Any suggestions for unlimited XEN drones destroying my FPS?

[user1679]

The Xenon have set up two defense platforms right next to the gate in Hatikvah's Choice. I sent a scout through and there are 3 Branch 9 Destroyers and some "Expedition" type battleship orbiting nearby playing "kill a miner, drink a beer". The problem is, every time a trader / miner / vacationing Teladi pops into the sector, the platforms vomit 1000000000000 defense drones into the void. If I'm in sector, my FPS will drop to 1 every 10 or so seconds for about 2 seconds, then return to "normal" which is around 32 fps. If I want to quickly clear out these drones, do I need to destroy the whole defense platform or is there a module I can destroy to stop their production? Currently I have 2 L ships that can handle the defense platform for a while but they can't stand up to the battleship when it engages.

The interesting thing is if I watch my CPU usage in Process Explorer, X4 never gets above 52% and I have no other programs running at > 1%. I know the game is CPU limited but I'm barely going over half usage. In fact, when the 1 fps drop happens, my CPU usage also drops to around 23%. I would expect the FPS drop to be because the CPU was temporarily maxed out, not because it was working less.


System:

i5-7600
24 Gb RAM
nVidia RTX 3060 12 Gb VRAM


PS: I know the CPU listed isn't the greatest but since the game isn't fully utilizing it, that should not be an issue.

[LameFox]

I may be misremembering but I believe Xenon only have two module types in a defence platform. There's a single rounded rectangular whatsit in the middle and some L bends that radiate outward to make an S shape. So if killing the central module isn't good enough, I guess you are out of luck. I do think that one may in fact launch the drones, though.

[Alan Phipps]

Just kill the more central rounded module to prevent drone release. However, it will rebuild very quickly if you do not empty the station build storage first and interdict incoming resupply of it by Xenon supply ships. Otherwise this would only be a very temporary measure.

Perhaps a better and longer term strategy that I use is to destroy the central module first and then destroy the main defensive modules without your fleet being distracted by drones.

BTW, the drones are indeed limited on a number allocation per station module and type basis, although all launch from the central launch modules (of which in other Xenon station types there may be more than one). The build modules' resources (and as resupplied by Xenon supply ships) can fairly quickly build more to replace drone losses up to that limit though.

Beware of looking at overall cpu utilisation % figures as the game utilises some function threads heavily, and it is those threads maxing out that is the limitation while other threads might be idling.

[Imperial Good]

Xenon defence stations do not have unlimited drones. You can shoot them all up and then they will take some time to replenish them. You can also blow up the station using a destroyer.

The best ships for this are Erlking (ToA DLC), Asgard (CoH DLC) and Raptor (SV DLC). Ships that are less effective but still good enough at it if you are wiling to spend some time include Syn and Osaka (CoH DLC), Rattlesnake (SV DLC) and Odysseus E. If you have resources for a fleet then a 100S ships odd mixed between interceptor loadout (pulse laser/chain bold) and bomber loadout (Blast Mortar) will work very will at quickly removing the station and drones.

[user1679]

Thanks for the advice, I was being a bit facetious when I said "unlimited" drones. The reason it seems like it's unlimited is because every time a new ship jumps into sector, a new swarm of drones launches and chases after it. So I happened on the scene when there were several ships swarmed by 10 or so drones each. After the drones kill their target, they go back to hover around the platform. In map view it looked like there were 100 drones just sitting waiting.

My ships actually don't have a problem with the drones so I could destroy them, then the platform. But those Branch 9 destroyers pose a challenge because sometimes my pilot will attract the attention of more than one which splits my turrets attention between them causing less single target DPS. I'll try to implement some of the strategies here, I may have to sacrifice a small ship or two to try and draw the destroyers to the other side of the sector.

One thing I noticed in this particular playthrough is there aren't many other factions helping. Occasionally a TER or ARG ship will engage but they don't work together and they don't have any reinforcements so they don't last long.

Beware of looking at overall cpu utilisation % figures as the game utilises some function threads heavily, and it is those threads maxing out that is the limitation while other threads might be idling.

Yes, that would explain the dip in FPS at the same time as the dip in % usage. The thread is probably blocking momentarily while it finishes its job. I bought this CPU long before I started playing X4 and I never considered single thread performance.

[Incinerator]

They only launch the drones when you or other ships get too close to the station, you can bombard it from range and take out the "drone hangar" I don't recall the range exactly but around 9.8km so you'll want greater range than that. you should next destroy the build storage and deploy a few laser towers near it so they take out the resupply ships that might get past you while you focus on the rest of the station.

[user1679]

They only launch the drones when you or other ships get too close to the station, you can bombard it from range and take out the "drone hangar" I don't recall the range exactly but around 9.8km so you'll want greater range than that. you should next destroy the build storage and deploy a few laser towers near it so they take out the resupply ships that might get past you while you focus on the rest of the station.

Thanks, I think my current turrets are all short range because I wanted them to deal with fighters. And yes they built the platform so close to the gate (around 5km) that you almost jump in right on top of it so it's pretty much permanent drones because it's an active gate with NPCs jumping in all the time.