(OOC) The Trouble With Drones.

I was asked recently which race’s drones I preferred. He, “…had a hard time finding anything definitive.”

It brought up an interesting issue I hadn’t thought existed, but the more I thought about it the more I figured that there was a disconnect between drones and the people who use them. You shoot guns. You shoot missiles. Drones… kind of shoot for themselves. I mean, they even have their own bay on your ship! So, does that make them different?

The answer is more or less no. Drones should be treated like ammo. Race specificities should be chosen based on intel and your skills if you can, and hunches if you must. Failing that, whatever is cheapest or on-hand. Conserve if possible, but always consider them expendable. Never be afraid to leave a drone behind. Yes there are more expensive than arty rounds and laser crystals, but if you are smart and a bit lucky you can collect them and protect them from damage, meaning zero upkeep. Zero upkeep means more profit.

I’m a Minmatar pilot and we’re not exactly known for drones, but I’ve recently been putting a lot of time into those skill as a prelude to cross-training into Gallente ships. Now, that’s not to say you need to fly Gallente to use drones effectively. The fact that I had neglected the skillset for so long was an oversight on my part. Almost every ship in EvE has a drone bay, and there is a chance that you will never fly a ship that doesn’t have a drone bay, so why deny yourself a potentially battle-changing advantage?

As far as what drone skills to train, that is a much more complicated subject. I think I’ve come up nicely in that section lately and my plans help, so check out the post after this one for my skill update.

Hope that all helps. Fly safe!

~ by psychediver on 07/26/2010.