This is a new type of bot that would have the responsibility for repairing the HIVE (queens and leviathans). IF you are able to kill off these specialized bots the Hive has a significant reduction in healing capacities. Leads to more tactical attacks.

I'm sure there a players who can develop the idea further.

Yes.

it could be good for players too.

Its very boring to fligh home for reapirs after each 2nd-3rd fight. It could speed up the game and make it more enjoyable if we can have some slow rechanrging shield or field repair device.

Regards

If you need to go repair after fighting three bots, frankyl, you need more practice.

As for the maintenance/repair Hive bot, I like the idea, as long as

a) it's not completely defenseless on its own, and

b) it's not an uber-repair thingie, either.

The thing repairs, but if you engage it it tries to kill you (though shouldn't be capable of pulverizing you in one blast); however, should the Queen/Levi reach critical health, then it forgets about killing you and settles for running in circles while healing its master (kinda like us miners when mining in bot-infested sectors).

Sounds good. Then at least we'd have something to work at and a chance of killing the levi.

Oh yeah, slow or no respawns. Otherwise there's no point killing them.

darvud's new jex, give him a break. I can remember being a very wet-behind-the-ears level 2 pilot and having to go repair very frequently once I started in on Assault bots.

Yeah, specific repairbots would be nice. It was hard as HELL killing that queen in Sedina this weekend with the Orne Guardians and Helmann Overseers repairing it.

Nevermind the Levi. Eeek. Martin can testify to it's incredible healing ability with any and every bot repairing it.

If you need to repair a lot Darvud and don't want to go back to the stations, ask around and see if anyone will be your medic for you, at a price of course, nothings free but I'm sure someone would help you out. (I know I would if I were online and capable of botting in the sector your at.

As for repair bots and new ship model to go with it. Why not make some of the observers repair specific, they already have a single weapon port and are very fast, just the type of vehicle I would choose for a repair bot if I where them. So have two sets of observer bots, one that actually "observes" and one that "repairs", and just call them repair drones or something. should be very simple to do since nothing _new_ is added, simply rearanged.

/me seconds the ricockulously fast and pervasive healing abilities of the bots, especially with respect to (1) the levi, which heals at the same rate as a queen, despite there being a massive difference in the raw numbers of armor points being healed (I could be wrong, but it seems is the same rate); and (2) a queen that has been lured waaaaaaaaay out from the healer bots, had any nearby bots killed, suddenly having the remainder magically appear nearby and save the damn thing.

Let's have a limited class of bots able to repair; that orne guardian doesn't have room for gauss, popcorn AND that uber repair beam. Let's foist some of this specialization crap on the Hive. I'd vote for either a new class of repairer bot, or limiting the repair function to collectors (already have beams) or observers (no weapons, hard to hit).

Dr. Lecter, S.S.L'

[Damn, preempted by johnhawl...that's what I get for typing these things up in class]