The drone is kind of annoying.

[Siniztah]

I was really excited about the drone before release, but once I spent some time with it I realized it was too much like a cop. When you need it, it is absolutely nowhere to be found and when you don't want it around it is standing between you and the person you are trying to shoot, yelling things at you and trying to get you killed. I feel like it would be a lot better if it followed you more closely, just not constantly getting in your face. Also, I feel like it's gain needs to be turned down like 4db. It is so much louder than everything else in game. As if the constant shot blocking wasn't bad enough, it also gets in my face when I try to get to my stash boxes... I love the idea, but this iteration could use these minor tweaks. 

Edited January 10, 2022 by Siniztah (see edit history)

[BarryTGash]

Two suggestions from me:

 

1. silent mode just deactivated voice, not turned it in to stealth mode. When it bumps in to things when silent causes more concern.

2. If you have a weapon, block shapes or tool out, it should stay behind you at all times. When you want to engage with it (open inventory for example), put the weapon/tool away and it should behave as it currently does.

2b. Alternative version: if enemies are alert and in range (eg. not sleeping), or you have block shapes/tool in hand, it should stay behind you. This would allow you to control it whilst sneaking in a POI (eg. stay here).

[Weazelsun]

I wish the drone had a follow distance setting. Right now, it follows super damn close.

[Reckis]

On 1/10/2022 at 9:45 AM, BarryTGash said:

Two suggestions from me:

 

1. silent mode just deactivated voice, not turned it in to stealth mode. When it bumps in to things when silent causes more concern.

2. If you have a weapon, block shapes or tool out, it should stay behind you at all times. When you want to engage with it (open inventory for example), put the weapon/tool away and it should behave as it currently does.

2b. Alternative version: if enemies are alert and in range (eg. not sleeping), or you have block shapes/tool in hand, it should stay behind you. This would allow you to control it whilst sneaking in a POI (eg. stay here).

 

Um for option 2 . . . cant you just pick up the drone?

[BarryTGash]

1 hour ago, Reckis said:

 

Um for option 2 . . . cant you just pick up the drone?

 

But muh preshus inventory!

 

That's an option but it's a workaround - just a bit of twitching, eh, tweaking of the ai could remove the need. Another second saved is another trash pile looted!

[SenpaiThatIngnoresYou]

I wish there were other drones or drone modifications. I would rather have a trashcan dalek with treads and both the punching arm and the shooting option then the hover drone. So it carries stuff? meh. if you are at the stage to have the drone, you are at the stage to have the 4x4 and the 4x4 is a better friend than the drone ever will be and can hold more inventory, and is an easy jump out to get, especially since frame shapes can be made into ladders so if you want to go outside at any point in most tier 5 pois, it's cheap and easy. 

 

 

[John Black]

We need a dedicated hotkey - https://community.7daystodie.com/topic/26728-dedicated-drone-interaction-hotkey/

[bloodmoth13]

Literally all it needs is to follow you one block higher. Thats it. out of line of sight for zombies. i fixed the game where is my award

[Siniztah]

I'm honestly surprised to see that I'm not the only one slightly irritated with the drone's wonkiness. Credit where credit is due though, I think the drone is still cool, a good idea, and 7dtd is one of my favorite games after about 30 years of being a gamer. I seriously can't stop playing this game and I don't know why.

[Shockwave1]

On 1/17/2022 at 6:09 AM, bloodmoth13 said:

Literally all it needs is to follow you one block higher. Thats it. out of line of sight for zombies. i fixed the game where is my award

This... I don't mind looking up to access the drone. It should be trying to be over my head, but then in buildings I can see that as being tough. I also think that you should need to hold your key down to talk to the drone like accessing a car. The one click drone dialogue has killed me twice now.

 

Once on a night dig quest trying to get into my car and leave and once on horde night trying to close a door. At least with a "hold down" action you wouldn't get stuck in the drone for so long.

[John Black]

I agree, swapping holding height and follow height will already make a huge difference.

 

The problem with the height and hold solution is that there will still be situations where the drone will block you when using the default activation key. 2 height tunnel with a door for example. Dedicated key is the way and allows for remote control with more drone actions, allowing it to evolve into much more than a floating inventory. Putting the drone on guard by the front door and being able to call it remotely will be pretty cool.

