Hive Mind: Biological Ascension Critique

[Tavior]

What? Both of these things fit the in game definition of biological hivemind. The Hive minds have already been said to use psionics to communicate and control the drones. The Zerg and Tyrannids use BIOLOGICAL evolution to create stronger and better creatures. Psionic Ascendency is more like the Vorlon and post ascendency evolution Humans in B5.

Zerg was forced evolve to have PSI power via overlord by the Xel'naga as a part of long term plan to merg them with Protoss to create hybrid which are create of both biological and psi ascension.

Tyranids are completely inimical to psyker and chao on top of having certain member capable of exert PSI control over some of the lesser swarms.

Spoiler

Every thought and action, every spark of life in the Tyranid race, is bound and interlinked into a single unfathomable consciousness, a great entity that stretches across hundreds of light years of space. This gestalt sentience is known as the Hive Mind. It holds all Tyranids in a psychic bond that enables them to act together in perfect unison. Under the influence of this ancient consciousness, the Tyranids have fed on countless planets and devoured civilisations since time immemorial.

The majority of Tyranid organisms have no distinct minds as a human would understand it, having been created to perform a single task to the exclusion of all else. Unless the implacable will of the Hive Mind instructs them to do otherwise, these organisms simply fulfill the functions for which they were created, acting on nothing more than instinct. Larger, more complicated, Tyranid beasts have been grown to make limited decisions appropriate to current stimuli and situations, but even these actions are subordinate to the goals of the Hive Mind.

Source: http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Tyranids

Otherwise you are right they also use biological process to evolve.

Neither of these are Hive Minds...

Emperor is an all powerful Psyker capable of connecting and influence to human to various degrees.

Chao has their own realm which is make up of lot of creatures all working together to various degree. To top it off the main reason Elder abandon their planets is because Chao were drawn to their emotions like moth to flame.

Spoiler

Chaos is almost synonymous with the Warp -- the two concepts are inseparable, for Chaos is the limitless ocean of spiritual, psychic and emotional energy that defines the Immaterium and underlies the 4-dimensional material universe of space-time. It is a great and raw force of change and power, and is both physically and spiritually corrupting, though it is not in itself necessarily "evil."

Source: http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Chaos

As for the Borg, I'm pretty sure I saw a Civics trait for the Hive Mind that was a computer chip control system (don't remember what it's called). So you can still have your Borg.

I think you confused something for something totally different because that could been a civic choice not a trait.

I have the linked picture in my original post. It has something called natural neural network which is a civic choice. I doubt it is the cybernetic approach that fits for a cybernatic ascension if it is a civic choice.

 

[Democratic Monarchy]

That, however, seems to be different from how Stellaris approaches the hive-mind idea; it's more akin to how the Tyranids from Warhammer 40K work.
Everybody is part of the hive-mind - their bodies are essentially just the limbs of the whole organism. No single individual is making decisions; instead, the individual members of the species act as singular neurons that make up the vast, species-encompassing brain (represented by the player).
Leaders like scientists, admirals etc. are merely extensions of that will, drones with a limited degree of autonomy and higher reasoning but still very much tethered to the hive-mind and it's decisionmaking, not the other way around.

THEH THERANEHDS

 

[moglus]

The psi path doesn't really work with the mechanics that have been described, because it involves a gradual awakening of psionic abilities. When you're part way down the path some of your pops will have the psionic trait, and others won't.

That can't work with a hive because there is only one mind - it's either psionic, or it's not.

Well we already know it's psionic in nature and has a diffrent connection to the shroud which makes the psi ascension we've been shown incompatible. But i don't see any reason why it means it couldn't work for a hive mind, Just like the psi ascension unlocks greater psionic powers for your species in the normal path, a hive minds psi path could simply involve the hive mind get greater psionic powers, and mechanics wise, by extension the entire hive could get bonuses because of that. As the hive mind itself evolves, so too does the species.

 

[BlackUmbrellas]

Zerg was forced evolve to have PSI power via overlord by the Xel'naga as a part of long term plan to merg them with Protoss to create hybrid which are create of both biological and psi ascension.

Tyranids are completely inimical to psyker and chao on top of having certain member capable of exert PSI control over some of the lesser swarms.

Spoiler

Every thought and action, every spark of life in the Tyranid race, is bound and interlinked into a single unfathomable consciousness, a great entity that stretches across hundreds of light years of space. This gestalt sentience is known as the Hive Mind. It holds all Tyranids in a psychic bond that enables them to act together in perfect unison. Under the influence of this ancient consciousness, the Tyranids have fed on countless planets and devoured civilisations since time immemorial.

