Drones and turrets Should be limited to 2 per vehicle

Discussion
1

Lets face it pure drone or pure turret users are well not that fun to fight or play and the drones/turrets themselves are well easily out preformed by most weapons.

So my proposal is adding a two per build limit like the flares that where just added and with that reducing their energy cost and buffing them in other ways depending on the drone/turret.

note: this idea doesn’t apply to, flying drones, launched drones or MG type turrets as those would require something else anyway. Also doesn’t apply to barrier as its use is completely different and a full barrier build can be really useful in 8v8 battles.

example ideas of the nerf/buff

FUZE DRONE
limit: 2(all drones but here for the dumb.)
buffs: only costs 2 energy, 50% quicker activation speed.
nerf: Targets must be in host vehicles direct line of sight. (so no more hiding behind rock and deploying.)

Sidekick
Limit: 2
changes: focuses on enemy turrets,drones, mines, and missiles before enemies. making them a true sidekick support damage.
buff: energy reduced from 4 to 2.

grenadier
limit: 2
buff: energy reduced from 4 to 2.
No other changes as that would actually be broken.

Anacanda turret
limit: 2
buff: energy cut in half.
buff: increased attack range and gains perk bonus damage to AIRCRAFT
nerf: Swapped from lock on to flute type aim. (so you see a red laser aimed at you and can easily site it down.)

2

One of the worst idea- No wait, that tittle goes to the idea of one more weapon rarity tier some idiot was suggesting some time ago

Second worst idea I have seen on the forum in recent memory, none of the drones work good enough to function in a configuration of two, and the buffs they would need to function as a 2 per build only support weapon would be so huge that people would instantly start crying about it either way even with a limit of 2 per build

2 Likes
3

No the worst ideas are mainly your ones from what I have read.

4

Oh no he does not agree with my bad idea and I instantly go to insulting the guy
gg

5

No I wasn’t insulting you, I was stating that your ideas are just as bad. Each person has a different view point on how things can work and be balanced.

6

I don’t agree drones need a limit, they’re weak (health points) and usually are shot down in 2 seconds, turrets are even easier to kill and are usually killed off before the next batch is reloaded, turrets and drones are weak after being kicked in the balls then neutered, If they seem OP to people then I assume you aren’t shooting them directly but the build the deploys them trying to kill off the build before the drones and turrets kill you off.

Which is a silly way to go about it as killing the drones and turrets are easy to kill and leaves the deployer defenseless for a bit unless they have other weapons and the drones and turrets are secondary weapons and in that case, usually only 1 or 2 drones and or turrets are used

1 Like
7

Drones need a massive reload buff, needs its ammo tied to ammo packs and not genesis and untie it’s reload speed from the cheetah and put it on the flywheel. The only viable way to play drones is on a fast build with cheetah. So many modules can counter it, builds that can out run the drones, bots shoot them down every chance they get then drones need every buff it can get. Only builds vulnerable to drones are slow sitting duck builds that don’t carry chameleon.

8

Drones are fine, mostly. They might need better awareness, if they are the kind that roam about, but all the bots sort of need that. They are just hard to use effectively, and ought to stay that way, IMO. Nobody wants to see drones OP again.

Since they nerfed Fuzes (immediately after I fuzed a set of 3), I can’t say I use those much any more, and that’s disappointing. I wouldn’t be against seeing that nerf rolled back a little.

Other kids who are playing harder with them are doing well at low power-scores, and buffing them probably isn’t necessary, and would provide cheese masters with free wins they don’t deserve, if they did. The Melee is bad enough down there, we don’t need another problem at low power-scores.

If they don’t work at all at high power-scores, then I see nothing wrong with that. Making people aim for kills doesn’t seem like to much to ask, if they think they should be in the advanced player arena.

The Vulture and Yauguai certainly don’t need any kind of buff, and I don’t think anybody is suggesting that, I hope.

I think they work fine at very lean power-scores, but they aren’t handing out free kills, and I find I have to be very engaged to make them work, rather than poop and scoot, which I am fine with, personally.

9

I don’t think they need to be limited to two though I agree that I don’t think they were intended to be a primary weapon in most cases.

That’s kind of workable though I still like the idea of turning the genesis into a working micro-factory to reload the ammo count on drones. If they could scavenge the vehicle carcasses, then wouldn’t need as large of an ammo boost. The number of micro-factory’s could also alter the rate of scavenging and perhaps also boost some of the other scavenging items as well.

2 Likes
10

Here’s how I would fix drones:

  • make the traditional flying drones hover much higher above your vehicle, so that they’re not so easy to shoot down, and so that they can be better used to attack from behind cover.

  • improve wheeled drone AI. They should acquire targets quicker, and shouldn’t follow your car (unless no enemies are within radar)

  • buff damage and explosive radius of vulture.

  • give turrets some melee resistance.

1 Like
11

They really need some heavy buffs to make them viable back up and defensive equipment. maybe some passive perk on sidekicks that they do more damage the more energy spend on none drone weapons you have.

Wait no that would work best on the cobra and python turrets.

12

I want healer drones, like the bots have. They can score points according to damage repaired, instead of damage done, and can’t be deployed to repair your own rig…but they could release them in a pack that features the Master cab (self healing) dressed like an ambulance.

2 Likes
13

I want those healer drones as well, though they would need a different look then explosives on a drone.

They would be really good in the new air ground mode allowing you to fix up allied helies.

