Zero.

I launch a can and Rep it with a small armor rep. I target an npc pirate/enemy faction structure that I'm not going to kill (like 'guristas wall' or 'drone bunker') and damp it. I do dps with my guns or missiles. i get to use Heavy Drones while sooo many people who don't actually understand the system are using sentries (if that) and complaining lol. It's not about generating the 'most' threat, the way to game the system is to generate MULTIPLE SIMULTANEOUS threats from one ship.

I do honestly recommend actually trying things out before declaring what does and does not 'work'.....

So repping your own can will pull aggro? Not all missions have objects you can EWAR.

its a pity but yea they are useless on lvl4 now. no more afk drones.