Drone Hauler
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tater-tots
- Posts: 41
- Joined: Wed, 20. Jan 10, 23:04
Drone Hauler
So, it is listed as a "Drone Hauler" and classified as an M4 by all races. The description of one is rather deceptive at this point unless it acts other than a normal M4. I've not captured one so I don't know if a "Drone Hauler" acts any different or has other command controls.
The Drone Hauler is a holdover from the XTM mod from Reunion. It was a special ship that was produced autonomously by the Griffon. Its in-game classification is M4, but its design and purpose were that of a drone.
Terran Conflict didn't include the "drone carrier" scripts, so the Griffon became a regular M7 and the Drone Hauler an unused asset. The initial release of AP came with some buggy spawn routines, so Drone Haulers flying around the universe were just a part of that (you'd also see oddities like Paranid ships being used by the Argon military.) Technically, they aren't supposed to be in the universe. At least not in the vanilla game.
Terran Conflict didn't include the "drone carrier" scripts, so the Griffon became a regular M7 and the Drone Hauler an unused asset. The initial release of AP came with some buggy spawn routines, so Drone Haulers flying around the universe were just a part of that (you'd also see oddities like Paranid ships being used by the Argon military.) Technically, they aren't supposed to be in the universe. At least not in the vanilla game.
Admitting you have a problem is the first step in figuring out how to make it worse.
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tater-tots
- Posts: 41
- Joined: Wed, 20. Jan 10, 23:04
hmm, well do you think that it has any sub-routines to behave any differently if; you own one and put it on AI?
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B7thz- ... ZlNDE3Yzg2
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B7thz- ... ZlNDE3Yzg2
You'd have to look into the script files. But from what I've observed drone haulers behave just like normal ships in every respect.
AP seems to add drone carriers and haulers for every race (only in the Tships file, though. Nothing in-game); in TC we only had the Griffon. It would appear as though Egosoft moved closer to implementing the drone carrier content, but it still isn't in the game.
Content for a future patch, maybe? Or they may just be holdovers from XTC.
AP seems to add drone carriers and haulers for every race (only in the Tships file, though. Nothing in-game); in TC we only had the Griffon. It would appear as though Egosoft moved closer to implementing the drone carrier content, but it still isn't in the game.
Content for a future patch, maybe? Or they may just be holdovers from XTC.
Admitting you have a problem is the first step in figuring out how to make it worse.
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ConCorDian
- Posts: 1538
- Joined: Wed, 15. Jun 11, 21:12
i hope they are going to be added in a later patch!!
i love the styling of the Paranid and Split varients but since the drones and the carriers for said drones exist (and baring in mind Beryll has been experimenting with AGI) it could be a logical progression, also with drones playing what would appear to be a bigger role in X:R could show us a slight glimpse of how things are going to be going in future games
i love the styling of the Paranid and Split varients but since the drones and the carriers for said drones exist (and baring in mind Beryll has been experimenting with AGI) it could be a logical progression, also with drones playing what would appear to be a bigger role in X:R could show us a slight glimpse of how things are going to be going in future games
Right now these are unused assets.
You can see that from the fact that the drones of all races have identical stats - and names.
Same with the drone carriers. They all have copy/paste stats in v1.1.
You can see that from the fact that the drones of all races have identical stats - and names.
Same with the drone carriers. They all have copy/paste stats in v1.1.
My complete script download page. . . . . . I AM THE LAW!
There is no sense crying over every mistake. You just keep on trying till you run out of cake.
There is no sense crying over every mistake. You just keep on trying till you run out of cake.
The Drone Haulers were the EBCG-wielding drones that got so much early attention when AP launched. I've still got plenty running around in my game, but this means no more will ever be created? 
Had really wondered how they'd do in combat, with the maneuverability of a drone contrasted with the low projectile velocity of EBCG.
So mixed-production fleets are also no longer going to be spawning? Doh
Had really wondered how they'd do in combat, with the maneuverability of a drone contrasted with the low projectile velocity of EBCG.That was a bug? I'd figured it was intentional, with races pulling from all available resource pools in a time of war - including buying foreign ships (formally or blackmarket) and recommissioning captured enemy ships (at least cross-CW races, since they're more alike than trying to incorporate Terran tech into a fleet).oddities like Paranid ships being used by the Argon military.
