Pg 208 Robots Handbook defines a drone as “While drones may have some basic autopilot and navigation features, they do not have sophisticated independent decision-making routines. They are designed to be operated remotely using the Electronics (remote ops) skill. As such, they do not have skills but options may provide modifiers to various tasks performed by their operators or place limitations on those tasks if the drone’s equipment is inadequate. Drone equipment is listed in the skills column to indicate the innate capabilities of the drone,Drones have their own skills (otherwise they wouldn't be listed in the skills column). These skills may be provided by exactly the same component that supplies the skill to a robot. The difference is a drone cannot choose to exercise them itself, it must be initiated externally. The initialisation can be highly automated (a single button press by the controller might trigger a whole raft of pre-programmed complex activity on the part of a drone) or might require a great deal of complex control by the drone operator for even simple functions (like controlling a remote controlled aircraft with a single channel radio controller).
Robot brains can have expert software installed but so do computers with intelligent interface. These are still complex processes but again the computer does not "choose" to activate them. The expert skill cannot decide to take the day off or start singing show tunes unless it was programmed to specifically do that. They cannot learn to do something because their development is fixed at the point of manufacture.
Even Basic robot brains have decision making as part of their basic function. They can learn new skills by observing (though for Basic brains this ability to learn new skills is stated as very limited). The key thing is they have an INT stat of greater than zero. A robot might only be as intelligent as a hamster, but a drone is as intelligent as hamster food. Something with int 1 is at least capable of navigating itself around its environment. It depends on your definition of INT if you consider an insect which has only a ganglion has INT. It is capable of navigating round, but often using very simple rules that may lead to it getting stuck (flies banging against a closed window). I would class Int 1 as having some sort of problem solving skill and recognising when it is stuck in a loop.
Some drones have a primitive brain onboard to allow a bit more flexibility (e.g. Repair Drones). This will enable them to recharge themselves when they get low on power or return to base when they stop receiving commands from the controller. Many real world drones have this as a safety feature but is it really that different to a cockroach fleeing the light or a moth running to it.
usable by the operator.” This is the official Traveller definition of a Drone from the specific book we have been talking about. Arguing that it’s not right is literally saying let’s throw out the system rules in which case why are we talking about your own game system.
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