Drones rework

Drones will become unique units with specialized roles and predefined characteristics:

• Each drone will come with a hard-set number of microchip slots that fit its combat role.
• Each drone will have a unique role-based ability, which at first will be an enhanced built-in microchip.
• Drones will have less microchip slots overall (meaning they will be cheaper to assemble), and microchips will be more powerful.
• All microchips will cost 25% less gold.

Since the release of Drones in 6.3, we’ve had plenty of time to analyze their performance. Drones proved to be too complicated and unpredictable when it comes to microchip builds. You rarely knew how exactly the enemy drone helps your opponent. Besides, you had to hunt for favorable slot combinations to assemble the build you want.

With this rework, we want to make drones more focused and simple to manage, both when making a build and on the battlefield. If you see a Wasp drone, you will always know that it’s built to sting.

Drone tiers and microchip slots

The number of microchip slots will be defined by the tier of the drone. Below is the list of slot combinations for each drone. Note that the list is subject to change before release.

We will most likely adjust the slots for some of them based on the data from our Test Server, but you can already see the pattern. Each drone has its dedicated role on the battlefield. Discus, for example, favors defence, while Sharpshooter lives up to its name and features an A slot to add to its firepower.

Microchip slot types:

• A — effects
• B — attack
• C — defence
• D — repair
• E — weapons (Arms Controller slot)

We also introduced a new type of microchips. Type F features energy shields that get activated in certain situations.

TIER 1
Starter	D
Sidekick	С
TIER 2
Defender	CD
Fly	AB
TIER 3
Sharpshooter	ABE
Discus	BCF
Good Guy	ADE
TIER 4
The Eye	AABE
Nebula	ACCF
Wasp	ABBE
Glider	ADDF
Octanian	ABBA

 

As you can see, drones will have less microchip slots after the rework. Your tier-4 drones will be able to reach their full potential with just 4 microchips.

Heads up: all of your microchips will be unequipped when the rework takes place. They will be safely placed in your Storage.

Also, there will be no need for Battery Microchips, so we’ll delete them from the game and reimburse their owners. You will receive two F-type (shields) microchips of the same tier for each Battery Microchip you had before the rework.

Drone abilities

To further highlight the purpose of each drone, we will assign them role-specific abilities. We will begin by giving each drone a built-in version of a popular microchip, which will be more powerful than a microchip from the Store. And we will work on more distinctive perks for drones later on.

Here’s what’s in our plans for initial drone abilities.

TIER 1
Starter	—
Sidekick	Recurrent Emergency Renovator: When the robot's durability falls below X%, repairs a portion of it immediately.
TIER 2
Defender	Recurrent In-trouble Renovator: If the robot receives more than X damage within Y seconds, repairs a portion of its durability immediately.
Fly	Modulative Intensifier: After an active module is used, increases the robot's damage output for X seconds.
TIER 3
Sharpshooter	Struggling Intensifier: As long as Last Stand is active, increases the robot's damage output.
Discus	Control Resistor: Slows down the accumulation of effects on the robot.
Good Guy	Recurrent Emergency Defender: When the robot’s durability falls below X%, increases the power of the robot’s Defence system.
TIER 4
The Eye	Modulative Intensifier: After an active module is used, increases the robot's damage output for X seconds.
Nebula	Recurrent Crashing Renovator: If the robot receives over X damage within Y seconds, instantly restores a portion of its durability.
Wasp	Acid Sprayer: Adds a damage over time effect to the drone's weapon.
Glider	Phasing Renovator: When the robot emerges from Phase Shift, repairs a portion of its durability immediately.
Octanian	Target-seeking Minigun Shooter: With this chip and thanks to its large ammo capacity and high rate of fire, your drone can use suppressive fire. The drone can shoot independently of the robot.

 

Microchip rebalance

After the rework, drones will have less microchip slots than before. We will increase the power of existing microchips, so that drones remain just as powerful as they were. We will also add some additional power to the least popular microchips.

You can find the stats for tier-3 and tier-4 microchips in the table below.

The stats for the majority of tier-1 and tier-2 microchips will remain unchanged, so we didn’t include them in the table. Only several of tier-1 and tier-2 microchips will receive a slight buff.

TYPE A: EFFECTS	T3 (BEFORE)	T3 (AFTER)	T4 (BEFORE)	T4 (AFTER)
Defence Mitigator	Adds Defence Mitigation effect to the drone's weapon.
	70% mitigation	70% mitigation	100% mitigation	120% mitigation
Control Resistor	Slows down the accumulation of effects on the robot.
	25% decrease	30% decrease	40% decrease	60% decrease
Acid Sprayer	Adds a damage over time effect to the drone's weapon.
	50 per tick	65 per tick	80 per tick	120 per tick
Suppressor	Enables all the robot's weapons to apply Suppression.
	0.2% per hit	0.2% per hit	0.5% per hit	0.6% per hit
Freezer	Enables all the robot's weapons to apply Freeze.
	0.2% per hit	0.2% per hit	0.5% per hit	0.6% per hit
Lockdowner	Enables all the robot's weapons to apply Lock-down.
	0.2% per hit	0.2% per hit	0.5% per hit	0.6% per hit
Anti-Acid	Reduces the damage received from DoT effects.
	10% decrease	12% decrease	20% decrease	30% decrease

 