The majority of Tyranid organisms have no distinct minds as a human would understand it, having been created to perform a single task to the exclusion of all else. Unless the implacable will of the Hive Mind instructs them to do otherwise, these organisms simply fulfill the functions for which they were created, acting on nothing more than instinct. Larger, more complicated, Tyranid beasts have been grown to make limited decisions appropriate to current stimuli and situations, but even these actions are subordinate to the goals of the Hive Mind.

Source: http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Tyranids

Otherwise you are right they also use biological process to evolve.



Emperor is an all powerful Psyker capable of connecting and influence to human to various degrees.

Chao has their own realm which is make up of lot of creatures all working together to various degree. To top it off the main reason Elder abandon their planets is because Chao were drawn to their emotions like moth to flame.

Spoiler

Chaos is almost synonymous with the Warp -- the two concepts are inseparable, for Chaos is the limitless ocean of spiritual, psychic and emotional energy that defines the Immaterium and underlies the 4-dimensional material universe of space-time. It is a great and raw force of change and power, and is both physically and spiritually corrupting, though it is not in itself necessarily "evil."

Source: http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Chaos



I think you confused something for something totally different because that could been a civic choice not a trait.

I have the linked picture in my original post. It has something called natural neural network which is a civic choice. I doubt it is the cybernetic approach that fits for a cybernatic ascension if it is a civic choice.

You're grasping at straws hard my friend... the Emperor is in no way the leader of a "hive mind". Chaos is not a hive mind. The Zerg, while artificially created, are not the result of what Stellaris considers a psionic ascension- rather, they're the result of genetic tinkering. You know. Like you can do in Stellaris by completing the Genetic Ascension Path and modifying a species into being a hivemind through.

 

[Tavior]

You're grasping at straws hard my friend... the Emperor is in no way the leader of a "hive mind". Chaos is not a hive mind. The Zerg, while artificially created, are not the result of what Stellaris considers a psionic ascension- rather, they're the result of genetic tinkering. You know. Like you can do in Stellaris by completing the Genetic Ascension Path and modifying a species into being a hivemind through.

It is quite difficult to find good examples of PSI Hive Mind. Don't blame me for grasping if at all. Blame the lack of examples.

Zerg were already inclined to evolve by biological ascension. I am emphasizing the overlord/cerebates component by mention only starcraft, not 2, as an example of Hive Mind that were intend to merge with Protoss (which already has lot of PSI power) into the Hybrid. The zerg were already "prefect" by then the Xel'naga Amon planned to merge through PSI ascension with Protoss.

I am not talking about the primal zerg or what zerg would have been had Xel'naga not found them in the first place which is purely biological ascension path anyway.

 

[BlackUmbrellas]

Zerg were already inclined to evolve by biological ascension. I am emphasizing the overlord/cerebates component by mention only starcraft, not 2, as an example of Hive Mind that were intend to merge with Protoss (which already has lot of PSI power) into the Hybrid. The zerg were already "prefect" by then the Xel'naga Amon planned to merge through PSI ascension with Protoss.

The Overmind and Cerebrates are already analogous to the player/"autonomous agents"-aka-leaders in the Stellaris Hive Mind. Again: the Zerg do not display any signs of Psionic Ascension in how their Hive Mind is structured. Stellaris Hive Minds are a bunch of drones connected by a psionic telepathy, controlled by a central mind but with subservient lesser minds to manage things more directly. That's an apt description of the Zerg.

 

[Afro Luigi]

Also to point out a key difference between the Borg and Stellaris hive minds. Borg Drones when separate from the collective find their individuality restored and can continue living on either with their cybernetic implants or with medical intervention have them extracted. How they handle their restored individuality depends on how long ago they were assimilated. (Locutus/Picard vs Seven of Nine)

The Borg aren't a hive mind, they are a vast collective of minds that override individuality. In one episode of Voyager we see that Seven of Nine at one point created her own private collective, with her fulfilling the role of Queen as the central processing unit/decision maker.

But back to the Zerg since I can not contribute to that discussion having never played the game or read any of the fiction.

 

[BlackUmbrellas]

But back to the Zerg since I can not contribute to that discussion having never played the game or read any of the fiction.

Tavior is just grasping at straws, same as they were when they called the Emperor of Mankind an example of a Psionic Ascension Hivemind leader.

The Zerg are pretty damn clearly a Genetic Ascension Hive Mind.

 

[Rydelfox]

While I agree that the Borg would count as a hive mind, they would not be an example of a hive mind that took the synthetic route. They would instead be a non-hive-mind species that used cybernetics to become a hive mind. Their hive mind is entirely based on their neural transceiver implants - if they have already been a hive mind, those would not have been necessary.

Personally, I'd like to see a way for empires with the synthetic ascension to become a hive mind, I don't think that will be added, but may be possible to mod in.