So mixed-production fleets are also no longer going to be spawning? Doh
Nah that was a xenon subroutine ejecting an argon body and activating the propulsions emergency nav systems. You have just let the invaders infiltrate your fleet. The most powerful fleet in the game. Soon, everything you once grasped will rebel against you and you will have everything taken away inSam97531 wrote:Vanilla game - I had a pilot eject out of one and now have it sitting docked at the moon. This was prior to 1.1
Funny - cause their was an argon dude "piloting" one
The Droen Warz.
COMING ALBUM PRELUSION 3.1
A fighting drone can be launched a great distance against an enemy ship and attacks targets autonomously.
autonomous
tonomo001001100100
[ external image ]
Jump drive activated. Xenon Core 0 2 3. Jumping.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2I7HJMOfYA
I can't confirm or deny anything official but I wouldn't hold my breath.
There simply wouldn't have been a reason to put in the framework and balance the drones if they were planned to be used by a later patch - which would have included those features.
As it stands now, these assets can be accessed by a script, which is one helluvalot less intrusive (and easier to install) than a mod.
There simply wouldn't have been a reason to put in the framework and balance the drones if they were planned to be used by a later patch - which would have included those features.
As it stands now, these assets can be accessed by a script, which is one helluvalot less intrusive (and easier to install) than a mod.
My complete script download page. . . . . . I AM THE LAW!
There is no sense crying over every mistake. You just keep on trying till you run out of cake.
There is no sense crying over every mistake. You just keep on trying till you run out of cake.
![[ external image ]](http://i.imgur.com/bvKOL.jpg){kind=link}
There is one now! Its still in Beta and looking for people to mess with it and give me feedback.goslin wrote:So your saying there is already a mod/script somewhere someone made for making these drone haulers work? Maybe we should petition egosoft to add it to the AP Bonus Pack? (for those people like me that don't want to go modified)
http://forum.egosoft.de/viewtopic.php?t=319505
Wait... I don't get why you are doing it that way...
I thought the point of the Drone Frigats was that the Drone Hauler upgrade/software was going to give you better control options for drones (as in the Fighting Drone and Fighting Drone MkII)... Like for example "hauling" them back home when they run out of energy instead of them being lost permamently.
Did I totally misunderstand what "drone hauler" was suppose too mean and Drone Frigats are suppose to be for?
If there are new types of "drones" that are really M5,4,etc and not actually "drones" then it would make more sense to integrate them like this:
1. Different "new" drone type ships are bought at the research stations not contructed on the frigate... there are already stations scattered around, for different races, which are described as doing AI research, this is to me clearly were it was intended that these new drone types be sold, right now they only offer fighting drone MK2 though.
2. (optional) would be nice if the drones could be purchased as a ware by any ship with cargo room and brought to your M7D (new term '-p) They do not "transform" into the fighter ships until you issue a "launch drone attack" command from the M7D.
2. Since these "drone" ships are actually regular ships of M5/4 class, they need to be scripted in such a way that they at least "behave" like drones intended for fighting purposes only. Such as, do not allow astronauts to enter them, do not allow putting any weapons or upgrades on them (everything appropriate for it should be "built in"), and do not allow them to dock at anything that is not a drone frigate (meaning it has the drone hauler upgrade). Giving them an "energy limit" like regular drones have, and making them return to dock when that limit reaches low levels, like 25%, would also be appropriate but not required in the sense that they are suppose to be new-improved and it is believable.
I doubt that a "quick" integration as you have done which turns drone frigates into mini-shipyards would ever be approved as part of the AP Bonus Pack...
Edit... I just reread some of the discussion which described the original griffon scripts from TC, so, apparently they WERE constructed on the ship. Still it looks like Egosoft had plans to make them wares which you purchase from the various research stations and then get used much like regular drones, except they are better and only by M7Ds.
I thought the point of the Drone Frigats was that the Drone Hauler upgrade/software was going to give you better control options for drones (as in the Fighting Drone and Fighting Drone MkII)... Like for example "hauling" them back home when they run out of energy instead of them being lost permamently.
