It's been a while since Drones have been a serious force in EVE. They're usually considered a backup weapon or a weaker main weapon that's only viable with backup from normal weapons like turrets and missiles. I'd like to recommend that we remedy this by introducing new Drone Control Units or a module that will provide a 99% reduction in CPU and Powergrid usage of Drone Control Units that could be fit in low or mid slots to allow ships to equip the Control Units in the hi slots.

I'd much prefer to see a new collection of Drone Control Units rated small, medium, large and Capital class to make increased drone deployment a viable option for more than just Carriers, rather than a module that provides the 99% reduction since that would only reduce the fitting requirements of the current Drone Control Unit to a point where Battleships could make use of them to any worthwhile extent.

If adding small, medium, large control units it may be nice to have them add drone bay m3 and bandwidth as well as increasing the number of drones you can control. Small control units could add 5m3/5bandwidth, mediums could add 10m3/10bandwidth, and large units could add 25m3/25bandwidth. That way ships that normally aren't 'drone boats' could make good use of them as well.

Carrier Docking Module
Sm/Med/Lg Drone Enhancer
High slot
25% bonus to drone hp
+5/+10/+25 bandwidth and m3 to the drone bay, respectively
+1 active drones
Fitting requirements vary to scale with ship sizes for frig, cruiser, and battleship hulls respectively.

Pretty much exactly what I posted, but the bonus to drone HP is pretty OP when you consider you're going to be fitting more than 1 of these at a time so I can't really support that part of it.

If you fit multiple Drone Enhancers, then you are obviously sacrificing traditional weapons systems to be a drone boat. The HP bonus merely helps your drones survive a little longer, being your primary weapon system anyway. Even with that bonus, I imagine that sleepers or players can still chew through them fairly quickly.

Of course, if you disagree then let's just allow the players turrets and launcher to be directly targeted. That way all weapons systems are balanced in their ability to be destroyed. There goes another CN HM launcher! What does a full rack of 6 CN HM launchers cost these days? Might as well level the playing field in this way to keep things from getting OP, wouldn't you agree?

I see you're point, but 25% per unit is just way too much. You'd end up wtih drones having more hp than some ships.

I'd consider a 5% bonus far more reasonable, you could even roll in damage/mining/repair amounts at 5% as well and keep it at a good spot.

To make it more interesting I'd recommend making the bonuses linked to the Advanced Drone Interfacing skill so the modules would look more like this:

Small Drone Control Unit:
Gives you one extra drone. You need Advanced Drone Interfacing to use this module. It gives you the ability to fit one drone control unit per level.
+1% to Drone Hitpoints and Damage, Mining, and Repair amounts per level of Advance Drone Interfacing.
Provides +5m3 Drone Capacity and 5 Mbit/sec Drone Bandwidth to the equipped ship.

The Medium and Large Drone Control Units would be the same except for the Drone Capacity and Drone Bandwidth which would be 10m3/10MBit/sec and 25m3/25MBit/sec respectively.

Great idea! I must admit that I like the way Advanced drone skill was integrated into the DCU hp/dmg bonus. You should keep in mind that when asking for what you want, the tradition is to ask for more so that what is agreed upon is closer to what you originally want. I would change your 1% to at least 4%. I would also remove the dmg bonus, as dmg modules are usually found in the low slots, and it gives more room for the other bonuses and agrees more with the original capital DCU, which I think should also give hp, m3, and MB/s bonuses.

As for the damage bonuses, remember that these modules are replacing your normal weapons in favor of drones that can be shot down.
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And the Carrier Drone Control Units I wouldn't expect them to change at all. Carriers are already extremely powerful and have the ability to use Fighters and Fighter Bombers and the original Drone Control Units and Carrier ship bonuses were designed with this in mind. I'd probably restrict the use of the new Small, Medium, and Large Drone Control Units to non-capital class ships, or at the very least non-carrier class ships. I'm not sure how much use you'd get out of them fitted to a Dreadnaught but I'd rather not find out :)

Firstly, you forget that the drone hp bonus was aimed at slowing the process of them getting shot down. I say drone hp over dps, and you say the opposite.

Then you say the carrier is OP, and I disagree. Your dps bonus would make them more powerful, I agree, but my hp bonus would not make them much more powerful. Do not fear the capital ship merely because it is bigger than the toys you are used to playing with.

it'd be stupid to shoot the drones, just focus down the pilot instead unless you've got some sort of aoe to burn the drones down

Focusing on the pilot is the standard tactic against drone boats anyways. The only time that drones are targeted is with a smartbombing BS, typically against carriers and only if your logistics can't tank the dps of the drones.

Hobgoblin
...................shield..armor..structure
base........... 67.......144.....355
skills+Domi..126.....270......666
+125%........284.....608......1465 *
Domi still has same EHP and dps.

* With Adv Drone Interface maxed to 5

Jump Sledges

Seige Weapon
Capitol Ship
Multi-system capable
Targetless
AOE

This cannon fits on capitol ships only.
Works in seige mode only.
Can only shoot at contellation or smaller Stargates Regional sized stargates are not allowed (thus cannot shot from null to low or low to high or vice versa.)
Allows Dreadnaughts to AOE bombard though a star gate clearing it of any potential obstacles.
Shells launched though the gate detonate as soon as they're on the other side allowing to clear out any mines, bubbles and camping forces too close to the gate.
Weapon is racial.