What Possible Use Does the Zap Remote Have That Isn't Cheese?

[YouKnowWho142]

The remote drone has confused me since the moment I saw and tested it. Its damage isn't high enough to be a reliable method of attack, its range isn't high enough to be a viable scout, it's too clunky to hit fast targets, its blast radius isn't good enough to handle decent sized crowds even despite the electric arcing. It can kill birds, I guess, but there isn't a lot of value in putting 1-2 skill points in a boomerang replacement. 

What the drone is way too good at, however, is abusing mob ai. Yes, I know it is bugged and certain mobs aren't aggroing correctly, but the amount of cheese the drone is capable of is absurd even outside of that. You can really break a lot of content with it in a way that I don't feel like it was intended, but at the same time I can't see any other way to use it. WX being unable to move also reinforces the idea that you want to be able to damage mobs in a place where WX cannot be hit, which only further encourages those strategies. It is also true that characters like Winona and Walter can do something similar to this, but those characters' tools are strong enough that they don't need to use cheese to use those gimmicks effectively, so you can opt out of playing that way if you still want to utilize those strengths in a way that's more fair. The drone seems only strong if you're intentionally trying to use cheese methods, and super weak otherwise.

The drone just seems a bit toxic, I'm curious if there's something I'm completely missing about it since although it's something super cool to have I cannot see any uses for it that aren't made to intentionally break the game in some way, which I actively avoid doing in DST since it's so easy to do.

Edited March 21 by YouKnowWho142

[Mike23Ua]

Is this the flying zap drone which I imagine will not be nearly as fun with a console controller vs PC KB and Mouse? 
I would imagine that you can use it to idk.. maybe hit clockworks with an EMP to make befriending them easy for WX78? 

Outside of that though, I don’t understand this things purpose, it would be cool if it could do something like blasts an electrical ball into the ocean and a few dead (already cooked) fishes float up nearby.. but really, I guess it’s just a toy that’s going to work exceptionally well with point and click controls while being cumbersome and not even worth dealing with once implemented to controller.

[YouKnowWho142]

3 minutes ago, Mike23Ua said:

Is this the flying zap drone which I imagine will not be nearly as fun with a console controller vs PC KB and Mouse? 
I would imagine that you can use it to idk.. maybe hit clockworks with an EMP to make befriending them easy for WX78? 

Outside of that though, I don’t understand this things purpose, it would be cool if it could do something like blasts an electrical ball into the ocean and a few dead (already cooked) fishes float up nearby.. but really, I guess it’s just a toy that’s going to work exceptionally well with point and click controls while being cumbersome and not even worth dealing with once implemented to controller.

the befriend window after shocking is not that long and so swapping between the drone and running up to it is gonna take too long to be consistent and viable. WX already has advantages over other characters befriending them since their aggro range is significantly smaller for specifically clockworks so morning star is a much better option for this.

[Semind]

28 minutes ago, YouKnowWho142 said:

The remote drone has confused me since the moment I saw and tested it. Its damage isn't high enough to be a reliable method of attack, its range isn't high enough to be a viable scout, it's too clunky to hit fast targets, its blast radius isn't good enough to handle decent sized crowds even despite the electric arcing. It can kill birds, I guess, but there isn't a lot of value in putting 1-2 skill points in a boomerang replacement. 

What the drone is way too good at, however, is abusing mob ai. Yes, I know it is bugged and certain mobs aren't aggroing correctly, but the amount of cheese the drone is capable of is absurd even outside of that. You can really break a lot of content with it in a way that I don't feel like it was intended, but at the same time I can't see any other way to use it. WX being unable to move also reinforces the idea that you want to be able to damage mobs in a place where WX cannot be hit, which only further encourages those strategies. It is also true that characters like Winona and Walter can do something similar to this, but those characters' tools are strong enough that they don't need to use cheese to use those gimmicks effectively, so you can opt out of playing that way if you still want to utilize those strengths in a way that's more fair. The drone seems only strong if you're intentionally trying to use cheese methods, and super weak otherwise.

The drone just seems a bit toxic, I'm curious if there's something I'm completely missing about it since although it's something super cool to have I cannot see any uses for it that aren't made to intentionally break the game in some way, which I actively avoid doing in DST since it's so easy to do.

