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Salpad
Carebears with Attitude
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Posted - 2009.09.07 19:32:00 -
[1]
Edited by: Salpad on 07/09/2009 19:32:49 It's a bother having to retract my drones all the time, when they start taking damage (whe they get aggo). Yesterday I flew The Blockage level 3, twice, with my alt.
What are people's thoughts, in terms of micromanaging drone survival, compared to just launching the cheap bastards and then letting them die so that the mission can be completed faster and more conveniently?
Price-wise, T2 drones are something like 100k ISK each (IIRC), so half a million total per undock, and a level 3 mission gives way more profit than that, plus I'm not doing missions for the ISK anyway, I do them because they're fun (I get to blow stuff up!!) and because I get standing.
Even better, my alt can only use T1 drones (yet), so his are real cheap.
The biggest problem might be that my Drake can only carry 5 drones, one full unload, so no room for spares. Worse, my alt's Caracal can only carry 3, and he's not ready for a Drake yet.
Obviously once I get into my Raven and start flying level 4s, I'll have room for 2 spare unloads of drones, and (IIRC) the income should more than cover the expenses, but long-term plans for my alt says he's gonna specialize in the Drake (then maybe Nighthawk), so he won't be able to carry spares, so he'll have only a single unload per mission, unless he flies to dock and moves drones from his cargo bay (we always carry lots of spares) to his drone bay, which is slow, and means I miss out on his DPS and his aggro-drawing while he's gone.
Thoughts? Ideas? Flames?
(And does this belong in Missions or in Ships/Modules? Feel free to report my thread for moving, if you think it's mis-placed.)
edit: Fixed a major typo in the Subhect line.
-- Salpad C.E.O., Carebears with Attitude |
Darius Brinn
Gallente Taggart Transdimensional Virtue of Selfishness
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Posted - 2009.09.07 19:45:00 -
[2]
Drones can be MUCH more expensive than 100K each.
I don't actually like your ideas at all. By managing aggro you keep yourself safer and save money. Releasing a flight of Lights and letting them die is not going to give you profit, or completion speed. In fact, if you get your drones killed too soon, you might be facing frigates that are a pain to kill with BS sized weapons.
When you step up to Lvl 4s and you get given Worlds Collide, letting your drones out wildly can be an education in itself.
Just manage your aggro and release the little buggers when the little crosses are framed in red.
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TimMc
Gallente Brutal Deliverance Tactical Narcotics Team
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Posted - 2009.09.07 19:51:00 -
[3]
Tech 2 lights are like 300k each. Tech 2 mediums and heavies around 800k each. Not cheap things to lose.
Best just to manage aggro. If possible try to aggro as much as possible, or just only use drones when absolutely necessary.
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Tippia
Raddick Explorations Controlled Chaos
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Posted - 2009.09.07 19:54:00 -
[4]
Originally by: Salpad Price-wise, T2 drones are something like 100k ISK each (IIRC), so half a million total per undock
I would like to know where you buy your drones… T2 drones run the range of 300k – 1Mil each where I live.
So letting them die in droves will quite quickly drive your profits away. ——— “If you're not willing to fight for what you have in ≡v≡… you don't deserve it, and you will lose it.” — Karath Piki |
Washell Olivaw
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Posted - 2009.09.07 22:41:00 -
[5]
Switch to turret boat, allows you to one-shot frigs at a distance. Eliminates most of neccesary drone use.
Originally by: Signature Everybody has a photographic memory, some people just don't have film.
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Salpad
Carebears with Attitude
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Posted - 2009.09.07 23:19:00 -
[6]
Originally by: TimMc Tech 2 lights are like 300k each. Tech 2 mediums and heavies around 800k each. Not cheap things to lose.
In the region I'm in (flying level 3 missions out of Kaunokka), I can buy many hundreds of Hornet II for under 125k ISK each.
-- Salpad C.E.O., Carebears with Attitude |
Zhilia Mann
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Posted - 2009.09.07 23:36:00 -
[7]
Originally by: Salpad In the region I'm in (flying level 3 missions out of Kaunokka), I can buy many hundreds of Hornet II for under 125k ISK each.
Well. Buy them I guess? Hornets are surprisingly not horrible even if I'd still advise Hobgoblins for missions.
Using drone agro as tank isn't an invalid tactic but it takes some skill and timing. Using drone agro as nothing but drone agro though.... Pretty much a waste of money. Every drone you lose cuts into profit margins and prevents you from getting that newer better ship when it's all said and done. But if you're not trying to min/max missions I guess it's totally up to you.
When (if) you get into heavies or sentries you'll regret not learning how to recall cheaper, faster drones at the first sign of problems though. It's another one of those player skill/character skill things everyone is always talking about.
Oh, and for PvP you'd damn well better know when to recall them.
