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==Drone Basics== | ==Drone Basics== | ||
===The Dronebay=== | |||
A ship must have a dronebay to use drones. You can find out if your ship has a dronebay, and how big it is, by looking at the Attributes tab in its Show Info window -- if it has a dronebay, it will tell you the dronebay's capacity in meters | A ship must have a dronebay to use drones. You can find out if your ship has a dronebay, and how big it is, by looking at the Attributes tab in its Show Info window -- if it has a dronebay, it will tell you the dronebay's capacity in cubic meters (m<sup>3</sup>). | ||
To open the dronebay, either right-click on your ship in your hangar and select 'open dronebay' or click on the dronebay button at the bottom left of the fitting screen (near the cargo hold button). You can load drones into your dronebay by dragging and dropping them into the dronebay window. Nothing else can be loaded into the dronebay. You can carry drones in your cargo hold, but you cannot use drones while they are in your cargohold, and you cannot transfer drones from your hold to your dronebay while you are in space. | To open the dronebay, either right-click on your ship in your hangar and select 'open dronebay' or click on the dronebay button at the bottom left of the fitting screen (near the cargo hold button). You can load drones into your dronebay by dragging and dropping them into the dronebay window. Nothing else can be loaded into the dronebay. You can carry drones in your cargo hold, but you cannot use drones while they are in your cargohold, and you cannot transfer drones from your hold to your dronebay while you are in space. | ||
===Drones in Space=== | |||
If you undock with drones in your dronebay, you will see a new window for controlling drones appear on your screen. You can launch them by right-clicking on them in this window and selecting the launch option, by selecting them in this window and then clicking the launch button in the selected item window, left clicking and hold - making the radial menu appear which gives the option for launch, or the fastest method - click,hold and simply drag the drone/s into empty space. (Especially effective when you group drones, you can drag the group entry into space and launch all drones in the group.) | If you undock with drones in your dronebay, you will see a new window for controlling drones appear on your screen. You can launch them by right-clicking on them in this window and selecting the launch option, by selecting them in this window and then clicking the launch button in the selected item window, left clicking and hold - making the radial menu appear which gives the option for launch, or the fastest method - click, hold and simply drag the drone/s into empty space. (Especially effective when you group drones, you can drag the group entry into space and launch all drones in the group.) | ||
You may only have a maximum of five drones in space at once -- one for every level you have trained in the [[Skills:Drones#Drones|Drones]] skill -- even if you can carry more in your dronebay. (The three exceptions to this limit are [[Capital_Ship#Carriers|carriers]], [[Capital_Ship#Supercarriers|supercarriers]] and the rare [ | You may only have a maximum of five drones in space at once -- one for every level you have trained in the [[Skills:Drones#Drones|Drones]] skill -- even if you can carry more in your dronebay. (The three exceptions to this limit are [[Capital_Ship#Carriers|carriers]], [[Capital_Ship#Supercarriers|supercarriers]] and the rare [[Guardian-Vexor]]) | ||
===Bandwidth=== | |||
The other constraint on the drones you can launch is your ship's bandwidth -- again, you can find this on your ship's Attributes tab. Bandwidth represents your ship's ability to coordinate your drones, and bigger and more powerful drones always require more bandwidth (with the exception of fighters and fighter bombers, a drone's bandwidth requirements in Mbit/sec is always the same number as its size in m<sup>3</sup>). It is possible to have more drones in your dronebay than your ship can control, of course, you just can't have more in space at once than your bandwidth limit. | The other constraint on the drones you can launch is your ship's bandwidth -- again, you can find this on your ship's Attributes tab. Bandwidth represents your ship's ability to coordinate your drones, and bigger and more powerful drones always require more bandwidth (with the exception of fighters and fighter bombers, a drone's bandwidth requirements in Mbit/sec is always the same number as its size in m<sup>3</sup>). It is possible to have more drones in your dronebay than your ship can control, of course, you just can't have more in space at once than your bandwidth limit. Dedicated drone ships will often have larger drone bays than they have bandwidth; this allows you to selectively deploy different types of drones to best match your enemies, or to replace drones which are killed in combat. | ||
===Control and Behaviour=== | |||
Right-clicking in the drone control window on the drones you have in space lets you order them to attack your selected target, or to return and orbit you, or to return and dock with you and return to the dronebay. There is usually a short lag period before they actually perform your orders. | Right-clicking in the drone control window on the drones you have in space lets you order them to attack your selected target, or to return and orbit you, or to return and dock with you and return to the dronebay. There is usually a short lag period before they actually perform your orders. | ||
