Hull repair drone overpowered?

[brickey.8]

Is it just me, or is the hull repair drone incredibly overpowered? As long as you have it and a large stack of drone parts (and once you get it you should be buying out the drone stock of every shop), all other defense upgrades is optional. As long as you have a decent offense, you pretty much cannot lose the game unless you play extremely badly.

Heal 4 hull damage per drone part, on demand, as many times as you want. You can use it between battles or even during battle if you can spare a mere 2 power, and they work quickly. So you can pretty much treat it as if you're just upgrading your max (and current) hull every time you buy a drone part. It works reliably even when shops are sparse (especially between phases of the flagship). And it is the only drone part that you can spam as much of as you can afford; other defensive or offensive drones can generally be used once per battle.

Heck, the healing is more efficient than buying repairs from shops outside the first few sectors, on top of the portability and stockpiling. And don't forget the combo with drone recovery arm (2 free healing every sector, on top of the other benefits for both items).

Does anyone else think this item is a bit too strong for this game?

[anarcher]

It's not. If you start snowballing on fires and system damage, you can lose even with it.

[Leylite]

It's not overpowered, but it definitely makes a big difference since the Flagship (and the whole game, really) is all about wearing you down with missile damage and other incidental hits.

In order to even use it, you have to have a drone system and a decent number of drone parts that you don't need for e.g. defense drones or hacking. So, it's a reward for fulfilling the necessary pre-requisites.

Most of the time, I'd rather have the 42 scrap you get for selling it, but in the end-game it does perform a function that money can't buy.

[Dunati]

if you have the drone recovery arm you can jump before it is done and not even use a drone part.

[DarkTwinge]

It's the single most-powerful augment/drone/weapon in the game. Having ~60 health against the Flagship instead of 30 is a ridiculous safety buffer.

I bump the price up to 100 in the Balance Mod and increased the rarity.

[Skinny Pete]

Originally posted by brickey.8:

Is it just me, or is the hull repair drone incredibly overpowered?

Massively OP. It won't save a completely hopeless ship but with even a mediocre ship it's practically a win button.

[mkzzz12]

I don't have anything against the hull repair, especially if it falls into my hands.

But if you know how to properly win without it, and considering my own experiences in how often you can get it when the circumstances are right, I wouldn't give up too much or change my plan to make it work.

Much like Leylite says, there are many things you need if you want to make use of it, and I would also prefer the scrap to use on something that fits my ship more.

Though I will admit that the drone control is not exactly my go to system to buy on ships that don't start with it.

[Killcreek2]

Repair drones are very cool. No argument there.

However: they *require* a drone system & enough spare drone parts. Given that multiple ships start with 1 or even 2 pre-installed systems, adding a drone controller is often a less-than-optimal choice [especially if that choice is vs a teleporter: Slug C for example.]

Cost: 1 system slot, 1 drone/cargo slot, extra drone parts &/or augment slot.
= Awesome in the right circumstances, but not overpowered.

Not something I generally *plan* to use, but if the starting ship has drone system pre-installed, or I choose to pick up a drone controller mid-run, then a repair drone is always on my insta-buy shopping list for the final battle.

[Skinny Pete]

Originally posted by mekloz:

I don't have anything against the hull repair, especially if it falls into my hands.

But if you know how to properly win without it, and considering my own experiences in how often you can get it when the circumstances are right, I wouldn't give up too much or change my plan to make it work.

Much like Leylite says, there are many things you need if you want to make use of it, and I would also prefer the scrap to use on something that fits my ship more.

Though I will admit that the drone control is not exactly my go to system to buy on ships that don't start with it.

I usually get drone control if I run into one that comes with a free DD I. That's usually my must-have drone. I detest missiles. I'll also usually pick up the Hull Repair unless I'm in some unusual situation where my defense is already so good I'm taking little to no damage.

Even then I'll often pick it up if I get the chance, because a ship that good usually has little left to spend scrap on anyway. It's a huge insurance policy against even incredibly bad luck.

[Baron von Dapper]

Ussually i only choose the hull repair drone if i really am desprate for a win, it is slightly overpowered in my opinion.

[Misha Arsellec Lune]

Hull Repair Drone isn't OP.
Hull Repair Drone + Drone Recover Arm, however, is the most OP combination in existence.

[anarcher]

Originally posted by Misha Arsellec Lune:

Hull Repair Drone isn't OP.
Hull Repair Drone + Drone Recover Arm, however, is the most OP combination in existence.

No, that would be pre-igniter, hacking and flak 2 x2 + glaive x2.

[brickey.8]

Originally posted by anarcher:

Originally posted by Misha Arsellec Lune:

Hull Repair Drone isn't OP.
Hull Repair Drone + Drone Recover Arm, however, is the most OP combination in existence.

No, that would be pre-igniter, hacking and flak 2 x2 + glaive x2.

The combo you just described is ridiculously expensive, involves several random items and requires a ton of weapon power. The combo he was talking about is an ordinary augment and a semi-uncommon drone.

[DarkTwinge]

For the record, Drone Recovery Arm is solidly overrated in general, and that includes its use with a Hull Repair Drone. Notably if that's the main thing you're doing with your Recovery Arm, you're often losing money compared to having not bought it in the first place.

[Maine Cheldan]

Hull repair drone requires a Drone system, two reactor bars, and as you said, a big stack of drone parts. This involves getting a drone system, which costs about 80-85 scrap on its own, and a hull repair drone.
Hull repair drones are quite rare in stores or in general, and buying one (probably the most reliable way to have one) is again, around 80 scrap. This makes 160 scrap (without buying the necessary reactor bars to activate it) that you don't use in other systems (shields, engine, weapons). And you can get quite a few things with 160 scrap.

So I won't say that the hull repair drone is that op ; you have to be able to afford one and find one to make it work. I would agree though that given its ability to repair your hull during a battle makes it something nice to have, especially against the Flagship. But it can be destroyed if hit by any projectile.

Consider what you pay and what you give up on when you choose to build your ship in a perticular way ; that way you can see whether it is overpowered or not.

[anarcher]

Originally posted by Maine Cheldan:

Hull repair drone requires a Drone system, two reactor bars, and as you said, a big stack of drone parts. This involves getting a drone system, which costs about 80-85 scrap on its own, and a hull repair drone.
Hull repair drones are quite rare in stores or in general, and buying one (probably the most reliable way to have one) is again, around 80 scrap. This makes 160 scrap (without buying the necessary reactor bars to activate it) that you don't use in other systems (shields, engine, weapons). And you can get quite a few things with 160 scrap.

So I won't say that the hull repair drone is that op ; you have to be able to afford one and find one to make it work. I would agree though that given its ability to repair your hull during a battle makes it something nice to have, especially against the Flagship. But it can be destroyed if hit by any projectile.

Consider what you pay and what you give up on when you choose to build your ship in a perticular way ; that way you can see whether it is overpowered or not.

Your point about reactor power is not valid, because you can always take away the bars temporarily from o2, engines or even activate battery for it. You also don't need to use hull repair drones in the middle of the fight all that much, unless you really are struggling to survive.