Is there a way to prevent them from deploying? They don't seem to respect the "Personal Roboport" button, and frequently run directly into enemy attack waves.

They should respect the button

Hm, maybe the issue then is that I don't have the roboport, so the button is always greyed out. They're too adorable, I feel bad when they die horribly.

Yea, the game greys it out, but the hotkey (ALT + R) still works

Maybe in the next version I will add my own button for it

Is it possible this regressed? I have never been able to deactivate the drones, even after the roboport button becomes available.

Oh now I see it. There's a dedicated "Toggle Construction Drones" button, but it's hidden by default, and you have to activate it in the three-dots menu on the button bar.