Pheldon Grahm
Gallente
FourHorsemen
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Posted - 2007.05.08 14:40:00 -
[63]
In addition to what has already been posted here, I'd like to add my ideas.
I understand some of these ideas have been presented in one form or another, however I originally posted this on the wrong forum.
(See the original post here:Original Drone Posting)
I'd like to see these abilities implemented as part of existing skills, but a skills-based system could look something like this...
These skills would operate on the basis of the existing ability to group drones in the dronebay area of the overview.
Drone Formation - Suggested Prerequisites: Pri: Drones V Sec: Combat Drone Operation II. This skill would enable the user to specify whether they are Independant (acting as single units where they would orbit on their own path, attacking their own targets and operating pretty much as they do now). Conversely, it would enable the user to select a formation such as Loose Formation (where they would act in a coordinated fashion, selecting and then attacking a single target but remaining at a reasonable disctance from each other when orbiting the mother-ship), or Tight Formation which would be similar in purpose, however the drones would group together at a closer distance. Also, they could have the option of Form Up At {Distance km, Unlimited} to form up on the user's ship, where they would orbit the mother-ship at the desired distance and would never exceed that radius, attacking only targets that come within range.
Drone Strategy - Suggested Prerequisites: Pri: Drones V Sec: Combat Drone Operation III. This skill would enable the user to coordinate their drones based on the strategic use to which the user would like them put. Options could include such things as: Attack Biggest and Attack Smallest (which would cause the drones to prioritise on biggest to smallest for the former, and smallest to biggest for the latter), Attack Closest and Attack Furthest (which, of course, would cause the drones to prioritise on the closest to furtherest targets in the former, most distance to closest in the latter instance), and Free Attack (where the drones would attack on the basis whereby they do so now).
Drone Damage Control - Suggested Prerequisites: Pri: Drones IV Sec: Combat Drone Operation II. This skill would cause the drones to retreat from battle under certain set conditions. Options would include: No Retreat and Retreat at {0% Shields, 75% Armour, 50% Armour, 25% Armour, 0% Armour, 75% Structure, 50% Structure, 25% Structure} (causing the drones to return to the ship and enter the drone bay at the specified damage level).
Drone AI - Suggested Prerequisites: Pri: Drones V Sec: Combat Drone Operation V. This would cause the drones to act in specific ways according to the situation. Options could include: Attack at Distance {Distance km, Unlimited} (which would cause the drones to wait until the appropriate target was within the set attack distance), and Retaliation (which would cause a drone to disengage from it's current target and return fire upon an aggressor, returning to previous orders after the target has been dispatched).
Orders given after selecting behaviours via these skills would take priority, the drones returning to thse behaviours afterwards. I.e. After selecting these options, an Engage Target order would still have effect, the drones returning to the new skill behaviours after carrying out the attack.
The strategy selections that become available to tbe player, suggested for each skill here, would not be the only possibilities, and I'm sure CCP and other players would be (and obviously have been) able to think of more options and improvements to include, should these suggested skills be implemented.
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