PACE defense drones are forgotten automated security systems left over from the collapsed colony on Tycos, and they are still executing their original orders and are hostile to players — the recommended counter is the Cruiser's stun turrets, which scramble electronics, with the Fighter Wasp's Stunner Turret as a mobile fallback.

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Where PACE drones show up

PACE drones tend to appear near old colony infrastructure and around the deeper island layers where PACE machinery is concentrated. The Scout Wasp's scanner is useful for spotting them before they engage, especially in the lower altitudes where the colony ruins are most common.

Recommended counters

Because they are electronics rather than fauna, the recommended counter is the Cruiser's stun turrets (which scramble electronics) and the Fighter Wasp's Stunner Turret. In a pinch, players can break line of sight by slipping behind island cover or dropping below a ridge to disengage.

Auto-turret choice near PACE sites

The drones are also the reason manual-turret versus auto-turret choice matters on the Cruiser: leaving turrets in auto near PACE-heavy zones lets the fleet defend itself without a dedicated crew member babysitting the helm. The PU cost of keeping those turrets active is part of the broader power-core math on the Cloud Cruiser power setup page.

ATMOSFAR combat guide: personal gear, Fighter Wasp and Cruiser defensesCombat in ATMOSFAR is built around three layers of capability — personal gear in the backpack, Wasp-class weapons on the Fighter Wasp, and Cloud Cruiser defenses on the hull — and the player builds their loadout based on the threats they expect to face.ATMOSFAR Cloud Cruiser defense: turrets, armor and PU loadThe Cloud Cruiser is defended by exterior turrets and armor plates, both of which draw from the same Power Unit pool as the rest of the ship — turrets can be set to manual or auto, and armor plates stack on the same grid.ATMOSFAR Cloud Cruiser power setup: nuclear cores and PU balanceThe Cloud Cruiser is mostly powered by a compact onboard nuclear reactor, with electricity measured in Power Units (PU) that are produced and consumed every second — keep production above consumption or stored hydrogen will evaporate and the cooling system will fail.ATMOSFAR Tycos creatures: Blisterback, Barnacles and stun countersTycos' flora and fauna are far more aggressive in the lower altitudes, and two well-documented threats are the Blisterback and the Barnacles — both are best handled with stun-based counters like the Fighter Wasp's Stunner Turret or Cruiser auto-turrets.