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Drones are autonomous craft deployed from a ship with a Drone Bay, which can be configures to do any type of activity - Combat, Mining or Salvage.

The individual setup of drones is entirely up to player. It's quite common to use drones for defense while main turrets are dedicated to mining, or vice versa.

ECHO can use drones, and will actively deploy them and returns them to the Ship when it decides to leave a POI. Player can also deploy them manually by clicking the "Deploy" button at the bottom of the screen.

Drones can be destroyed by environmental hazards or by enemy activity. When destroyed, the Drobe Bay will manufacture new ones after a short delay. Leaving drones behind when doing an Emergency Jump is also not an issue, as the drones will be reset by the time they are re-deployed.

Drone types

Available Drone types depend on the Drone skills unlocked. Basic ones (mining laser, salvage laser, combat laser) are always available, while advanced drone types (mining core, salvage harpoon, combat missile) are unlocked by Advanced Drone Access skill.

Advanced Drone Access skill

Behaviour

Once released, drones act on their own for most activities. They cna be re-focused on a single Object by double-clicking it - be it an asteroid or a combat vessel.

In combat all drones will focus the target clicked or that attacks the player first unless ordered otherwise.

While Mining or Salvage, once set free, drones start targeting everything in sight. When autopiloting/idling, ECHO will direct them to targets to focus on - whichever target ECHO chooses first.

Drone Power

Drone Power is split up between each Drone. This means if you have 5 Drones and 1000 Power, each drone has 200 Power.

Also Drone Power is separate for each drone type, meaning 2000 Power will apply to Combat Drones and Salvage Drones, even if they are mixed.

Example:

Drone Bay, 4 Drones, 2000 Drone Power
- 2 Combat Drones with 2000 Drone power / 2 = 1000 Drone Power per drone
- 2 Salvage Drones with 2000 Drone power / 2 = 1000 Drone Power per Salvage Drone.

In addition, each Drone Type (Combat, Salvage, Mining) gets the Drone Power from the Bay + Combat/Mining/Salvage Power from Combat, Salvage and Mining modules, if applicable, but the Drone Bay power is not added towards turrets in reverse.

Drone Bays and Skills

Drone Bays exist in all rarities and sizes. Depending on the Size the bay can store and control different amounts of Drones.

Drone Bay sizes
Size	Small	Medium	Large
Picture:
Max Drones:	3 (5) (7*)	6 (10) (12*)	9 (13) (15*)
*With Aspect:	Up to 2 more Drones with Extended Drone Bay	Up to 4 more Drones with Oversized Drone Bay	Up to 4 more Drones with Oversized Drone Bay
**With Skills:	Up to 4 more Drones with the Skills: Drone Squad Expansion / Expanded Drone Control	Up to 6 more Drones with the Skills: Drone Squad Expansion / Expanded Drone Control	Up to 6 more Drones with the Skills: Drone Squad Expansion / Expanded Drone Control

There are 2 Drone Bay exclusive Aspects that increase the maximum Amount of Drones that can be stored and controlled.

Unassigned Drones

If a Drone Bay has free/unassigned drone Slots, the game will fill them up randomly. It's best to choose Drones until all slots are filled.

Drone Bay View:

Drone Mechanics Calculations

combatDronePool = commanderCombatPower + commanderDronePower + sum(all combat drones' CombatPower)

combatEquivalentTurrets = sum(ship combat turret ratings) + sum(combat drone ratings)

sharedCombatPower = combatDronePool / combatEquivalentTurrets

sharedCombatPowerAfterPenalty = sharedCombatPower * crowdPenalty

attackPowerPerDroneTurret = sharedCombatPowerAfterPenalty * droneTurretRating * droneTurretPowerMultiplier

damagePerShot = ( attackPowerPerDroneTurret / 5 ) * random(0.8 to 1.25) / defaultAttacksPerSecond

damageAfterCrit = damagePerShot * (2 + critDamage)^critCount

finalOutgoingDamage = damageAfterCrit * (1 + typeBonus + genericDamageBonus)

finalTakenDamage = finalOutgoingDamage * max(0.2, 1 - reduction - resist)

