A Work in Progress

[StarWars1981]

Hmmm.... Well, I have good news and bad news.

Good news is, that is totally possible, and I can probably do it. I've done limited tests on similar things already.

Bad news is, that would require fully integrated drones and drone bays. Meaning it's not just a logic core anymore. What you want would be an entire ship. An AWESOME ship. XD

It would take a LOT of prep to use though.
Each drone would always jump 8 sectors in the direction they were facing when the command was sent. So you'd need to be exactly 8 sectors out when you triggered them. You also need to be CERTAIN they're all facing the right way and already heading to attack the target sector before you trigger warp, or your drones will end up all over creation.
You would then need to take your carrier within 3 sectors of the drones (assuming there are no other players already there) or they will be unloaded and thus unable to fight.

Just make sure the other guy's on grid when you drop it. Also you need to build one for all of us who love carriers who now want to use it. Awesome stuff.

 

[Madman198237]

Well no, the goal is some semblance of modularity. So, a logic core with distinct sets of inputs/outputs for drone commands. Then, the end-user is responsible for linking those outputs to the proper systems on a drone. But the system as a whole is still modular, if bulky (Going to require some open space so you can see and use the wireless connections to drones, for instance), since it's not dependent on any one type of drone mounted in some specific way to a certain ship.

 

[Stormraven]

Well no, the goal is some semblance of modularity. So, a logic core with distinct sets of inputs/outputs for drone commands. Then, the end-user is responsible for linking those outputs to the proper systems on a drone. But the system as a whole is still modular, if bulky (Going to require some open space so you can see and use the wireless connections to drones, for instance), since it's not dependent on any one type of drone mounted in some specific way to a certain ship.

So I've been thinking about this and I think I can make that happen. The serious computing would go on behind closed walls, BUT I can set up the receiver part of the machine where another system is in my own version, so that the user can plug in the text command words. Set it up with, say... 3 groups of 2? 3 sets of drones, two programmable commands you can transmit. Each group of drones can be as large as you can make wireless modules for.

 

[Stormraven]

See what y'all made me do...

Do you even know what beast you've unleashed?! :P

Right, so now that's out of the way! Teehee

So right at this moment, I intend to make the back corner of the maintenance corridor an Admin Panel. There you will find a wall of buttons and screens with some simple directives. The current design plan will allow you to:
1- Name your drone groups. At the moment this is permanent, but if I can fit it in, I'll fix that so you can update them.
2- Set text prompts for (probably) 2 or 3 wireless commands that will transmit to your drones.
As it stands, you will have up to 5 drone 'groups' that you can command separately. How big those groups are is up to you, your server admins, and your wireless modules. The prompt for the computer to understand you're talking about drone deployment is 'drone'. Just drop the word drone in a sentence and the computer will start searching for a drone group, a custom command, and/or a basic command. Basic commands at the moment include 'deploy' and 'recall'. Again, the pseudo fuzzy logic will just pluck these words out of whatever sentence you type, so long as that sentence contains the word 'drone'.
Example interaction:
Player: "Computer, spool warp drives, prepare for 6 jumps, and recall drone group 4 to the hangar."
Computer: "Warp drive is charging.... Hangar doors open, bays ready to receive.... All selected warp cells are charged and ready."
Player: *waits to ensure drones are aboard, uses inner ship remotes to close the bay doors and activate the charged drive, carrying themselves and all of drone group 4 exactly 48 sectors.

 

[Stormraven]

IT'S ALIVE!!
I got the Group name input working in such a way that you can change group names later if desired. Just clear out the box. Hit the button. Then go back into the box and type [ADD][ADD]NAME.

Boom. The computer will now recognize that (case sensitive) name.

And here we see what will soon be the custom command output panel. The TLDR version of how this works goes like this:
The computer detects that you used the word 'drone' in a sentence, and activate the drone command tower. That tower looks to see if you've also used the words 'launch' or 'recall', in addition to any of the group names you've entered manually into the computer. IF it detects a group name in will activate that group's column in the tower. The custom command tower will then search to see if you've entered any of your custom keywords. If it detects one or more, it will activate those commands ONLY within the selected group of drones.
The outputs will be activation modules which a builder can then connect to wireless modules for drone linking.

 

[Madman198237]

Yes!

I have successfully unleashed a really awesome beast, that's what I've done!
Too bad it can't spew flames, shoot spikes, and make breakfast simultaneously.

You should get on that right away.

 

[StarWars1981]

Sweet. That's awesome.

 

[Stormraven]

Yes!

I have successfully unleashed a really awesome beast, that's what I've done!
Too bad it can't spew flames, shoot spikes, and make breakfast simultaneously.

You should get on that right away.

Just for you, I'm building a massive rig that can accept up to 4 custom commands for EACH drone group.
That way if you have, say, mining drones AND attack drones, you can set them up with different types of functions.

Side note: DAAAM this thing is big. XD

 

[Madman198237]

So, it might be time to make a capital-class asteroid-eating drone-carrying world-destroying ore-mining vessel-of-doom that makes use of this brain?

Oh, and this monstrosity does come with all your cool gadgets earlier, right?

 

[Stormraven]

So, it might be time to make a capital-class asteroid-eating drone-carrying world-destroying ore-mining vessel-of-doom that makes use of this brain?

Oh, and this monstrosity does come with all your cool gadgets earlier, right?

The chain drive and whatnot? Oh yeah.
I only removed the backup shield, because that has to be built separately for every ship and would require a big old tutorial. Easier to just include that on ones I build. XD

 

[Gasboy]

Keep up the awesome work.

 

[Stormraven]

Keep up the awesome work.

I'm a bit overwhelmed with work and whatnot at the moment, meaning less time to play. However, I THINK I should have this ready to share soon.

 

[Stormraven]

BOOM
Well folks, you asked for it, and there it is. Your own personal Logic Core awaits you!