The ultimate drone R&D thread

[Utopiaman]

also has anyone thought about making a push-cannon with collision damage on? to essentially railgun cores out of the weapon?
it could also be used for ship boarding
[DOUBLEPOST=1419539414,1419539069][/DOUBLEPOST]you may have a few pull beams in the end of the barrel to keep it in the correct position for firing

 

[Keptick]

also has anyone thought about making a push-cannon with collision damage on? to essentially railgun cores out of the weapon?
it could also be used for ship boarding
[DOUBLEPOST=1419539414,1419539069][/DOUBLEPOST]you may have a few pull beams in the end of the barrel to keep it in the correct position for firing

Yes, that's what everyone tries doing right after activating collision damage XD

 

[Utopiaman]

has anyone ever succeeded (even on a station)?

 

[Malacodor]

Use overlapping docking boxes to have one projectile (dis-core-dis) per 1m of tube for maximum carnage :D That is what I will try for chaff drones (core + faction module + active AI; the minimal setup for fleet-friendly chaff)

What is the AI good for when there are no weapons?

 

[Thalanor]

To make hostile AI (turrets) target the chaff drones - turrets only target units with a player in them or active AI. The faction module is for irritating only hostile turrets and no allied AI.

 

[Loadout]

has anyone ever succeeded (even on a station)?

it's possible to make a small craft for this purpose but unless server settings allow hostiles to hijack ships it's a bit pointless. You would only board a ship to find out all it's insides are shielded just like the outside and you cant take over it.

boarding actions are a bit unreasonable in the current game state. not to mention ridiculously dangerous with loss of FP and derpy ai.

edit: Thalanor : just thought of something, herc missiles can clear chaff in little to no time at all. with such a massive radius and no protection the basic chaff drones are essy pickins. perhaps there are still uses for herc missiles after all.

 

[jorgekorke]

Ok, this is getting out of hand.... One drone with active jammer (or was it cloak?) and cannon/beam could stop ships from warping around in a damn huge radius (jump drives dont work when you get shot at). Sadly, bobby hasnt learned the intricacies of pressing a stealth/cloak button yet. Can you logic-wire that?

Also, a in-out long range drone deployer really only needs 2 jump drives, enough power to use the jump drives and then as many dockers as you want drones/racks. You dont really need shields, because if you get shot at upon entering a system, you are probably too close for the drones anyway.

Jump drives works if you are under fire. It only stops if you lose a jump module.


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EDIT :
Also, I have a question. Do push pulse drones spamming them on a bigger vessel really disables/makes a pain to pilot ?

 

[MrFURB]

Also, I have a question. Do push pulse drones spamming them on a bigger vessel really disables/makes a pain to pilot ?

Yep. Each pulse that hits a block on your vessel disables your thrust and turning for 2 seconds. Getting a couple of rapid pulse drones real close to an enemy can really wreck their ability to retaliate.

 

[Thalanor]

Loadout : true, high radius missiles (esp. nukes) can clear large amounts of chaff. The key to drone chaff launching is to scatter them quickly and effectively; apart from the usual launching mechanism, you need a "desmoother" beam at minimum that adds some randomness.

 

[Keptick]

My uncle (who never played the game) made me realize that nukes could DECIMATE drone swarms if they are in a tight cloud. Gotta test that!

 

[Gerion]

You could give your chaff a 1:1 cannon/cannon and a thrust module and make it shoot at missiles. Then they start circling (read: dispersing), arent a clumped up target for missiles and actively hinder enemies shooting at you.

 

[Loadout]

You could give your chaff a 1:1 cannon/cannon and a thrust module and make it shoot at missiles. Then they start circling (read: dispersing), arent a clumped up target for missiles and actively hinder enemies shooting at you.

