Those would definitely both have a similar effect to the speed reduction Darkstar. I was trying to think of ways to do it that could just use existing mechanics, and not feel arbitrary to the player.
I'm not sure a speed reduction would hurt their defensive abilities much though. I'm not suggesting that they get super slow, just a little slower, maybe 30% or so. And they're ability to get in front of missiles really only matters for the first volley, after that they are already there.
However, exactly how the change is made really isn't that important. The real important thing is just that, somehow, drones be good at
different things. It's super hard to make them all unique and balanced when you have a bunch of different modules trying to perform the same role. If you give each module a different purpose and balance around that, the balancing act gets easier and there is better gameplay. This is why I suggested a hull/shield buff and upgrade for the fighters, there isn't currently a drone that really works well for close range. Bolter drones only seem to be effective here because they can do so much damage before they die. It would be really cool for example if bombers were most effective when you sent them in to battle with fighter support to draw fire and soak damage. Then you'd have to decide how to split your drone bays between fighter/bombers, and those would be fun choices!
