Add the full T1 build suite to UEF shoulder drone and the ACU with the upgrade

Let's face it, the shoulder drone is basically a meme strategy and not seen in serious games

To make it potentially less so, if it also granted the full T1 suite to the ACU and the drone, it could make a factory-less opening potentially viable on some maps and prove more gameplay options with the ACU being able to build hydro, radar, storages etc for an early t2 say

The drones should have radar jamming like the Sparky as well. This could make it slightly more useful to add to a gun upgraded com on the front lines.

I like the fact you could build the drone and get full t1 on your com and even if your drone gets axed you can have auto build off and still have a useful upgrade.

I would like to see a cheap upgrade to full t1 on all coms really

It’s mass efficient to literally suicide an interceptor into a drone all the time so it’s never going to see use in serious games.

If the T1 build suite persisted on the ACU after the drone was destroyed like the OP mentions it would be attractive.

@stlng I doubt there would be a situation where it could be op

He said OP = opening post not OP = overpowered.

regardless of that misunderstanding, we all understand that factory-less openings are not really possible unless you are on crazy rush or 1 mex. Having full t1 suit allows you to build hydro or energy storage. In case of hydro and e storage it takes way 2 long to build it with acu and drone. And spending more time to make such a useless upgrade for 120 mass and 2400 energy only for 5 bp is nonsensual. And the conclusion is those buffs mentioned above are not going to achieve anything.

For a factory less opening I would agree, for a acu out and about unsupported by engies getting a quick full t1 could be useful, and having the drone stick around till it dies is a perk of it

@veteranashe to remind you of quick full t1 suite would require time to make the upgrade and resources. Not quick at all. And no actual usefulness since you expand with engies not with acu so no building hydro possible.

The situation I was thinking of is your acu is at a mex expansion and not assisted by engies, your options.

Wait for engine to walk there or air drop
Build land face and then an engine
Build drone, 40 secs and 120 mass irc

Then your acu can build radar, storages, and hydro and has a 5 bp drone till it gets killed.

To me it can be a viable option

Just get rid of the building aspect of the drones, they're basically always going to be a problem so long as they have it. Bring back them being invulnerable and just turn them into mobile radars for a UEF ACU. Give them no vision so that it doesn't totally ruin Cybran stealth, but Aeon sensor upgrade exists and ruins stealth too so idk how much of a factor that should be.

Other option would be to let it work like a single-use really long EMP blast that you need to rebuild to use again. So it shuts down units like snipers long enough for your titans or percies to get into range or let's your ACU get away from spam after being surrounded or whatever.

Just make them 1/4 sized tiny novaxes!

I like the idea of using the drones for Intel/counter Intel instead of building. Radar and jamming is a perfect fit for UEF. Not sure about invulnerable though.

If you can shoot them down they are functionally pointless as an upgrade. Drones take ages to set up properly, require buildtime from ACU, and require resources to make and rebuild. In terms of the utility of ACU upgrades, this immediately puts it bottom tier, why would I ever take something like that rather than the massive utility of shield or TML pack.

@ftxcommando Well you could make rebuilding them free. So it will automatically respawn after X seconds of being killed.

@nex I support the drones re spawning for no cost. They're slow, easily destroyed, and go out of style pretty fast.

The drones having the full T1 build suite sounds great, maybe not passing that ability to the ACU as well though.