remainingDamage -> shield -> armor -> hull

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+[[File:Drone Gathering.png|thumb|500px|right|Drones doing drone work]]
-== Drone types: ==
-[[File:Drone Gathering.png|thumb|302x302px]][[Echo|ECHO]] can use drones, Echo actively deploys and returns them to the Ship when it's time. You can also deploy them manually by clicking the "Deploy" button near the Hull HP.
+Drones are autonomous craft deployed from a ship with a Drone Bay, which can be configures to do any type of activity - [[Combat]], [[Mining]] or [[Salvage]].
-Don't worry if you need to jump, they will come back before your Ship jumps away. There are different drone types. Surface Mining, Core Mining, Salvage Surface, Salvage Structural. For Combat Laser Drones and Missile Drones. If a Drone gets destroyed, your Ship will craft a new one this process can be speed up with Skills and Crew. Depending on the Drone this can take a while. After crafting a new drone it will be deployed or kept in Storage when travelling.
+The individual setup of drones is entirely up to player. It's quite common to use drones for defense while main turrets are dedicated to mining, or vice versa.
-{| class="fandom-table"
-|+To unlock all Drones you need the Skill: Advanced Drone Access in the Drones Skill Tree
-![[File:Drone Skill Tree.png|none|thumb|324x324px]]
-![[File:Drone Types.png|none|thumb|220x220px]]
-|}
+[[Echo|ECHO]] can use drones, and will actively deploy them and returns them to the Ship when it decides to leave a POI. Player can also deploy them manually by clicking the "Deploy" button at the bottom of the screen.
-== Behaviour: ==
+Drones can be destroyed by environmental hazards or by enemy activity. When destroyed, the Drobe Bay will manufacture new ones after a short delay. Leaving drones behind when doing an Emergency Jump is also not an issue, as the drones will be reset by the time they are re-deployed.
-Once released Drones act on their own for most activities. You can target them on a single Object by double-clicking it.
+== '''Drone types''' ==
-In combat all drones will focus the target you click or that attacks you first unless not ordered otherwise.
+Available Drone types depend on the Drone skills unlocked. Basic ones (mining laser, salvage laser, combat laser) are always available, while advanced drone types (mining core, salvage harpoon, combat missile) are unlocked by '''Advanced Drone Access''' skill.
-In [[Mining]] and [[Salvage]] Drones once set free start targeting everything in sight. When autopiloted trough [[Echo|ECHO]] they will focus whichever target ECHO chooses first.
+{| class="fandom-table"
-== Drone Power: ==
+|+Advanced Drone Access skill
-[[File:Drone mechanics v2.jpg|thumb|754x754px]]
+![[File:Drone Skill Tree.png]]
+![[File:Drone Types.png]]
+|}
+== '''Behaviour''' ==
+Once released, drones act on their own for most activities. They cna be re-focused on a single Object by double-clicking it - be it an asteroid or a combat vessel.
+In combat all drones will focus the target clicked or that attacks the player first unless ordered otherwise.
+While [[Mining]] or [[Salvage]], once set free, drones start targeting everything in sight. When autopiloting/idling, [[Echo|ECHO]] will direct them to targets to focus on - whichever target ECHO chooses first.
-Power is split up between each Drone. This means if you have 5 Drones and 1000 Power, each drone has 200 Power.
+== '''Drone Power''' ==
-Also Drone Power is for each Type, this means if you have 2000 Power this will be shared between Combat Drones and Salvage Drones, even if you mix them.
+[[File:Drone mechanics v2.jpg|800px|thumb|right|Drone Power Distribution. Disclaimer: AI created image]]
+Drone Power is split up between each Drone. This means if you have 5 Drones and 1000 Power, each drone has 200 Power.
-Example = Drone Bay, 4 Drones, 2000 Power. 2 Combat Drones with 2000 power / 2 = 1000 power per drone + 2 Salvage Drones with 2000 power / 2 = 1000 power per Salvage Drone.