TYPE B: ATTACK	T3 (BEFORE)	T3 (AFTER)	T4 (BEFORE)	T4 (AFTER)
Modulative Intensifier	After an active module is used, increases the robot's damage output for 7 seconds.
	10% boost | 7 sec	10% boost | 7 sec	15% boost | 7 sec	18% boost | 7 sec
Resurgent Intensifier	After the Suppression effect expires, increases the robot's damage output for 7 seconds.
	10% boost | 7 sec	20% boost | 7 sec	15% boost | 7 sec	35% boost | 7 sec
Inhibited Intensifier	As long as the Lock-down effect is active on the robot, increases the robot's damage output.
	10% boost	20% boost	15% boost	35% boost
Raging Intensifier	As long as Battle Born is active, increases the robot's damage output.
	20% boost	20% boost	30% boost	35% boost
Struggling Intensifier	As long as Last Stand is active, increases the robot's damage output.
	20% boost	20% boost	30% boost	35% boost
Unimpeded Intensifier	As long as the robot is immune to Lock-down effect, increases its damage output.
	10% boost	20% boost	15% boost	35% boost
Inciting Intensifier	As long as the robot is immune to Suppression effect, increases its damage output.
	10% boost	20% boost	15% boost	35% boost
Thermic Intensifier	As long as the robot is immune to Freeze effect, increases its damage output.
	10% boost	20% boost	15% boost	35% boost
Revitalizing Intensifier	After the robot uses Repair Unit or Advanced Repair Unit, increases the robot's damage output for 7 seconds.
	15% boost | 7 sec	20% boost | 7 sec	20% boost | 7 sec	35% boost | 7 sec

 

TYPE C: DEFENCE	T3 (BEFORE)	T3 (AFTER)	T4 (BEFORE)	T4 (AFTER)
Impaired Defender	As long as the Suppression effect is active on the robot, increases the power of the robot's Defence system.
	35 points	45 points	60 points	80 points
Recurrent Emergency Defender	When the robot’s durability falls below 30%, increases the power of the robot’s Defence system.
	35 points | 10 sec	35 points | 20 sec	50 points | 10 sec	60 points | 20 sec
Inhibited Defender	As long as the Lock-down effect is active on the robot, increases the robot's damage output.
	35 points	45 points	60 points	80 points
Recurrent Forewarning Defender	When the robot's durability falls below 50%, increases the power of the robot's Defence system.
	20 points | 10 sec	35 points | 10 sec	35 points | 10 sec	60 points | 10 sec
Debilitating Defender	If the Lock-down charge on the robot reaches 50%, increases the power of the robot's Defence system.
	20 points | 10 sec	45 points | 10 sec	35 points | 10 sec	80 points | 10 sec
Unimpeded Intensifier	As long as the robot is immune to Lock-down effect, increases its damage output.
	10% boost	20% boost	15% boost	35% boost
Arctic Defender	If the Freeze charge on the robot reaches 50%, increases the power of the robot's Defence system.
	20 points | 10 sec	45 points | 10 sec	35 points | 10 sec	80 points | 10 sec
Revitalizing Defender	After the robot uses Repair Unit or Advanced Repair Unit, increases the power of the robot's Defence System.
	20 points | 10 sec	45 points | 10 sec	35 points | 10 sec	80 points | 10 sec

 

TYPE D: REPAIR	T3 (BEFORE)	T3 (AFTER)	T4 (BEFORE)	T4 (AFTER)
Recurrent Emergency Renovator	When the robot's durability falls below 30%, repairs a portion of it immediately.
	10% repaired	10% repaired	15% repaired	18% repaired
Recurrent Crashing Renovator	If the robot receives over 100,000 damage within 3 seconds, instantly restores a portion of its durability.
	25% repaired	25% repaired	40% repaired	48% repaired
Recurrent In-trouble Renovator	If the robot receives more than 50,000 damage within 5 seconds, repairs a portion of its durability immediately.
	10% repaired	10% repaired	15% repaired	18% repaired
Phasing Renovator	When the robot emerges from Phase Shift, repairs a portion of its durability immediately.
	10% repaired	10% repaired	15% repaired	18% repaired
Recurrent Reconstructive Renovator	If more than 40,000 durability has been repaired over 5 seconds, increases the efficiency of the received repair.
	20% repaired	20% repaired	30% repaired	35% repaired
Recurrent Reconstructive Repairer	If more than 40,000 durability has been repaired over 5 seconds, increases the efficiency of the received repair.
	30 000 repaired	30 000 repaired	50 000 repaired	60 000 repaired
Recurrent In-trouble Repairer	If the robot receives more than 50,000 damage within 5 seconds, repairs a portion of its durability immediately.
	10 000 repaired	15 000 repaired	20 000 repaired	30 000 repaired
Recurrent Emergency Repairer	When the robot's durability falls below 30%, repairs a portion of it immediately.
	20 000 repaired	20 000 repaired	30 000 repaired	35 000 repaired
Recurrent Crashing Repairer	If the robot receives over 100,000 damage within 3 seconds, instantly restores a portion of its durability.
	50 000 repaired	50 000 repaired	80 000 repaired	95 000 repaired

 

TYPE E: WEAPONS	T3 (BEFORE)	T3 (AFTER)	T4 (BEFORE)	T4 (AFTER)
Target-seeking Minigun Shooter	[weapon microchip]
	450 per hit	450 per hit	600 per hit	720 per hit
Target-seeking Cannon Shooter	[weapon microchip]
	900 per hit	900 per hit	1200 per hit	1440 per hit
Imitating Rifle Shooter	[weapon microchip]
	2800 per hit	2800 per hit	3500 per hit	4200 per hit
Imitating Rocket Shooter	[weapon microchip]
	350 per hit	450 per hit	500 per hit	780 per hit