[SenpaiThatIngnoresYou]

The drone needs a lot of work. Now, in emperyon, the drone can be used to place blocks. It has occurred to me that this would make the current drone a game changer. No longer will we be falling off of large building projects. I also would like to see a drill mod that can be used to open safes and chests but is noisy, and a vehicle mod called a drone station that empties the drone inventory into the vehicle, so if you are in a poi, you can stand next to an opening, send the drone the the 4x4, and in a few moments it will fly back. It would also be kinda fun to watch the drone dock with that spot while you are driving. 

 

Or, give the drone a mine deploying attachment, and a special paint decal that tells the drone where to place mines, so that during horde night mines can be redeployed, or an alarm scanner where it says "oh no, they are coming from the west now!" where it tells you the next wave. I mean the drone is a nice surprise, but at the moment i am not sure how it fits with the current game. 

 

But i like the direction that it is headed, and drone missions would be very interesting, where you open up a supply crate, and suddenly a drone pops out and says " i need you to take me to a poi, i need to recover something" and this starts a really nasty mission where you have to set up radio equipment, the turn on a generator, and the drone will then transmit information. For added fun the drone will then say "go to ____ trader for reward, do hurry out of here, and air strike has been called" and the plane returns to level that paticular poi, which will be in the process of being overun by scripted hordes. 

Edited January 28, 2022 by SenpaiThatIngnoresYou (see edit history)

[KageOni]

On 1/28/2022 at 4:31 PM, SenpaiThatIngnoresYou said:

a vehicle mod called a drone station that empties the drone inventory into the vehicle, so if you are in a poi, you can stand next to an opening, send the drone the the 4x4, and in a few moments it will fly back.

 

I want this sooo much.

[Thunderbolt-GER]

I agree, the drone should keep 1 block more distance to the player in either x/y/z axis, because it is always disturbing when you are placing blocks or want to replant your garden.

The "stay here" option doesn't do me any good, since i always forget to let my drone follow me again... lol

 

[KnightTemplar]

In multiplayer it sticks around when people log off with it deployed, and if it is locked and they log off in some locations, it can block doorways and can't be moved.

[Zagan]

It gets in the way of mining too. I think you should be able to shoot thought it, like with no clipping or something. I don't even use it anymore because it's just always getting between me and my target, delaying my chance to shoot or perform some actions. This negates it's usefulness. I agree that the drone's voice is irritating and unnecessary. When I did use it I turned that crap off. 

[Lostyouthkhat]

I agree with you guys. To me the drone itself is a nice idea to add some lifelike company to the player. However i would prefer if there is a mod, where the drones does 

at least some kind of damage. (For example Shooting Darts?). Since the drone is very lategame for most of the playthroughs, simple extra storage/slow medic help/light isnt really that needed for me. 

[Thunderbolt-GER]

I also noticed, my drone likes to hover over my forge and/or campfire, thus catching fire and taking damage. You can hear the burning sound, whent it happens.

 

Edited May 18, 2022 by Thunderbolt-GER
typo (see edit history)

[zztong]

I was initially interested in the drone, too, but not as a traveling companion that heals me, alerts me of Z's, and has extra storage. Those roles seem a bit fantastic and I've pretty much just ignored it in play.

 

I thought a drone would make a nice tool for scouting out POIs from the outside. That is, you pilot it around and look through windows using its camera. Perhaps scout out a town. With limited range and limited maneuverability, you could discourage scouting out the internals of a POI. You could even make it so vultures tend to mess with it and knock it out of the air.

Edited May 18, 2022 by zztong (see edit history)

[doughphunghus]

On 1/28/2022 at 3:31 PM, SenpaiThatIngnoresYou said:

drone missions would be very interesting

I agree. It would be kinda fun not only to have “different mission mechanics” like open crate and get one” (like you mentioned) but also it might be neat if the drone acted like a “radio receiver” where it could pick up distress calls/trader broadcasts/whatever that you would get either randomly or based on your location (like it’s 18:00 and you’re 1km away from a T5 poi and it trigggers, creating a quest for that POI that obviously is going to turn into night mission if you can’t find the item/object/person/etc on the first few floors.

I’m not sure it should talk to you though for these,  as it might start being like GTA where the phone is always ringing with stuff you don’t care about. Maybe just a light beep and if you’re not lying attention you miss it, so it would have to have a 5? Min timer for the quest option to exist for your to accept it. Make it “oh crap so I do this?” Hurried feel.