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The Orbit Velocity is the non-MWD (MicroWarp Drve) Speed a drone travels at. When in close proximity to a target, it will attempt to use this speed for following and orbiting. | The Orbit Velocity is the non-MWD (MicroWarp Drve) Speed a drone travels at. When in close proximity to a target, it will attempt to use this speed for following and orbiting. | ||
: ''Note that there is a more common value used for ships, max velocity, but this is not the case with Drones. A Drone's max velocity is based upon an installed MWD (MicroWarp Drive) which is integral to the drone but is a module installed on a ship. As such, this is a major difference when determining such things with drones versus ships.'' | :''Note that there is a more common value used for ships, max velocity, but this is not the case with Drones. A Drone's max velocity is based upon an installed MWD (MicroWarp Drive) which is integral to the drone but is a module installed on a ship. As such, this is a major difference when determining such things with drones versus ships.'' | ||
This ventures into EVE physics and goes beyond the scope of this document but, suffice it to say that a drone will ''attempt'' to orbit at the EntityFlyRange and not its optimal range. | This ventures into EVE physics and goes beyond the scope of this document but, suffice it to say that a drone will ''attempt'' to orbit at the EntityFlyRange and not its optimal range. | ||
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*This is an additional damage type that the fighter sized drones do as secondary damage. | *This is an additional damage type that the fighter sized drones do as secondary damage. | ||
====Standard Combat Drones==== | |||
These all work in a fairly simple way. They have short ranges, and when told to attack they fly close to their target and shoot it. Light and medium drones have a slightly different skill tree to heavy drones. | These all work in a fairly simple way. They have short ranges, and when told to attack they fly close to their target and shoot it. Light and medium drones have a slightly different skill tree to heavy drones. | ||
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* are good against battleships, and can handle battlecruisers | * are good against battleships, and can handle battlecruisers | ||
====Sentry Drones==== | |||
These are the same size and require the same amount of bandwidth as heavy drones. However, instead of orbiting the target ship they instead sit where they have been deployed and fire at their targets from long range. They have varying ranges and falloffs, all much longer than heavy attack drones, but they have very low tracking speeds. A target still needs to be within your drone control range before you can order sentries to fire on it. | These are the same size and require the same amount of bandwidth as heavy drones. However, instead of orbiting the target ship they instead sit where they have been deployed and fire at their targets from long range. They have varying ranges and falloffs, all much longer than heavy attack drones, but they have very low tracking speeds. A target still needs to be within your drone control range before you can order sentries to fire on it. | ||
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====Fighters and Fighter-Bombers==== | |||
'''Fighters''' are frigate-sized drones that do cruiser-sized damage and can only be fielded by [[Capital_Ship#Carriers|carriers]] and [[Capital_Ship#Supercarriers|supercarriers]]. They are capable of warping, and will pursue a target into warp -- the only escape from fighters is to jump system or to dock<ref>[http://wiki.eveonline.com/wiki/Item_Database:Drones:Combat_Drones:Fighters Fighters, EveOnline Wiki]</ref>. | '''Fighters''' are frigate-sized drones that do cruiser-sized damage and can only be fielded by [[Capital_Ship#Carriers|carriers]] and [[Capital_Ship#Supercarriers|supercarriers]]. They are capable of warping, and will pursue a target into warp -- the only escape from fighters is to jump system or to dock<ref>[http://wiki.eveonline.com/wiki/Item_Database:Drones:Combat_Drones:Fighters Fighters, EveOnline Wiki]</ref>. | ||
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=== Electronic Warfare Drones === | === Electronic Warfare Drones === | ||
Unlike combat drones EW drones do not do damage but instead apply a type of electronic warfare, decided by the racial origin of the drone, to their target. There are three EW drones per race, in the same light, medium and heavy sizes as combat drones. The type of EW is indicated by a two-letter abbreviation in the drone's name, while the size is indicated by the numbers 300 (small), 600 (medium) and 900 (large), so for example a medium-sized tracking disruption drone is called a Valkyrie TD-600 in-game. | Unlike combat drones, EW drones do not do damage but instead apply a type of electronic warfare, decided by the racial origin of the drone, to their target. There are three EW drones per race, in the same light, medium and heavy sizes as combat drones. The type of EW is indicated by a two-letter abbreviation in the drone's name, while the size is indicated by the numbers 300 (small), 600 (medium) and 900 (large), so for example a medium-sized tracking disruption drone is called a Valkyrie TD-600 in-game. | ||