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fatherted1989
Red Horizon Inc
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Posted - 2009.09.07 23:48:00 -
[8]
I had to put a hobgoblin down a few days ago.
Sad times.
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Salpad
Carebears with Attitude
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Posted - 2009.09.08 02:52:00 -
[9]
I'm not sure why I'd want to use larger drones, as long as I fly Caldari ships.
As I see it, Small drones perfectly complement the medium weapons fit onto my Drake (or NightHawk eventually), or the large weapons fit onto my Raven, CNR or Golem.
I expect that if I get serious about my plans to branch off into Gallentean ships next year, I'll have to get started on medium/large/sentry drones, but while flying as a Caldari?
-- Salpad C.E.O., Carebears with Attitude |
Damien Larkspur
Gallente
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Posted - 2009.09.08 03:35:00 -
[10]
If you're losing your drones easily, then I suggest training up drone durability to 4 or 5.
Alternately, you can sacrifice one of your high slots to carry a remote rep and just recall the dron that is taking a beating and rep it. Since it sounds like you are relying on your drones for most of your damage, you may just as well go the remote rep route.
Or get an ishtar or domi and run T2 Sentries. "Forsys > WAR Forsys > HUH Forsys > WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR Harry Sunday > loot Forsys > touchT" |
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Salpad
Carebears with Attitude
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Posted - 2009.09.08 13:40:00 -
[11]
Originally by: Damien Larkspur If you're losing your drones easily, then I suggest training up drone durability to 4 or 5.
Alternately, you can sacrifice one of your high slots to carry a remote rep and just recall the dron that is taking a beating and rep it. Since it sounds like you are relying on your drones for most of your damage, you may just as well go the remote rep route.
My main already has Drone Durability 4, if not 5. Also, I'm not relying on my Small Drones for the primary damage. I'm using them as pest control, i.e. anti-frigate work.
-- Salpad C.E.O., Carebears with Attitude |
Flitz Farseeker
Gallente Interstellar Stormfront Outcasts Rebellion
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Posted - 2009.09.08 14:10:00 -
[12]
I was less careful with my drones when only using T1s but the T2s are just so much better so I use them almost exlusively now.
However, as they are also much more expensive, I do recall them if they start taking damage. I also try to squeeze a light or medium repper drone into the done bay if I can to patch them up between rooms.
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Van Disaster
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Posted - 2009.09.08 15:28:00 -
[13]
Very rare in PvE that your drones will pull aggro by themselves if you pay some marginal attention. Why waste them anyway?
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Damien Larkspur
Gallente
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Posted - 2009.09.08 15:37:00 -
[14]
Originally by: Salpad
Originally by: Damien Larkspur If you're losing your drones easily, then I suggest training up drone durability to 4 or 5.
Alternately, you can sacrifice one of your high slots to carry a remote rep and just recall the dron that is taking a beating and rep it. Since it sounds like you are relying on your drones for most of your damage, you may just as well go the remote rep route.
My main already has Drone Durability 4, if not 5. Also, I'm not relying on my Small Drones for the primary damage. I'm using them as pest control, i.e. anti-frigate work.
Then I would suggest taking your first shot before deploying your drones. That'll make most things agro you first. After the first wave the only way to guarantee your drones don't get agro from the second wave is to either be closer to the second wave than your drones or to recall and redeploy your drones.
T1 Don't matter to sacrifice so much. T2 Don't sacrifice unless you can recover the costs in each mission.
Sacrificing drones always cuts your profits though, so the choice is really yours to make. There isn't a right answer, just a "what you think is best" answer LOL. "Forsys > WAR Forsys > HUH Forsys > WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR Harry Sunday > loot Forsys > touchT" |
Zhilia Mann
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Posted - 2009.09.08 16:16:00 -
[15]
Originally by: Salpad I'm not sure why I'd want to use larger drones, as long as I fly Caldari ships.
As I see it, Small drones perfectly complement the medium weapons fit onto my Drake (or NightHawk eventually), or the large weapons fit onto my Raven, CNR or Golem.
I expect that if I get serious about my plans to branch off into Gallentean ships next year, I'll have to get started on medium/large/sentry drones, but while flying as a Caldari?
Smalls, in general, are fine for Caldari ships. But that doesn't mean you don't get some benefits from training up your spec skills (except Ammar). They do increase damage after all. Drone support skills are probably more important though.
Crosstraining Gal is an entirely different thing though. Before you get into an Ishtar or a Domi you'll want at least Min and Gal heavies and probably access to T2 sentries.
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small chimp
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Posted - 2009.09.08 16:53:00 -
[16]
What is it with your suggestions?
If you get drone aggro, you are doing something wrong? Its ok to lose a drone occasionally but if you lose all of them in every mission you do!
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