I like the idea of Player vs Environment. Maybe even with some added Player versus Player added to the mix. Something a little more relaxing than the constant competitiveness of what we currently have.

What does everyone else think? How would it work and what purpose would it serve?

6-man squads clearing facilities of Rogue Drones? Maybe give it a few tiers of difficulty, each with their own fixed payout.

However, while some PvE would be great, CCP would have make some AI which I imagine would be no small task.

Heavy Drones might be dropped in from orbit on rare occasion

Ps4 or Pc

Thinking matches would play the same as they do now, with various drones placed at random around the map. I imagine they'd wander about until aggro'd by players and/or perhaps drones from opposing factions. Heavy Drones might be dropped in from orbit on rare occasion; thinking something like an "event" on destiny. Wings of jetfighter-like drones might fly in from one horizon and out the other, volleying missiles at exposed targets and vehicles as they pass overhead. Nanoswarms might spawn at random in the redline to clean house and claim Thales.

I imagine there'd also be a co-op "drone hunt" mode. A place for noobs to pewpew without getting crushed. A firing range for everyone else.

A solution using less graphical assets:

"Insurgents, working with [pirate faction], have occupied a nearby planetary facility owned by [NPC corporation]. You and 5 other mercs are contracted to clear the facility of any hostiles. You are authorized to use any measures deemed necessary."

Enemies are computer controlled mortal combatants in the shape of mercs in skins of the corresponding pirate faction. Depending on difficulty their hitpoints will range from 200 to 500 hp. At any time there will be up to 12 enemy combatants that can spawn in any location in the occupied facility, hopefully close to the players but outside their line of sight. In easier contracts they spawn individually, in tougher ones they spawn as groups. Initially their only mode of operation is joined frontal assault. Maps and sockets are initially restricted to maps that are easy to navigate for AIs, such as Line Harvest (no sockets), Ashland (no sockets) or Border Gulch (only medium sockets). If necessary dropships have to be restricted to stop players from exploiting the NPC's inability to climb tall structures. Alternatively NPCs can react to players out of reach by despawning and respawning with long range weapons.

The NPC combatants have a "clone" counter just like the players. A 6 man squad could have 30 clones available while their task is to eradicate ~150 NPC combatants. Once either side runs out of clones/combatants the match ends and rewards are dealt.

Required resources:
- Somebody has to manually nav-mesh the maps. Use Unreal 3 tools for that.
Preferably with fixed sockets in the first version since splicing nav meshes is not going to be easy to do. A static nav mesh can be handled using Unreal 3 inbuilt tools, if those are still applicable to Dust's terrain system (likely not).
- Somebody has to modify Unreal 3 inbuilt controllers to work with Dust (probably an easier task, but still not easy).
- Somebody has to come up with the fittings for the NPCs. These are going to be a few, at least 10 per faction (Commando, Sentinel, Assault and Scout with AV, AI and sniper fittings, later also Logis).