1 Like
14

The flying drones I think just need to move around more currently they just lag behind the player. I think they need a more similar interface to what the Annihilator can do send to target and return. Range and movement speed could easily be dependent on rarity with that.

I’d probably do similar for wheel drones in as so far as to be able to send them out.

This would slightly diminish the benefits of the Muninn a little but that’s fixable via range extension and other buffs. If you’ve used that cab with the lower rarity drones any one would be quick to notice that they get targeting with it but still can’t leave your side.

The Dawns Children method of dealing with turrets I think is one of the better use cases in the game. They drop pairs of turrets with a Barrier IX. I’ve tried to do this but the version of barrier we have the timers for them are off too much from the turrets for it to be effective. It could be a nicer combo.

The two remotely deployable launched drones I think they need to be able to move in an area range around where they land. Staying still isn’t good for them.

15

no way man. drones shouldnt be limited like that.

the one thing i can agree to is cutting the energy cost of anacondas down because for an epic weapon they suck major bumpers. they are one of the worst drones to use and leave alot to be desired. these drones if anything need a buff and not just to damage. firing speed, reload speed, explosion radius, damage, activation speed, etc. it all needs a buff on the anaconda. its either cut the energy down or give it a buff.

16

You know… You can suggest even more drones and missiles and more drones buffs and a legendary Caucasus and all that sh!t that requires zero aiming and ruins the game when it’s meta, but nobody’s going to agree with you except other droners. There have been good suggestions to fix drone gameplay over the years, this one is not even close to be one.

-1

17

I mostly agree with your suggestions, except the last one which would make me scream at devs for months lol.

Simply put, turrets aren’t roadblocks, and artificially buffing them by making them block opponents is way too strong AND immersion-breaking. I’d rather see turrets take friendly melee damage than see them get melee resist…

Generally, I think droner gameplay needs to take cues from summoner gameplay in literally every other game. Less “lol I shat my bots lets go hide” and more active gameplay like what Mummin offers.

1 Like
18

lol, I added that last one after my original post because I thought turrets needed something, but I see what you mean.
Having said that, one of the reasons I suggested it was that because they currently act as road blocks for allies, it would be less immersion breaking if it also worked like that for enemies. At least it could be used strategically if they blocked enemies.

How about a compromise: a little bit of melee resistance, but have that work for both enemies and allies? Not so much that you couldn’t demolish them through ramming, but enough that they don’t feel like their made of cardboard like they currently do?

1 Like
19

It’s always hard for me to comment on drones tweaks, because I believe they need a complete rework to be interesting AND viable.

In every other game out there summoner is typically a pretty active and intensive class to play, with sucky minions that require being managed like lemmings through powerful skills. Temporary buffs or suicide skills like the Mummin provides; cursing the enemies or buffing the minions, yourself or by pairing up with a support character; deciding between many tiny minions vs a single target opponent, or one big minion vs an AoE opponent…
There was basically none of that in XO until Mummin, and one could argue Mummin isn’t the best tool for the job. First, it’s a cab and not a module, which deprives you of another useful cab perk. Then, it’s legendary, and very, very high PS for the drones it’d be useful with.

I understand wanting to buff the very bad rocket turrets and flying drones. IMO turrets and drones should all be at that level, but the game should give you a varied choice of very strong active abilities/modules to pair them with.

Drone Aegis? 1 energy modules, your active turrets and drones get something like 1500 shield split between them, regardless of distance. Lasts 5 seconds.
Drone Overload? 1 energy module, your active drones and turrets start emitting electricity, lightly damaging and slowing enemies around them. They blow up after 5 seconds.
OR
Drone Web? 1 energy module, your active drones and turrets are linked by an electrical tether, dealing decent damage and slowing enemies caught in it. Lasts 5 seconds.
Drone Beacon? 2 energy turret box, drops a beacon turret that gives a +% speed and damage to every drone and turret in a xx meters radius. Buff gets slightly reduced the more drones in the area (just enough to not encourage massive spam).

Additionally, you can reduce the CD of drones and turrets themselves, because the CDs are in the modules. This would make droners less painfully useless when on cooldown. Reducing the energy of some of the 4 or 5 energy ones to allow more modules, and buffing Genesis to +50% ammo would also make sense.

I’m sure you can see the combos opportunities with just those 3 suggestions, and how that kind of gameplay would be more interesting than dropping 3 Fuzes or Yaoguais and cloaking away to wait for your CDs. 5 Flying drones + Drone Aegis? 4 Turrets + Beacon + Aegis + Tether to be the ultimate defensive turreter and ruin your opponents’ engage? Trad Fuze dropper but with Aegis and Overload to really, really piss off people?

1 Like
20

Sadly ,it’s a misconception, at least i don’t play like that. I’m usually in the thick of it or very close. A much needed “gameplay” if we want to increase our drones survivability, so i often use my motherships as a diversion, something to shoot at and hope they don’t shoot my drones.

@Warbrand2

No, your suggestions are just bad.

A drone has even less durability than the old gasgen which had 34.
A flying drone flies directly in the crosshair sights of the enemy ( eye level) so pretty damn easy to shootdown.

Which i don’t get is why the sidekick has to have 4 points of energy while the hawk only eats 3 points. sidekick should have also 3 points.

everything and their mother can crap on drones( common weapons included), they are not suitable to hold the line. Just as a support unit at best.