Slithereen
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Posted - 2003.08.02 05:30:00 -
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Let's assume players are now allowed to make their own stations.
How will they set up for the defense of these stations 24/7?
For example, here is a corporation that now managed to finally build a base.
Players can take their old ships, or ships that they no longer use. A drone module is fitted on the ship (low slot). Each rise of the drone module's level raises that ship's level and therefore its special ability (e.g. hybrid bonus for Gallente cruisers).
The ship is then prepared like any other ship, with all the modules and ammo in its cargo hold. The player boards the ship, then undocks.
Once he is in space, he ejects from the ship. The ship, now on free space, will slow to a halt. Clicking on the ship, will be a menu that includes commands like "defend station", or "attack target" or "dock to station". To defend the station, the player, in his capsule, presses the "defend station" command on the menu. The ship, now a defending NPC drone, freely orbits the base and will fire upon anything that fires on the ship, other ships of the same corp, or the base.
The player then returns to the base in a capsule, and repeats the process.
Sources of the ships can be those that are manufactured inside the base (using bps and minerals hoarded) or donated by players. They can range from frigates to cruisers or even battleships.
Once done, the drone fleet orbits around the base, much like you see Navy or Concord ships orbit around a station.
This will probably reignite the stagnant ship market, especially for frigates. You got a Kestrel or Inquisitor that you don't use anymore? Turn it into a defending drone. Why not use Bantams and Tormentors? Your Atrons, Executioners, Condors and Slashers. If you're rich enough, add a few cruisers or even a battleship. Only newbie ships and shuttles are exempted.
Limitations of the drone ships is they do not use drone themselves. A player drone ship acts very much like an NPC ship, pirate or police.
To retrieve the drone ship back to the base, the corp member, clicks on ship, and clicks on the "dock" command in the menu. The drone ship then docks, and the player can do maintenance on it. Removing the drone module off the ship, and the ship becomes a regular ship again.
Would you love to do this with elite frigates?
Who has control over the drones? The Corporation CEO, directors and security officers.
When they approach their station, the player drone ships appear in a list much like mining/scout/heavy drones appear in a small menu. The commands are similar. Player ship drones can also act a single target locked on by a corp member, much like combat drones do. This gives some command flexibility if and when a station is attacked.
What player ship drones cannot do:
Warp and engage ships beyond station base. The drone ships cannot go with you into belts to protect miners or clear up stargates. They are mainly for station defense. In a battle to defend the station, corp players can actually battle hand in hand with the drone ships against any offensive party.
Example of a hypothetical base defense with player NPC drone fleet. Let's say, some players decided to donate a few ships. With a limited budget and some pirate loot, you, the security officer in charge of base defense, are able to come up with a modest defense fleet to orbit or hang around your player station:
2 Minmatar Slashers with 1 A-3 missiles launchers and two 200mm autocannons.
3 Inquisitors with 3 A-3 missile launchers
2 Kestrels with 4 A-3 missile launchers
2 Merlins with 2 A-3 missile launchers; two 125mm railguns.
2 Crucifiers with ECM modules and dual beams.
1 Minmatar Vigil with Warp scrambler and dual beam.
1 Heron with one A-3 launcher and Warp disrupter.
1 Griffin with ECM modules and 125mm railgun.
1 Blackbird with one H-50 Heavy missile launcher, three quadlights, and three ECM modules.
1 Arbitrator with one H-50 heavy missiles and two 250mm railguns.
1 Celestis with two H-50 heavy missiles, two 250mm railguns, and one dual 150mm railguns.
1 Augoror with three focused medium beam lasers.
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"Is it me or the bad guys just getting totally pathetic?"---Clover, Totally Spies,
"Hope is wasted on the Hopeless."---Mandy, The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy.
"Stars are holes in the sky from which the light of the Infinite shine through."---Confucius.
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