I wanted to start a thread for folks to discuss idea's on the use of the script and tactics, especially for dedicated servers. Right now, DS's are very buggy, but with Keen continuing to talk about the netcode improvements, I suspect we're going to start seeing updates to fix and improve DS's in the near future.

So some random thoughts for ways this could be used to help you on a DS where you don't get to control the world parameters (like being able to add a long range sensor mod)...

Sensors - Let's say you're lucky, good, or have just played on the same server for a long time and have managed to build more than a few ships. One concern that a friend of mine had was "what good will this do when you can only detect something 50m away". The answer - Sensor torpedos. My suggestion would be for use of Whiplash141's missile control (it's pretty simple to setup and works much like a TOW Missile). Slap on a sensor, and fire off controllable torpedo. All you have to do is get it to within 50m.

Useful for low numbers of ships - My friend keeps bringing this argument up, but I see this is a copout for a couple of reasons. First, the drones don't have to be super complicated. IMHO you should be able to produce 2-3 drones from the materials that you would normally use to create a human controled fighter. In a pilot controlled ship you need a few extra systems, like an oxygen tank or generator (sometimes people use both), a cockpit which needs to be connected to the oxygen systems, and usually pilot controlled ships have more than one weapon system (guns and missiles both). A drone need not have these things, a remote control block replaces the cockpit and oxygen systems, plus the convyor connections. Further, I personally think your drone design should be as light and cheap as possible. Think "swarm", you want large numbers of cheap, easy to build, and disposable drones. Slap a gun or two, or maybe a missle launcher on and keep it simple. Even with this idea in mind, you should, as a single player, be able to collect enough materials to build quite a few drones. But even if you only have say 5, I feel this script is useful. Why go alone in 1 ship when you can go in your ship plus 4-8 drones helping you ??

Even if you don't use this from a combat point of view, here's another thought... On DS's right now, locking ships to one another and flying around is a gamble still. Most of the time you get away with it, but now and then you get a lag spike or some other such glitch and KABOOM! your fighter blows up and 1/2 your carrier ship is blown away. If you set this up you can fly your "ragtag little fleet" around without that happening. Though you will have to learn to dock them for refueling now and then....

So what are your thoughts on using this?

ps, I hope one day that this could be used to mine asteroids with.