Purpose: Adds Mark 2-5 defense drones to the universe for increased options and drone carrier deadliness. Each major faction has specialized drones from Mark 3 on up.
Drone Types:
There are three distinct types of drones available, each with positives and negatives.
- Bomber - Slow, explosive, and expensive. These drones are equipped with missiles and can be used to add bursts of firepower to an engagement, will need to be reloaded by landing after their small stock of ammunition runs out. Fighters can destroy these easily if they make it through the missiles!
- Heavy - Stronger, slower, and cheap. The heavy drones are best used against immobile or slow targets. Fighters will destroy these easily!
- Interceptor - Fast, fragile, and expensive. Interceptors survive by evading fire and dogfighting.
Mark 2 - Supposed to require appropriate faction general equipment license, but it looks like the game ignores that.
- Interceptor - Fast, agile, stronger weapons, and made of tissue paper. The powerful engines come at a cost.
- Heavy - All around upgrade to the Mk1 drone in all respects, can take more hits and dish more damage, but is still slow and clumsy.
- Argon - The Argon marine division created the Mk3A with its integrated ion cannon to assist in boarding operations and disabling pirate vessels.
- Paranid - Finding drones slow and AI targeting weak, the Paranid military attempted to merge lasertowers with mobility and designed the Mk3P with its beam cannon weaponry.
- Teladi - In a natural progression from the pulse laser, the Teladi ministry of science bolted on more hull plating and slapped in a light gatling cannon for their Mk3T.
- Xenon - The Xenon Mk3X appears to have been equipped with a stock Xenon laser used on most small Xenon fighters.
- Argon - Upon recognizing the devastating potential of the Xenon Drone Mk3X, the Argon military quickly developed their own equivalent autonomous launcher with light heat seeking missiles as a counter.
- Paranid - Requiring heavier hitting weapons for their drones, the Paranid adapted their plasma technology to a heavy drone chassis to create the dangerous Mk4P.
- Teladi - Recognizing that their enemies value speed and will always get in close anyways, the ministry of science developed the heavy drone Mk4T with a powerful close-range spread shot laser.
- Xenon - The Mk4X was a shock to the Argon expeditionary forces when they started launching swarm missiles into the fray, destroying several Behemoths before the retreat was called.
- Argon - Further refining the Mk4A, the experimental Mk5A is designed from the ground up to destroy stations and capital vessels with light torpedoes.
- Paranid - The Paranid science divisions have equipped the Mk5P with an experimental railgun while they try to develop containment procedures that would allow living creatures to be on the same ship firing the weapon.
- Teladi - Feedback surges, radiation pulses, an runaway reactions have plagued the charge cannon equipped on the Teladi Mk5T. Too dangerous for lifeform usage, even by Teladi standards, it is perfect for a heavy drone.
- Xenon - The Mk5X is assumed to be an upgraded version of the Mk4X, but none have lived to provide precise information.
Will be compatible with everything as it only adds new drones, loadouts, and wares. No changes to weapons, shields, etc and will just combine flawlessly with vanilla or any overhaul mod like Aggressive AI, FOCW, and Rebalanced Shields and Weapons.
Download
https://www.nexusmods.com/x4foundations/mods/269
Release Notes
Spoiler
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1.1 Changes
- Mk3A, Mk4T, and Mk3-5P have been switched over to be interceptor drones, sacrificing hull and cost for speed. Roughly double speed, half hull, and a 30% price hike.
- Mk3-5X are now interceptors with heavy hulls, their better AI understanding lets them make sturdier fast drones...and the Xenon need all the help they can get
- Mk4-5A missile drones have had a 20% cost increase due to their effectiveness.
- Mk2 drone now comes in interceptor or heavy versions, your choice between speed+cost and survivability (engines cost more than armor!). All old Mk2's have been converted to the more costly interceptor version.
- Most drones have had minor speed increases.
- Drones are now named by purpose to easily see which drones are for interception (interceptor), stationary/slow target attack (heavy), or missile barrages (bomber).
- Language files added so other languages can be supported for naming and description (all use the English text right now)