It's a smoother option for farming goat milk than chasing them with a morningstar before you get electric fences. But I agree that that's pretty situational ATM.

[YouKnowWho142]

15 minutes ago, Semind said:

It's a smoother option for farming goat milk than chasing them with a morningstar before you get electric fences. But I agree that that's pretty situational ATM.

I'm not even going to pretend that electric darts are the best solution, but if I were so fed up with chasing volt goats for milk I would rather craft those than spend skill points in the drone that i will use for a single goat milk, after which the electrification circuit with a boomerang does better while also giving you electric immunity to fight it easier. Even aside form giving the electric darts a benefit of the doubt, a morning star with a boomerang still far exceeds the drone unless you literally need electrification circuits day 1.

Edited March 21 by YouKnowWho142

[Koomin]

On the ocean it has some uses.  It can kill cookie cutters from out of range, and same with seaweeds, both of which are normally annoying.  Still kind of feels like cheese though since you just sit there and click on them and they can't do anything.  Overall though yea it just seems to be set up to cheese things that can't attack you back by like setting up a boat offshore to hit things on land which isn't great and I wouldn't want to use.

[YouKnowWho142]

1 minute ago, Koomin said:

On the ocean it has some uses.  It can kill cookie cutters from out of range, and same with seaweeds, both of which are normally annoying.  Still kind of feels like cheese though since you just sit there and click on them and they can't do anything.  Overall though yea it just seems to be set up to cheese things that can't attack you back by like setting up a boat offshore to hit things on land which isn't great and I wouldn't want to use.

ive already seen crab king strategies with the drone. granted it means i dont have to fight crab king, its still the type of thing i hate abusing. i just want to find strong consistent uses for it outside of stuff like that

[DegenerateFurry]

51 minutes ago, Semind said:

It's a smoother option for farming goat milk than chasing them with a morningstar before you get electric fences. But I agree that that's pretty situational ATM.

I mean, you could just fence them in. 

[Cuernito.]

Now that you mention it yeah this drone is pretty average compared to the others 2 drones. Guess i was so excited for the other skills that i didnt pay much attention to this one.

But it has an easy solution in my opinion and if you agree with me please like my comment so klei can check it. What if the second zap drone grants the ability to hold the shoot key to charge the attack making it like a beam of energy and if you use this with Wx-78 it fully charge the robot, this of course is gonna use maybe a 25% durability of the remote.

I think with this the zap drone second skill can be as good as the other drones skills.

[Mike23Ua]

Actually I have an idea for flying electric drone, but… it’s going to be “Iffy” to say the least.

What if Klei adds a new structure into the game (think something similar to the iron hulk body parts from solo DS hamlet) these things can only be “awakened” by flying a shock drone over them and zapping them with a charge (like how zapped hulk parts animated to life in hamlet)

Theres tons of potential here, Klei can even add tiny “Activation Stones” that exist on the opposite side of a bridge from where WX78 is standing, so the drone can be flown over the gap, and activate the switch on the other side creating a cross able platform to walk across. (Winona vine bridges)

Honestly? It wouldn’t see much use on the surface shard seeing as you can plop a grass boat in the water for significantly less resources, but it might be useful in the cave shard? 🤷🏻‍♂️ 

Don’t hate on it too much, it’s just an Idea concept of what flying zap drone could be used for. ♥️

[Semind]

1 hour ago, DegenerateFurry said:

I mean, you could just fence them in. 

I could go to the Moon Quay, get a cannon and shoot them with cannonballs, even.

[ALCRD]

I wish it had incendiary and cryo payloads as options

EDIT: No like legit. It would be so neat if it could cycle elemental payloads beside electricity (need heavy skill investment maybe to balance it)

Edited March 22 by ALCRD

[Koomin]

54 minutes ago, NekoSoulx said:

Now that you mention it yeah this drone is pretty average compared to the others 2 drones. Guess i was so excited for the other skills that i didnt pay much attention to this one.

But it has an easy solution in my opinion and if you agree with me please like my comment so klei can check it. What if the second zap drone grants the ability to hold the shoot key to charge the attack making it like a beam of energy and if you use this with Wx-78 it fully charge the robot, this of course is gonna use maybe a 25% durability of the remote.