Did I totally misunderstand what "drone hauler" was suppose too mean and Drone Frigats are suppose to be for?
If there are new types of "drones" that are really M5,4,etc and not actually "drones" then it would make more sense to integrate them like this:
1. Different "new" drone type ships are bought at the research stations not contructed on the frigate... there are already stations scattered around, for different races, which are described as doing AI research, this is to me clearly were it was intended that these new drone types be sold, right now they only offer fighting drone MK2 though.
2. (optional) would be nice if the drones could be purchased as a ware by any ship with cargo room and brought to your M7D (new term '-p) They do not "transform" into the fighter ships until you issue a "launch drone attack" command from the M7D.
2. Since these "drone" ships are actually regular ships of M5/4 class, they need to be scripted in such a way that they at least "behave" like drones intended for fighting purposes only. Such as, do not allow astronauts to enter them, do not allow putting any weapons or upgrades on them (everything appropriate for it should be "built in"), and do not allow them to dock at anything that is not a drone frigate (meaning it has the drone hauler upgrade). Giving them an "energy limit" like regular drones have, and making them return to dock when that limit reaches low levels, like 25%, would also be appropriate but not required in the sense that they are suppose to be new-improved and it is believable.
I doubt that a "quick" integration as you have done which turns drone frigates into mini-shipyards would ever be approved as part of the AP Bonus Pack...
Edit... I just reread some of the discussion which described the original griffon scripts from TC, so, apparently they WERE constructed on the ship. Still it looks like Egosoft had plans to make them wares which you purchase from the various research stations and then get used much like regular drones, except they are better and only by M7Ds.
1. With my little mod they are just wares until you built them, at which point they take up a docking slot.
2. You can't mod in equipment sense equipment is a hard coded flag on a piece of Tech Ware. Thats why I opted with Carrier Command Software and the trained Marines as the check for building them.
3. You also can't just select the new M7DC's to only have the command, the options aren't that robust, so I just made it all large ships.
4. My mod allows for not only the drones to be purchased but the drone facts too depending on how you set it up.
5. Modders can't make it so the drone's can't be boarded/flown first person that has to be hard-coded I believe. (You could change their Type to OBJ_FIGTHERDREON2 and that would make it so you couldn't enter them, but it would also make them degrade overtime I think.) Which would go to my next point.
6. I think Egosoft intended for these drones to be upgradable, and be more of a permanent drone, then just a flash in the pants use and loose them type. Though as it stands now they start off at Max Turning Speed and Cargo, so its just shields and Lasers that you would ever need for them anyway.
7. What I did is pretty close to as good as its going to get with out some hard integration, and was meant for more of a proof of concept(ie Beta) then a perfect all around solution.
2. You can't mod in equipment sense equipment is a hard coded flag on a piece of Tech Ware. Thats why I opted with Carrier Command Software and the trained Marines as the check for building them.
3. You also can't just select the new M7DC's to only have the command, the options aren't that robust, so I just made it all large ships.
4. My mod allows for not only the drones to be purchased but the drone facts too depending on how you set it up.
5. Modders can't make it so the drone's can't be boarded/flown first person that has to be hard-coded I believe. (You could change their Type to OBJ_FIGTHERDREON2 and that would make it so you couldn't enter them, but it would also make them degrade overtime I think.) Which would go to my next point.
6. I think Egosoft intended for these drones to be upgradable, and be more of a permanent drone, then just a flash in the pants use and loose them type. Though as it stands now they start off at Max Turning Speed and Cargo, so its just shields and Lasers that you would ever need for them anyway.
7. What I did is pretty close to as good as its going to get with out some hard integration, and was meant for more of a proof of concept(ie Beta) then a perfect all around solution.
I see, thanks for responding, seems like this is a pretty good job then. We just need to maybe pick some locations to stock them at and possibly tune the stats for the different races' drones?
Personally I think they would be better flagged as a real "drone" object type and degrade over time. Is it possible to extend the amount of time for these drone and to somehow get them to return to dock before they fizzle out? I think this would allow them to still feel like a drone and not be exactly like a fighter, while also not making them completely disposable (if they are recoverable and re-launchable).
