Update Dev Update - 16.04.2015
- Thread starter Michael Brookes
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Yeah...I also think this would be better, but I'm going to reserve judgement until I've tested it out in-game. It's not like they are going to change this now before 1.3 is launched anyway. Reusable drones are of course still possible to add later down the line. The currently proposed system doesn't really make reusable ones impossible. Could actually be a nice option to have. One shot generic versions that are really cheap and reusable ones for a much higher initial cost (+ wear and tear).
I wonder if the main reason for the current direction has to do with that we don't have the possibility to store cargo/modules inside hangars at the moment. Having reusable drones would be a problem if we suddenly wanted to do something else and therefore dump them. Since we can't store them we would have to sell them and also then try to find them again later when we want to mine again. "One-shot" drones on the other hand would be similar to ammo in this regard and not really a big loss in case we removed them for other equipment/cargo.
On the other hand the same issue (having to sell and buy again) comes up with drone controller modules anyway so...
Harbinger
Volunteer Moderator
Drones are a tax on your mining profitability, pure and simple. If you had reusable drones then there would be no additional benefit to those who choose to mine without them.
Convenience = Less Profit.
As mentioned above...Reusable drones could still require maintenance to keep the functioning and reliable and the initial cost for buying them could also be much higher. Whatever cost a one shot drone would mean could just as easily be balanced that way instead.
Javert
Volunteer Moderator
It would definitely be interesting to know why they took this route with the disposable drones, and also to know what happens to them after they are expired. I've asked the question several times and it's been ignored although other questions have been answered. Reasons for this are possible but some have been eliminated already:
It could be any of:
- Giving the reason for this decision now would reveal other information that they don't want us to know yet?
- It's a highly technical reason to do with balancing statistics and the deep and mystical arts of balancing the game?
- They don't have time to write the code for the drones to re-dock with your ship after loading cargo or there is some technical reason why this is very difficult?
- What happens to the drone if you jump away or are destroyed whilst it's still working?
- You can use multiple drones at the same time to speed things up a lot depending on the class of your module (I've also asked this question but didn't get an answer).
- There will be missions which involve using drones to pick up items where you are under high risk of losing the drone or it being shot down.
- There are other types of drones coming later which will make it much more clear why they should be disposable.
- Drones shouldn't take up a whole utility slot because they are designed to work just as well in small ships as large - we can cross this one of the list as Michael pretty much said the opposite and we now know that you need both a module and the drones, so they are actually more for larger ships.
I wonder if one part of the puzzle they haven't mentioned yet is that you can scoop up the expired drones and sell or recycle them somehow.
What's interesting is that with Wings, they gave a detailed reasons why they were doing it and why there should only be up to 4 players in a wing. With this they haven't given any explanation at all for why they are doing it this way, although there obviously must be reasons.
It's not a big deal because once it's out I'm sure we'll just go with it. It would just be interesting from a design point of view to know why they did it this way.
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Without knowing precisely how they will work it's hard to say at this stage - I'm just happy FD has given us drones at all - but yeah, I have to agree with you.
When I first read about drones I said "yippee!" - then as I read further and understood Michael's description I said "huh?". Re-usable assets that require sacrificing a cargo slot makes a lot more sense - particularly for big mining ships, and that's the scalability factor again. Stock half a dozen in the Type 9 and take ages but farm lots of ore, or pack several dozen and fill up quick with less cargo. Easy. Fuel the gizmos with ammunition same as modules - limited time to gather before returning automatically to refuel. Expensive to buy initially and an ongoing cost to maintain and fuel.
Opinion and common sense seems pretty much against disposables, so I can only imagine that the devs have done it this way for some coding reason.
Oh well, we're still properly thankful, Michael
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Michael Brookes
Game Director
Thanks. Like the debug camera, this is one of the things when in the hands of the community that will blow you away with what they can do.
Any news on anaconda skins?
Michael Brookes
Game Director
Dang.. Thanks for replying though.
Completely in agreement with you on this, though it seems necessary to wait and see. I am not a fan of mining but I rejoice for the attention this activity is finally having from FDev.
My instinct says that disposable drones won't be worth it unless there is a very careful balancing in cost/value ratio.
I prefer to think of the consumable drones like disposable cameras back in the day - technically there is nothing stopping you from using it again, but it's so cheap why would you bother? It's not hard to picture mass production of drones for one-shot usage, to be cleaned up by station staff when you return and recycled - key components like computer chips being reused while housing and stuff that burns out like thrusters being reduced to scrap.
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with the change to assassination missions, which sounds good, will the alternative "kill someone else" parts be fixed or removed? Its annoying right now having to shoot these ships and become wanted as the only work around to not have them break the missions.
Also will you actually be able to kill the target in a different system and have the mission complete?
Right now if they jump to hyperspace you can use the wake scanner, and you will find them in the other system, but interdicting them and destroying them doesn't complete the mission (been like that since the interdictor was introduced)?
Also will you actually be able to kill the target in a different system and have the mission complete?
Right now if they jump to hyperspace you can use the wake scanner, and you will find them in the other system, but interdicting them and destroying them doesn't complete the mission (been like that since the interdictor was introduced)?
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I hope the option to still be able to mine the old way is still there. I hope Gold Silver etc.. will still be available outside the SOL bubble.
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Why can't people just stop bringing Eveonline ideas and just come with original ideas. Sick of seeing suggestions like "Done taking up one cargo slot" and "drone returning to bay"
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Why can't people just stop bringing Eveonline ideas and just come with original ideas. Sick of seeing suggestions like "Done taking up one cargo slot" and "drone returning to bay"
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More than that, i'd say it depends on how fast drones will be able to bring the items to the ship, and how long they would last if used in area mode. The way i see it:
- Miners would pop 1-3 drones at a time in area mode, where the drones would collect effectively the fragment stripped out of the asteroid. Once the drones are exhausted, you launch them again.
- Pirates would pop the drones in targeted mode to collect the items as fast as possible, then get the hell out.
- While flying in wing, escorting a trader, a single drone in area mode would make it easy for the escort to collect his "payment" (since trade dividend is next to nothing).
- Since drones will not cost much and are disposable, you may also use them for target practice (kidding...or not).
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This. Basically, needing to buy a new set of 'throwaway' high-tech drones feels and sounds stupid, appearing to just be 'another tax', which is not fun; no-one would design drones to be throwaway, no-one at all.
Its how the drones have worked since beta.
Last time I checked they cost 100cr each and take up 1T of cargo room each.
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