Let's talk about DRONES!

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brunobisFR
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Let's talk about DRONES!

Post by brunobisFR »

Hi,

I post today about drones because I think we don’t talk enough about what they can do and how to use them.

In the video of the Gamecon 2011, many Drones have been shown, some of which are known and some are not.

Lets see what we have:
On this video you will find the time bellows for each drones which had shown:
Gamecon 2011 Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4aqBoOM ... re=related


Collector drone: 00.17
Shield Drone : 00:56
MK1 + Mk2 Drones 0.59
Torpedo Drones : 1.00
Unknows drones : 01.01
At the end of the first trailer of X-Rebirth, I think the two fighters following The Pride of Albion are in fact Drones (which are maybe in the pictures of the “Unknows drones” of the video).

We know that “invisible” drones exist too.

Now I let your imagination do the rest to answer these questions:
How many different types of Drones will be available?
How much Drones can we handle in our ship?
What types of factories will produce them? Will they be available at the beginning of the game or do we have to create/find them?
Will we be the only users of drones in the game? Or will the non-player ships be able to use them?


Thanks for your reading and your imaginative answers!
PTR
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Re: Let's talk about DRONES!

Post by PTR »

brunobisFR wrote: How much Drones can we handle in our ship?
Seems like drones are an important part of the game. I think Bernd said somewhere that the drones are an uprade of your ship, so I imagine that you start of with just your player ship and unlock the designs for / capability to fly different drones when advancing in the plot and upgrading the ship....
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BigBANGtheory
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Post by BigBANGtheory »

I am fine with the Drone concept, I think it has allowed Egosoft to add cockpit and ship interior options where non existed in TC for no real loss as it appears you can still pilot them with the same look and feel as flying them in TC.

More interesting I think is how you can control/view multiple drones or NPC controlled units via a strategic interface. If Egosoft get that right along with the ability to pilot things first person via VR in the cockpit we are in for something special.

However if you have to go to each drone individually to get them working properly or can only issue vauge orders where the AI may or may not do as you intend gameplay is going to be painful in places.

So long as its properly play tested I'm sure it will work out ok particularly as Rebirth is a design from scratch not forced to work within the legacy sandbox.
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Post by PTR »

And, the drones are there to be destroyed. What happens when you fly one and it is killed? You jump back to the player ship? How long does it take to take control of another drone? Or can you pre-set an order in which you jump between drones? CAN you quickly and easily jump between different types of drones at different locations?
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Skid
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Post by Skid »

I have a better question, while your using a drone to attack, what kind of warning if any, do you get if your ship comes under attack?
:) Skid :)
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PTR
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Post by PTR »

Skid wrote:I have a better question, while your using a drone to attack, what kind of warning if any, do you get if your ship comes under attack?
'GAME OVER' sign :roll:
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the-danzorz
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Post by the-danzorz »

PTR wrote:And, the drones are there to be destroyed. What happens when you fly one and it is killed? You jump back to the player ship? How long does it take to take control of another drone? Or can you pre-set an order in which you jump between drones? CAN you quickly and easily jump between different types of drones at different locations?
Drones shouldn't be anymore different then drones in the current game, or switching between ships as you can in the current X-Games. - though this needs to be confirmed

If the drone is destroyed, you then go back to controlling your ship. keep in mind you aren't in the drones. They are flown using a piece of head gear inside of your main ship. Which lets you take control of them from a first person prospective. - confirmed
Skid wrote:I have a better question, while your using a drone to attack, what kind of warning if any, do you get if your ship comes under attack?
Probably the same type of warning you get when another one of your ship goes under attack, it will come up with a voice and visual messaging saying: Player Ship is under Attack or something like that.
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Geek
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Post by Geek »

Skid wrote:I have a better question, while your using a drone to attack, what kind of warning if any, do you get if your ship comes under attack?
Is not that obvious ? There is a copilot. A female copilot.
So it will end up like this :

- OK, miss, i am going to disable that destroyer with a torpedo drone. Take the commands !
- But, there are two scouts coming toward us...
- I am sure you can do it.
- They are attacking, heeeeelp !
- I am too busy now...
- Our shields are damaged, heeeelp !
- i should have bought a single seat fighter...
- heeeeelp !
Right on commander !
PTR
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Post by PTR »

the-danzorz wrote: Drones shouldn't be anymore different then drones in the current game, or switching between ships as you can in the current X-Games. - though this needs to be confirmed

If the drone is destroyed, you then go back to controlling your ship. keep in mind you aren't in the drones. They are flown using a piece of head gear inside of your main ship. Which lets you take control of them from a first person prospective. - confirmed
I know. What I meant: If your drone gets killed, do you return to the playership, have to open a menu, select a new drone and continue the fight? This will take some time. Time you don't want to lose in a battle.

