[Baron Munchausen]

Recovery of drones launched in combat would help the situation quite a bit since the AI doesn't seem to be able to gauge a threat and launch a reasonable number. BUT... it's still wasteful to launch drones against the wrong target type. Losing 50 anti-planet drones that you were planning to use in the assault on a heavily defended alien homeworld because some stupid colony or scout ship popped up in your assault fleet's way is really frustrating. The anti-planet warheads will not do damage against the wrong target type even if the drone hits and so the drone is wasted, not to mention it still gets exposed to enemy defensive fire and so could get destroyed -- again for no reason since the appropriate target was not present. If he changed drones to be recoverable after 'automatic' launch in combat AND at least made the AI check if a target of the appropriate type was present before launching then drones would be much less of a waste in fleet combat. And no, I don't think these changes would make them 'too powerful'. It would make them work correctly so the AI could be programmed to use them. As it is you're smarter to not let the AI use drones.

[ September 04, 2002, 18:15: Message edited by: Baron Munchausen ]