I understand having all the best content require groups in an MMO, but eliminating solo content doesn't seem to bright to me.

i do Forsaken Hubs too, this change means MUCH more dps for me, I used to use mach/tengu now it's mach rattlesnake.

Then i went and tried a Haven, it was a nightmare at warp in range. I refit the mach for artillery and warp my ships in at range and it was just blap blap blappity blap. The change isn't a game ender, just poorly thought out imo.

Now that I can't do L4 missions with my drones, can I have a skills remap?

No, this is not a joke or a troll. I really want a remap, this is fair.
In any other game when devs nerf something to hell they give you a respec so you have a choice.
Having mostly drone skills cuts your ability to do anything right now.

Did you train your new sensor compensation skills before you ran the assault?

This approach is flawed for a number of reasons.

1. What if the drone is far away?

Please don't tell me drones are not intended to fly far away from the ship - this is directly countered by Electronic Warfare Drone Interfacing skill (improves drone control range), Drone Link Augmentor module (again improves drone control range). And before you argue that this is perhaps intended for Sentry drones, there's also Drone Navigation module (improves travel speed, not combat speed). I propose this proves drones ARE intended to travel long distances to their targets.

We should also be able to assume that the game is balanced. Thus, when Thermal damage is required, Gallente drones should be viable for use. Otherwise the game is unbalanced. This, coupled with the above paragraph, says that even incredibly slow Ogre heavy drones SHOULD be usable over long distances.

However, you and I both know that if an Ogre comes under fire 60km away, it will be dead long, long before it can be repaired. Even relatively fast Minmatar Berserker likely won't make it. If it is webbed, it definitely won't make it. And sentries are not always viable or desirable - such as in a moving fight, or extremely-close orbiting ships (Angels Cartel battleships orbiting at 2.5km).

2. Loss of DPS from return to repair?

Even assuming the drone can make it back within range, and assuming it doesn't get alphaed from 100% to dead in one shot, what about the DPS loss? Recalling a drone for repair is equivalent to turning off a turret on another ship. Add to that the DPS loss for travel time of the drone from from ship to original target, where it presumably takes damage, then time spent flying back, time spent undergoing repairs, and time spent once again traveling to target before resuming its damage dealing? All this HAS to be compensated. It isn't. Thus, the system is broken.

Look, I'm not saying it can't be done. I'm saying it is currently grossly, ludicrously inefficient compared to every other race. This change effectively damaged a HUGE chunk of Gallente ship lineup in PvE. Including but not limited to Tristan, Algos, Vexor, Myrmidon and Dominix. And that's just the T1 hulls.

This is the primary factor pushing me away from drone usage as a primary weapon post patch.