Maybe you can organise drones in wings, and you're the wing leader. You get destroyed? Automatticly jump to the 2nd drone in line.

Slaving the drones in your wing to your controls will be nice as well. You shoot at a target, everybody shoots at the target etc...

If I organise an attack with different type of drones, whith specific tasks during the battle, can I quickly change between them? Or do I have to go back to the player ship, open a menu, select a new drone etc. etc..?
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the-danzorz
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Post by the-danzorz »

PTR wrote:
the-danzorz wrote: Drones shouldn't be anymore different then drones in the current game, or switching between ships as you can in the current X-Games. - though this needs to be confirmed

If the drone is destroyed, you then go back to controlling your ship. keep in mind you aren't in the drones. They are flown using a piece of head gear inside of your main ship. Which lets you take control of them from a first person prospective. - confirmed
I know. What I meant: If your drone gets killed, do you return to the playership, have to open a menu, select a new drone and continue the fight? This will take some time. Time you don't want to lose in a battle.

Maybe you can organise drones in wings, and you're the wing leader. You get destroyed? Automatticly jump to the 2nd drone in line.

Slaving the drones in your wing to your controls will be nice as well. You shoot at a target, everybody shoots at the target etc...

If I organise an attack with different type of drones, whith specific tasks during the battle, can I quickly change between them? Or do I have to go back to the player ship, open a menu, select a new drone etc. etc..?
Ah i see what you mean now, such information will be provided closer to release. Just like with X3TC they released a lot of videos explaining the gameplay mechanics, New UI and such. This will probably be done with XR and will probably answer this for you.
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Post by Falcrack »

I hope they add the option so that any ship you own can potentially be controlled in the manner of a drone, from a tiny spy camera drone to a battleship.
brunobisFR
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Post by brunobisFR »

The goal of this topic is to think and imaginate what type of drones we'll exist in rebirth. Drones will be an important part of the game, after reading things about it, I'm sur that you can't go forward the game if you don't use them. So more you got, more different drones you have, more i'll enjoy the game (I still want my capital shipS too!)

For exemple, in the gamecon video you can see shield Drones. Why should we need them if our ship has already one?.
I imagine use it to protect a cargot while is transporting my goods , or my capital ship while a battle whith an another one to intercept his fire.

On the video (time 1:01) more than 3 drones are unknown. What can we do with the first three? Fight? repair? Transport goods or people?

Can you think they could all be in our cargo ship? Even if our ship is upgraded? Personnaly, I don't think they will be produced by my personnal ship, even after upgrade.

So which Drone ARE YOU?
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Geek
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Post by Geek »

brunobisFR wrote:For exemple, in the gamecon video you can see shield Drones. Why should we need them if our ship has already one?.
That is an interesting question indeed.
IMO surface elements are not shielded, at least while they are active (thus the option to deactivate them, see screens). This way you can still make a tactical strike on a capital ship or station if you can not (or do not want) to destroy it directly.
Right on commander !
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Post by caleb »

Geek wrote:
brunobisFR wrote:For exemple, in the gamecon video you can see shield Drones. Why should we need them if our ship has already one?.
That is an interesting question indeed.
IMO surface elements are not shielded, at least while they are active (thus the option to deactivate them, see screens). This way you can still make a tactical strike on a capital ship or station if you can not (or do not want) to destroy it directly.
Shield drones would be great for customization as well. Instead of spending hardpoints on shield emitters, and generators, I could fill it up with more guns, and use shield drones for defense.

Also, you could shield other ships under attack since drones are movable. There are tons of possibilities.
Logain Abler
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Post by Logain Abler »

I would love to see large number of drones being used in combined arms operations:

Shield drones providing a screening line
Torpedoes drones providing a skirmish line
Fighter drones on intercept duties, engaging enemy drones and providing cover for the screen and skirmish lines
Counter measure drones, jamming enemy targeting and sensors. Even something like an EMP pulse drone, one shot use that blinds/disables or reduces efficiency of everything in a radius

Any use of a large number of drones will rely on two key elements, the menu system and the AI.


LA
JImmyrosso
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Post by JImmyrosso »

Weapons Grade Nuclear package drone :D
Logain Abler
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Post by Logain Abler »

JImmyrosso wrote:Weapons Grade Nuclear package drone :D
http://www.silentphoenix.co.uk/confed/A ... wasps.html
:D
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Post by JImmyrosso »

lol hmm confederation tech would be ideal for X-universe!

Lets all pray EG keep in 'Nuclear devices' for those fun moments :twisted:

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