+Also Drone Power is separate for each drone type, meaning 2000 Power will apply to Combat Drones and Salvage Drones, even if they are mixed.
-In Short. Each Drone Type (Combat, Salvage, Mining) gets the Power from the Bay + Power from Combat, Salvage etc. if applicable. But the Drone Bay power doesn't get added towards Weapons.
+'''Example''':
-== Drone Bays and Skills: ==
+* Drone Bay, 4 Drones, 2000 Drone Power
+** 2 Combat Drones with 2000 Drone power / 2 = 1000 Drone Power per drone
+** 2 Salvage Drones with 2000 Drone power / 2 = 1000 Drone Power per Salvage Drone.
+In addition, each Drone Type (Combat, Salvage, Mining) gets the Drone Power from the Bay + Combat/Mining/Salvage Power from Combat, Salvage and Mining modules, if applicable, but the Drone Bay power is not added towards turrets in reverse.
+== '''Drone Bays and Skills''' ==
 Drone Bays exist in all rarities and sizes. Depending on the Size the bay can store and control  different amounts of Drones.
@@ Line 41: / Line 48: @@
 {| class="fandom-table"
 |+Drone Bay sizes
-!Size:
+!Size
 !Small
 !Medium
@@ Line 64: / Line 71: @@
 with Oversized Drone Bay
 |-
-!With Skills:
+!**With Skills:
 !Up to 4 more Drones
-with the Skills:
+with the Skills: <br>
 Drone Squad Expansion / Expanded Drone Control
 !Up to 6 more Drones
-with the Skills:
+with the Skills:<br>
 Drone Squad Expansion / Expanded Drone Control
 !Up to 6 more Drones
-with the Skills:
+with the Skills: <br>
 Drone Squad Expansion / Expanded Drone Control
 |}
-There are 2 Drone Bay exclusive [[Aspects]] that increase the max Amount of Drones that can be stored and controlled.
-If a Drone Bay has free Slots the Game sets random Drones that will be spawned. It's best to choose Drones until all Slots are filled.
+There are 2 Drone Bay exclusive [[Aspects]] that increase the maximum Amount of Drones that can be stored and controlled.
-[[File:Drone Bay View.png|left|thumb|204x204px]]<syntaxhighlight>
+== '''Unassigned Drones''' ==
-combatDronePool =
-commanderCombatPower
+If a Drone Bay has free/unassigned drone Slots, the game will fill them up randomly. It's best to choose Drones until all slots are filled.
-+ commanderDronePower
-+ sum(all combat drones' CombatPower)
+Drone Bay View:<br>
+[[File:Drone Bay View.png]]
+== '''Drone Mechanics Calculations''' ==
+<pre>
+combatDronePool = commanderCombatPower + commanderDronePower + sum(all combat drones' CombatPower)
+combatEquivalentTurrets = sum(ship combat turret ratings) + sum(combat drone ratings)
+sharedCombatPower = combatDronePool / combatEquivalentTurrets
-combatEquivalentTurrets =
-sum(ship combat turret ratings)
-+ sum(combat drone ratings)
+sharedCombatPowerAfterPenalty = sharedCombatPower * crowdPenalty
-sharedCombatPower =
-combatDronePool / combatEquivalentTurrets
+attackPowerPerDroneTurret = sharedCombatPowerAfterPenalty * droneTurretRating * droneTurretPowerMultiplier
-sharedCombatPowerAfterPenalty =
-sharedCombatPower * crowdPenalty
+damagePerShot = ( attackPowerPerDroneTurret / 5 ) * random(0.8 to 1.25) / defaultAttacksPerSecond
-attackPowerPerDroneTurret =
-sharedCombatPowerAfterPenalty
-* droneTurretRating
-* droneTurretPowerMultiplier
+damageAfterCrit = damagePerShot * (2 + critDamage)^critCount
-damagePerShot =
-(
-    attackPowerPerDroneTurret / 5
-)
-* random(0.8 to 1.25)
-/ defaultAttacksPerSecond
+finalOutgoingDamage = damageAfterCrit * (1 + typeBonus + genericDamageBonus)
-damageAfterCrit =
-damagePerShot * (2 + critDamage)^critCount
+finalTakenDamage = finalOutgoingDamage * max(0.2, 1 - reduction - resist)
-finalOutgoingDamage =
-damageAfterCrit * (1 + typeBonus + genericDamageBonus)
+remainingDamage -> shield -> armor -> hull
-finalTakenDamage =
+</pre>
-finalOutgoingDamage * max(0.2, 1 - reduction - resist)
+[[Category:Game Concepts]]
-remainingDamage ->
-shield -> armor -> hull
-</syntaxhighlight>