Builder Class Ships - utility improvement

[Scoob]

Hey all,

Builder Class ships, we all need them, but they could have better utility. Currently they just build, but need to be supplied at a Station - or possibly Support ship - like any other ship. They're not very special.

I'd suggest that Builder Class ships work more like Support Ships. I.e. Give Builders more Cargo space, allow them to Construct their own Drones and perhaps certain deployables for defence. They have both S and M-Class Docks, so could readily support a subordinate to handle any shopping needs, or just accept deliveries from the general economy. It strikes me as a little odd to have an XL Sized ship that specialises in building, be unable to maintain its own Drones.

At times in the past, I've hired a Builder from the ARG Faction to build a station for me. Great. As I'm a likeable guy, my friends from HOP will often make deliveries to by build sites. However, ARG and HOP don't like each other very much. So, there have been times when a HOP Transporter is making a delivery to my build storage, all the while shooting Build Drones. This can increase build times. Non-player-owned Builders being able to replenish their Drones would be nice.

With player-owned Builders, being able to supply them with what they need to keep their Drones (Building, Defence and Trading potentially) fully-stocked, would be great. I'd go as far as to give them extra functionality too, perhaps they can repair ships and perform basic re-supply. They should be the hub of a build, and have a little more utility to support that.

What do people think? Should Builder Class ships at least be able to construct their own Drones? I think that alone would enhance them greatly. They would then also offer the ability to transfer Drones to other ships if needed, which would be pretty cool.

[Raptor34]

I think being able to assign a ship to go shopping for drones would be enough. After all, do they really need to be enhanced? It's not like they aren't being used.
Basically like how frigates can use their vast missile bays to go reload other ships, make that official, create a resupply for commander order, where it brings in spare drones and missiles from EQ docks, since those things are always choke full of supplies. Hey! This idea even makes faction EQ docks more useful too.

[Scoob]

My thinking is that such large ships should be able to manufacture Drones from supplies. It's far nicer to have smaller (M-Class) ship go and do the shopping for them, while they stay put. As a specialised ship that is ONLY good for building, I'd hope for greater utility while building - and it being able to craft replacement Drones would do that.

Not a deal breaker - I'll still use them of course lol - but they are clunky things at times. Slow, poorly defended only good for ONE thing - let them build drones!