Garrett Blacknova
Codex Troopers
1888
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Posted - 2013.03.08 10:10:00 -
[1] - Quote
This thread gives me an idea. It's possible I saw something similar somewhere along the way, because the idea feels vaguely familiar. I may be connecting it with something from EVE, or from somewhere else, or I might just be imagining it. I don't know. Anyway, here goes:
Drone control system.
Active Module.
Requires at least one Small Turret on the vehicle to be replaced with Drone Bays (which fills the player seating position as well as the turret location). Once the module is activated, it must then also be designated a target. The targeting process works similarly to Swarm Launcher lock-on, with the fire button held while the target is kept within a fixed lock-on area, except that line of sight isn't required (as long as someone on your team keeps the target lit up for the duration of the lock process), and the designated target can be infantry. Also, instead of a fixed lock speed based entirely on the lock speed of the weapon and the firing player's skills, the lock time will also account for on the target's scan profile and the distance of the target being marked.
When activated, the drones will head out to the target, attack, and return to the vehicle after a fixed duration. Drones have a fuel limit before they drop, and will aim to use 1/3 of their fuel hunting the target before attempting to return (to ensure that they make it back to the vehicle). If you launch them from far enough away from a target, they may not reach the designated enemy before returning, and if you retreat far enough from the target before they start to head back your way, it's possible to make the drones run out of fuel and die. Additionally, the cooldown on drone activation only starts after they return (refueling time), and there's a drone count for each drone bay the vehicle is fitted with, and when Drones are destroyed, that number goes down, reducing the effectiveness of the system.
Drones will attack a designated enemy or defend a designated teammate until the marked target is killed/destroyed, the drone is destroyed, or its fuel reserve reaches 1/3. If and when the drones return to the vehicle, the cooldown starts counting down, based on the lowest fuel rating of any returned drone. |