# How to drone? **URL:** \ **Category:** New Citizens Q&A\ **Created:** [August 5, 2017, 3:48pm UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/how-to-drone/14223 "2017-08-05T15:48:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ishmerai\_Killforge](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/ishmerai_killforge/32/12184_2.png) [@Ishmerai\_Killforge](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Ishmerai_Killforge)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2017, 3:48pm UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/how-to-drone/14223/1 "2017-08-05T15:48:02Z")
Hey folks, just a quick question. Flying lvl3’s atm in a Myrmidon. I’ve got my turrets firing at all times and of course my drones out. I’ve not figured out how to not get my drones targeted all the time. I played a drone boat years ago and I dont’ remember this being a problem. Obviously something has changed to where drones are targeted more, which is fine imo. What are some tips that will keep them from getting targeted? I have tried only sending them to targets I’m firing at but other npc’s still start shooting at them. I’ve tried sending them only at ships under my guns also, but they still get popped. Just looking for advice on how to limit or eliminate losing drones is that is possible. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Vortexo\_VonBrenner](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/vortexo_vonbrenner/32/64874_2.png) [@Vortexo\_VonBrenner](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Vortexo_VonBrenner)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2017, 4:16pm UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/how-to-drone/14223/2 "2017-08-05T16:16:07Z")
train up drone navigation skill drone navigation computer(s) drone durability skill [https://wiki.eveuniversity.org/Drones#Improved\_drone\_performance](https://wiki.eveuniversity.org/Drones#Improved_drone_performance) ---
**Author:** ![Ishmerai\_Killforge](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/ishmerai_killforge/32/12184_2.png) [@Ishmerai\_Killforge](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Ishmerai_Killforge)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2017, 4:44pm UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/how-to-drone/14223/3 "2017-08-05T16:44:09Z")
Yeah I saw this, my drone durability is at lvl4. Drone navigation is at 3 if I remember right, although from what i understand, doesn’t increase the speed at which they orbit a target. The times they’re getting shot at are when they are actively engaged on a target. I dont’ think one ever got killed flying from one place to another. ---
**Author:** ![Do\_Little](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/do_little/32/411571_2.png) [@Do\_Little](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Do_Little)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2017, 5:32pm UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/how-to-drone/14223/4 "2017-08-05T17:32:44Z")
Use a target painter. It will make it easier to kill small stuff and it will draw aggro - taking some pressure off your drones. ---
**Author:** ![ShahFluffers](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/shahfluffers/32/258921_2.png) [@ShahFluffers](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/ShahFluffers)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2017, 6:01pm UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/how-to-drone/14223/5 "2017-08-05T18:01:06Z")
General rule of thumb is that NPCs hate Electronic Warfare (see: webs, target painters, ECM, etc) more than they hate drones. This is not to say that NPCs won’t still fire on drones, so you have to take some precautions. Quick and dirty guidelines: - use a target painter at all times. The NPCs will consider your ship as a bigger “threat” if you do this. As a bonus, the target painter will make some ships (especially small ones) slightly easier to hit and apply damage to (because TPs enlarge a target’s “sensor footprint”) - keep drones close by. Don’t send them more than 15-20km away from you. If they get aggro, you want to be able to pull them back in as soon as possible until the NPCs are back to focusing on you (resulting in possible lost drones). Alternatively, look into Sentry Drones and a MicroJumpDrive. “Range tanking” is sometimes the best tank. - drones gain aggro from their “equivalent class” NPCs and lower. Examples: ---- Light drones will be attacked by Frigate and Destroyer level NPCs. But they will be ignored by Cruiser, Battlecruiser, and Battleship NPCs. ---- Mediums will be attacked by Frigate, Destroyer, Cruiser, and Battlecruiser level NPCs. But ignored by battleships. ---- Heavy/Sentry drones are fair game to all NPCs. ---
**Author:** ![Netan\_MalDoran](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/netan_maldoran/32/426257_2.png) [@Netan\_MalDoran](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Netan_MalDoran)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2017, 6:13pm UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/how-to-drone/14223/6 "2017-08-05T18:13:54Z")
Also, when you get to a room, wait to get full aggro before launching drones. ---
**Author:** ![Corraidhin\_Farsaidh](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/corraidhin_farsaidh/32/10994_2.png) [@Corraidhin\_Farsaidh](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Corraidhin_Farsaidh)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2017, 6:17pm UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/how-to-drone/14223/7 "2017-08-05T18:17:34Z")
Navy drones are also you friend, much more durable ---
**Author:** ![Ishmerai\_Killforge](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/ishmerai_killforge/32/12184_2.png) [@Ishmerai\_Killforge](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Ishmerai_Killforge)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2017, 7:45pm UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/how-to-drone/14223/8 "2017-08-05T19:45:22Z")
Awesome, thanks all. This will really help ---
**Author:** ![Donnachadh](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/donnachadh/32/12629_2.png) [@Donnachadh](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Donnachadh)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2017, 2:45pm UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/how-to-drone/14223/9 "2017-08-06T14:45:12Z")
> [@Netan\_MalDoran](#): > > Also, when you get to a room, wait to get full aggro before launching drones. Does not work reliaby and the NPC will switch targets if they perceive your ship as a bigger threat. Full room agro can be a very bad thing for new players, even full group agro can challenge many new players since they may not have the tank and capacitor to handle it effectively. This does point to something you need to learn OP and that is how to control total DPS by not shooting at the triggers for the next wave, and you need to understand that in most missions the various groups of NPC are linked. If 2 or more groups of NPC are linked when you shoot at one group all of the linked groups will shoot at you. With drones run amok it is very easy to have them attack the wrong group making your problem worse. To help with this and missions in general [EvE Survival](http://eve-survival.org/wikka.php?wakka=missionreports) is a wonderful tool. ---
**Author:** ![Eleonora\_Crendraven](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/eleonora_crendraven/32/225764_2.png) [@Eleonora\_Crendraven](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Eleonora_Crendraven)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2017, 4:49pm UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/how-to-drone/14223/10 "2017-08-06T16:49:09Z")
Recall drones to drone bay wait a few seconds and out with them again. And set drones to passive and engage targets manually. ---
**Author:** ![Kitty\_Bear](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/kitty_bear/32/13275_2.png) [@Kitty\_Bear](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Kitty_Bear)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2017, 1:06am UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/how-to-drone/14223/11 "2017-08-07T01:06:03Z")
CCP changed the npc targeting scripts a while back There is now - Sleeper AI - Sleeper Light v2.0 - Basic Sleeper AI is what you find in wormholes, and it generally hates all drones with a passion Sleeper Light is what you’ll find when running a lot of missions, Elite NPC’s hate drones with a passion, all other npc’s hate drones of a size class smaller than them Basic is only found in a handful of missions … is the vanilla targeting script from 255bc why did ccp make this change ?? drones = afk gameplay ccp hates afk gameplay drones = server lag (allegedly) ccp hates server lag