Edit: Actually if they were real drones, there would be no limit to how many you could have on your frigate... maybe limiting them to the docking slots available on the ship isn't such a bad idea after all... if only we could prevent you from just using the M7D as a "shipyard" to construct these to then dock in your M1/etc and basically replace fighters entirely.
Personally I think they would be better flagged as a real "drone" object type and degrade over time. Is it possible to extend the amount of time for these drone and to somehow get them to return to dock before they fizzle out? I think this would allow them to still feel like a drone and not be exactly like a fighter, while also not making them completely disposable (if they are recoverable and re-launchable).
Edit: Actually if they were real drones, there would be no limit to how many you could have on your frigate... maybe limiting them to the docking slots available on the ship isn't such a bad idea after all... if only we could prevent you from just using the M7D as a "shipyard" to construct these to then dock in your M1/etc and basically replace fighters entirely.
They have already been built out for each race by Egosoft. They are 'M4s' but any real M4 would blow them out of the water. If people can already spam drones from their Carriers, there shouldn't be any fear of people putting these things on their carriers. On carriers they would function more as a last line of defense or first strike throw aways, just like the normal drones do now anyway.
Unless I am mistaken, all drone behavior is hard coded also. Which makes this all the more tedious. Thanks for your ideas, helps to think things out.
Unless I am mistaken, all drone behavior is hard coded also. Which makes this all the more tedious. Thanks for your ideas, helps to think things out.
I see, if they already have stats that is quite convenient ^^ I thought someone earlier had posted that they were all "copy pasted and identical"? Do they already have a price specified (that seems intentional)? The reason I am asking about these two things is they are areas that, if not already done, would require balancing, something that would possibly require more time-investment on egosofts part if this were ever to be added to the bonus pack. So, the less balancing required the better 
That simplifies some things if they are much weaker than a normal M4, why are they M4 at all though and not an M5? Are they stronger than an M5?
If they take up the same hanger space which could otherwise be filled with M3s then do they serve any purpose late game when money isn't a huge concern?
What makes them different than a regular fighter in the "game universe" is that they have no pilot, but how is this expressed as an advantage in the game logic? I don't know what the models for these look like, but are they very small / compact in size? Like, smaller than an M5? If so then that would be a discernable advantage in combat because they are a smaller target, and would also make sense because no space for a pilot.
Concerning what you said about these being normal and upgradable ships... I really don't like that actually. I like buying ships and flying ships, but I really really hate searching around for the weapons and upgrades to equip those 40 fighters to fill my carrier with. If these drones come fully equiped then that is actually a huge incentive to use them (and helps to distinguish them from regular fighters) flexibility versus quick-and-easy.
Do you have any other ideas on how to possibly make these drones un-pilotable? I do like that as regular M4s they take up hanger capacity (although technically youd think they would take up a little bit less than a full ship since they are smaller) but still it would be very nice if there were some other way to prevent them from being pilotable. Also... if an NPC M7D launches these... who is shown as the pilot in the info dialog... no pilot?
That simplifies some things if they are much weaker than a normal M4, why are they M4 at all though and not an M5? Are they stronger than an M5?
If they take up the same hanger space which could otherwise be filled with M3s then do they serve any purpose late game when money isn't a huge concern?
What makes them different than a regular fighter in the "game universe" is that they have no pilot, but how is this expressed as an advantage in the game logic? I don't know what the models for these look like, but are they very small / compact in size? Like, smaller than an M5? If so then that would be a discernable advantage in combat because they are a smaller target, and would also make sense because no space for a pilot.
Concerning what you said about these being normal and upgradable ships... I really don't like that actually. I like buying ships and flying ships, but I really really hate searching around for the weapons and upgrades to equip those 40 fighters to fill my carrier with. If these drones come fully equiped then that is actually a huge incentive to use them (and helps to distinguish them from regular fighters) flexibility versus quick-and-easy.
Do you have any other ideas on how to possibly make these drones un-pilotable? I do like that as regular M4s they take up hanger capacity (although technically youd think they would take up a little bit less than a full ship since they are smaller) but still it would be very nice if there were some other way to prevent them from being pilotable. Also... if an NPC M7D launches these... who is shown as the pilot in the info dialog... no pilot?