Note that neither hull bonuses and skill bonuses to drone damage nor electronic warfare support skills such as [[Skills:Electronics#Turret_Destabilization|Turret Destabilization]] can enhance the effect of ewar drones. | Note that neither hull bonuses and skill bonuses to drone damage nor electronic warfare support skills such as [[Skills:Electronics#Turret_Destabilization|Turret Destabilization]] can enhance the effect of ewar drones. | ||
====Tracking Disruption (TD)==== | |||
These Amarr EW drones reduce the optimal, falloff and tracking speed of their target's turrets. Tracking disruption does not affect missile launchers. TD drones' effects are stacking-penalized with other TD drones and with normal TD modules. | These Amarr EW drones reduce the optimal, falloff and tracking speed of their target's turrets. Tracking disruption does not affect missile launchers. TD drones' effects are stacking-penalized with other TD drones and with normal TD modules. | ||
====ECM (EC)==== | |||
These Caldari drones have the ability to jam their target's sensors. This not only breaks any current locks that the target may have but also makes them unable to lock again for a short time. Note that -- like module-based ECM, but unlike the other ewar drones -- ECM drones have a ''chance'' to jam, not a certainty. EC drones are '''not''' subject to stacking penalties with each other or with normal ECM modules. | These Caldari drones have the ability to jam their target's sensors. This not only breaks any current locks that the target may have but also makes them unable to lock again for a short time. Note that -- like module-based ECM, but unlike the other ewar drones -- ECM drones have a ''chance'' to jam, not a certainty. EC drones are '''not''' subject to stacking penalties with each other or with normal ECM modules. | ||
====Sensor Dampening (SD)==== | |||
These Gallente drones specialise in reducing the range and increasing the locking speed of enemy targeting systems, meaning the target has to come closer to lock and/or will take longer to achieve that lock in the first place. SD drones' effects are stacking-penalized with other SD drones and with normal SD modules. | These Gallente drones specialise in reducing the range and increasing the locking speed of enemy targeting systems, meaning the target has to come closer to lock and/or will take longer to achieve that lock in the first place. SD drones' effects are stacking-penalized with other SD drones and with normal SD modules. | ||
====Target Painting (TP)==== | |||
These Minmatar drones increase the target's signature radius, essentially making it "bigger" in combat terms. This means ships are able to lock on to the target faster, hit better with turrets and deal more damage with missiles. TP drones' effects are stacking-penalized with other TP drones and with normal TP modules. | These Minmatar drones increase the target's signature radius, essentially making it "bigger" in combat terms. This means ships are able to lock on to the target faster, hit better with turrets and deal more damage with missiles. TP drones' effects are stacking-penalized with other TP drones and with normal TP modules. | ||
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Similar to EW drones, these perform auxiliary tasks in battle. Again, hull or skill bonuses to drone damage do not make these drones more effective. | Similar to EW drones, these perform auxiliary tasks in battle. Again, hull or skill bonuses to drone damage do not make these drones more effective. | ||
====Energy Neutralisation (EV)==== | |||
These drones drain the capacitor of the target vessel (working in a similar manner to energy neutralizers) and come in three sizes (300, 600 and 900) based on Amarr combat drone designs. See the [[Capacitor Warfare Guide]] for details. | These drones drain the capacitor of the target vessel (working in a similar manner to energy neutralizers) and come in three sizes (300, 600 and 900) based on Amarr combat drone designs. See the [[Capacitor Warfare Guide]] for details. | ||
====Stasis Webification (SW)==== | |||
This drone slows the sub-light speed of the target, making them easier to hit and damage. With the Inferno expansion small and medium sizes were introduced in addition to the heavy-drone-sized Berserker SW-900. The web effects will be stacking-penalized with other SW drones or with normal web modules. | This drone slows the sub-light speed of the target, making them easier to hit and damage. With the Inferno expansion small and medium sizes were introduced in addition to the heavy-drone-sized Berserker SW-900. The web effects will be stacking-penalized with other SW drones or with normal web modules. | ||
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For once, these drones are explicitly named for their size ('Light Armor Maintenance Bot', 'Heavy Shield Maintenance Bot', etc). | For once, these drones are explicitly named for their size ('Light Armor Maintenance Bot', 'Heavy Shield Maintenance Bot', etc). | ||
====Shield Repair==== | |||
These drones work to repair the shield of the target and use the designs of the small, medium and heavy Caldari drones. | These drones work to repair the shield of the target and use the designs of the small, medium and heavy Caldari drones. | ||
====Armor Repair==== | |||
These drones work to repair the armour of the target and use the designs of the small, medium and heavy Gallente drones. | These drones work to repair the armour of the target and use the designs of the small, medium and heavy Gallente drones. | ||