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<+Cornflakes> cha0zz
<+Cornflakes> you still here?
<+Cha0zz> Cornflakes!
<+Cha0zz> yes?
<+Cornflakes> i had an idea for drones
<+Cha0zz> shoot
<+Cornflakes> a completely different thing than saying "they are small ships with these limitations"
<+Cornflakes> they are "remote supplied/moved platforms"
<+Cornflakes> a drone isnt a small ship
<+Cha0zz> eh
<+Cornflakes> but an energy receiver
<+Cornflakes> with some hardpoint
<+Cha0zz> eh
<+Cornflakes> and is moved from the mothership
<+Cha0zz> so they don't have an own power source?
<+Cornflakes> (well, its something different than saying they are ships and have the hassles with differentiating them again)
<+Cornflakes> no
<+Cha0zz> hmm
<+Cha0zz> could work
<+Cornflakes> the "drone controller" is a tractor beam + energy transceiver
<+Cha0zz> I like
<+Cha0zz> although
<+Cha0zz> hmmm
<+Cornflakes> i know its weird
<+Cha0zz> that still wouldn't allow for autonomous drones would it?
<+Cornflakes> no
<+Cornflakes> thats what ships are for :P
<+Cha0zz> like spy drones that are temporarely disconnected?
<+Cha0zz> :(
<+Cornflakes> hm
<+Cornflakes> maybe sensor probes wich run on a battery
<+Cha0zz> batterie?
<+Cha0zz> *y
<+Cha0zz> yeah
<+Cornflakes> but dont have the power to run anything sophisticated
<+Cornflakes> you accelerate them
<+Cha0zz> that should work
<+Cornflakes> and they drift until they are out of power
<+Cha0zz> hmm
<+Cha0zz> I would even allow more sophisticated stuff just with very high power consumption
<+Cornflakes> hm
<+Cornflakes> like 1-2 uses and then end?
<+Cha0zz> yeah
<+Cornflakes> like polaris missles
<+Cornflakes> so you shoot the thing
<+Cha0zz> eg, drone gets discovered, it runs away
<+Cha0zz> is 1 use
<+Cornflakes> hm
<+Cha0zz> and stuff
<+Cornflakes> i'd say its one time movement if all
<+Cornflakes> so battery or energy receiver + 1 tool
<+Cornflakes> tool = [weapon, sensor, transfer beam]
<+Cha0zz> 1 tool ok
<+Cha0zz> one time movement not ok
<+Cornflakes> if they are away from your ship
<+Cha0zz> just a battery that allows for a certain autonomous time
<+Cornflakes> if you want it to move it must be in action range of the controller
<+Cha0zz> the complexer the task, the higher the power consumption
<+Cornflakes> then they are again just small ships
<+Cha0zz> no
<+Cornflakes> with limited lifetime
<+Cha0zz> small ships have indefinite power
<+Cornflakes> but still
<+Cha0zz> and multiple tools
<+Cha0zz> all ships have sensors and hardpoints
<+Cha0zz> and probably also a transfer beam
<+Cha0zz> drones only have 1 of those
<+Cha0zz> + limited lifetime
<+Cornflakes> .... hrmm
<+Cha0zz> seems like a good tradeoff to me
<+Cornflakes> im not excited by that tbh
<+Cornflakes> if then i'd say the drive itself is the tool
<+Cha0zz> no
<+Cha0zz> drones are self propelled
<+Cornflakes> then we are back at the ship thingy
<+Cha0zz> a drone that just flies is useless
<+Cornflakes> its a distraction
<+Cha0zz> use a missile for that
<+Cornflakes> use a missle if you want a tool that moves once
<+Cha0zz> well you want drones to only move once
<+Cornflakes> no
<+Cha0zz> unless they retain a permanent connection
<+Cha0zz> which is stupid for behind enemy line operations
<+Cornflakes> if you want behind enemy lines use ships
<+Cha0zz> HERE AM I! LOOK AT ME SPYING
<+Cha0zz> no
<+Cornflakes> drones are expendable
<+Cha0zz> that's why we use drones today, little risk, less detectable
<+Cornflakes> if we go by today we can scrap manned ships in general
<+Cornflakes> we already had that discussion
<+Cha0zz> if you only allow drones 1 tool you already limit them compared with the ships
<+Cha0zz> if you add a limited lifetime, that seems like a fair deal to me
<+Cha0zz> *limited autonomous lifetime
<+Cornflakes> mhhh
<+Cornflakes> so like drive + tool + battery/receiver?
<+Cha0zz> ships have at least 3 tools
<+Cha0zz> yes
<+Cornflakes> hrmm
<+Cornflakes> i like mine better
<+Cornflakes> but it would be acceptable
<+Cha0zz> I don't
<+Cha0zz> :P
<+Cornflakes> who cares for you :P
<+Cornflakes> you are just my neutron idea reflector
<+Cornflakes> :P
<+Cha0zz> drone =  drive + tool + battery/receiver
<+Cha0zz> ship = drive + sensor + hardpoint(s) + transfer + unlimited power
<+Cha0zz> a transfer drone would have a drive + transfer beam + receiver for example
<+Cornflakes> hm
<+Cha0zz> while if you wanted that it was capable of defending itself you'll need a ship
<+Cornflakes> hm
<+Cornflakes> we could just post both ideas and let the others reflect on that
<+Cha0zz> k
<+Cha0zz> go ahead