Is there any information on what drones we can pilot?

[ZaphodBeeblebrox]

Here I am talking of the "VR" system on the Skunk where you control the very small drones.

Will we still be able to hack stations and ships?

Can we plant charges on stations to destroy surface elements?

Is there a need to do deep scans to extract more information from a station?

[CBJ]

There won't be any piloting of drones or torpedoes in X4. Gameplay such as hacking, planting bombs and extracting information illegally will be done... differently.

[mr.WHO]

Will there be any kind of combat drones (X-Rebirth or X3 style) or they have been scrapped?

[ZaphodBeeblebrox]

Well, thanks CBJ, guess that means we're just going to have to wait and see what the differently is.

[Alan Phipps]

• "Hey Yisha, the Federation has outlawed all remotely-piloted offensive weapons and drones as being unethical. I guess we'll all have to change our tactics now.
  
  I've got one Novadrone left and we really need to take out that last Xenon Weapons Platform to save the crucial convoy that we're escorting. I've converted the Novadrone to a manned torpedo with rudimentary onboard controls. Off you go then Yish."

More seriously, we just get the Remote Guided Warhead actually working in the form of the Novadrone - and then we go and drop it again.

[Skeeter]

Kinda glad theres no more drone gameplay as i didnt really like it tbh. Tho using the drone mechanics from rebirth i could see a use for emergency escape pods from ships that could act like a reskinned drone to more resemble of a escape pod with basic life support and engines and no weapons, just good enough to get u to a station so u can hop in a replacement ship if u called one to it before u started in the pod.Then again the teleporter i guess could be used as emergency escape now but feels like cheating if thats how its used lol in that situation.

[CBJ]

Will there be any kind of combat drones (X-Rebirth or X3 style) or they have been scrapped?

There will still be fighter drones similar to those in X3, and indeed various other types of drones, but not the kind of "ability" drones that you only had in the Skunk, some of which could be remote controlled, in XR.

[GCU Grey Area]

More seriously, we just get the Remote Guided Warhead actually working in the form of the Novadrone - and then we go and drop it again.

Was thinking much the same: damn - no more functional RGWs, that's a pity. Thoroughly enjoyed using them in XR after the disappointment they were in X3.

Don't mind losing the drones so much, rarely used them, though did quite enjoy dodging police patrols in an illegal drone while scanning drone factories, knowing all the time that, if I messed up, one of my most profitable suppliers was going to be more than a little bit miffed with me. One of the most stressful gameplay experiences I've had in an X game, worth it however for the trade info.

Working RGWs though, really going to miss them.

[Axeface]

Gotta say i'm pretty sad to see drones go. I hoped that you would 'double down' on drones and make them a gameplay focus, I suggested a while back that remote piloting might be a cooler feature than teleport. I think they should be much much more numerous for both gameplay and thematic reasons in the X universe.
Ide go into further detail about why I think that but its way too late now so pretty pointless.

[CBJ]

There will still be plenty of drones in X4, just mot ones that you fly yourself using remote control. I don't think most people will be too disappointed by our plans for some of the gameplay activities that used to be done that way in XR.

[Falcrack]

There won't be any piloting of drones or torpedoes in X4. Gameplay such as hacking, planting bombs and extracting information illegally will be done... differently.

YAYYYYY!!

[Slashman]

There will still be plenty of drones in X4, just mot ones that you fly yourself using remote control. I don't think most people will be too disappointed by our plans for some of the gameplay activities that used to be done that way in XR.

I'm totally fine with this CBJ! Along with the fact that you guys are looking to implement target locking for missiles and countermeasure systems, I'm getting more pumped for X4 every time I hear something new about it.

[Vandragorax]

I would hazard a guess that the Rebirth "Skunk drones" feature was really just a kind of workaround feature due to the fact that we could only ever pilot one ship. It was a way for us to be able to pilot different entities for different tasks without actually changing ship.

Now that in X4 we will be able to pilot any ship again, there is really no need for these sort of drones and I'm glad they are now gone, to be replaced by 'some new feature'.

Definitely peaked my interest about how this will now work! Maybe smaller specialised ships that we can dock in our hangars then launch for specific hacking/kamikaze/etc. tasks? Giving us the option to send them under AI orders, or control them ourselves

[Dupin]

There will still be plenty of drones in X4, just mot ones that you fly yourself using remote control. I don't think most people will be too disappointed by our plans for some of the gameplay activities that used to be done that way in XR.

Well, personally I like to fly a different types of vehicles, not just space ships. Besides the description in Steam says that "additionally some drones and utility vehicles in X4 can be remotely controlled by the player" (like this idea)... Did I misunderstand something or the description is out of date?

[CBJ]

That information is outdated; we'll remove it. Thanks for pointing this out.

Edit: It has now been removed. Thanks again.

[Tenlar Scarflame]

Gameplay implications aside, from a lore perspective, it's interesting that remote-guided unmanned vehicles are being phased out and autonomous (more AGI-ish? ) vehicles are the new norm...

[Kittens David]

Excellent i never had the slightest interest in piloting drones... I am in X games to pilot BIG ships Frigates, destroyer, huge cargo... I have little to zero interest into being dumped into a trash fighter or stinky ugly albion skunk.