AI Console
The Drones [A.I]/AI console is located on the Bridge on the upper deck. The AI console is used to designate tasks to your Battlecruisers drones. The console also lets you purchase new drones for your team.
- Note: Drones cannot be salvaged once bought.
Drones
Drones are non-playable units that perform tasks assigned to them from the AI console. Drones can get blocked by debris around the Battlecruiser and will need human intervention to be freed and continue their duties. Drones are all armed with a standard issue HA-11 Sweeper.
| Appearance | Max Life | Move Speed |
|
45 | 4 |
To get more drones they are either added in the lobby by adding more AI players or by purchasing them directly from the AI console. A drone initially cost 150 Veldite and 30 Kermiculite, increasing by 50 Veldite and 10 Kermiculite with every purchased drone. At any given time, you may only have up to ???? drones including any A.I. set at the start of the match.
Drones can be instantly kicked off a console they are using. This is simply done by walking your marine over the console the drone is using.
- Note- As of patch 2.8 each team starts with 3 drones.
Orders
Mining
A drone following the Mining Order will attempt to launch a Miner from your Battlecruiser's hangar. If there are no available miners, the drone will wait until one becomes available and an error message will be displayed in the AI console under that drones section. When the drone launches a miner it will search randomly until it finds and mines an asteroid that contains minerals is was designated to collect. Drones use the miners "Return Minerals" ability at a high frequency, and often turbo boost at the slightest sign of danger.
- Note: Care; sometimes AI miners move out of position and become an easy snipe for the enemy, crippling your economy. If an AI miner goes too far recall it home, and then reorder it to its task.
Refining
A drone following the Refining Order will immediately head to the miners cargo drone drop off point for unrefined minerals. Upon arrival of unrefined minerals, the drone will immediately begin to pick them up until either its inventory is full or there are no more minerals. Following any pick up, it will head to the Refinery at a walking speed (as opposing to sprinting) and place the minerals in the refining area. The Refining Order is often used due to the tedious nature of refining.
Loading Missiles
A drone following the Loading Missiles Order will wait at the spawn location on the Battlecruiser. The moment any missiles are dropped or created, regardless of location, the drone will attempt to pick them up until there are either no more available missiles or its inventory is full. Then, depending on if a missile bay or a missile is closer to the drone, it will either attempt to pick up more or load the nearest missile bay. If more missiles are made available while the drone is loading, it will attempt to fill its inventory first if the missile is closer than the loading bay.
Weapons Console
A drone following the Weapons Console Order will immediately attempt to move onto the Weapons Console. While on it, it will fire at all enemies that are both visible and within firing range at a speed which increases based upon the enemy's proximity. The drone can be ordered on whether to use lasers or kinetics and if to fire loaded missiles. If the fire missile option is enabled, the drone will attempt to fire all missiles that are loaded if aimed at the enemy Battlecruiser within a close distance.
Science
A drone following the Science Order will immediately attempt to move onto the Science Console. While on it, it will use Power Transfer and Radar Ping abilities whenever it can. If the purge core plasma option is selected the drone will also try to use the purge core plasma ability in the science console. The drone will only use this ability if there is 30 Kermiculite and the the Fusion Core's stability is below 90%. If the Iron Curtain ability is researched and the BC is taking hull damage, the drone automatically will use the Iron Curtain ability.
There is an option in the AI Console, under this order, called "arm Yamato". If selected and the required resources are available the drone will automatically reload the Yamato cannon whenever it can. It is suggested to leave this option 'off' early game because kermiculite is very rare early game and needed in important upgrades. However late game leaving this option on is wise especially when you have alot of Pyromantite and Kermiculite.
AI Console UI
Please add some info!