I think with this the zap drone second skill can be as good as the other drones skills.

This would just make it cheese things even more.

[DegenerateFurry]

3 hours ago, Semind said:

I could go to the Moon Quay, get a cannon and shoot them with cannonballs, even.

You could, but fences are a cheap and easy fix. A cannon's just an optional way to do it better.

[yyyyyyyyyyyyyyy]

I guess Klei has already considered this.

"Some mechanics will still go through further tuning, such as creatures lacking behavior to deal with attacks from outside their aggro range."

let us just wait and see.

Personally speaking, zap drone is not a kind of cheese because you have to use some methods to get mobs trapped so that you can use zap drone safely. But you already have many options to kill the mobs when you trap them.

[Soul7k]

16 minutes ago, yyyyyyyyyyyyyyy said:

I guess Klei has already considered this.

"Some mechanics will still go through further tuning, such as creatures lacking behavior to deal with attacks from outside their aggro range."

let us just wait and see.

Personally speaking, zap drone is not a kind of cheese because you have to use some methods to get mobs trapped so that you can use zap drone safely. But you already have many options to kill the mobs when you trap them.

cant wait to hit a boss once while people are fighting it and it to drop aggro from them and B line it to me off in the distance. 

Edited March 22 by Soul7k

[Swish3rTwist3r]

I do think I would have preferred WX get a personalized weapon along the lines of a stun baton as opposed to this. I really like the idea of it but after thinking about it your post is pretty much dead on, every idea I have to use if for is a goofy farm or cheesy trick that I'm probably never going to do on a normal run at least with any regularity. It's fine, but it is a bit wacky and for the most part pretty much never going to be worth the skill points.

[Jakepeng99]

13 hours ago, YouKnowWho142 said:

The remote drone has confused me since the moment I saw and tested it. Its damage isn't high enough to be a reliable method of attack, its range isn't high enough to be a viable scout, it's too clunky to hit fast targets, its blast radius isn't good enough to handle decent sized crowds even despite the electric arcing. It can kill birds, I guess, but there isn't a lot of value in putting 1-2 skill points in a boomerang replacement. 

What the drone is way too good at, however, is abusing mob ai. Yes, I know it is bugged and certain mobs aren't aggroing correctly, but the amount of cheese the drone is capable of is absurd even outside of that. You can really break a lot of content with it in a way that I don't feel like it was intended, but at the same time I can't see any other way to use it. WX being unable to move also reinforces the idea that you want to be able to damage mobs in a place where WX cannot be hit, which only further encourages those strategies. It is also true that characters like Winona and Walter can do something similar to this, but those characters' tools are strong enough that they don't need to use cheese to use those gimmicks effectively, so you can opt out of playing that way if you still want to utilize those strengths in a way that's more fair. The drone seems only strong if you're intentionally trying to use cheese methods, and super weak otherwise.

The drone just seems a bit toxic, I'm curious if there's something I'm completely missing about it since although it's something super cool to have I cannot see any uses for it that aren't made to intentionally break the game in some way, which I actively avoid doing in DST since it's so easy to do.

Kill cookie cutters ig but as I said before in my post I find it to cheesey

6 hours ago, yyyyyyyyyyyyyyy said:

Some mechanics will still go through further tuning, such as creatures lacking behavior to deal with attacks from outside their aggro range."

No it’s not this, you can stun lock enemies at melee range

[Swiyss]

12 hours ago, NekoSoulx said:

What if the second zap drone grants the ability to hold the shoot key to charge the attack making it like a beam of energy and if you use this with Wx-78 it fully charge the robot, this of course is gonna use maybe a 25% durability of the remote.

That's very similar to my suggestion as well. It would be fun and engaging to use.

[Strawberrica]

Goat milk isn't even that good as a food or crock pot ingredient. I know they're required for ice cream but there are other, more readily available sanity options like jerky, cooked mushrooms/cacti, bananas, and sleeping. I don't really see much use other than as a somewhat accessible and reliable ranged weapon pre-rift. Darts are a hassle to craft and the better ranged weapons are post-rift(gloomerang, brightshade staff, howlitzer). I'd probably learn the skill for early game and unlearn it with celestial portal after obtaining better weapons, if I were to use it at all.