In my mind it would work something like this.
When you launch the camera drone your controls shift from controlling the ship to controlling the drone, thus effectively nutering any combat use at all.
Conserning the issue of just having the drone as an inboard window you could still use it to take wonderful pictures and videos as with an normal camera. Just have save file system for pictures/videos.
ok I have been thinking about this. I know this wont appease all, but, 1 other way of nerfing combat would be use the drone, as already suggested, however also, once the drone is deployed everyone who is in the elite federation of pilots (ie humans) in the vicinity get a warning pop up
"warning, drone radio signal detected in vicinity!" and a pinging on your radar shows their location.
This kind of has an at least loosely explainable reason why it would happen, and also gives everyone plenty of time to scan them and make sure they are not pesky killers.
Surely people who claim they dont want a combat advantage could live with this?.
Equally (for balance), IF the person with the drone out has a clean record, if anyone attacks them, the aggressor could actually incurr a bigger than normal bounty against them, as they are attacking someone who is effectively disarmed, which is surely a more despicable/cowardly crime than normal?.
A piracy message to dump cargo would not have any effect as by the time this has occurred the person could be pulling in their drone, so they would have time to gather time selves IF they choose to go down swinging.
I Sort of like this idea, not for me personally I have no interest in it, but it gives many people what they want, offers the photography/spy mission types that people have suggested whilst at the same time not handicapping those who dont want it. (and if a pirate is silly enough to do it then so be it**)
** This has to be like this otherwise a pirate could just drop a drone if they notice a large group of bounty hunters on the horizon