 

[BootOnFace]

The important thing is that Stellaris is using their own idea of what a Hive Mind is. It's not Zerg, it's not Tyranid, it's not Borg. It's Paradox's own Hive Mind. It might be inspired by other works, but it's going to conform to their vision and gameplay needs. We don't see these arguments about how Psyonics aren't exactly like the Force or how the Shroud isn't available to Synth civilizations.

Maybe in some distant future, we'll have Geth/Borg/Psi hiveminds. But I don't expect it to come before psychic synths or genemodded cyborgs or what-have-you.

 

[Tavior]

The Overmind and Cerebrates are already analogous to the player/"autonomous agents"-aka-leaders in the Stellaris Hive Mind. Again: the Zerg do not display any signs of Psionic Ascension in how their Hive Mind is structured. Stellaris Hive Minds are a bunch of drones connected by a psionic telepathy, controlled by a central mind but with subservient lesser minds to manage things more directly. That's an apt description of the Zerg.

Tavior is just grasping at straws, same as they were when they called the Emperor of Mankind an example of a Psionic Ascension Hivemind leader.

The Zerg are pretty damn clearly a Genetic Ascension Hive Mind.

Zerg has shown PSI power over multiple instance.

Spoiler

Psionic Powers
Cerebrates were often (perhaps always) powerful psychics, but these powers are usually limited to a specific area. For instance, one cerebrate may be able to create and reincarnate the powerful Torrasque,[6][7] while another may be able to fill its structures with vital energy.[7] Cerebrates possessed detection abilities similar to those of overlords.[8]

As with the rest of the zerg, cerebrates communicated telepathically, albeit in a manner quite different to terrans or protoss.[5]

Reincarnation
"If ever your flesh should fail, that flesh shall be made anew. That is my covenant with all Cerebrates."
- The Overmind to a young cerebrate(src)

One trait that all cerebrates shared was that of reincarnation. While the Overmind was alive, it could reincarnate a cerebrate through the use of cosmic energy. Slaying a cerebrate with this type of energy prevented reincarnation.[2] Zasz, cerebrate of the Garm Brood, was permanently killed in this way by Dark Prelate Zeratul. This created a brief mental link between Zeratul and the Overmind; Zeratul learned of the Overmind's connection with the xel'naga and its plans for the protoss race,[9] while the Overmind learned the location of Aiur.[10] The Overmind went into silence following this, and did not recover until the zerg eradicated the Garm Brood.[11] Later, the protoss killed other cerebrates in deliberate attempts to "distract" the Overmind.[8]

The psi disrupter possibly inhibited reincarnation.[7]

Although their link with the Overmind granted them virtual invulnerability, it was not without its weaknesses. Cerebrates were not designed to exist without the Overmind, and were unable to sustain themselves for long after its death – a vulnerability which drove them to create a new one following the first Overmind's death.[12]

During starcraft Zerg found out where Protoss homeworld Auir was because of Zeratul trying to kill Zasz, successful I add, exposed herself telepathic-wise to Overlord.

Amon during starcraft 2 campign LotV clearly was dead and yet manage to muster support from his hybrid and other subjects. If that is NOT psi ascension then I don't know what psi is.

Stop with the ad hominem "grasping at straw" argument because right now you sound like a broken record repeating itself over and over.

 

[Drakonn]

As much as it seems to lock out certain styles and RP I'm all for a little more uniqueness in various play styles so the way the Devs are going is fine by me.

Typically, I've hated when someone redirects me to mods to solve a problem but this will probably be a good time to find those mods after Utopia hits

Also, anyone notice how the HIve Mind background has a clearly not so organic look to it?

 

[Noomie]

Zerg has shown PSI power over multiple instance.

Spoiler

Psionic Powers
Cerebrates were often (perhaps always) powerful psychics, but these powers are usually limited to a specific area. For instance, one cerebrate may be able to create and reincarnate the powerful Torrasque,[6][7] while another may be able to fill its structures with vital energy.[7] Cerebrates possessed detection abilities similar to those of overlords.[8]

As with the rest of the zerg, cerebrates communicated telepathically, albeit in a manner quite different to terrans or protoss.[5]

Reincarnation
"If ever your flesh should fail, that flesh shall be made anew. That is my covenant with all Cerebrates."
- The Overmind to a young cerebrate(src)

One trait that all cerebrates shared was that of reincarnation. While the Overmind was alive, it could reincarnate a cerebrate through the use of cosmic energy. Slaying a cerebrate with this type of energy prevented reincarnation.[2] Zasz, cerebrate of the Garm Brood, was permanently killed in this way by Dark Prelate Zeratul. This created a brief mental link between Zeratul and the Overmind; Zeratul learned of the Overmind's connection with the xel'naga and its plans for the protoss race,[9] while the Overmind learned the location of Aiur.[10] The Overmind went into silence following this, and did not recover until the zerg eradicated the Garm Brood.[11] Later, the protoss killed other cerebrates in deliberate attempts to "distract" the Overmind.[8]