I gave the cannon idea a try and it does take out missiles fairly well to begin with.... but then the chaff spreads out and boom.

on another note: the chaff is vastly more expensive with cannons. two computers is roughly the cost of 20 cannons, and having 80 chaff drones only multiplies that cost further....good greif crafting sucks right now x.x

also with a 72 block radius im having some fun seeing how i can effectively manage chaff dispersal. so far the best thing i can do is damage pulse with a pull followed by delay and another pulse with a push. so far it's been highly entertaining.

 

[Gerion]

Maybe having the rack with the chaff have timed releases and ejecting it "parallel" to the enemy at high speed? With cheap 1:1 rapid fire cannon turrets on top of the rack to shoot down missiles? The chaff is pre-dispersed, the rack itself shoots down nukes coming for it and its a lot cheaper than giving each chaff a cannon.

 

[Loadout]

Maybe having the rack with the chaff have timed releases and ejecting it "parallel" to the enemy at high speed? With cheap 1:1 rapid fire cannon turrets on top of the rack to shoot down missiles? The chaff is pre-dispersed, the rack itself shoots down nukes coming for it and its a lot cheaper than giving each chaff a cannon.

assuming the rack produced enough volume of fire that could work. it would probably be easier to have them disperse off a cylinder shape in all directions with a damage pulse+push effect. that would provide the timed dispersal needed as well as some covering fire.

time to go all mad scientist now....

 

[EricBlank]

I've tested deploying skoomdrones again, ai active. Only one of the four I launched activated its logic clock. All four of them agro'd my ship. I'm thinking the pushing beams are to blame, despite having 100% push effects. Since I "attacked" them when launching them, I was considered hostile, even though I and the ship I was in were part of the same faction. They attacked me, ignored the pirate I'd spawned (which had no weapons to attack them with.) When you guys do your tests, do you activate the ai? Has this happened to anyone else?

 

[Loadout]

I've tested deploying skoomdrones again, ai active. Only one of the four I launched activated its logic clock. All four of them agro'd my ship. I'm thinking the pushing beams are to blame, despite having 100% push effects. Since I "attacked" them when launching them, I was considered hostile, even though I and the ship I was in were part of the same faction. They attacked me, ignored the pirate I'd spawned (which had no weapons to attack them with.) When you guys do your tests, do you activate the ai? Has this happened to anyone else?

Just a few things off the top of my head that could be the cause of this...

• Did you add a faction to the drones and activate that?
• Is the push system 100% push?
• Are you moving while deploying the skooms?
• Any turrets on the ship firing in the direction of said skooms?
• Is collision damage on?

 

[Malacodor]

Yep. Each pulse that hits a block on your vessel disables your thrust and turning for 2 seconds. Getting a couple of rapid pulse drones real close to an enemy can really wreck their ability to retaliate.

That sounds ridiculously overpowered.

 

[Keptick]

That sounds ridiculously overpowered.

Not OP, just ingenious

And I'm pretty sure that bigger ships get less affected by small arrays. Besides, with the limited radius it has to be drone mounted with a complex launch system and logic. Those drones can easily be shot down by turrets or swarms.

 

[Loadout]

Not OP, just ingenious

And I'm pretty sure that bigger ships get less affected by small arrays. Besides, with the limited radius it has to be drone mounted with a complex launch system and logic. Those drones can easily be shot down by turrets or swarms.

Individually yes, collectively no. Two 5 block arrays is slightly more effective than one 10 block array. It seems from my experience that the number of hits is more important.

I don't generally include chaff on my ships cause of the cost but I imagine you'd need well over 100 to be actually effective for any duration long to cause substantial damage.

 

[EricBlank]

Just a few things off the top of my head that could be the cause of this...

• Did you add a faction to the drones and activate that?
• Is the push system 100% push?
• Are you moving while deploying the skooms?
• Any turrets on the ship firing in the direction of said skooms?
• Is collision damage on?

I put the drones in my faction, and verified the push beam was set to 100% effect strength before firing. Not moving, no turrets involved, and no collision damage. I honestly think they hate being pushed. I'll have another chance to test tomorrow, though.