The psi disrupter possibly inhibited reincarnation.[7]

Although their link with the Overmind granted them virtual invulnerability, it was not without its weaknesses. Cerebrates were not designed to exist without the Overmind, and were unable to sustain themselves for long after its death – a vulnerability which drove them to create a new one following the first Overmind's death.[12]

During starcraft Zerg found out where Protoss homeworld Auir was because of Zeratul trying to kill Zasz, successful I add, exposed herself telepathic-wise to Overlord.

Amon during starcraft 2 campign LotV clearly was dead and yet manage to muster support from his hybrid and other subjects. If that is NOT psi ascension then I don't know what psi is.

Stop with the ad hominem "grasping at straw" argument because right now you sound like a broken record repeating itself over and over.

Except you completely left out the part about Amon taking the zerg from their homeworld of Zerus and genetically altering them to be the hive-minded biological scourge we know and love/hate. Also Amon isn't a zerg, he's a renegade Xel'naga.

Hybrid aren't zerg and they aren't protoss, they're an abomination made from more or less dissecting both, something more. And dangerous.

 

[Tavior]

Except you completely left out the part about Amon taking the zerg from their homeworld of Zerus and genetically altering them to be the hive-minded biological scourge we know and love/hate. Also Amon isn't a zerg, he's a renegade Xel'naga.

Hybrid aren't zerg and they aren't protoss, they're an abomination made from more or less dissecting both, something more. And dangerous.

Zerg were also augmented with psi power from overlord (the creature that gives supplies before it were assimilated into zerg swarm not the top dog overlord).

Furthermore while Amon were sleeping during starcraft campaign. He was prefect capable of controlling the zerg as if he was a centralized intelligence of a Hive Mind. He just never got the chance to do so.

My point is that the species known as Zerg along with Xel'naga's control, PSI Overlord component, and additional to primal zerg ability to biological evolve doesn't make them exclusive to only biological ascension as BlackUmbrellas claims.

Also I didn't leave that part out. I said Amon influenced Zerg and all that implies.

 

[BlackUmbrellas]

Zerg has shown PSI power over multiple instance.

Spoiler

Psionic Powers
Cerebrates were often (perhaps always) powerful psychics, but these powers are usually limited to a specific area. For instance, one cerebrate may be able to create and reincarnate the powerful Torrasque,[6][7] while another may be able to fill its structures with vital energy.[7] Cerebrates possessed detection abilities similar to those of overlords.[8]

As with the rest of the zerg, cerebrates communicated telepathically, albeit in a manner quite different to terrans or protoss.[5]

Reincarnation
"If ever your flesh should fail, that flesh shall be made anew. That is my covenant with all Cerebrates."
- The Overmind to a young cerebrate(src)

One trait that all cerebrates shared was that of reincarnation. While the Overmind was alive, it could reincarnate a cerebrate through the use of cosmic energy. Slaying a cerebrate with this type of energy prevented reincarnation.[2] Zasz, cerebrate of the Garm Brood, was permanently killed in this way by Dark Prelate Zeratul. This created a brief mental link between Zeratul and the Overmind; Zeratul learned of the Overmind's connection with the xel'naga and its plans for the protoss race,[9] while the Overmind learned the location of Aiur.[10] The Overmind went into silence following this, and did not recover until the zerg eradicated the Garm Brood.[11] Later, the protoss killed other cerebrates in deliberate attempts to "distract" the Overmind.[8]

The psi disrupter possibly inhibited reincarnation.[7]

Although their link with the Overmind granted them virtual invulnerability, it was not without its weaknesses. Cerebrates were not designed to exist without the Overmind, and were unable to sustain themselves for long after its death – a vulnerability which drove them to create a new one following the first Overmind's death.[12]

During starcraft Zerg found out where Protoss homeworld Auir was because of Zeratul trying to kill Zasz, successful I add, exposed herself telepathic-wise to Overlord.

Amon during starcraft 2 campign LotV clearly was dead and yet manage to muster support from his hybrid and other subjects. If that is NOT psi ascension then I don't know what psi is.

Stop with the ad hominem "grasping at straw" argument because right now you sound like a broken record repeating itself over and over.

Zerg were also augmented with psi power from overlord (the creature that gives supplies before it were assimilated into zerg swarm not the top dog overlord).

Furthermore while Amon were sleeping during starcraft campaign. He was prefect capable of controlling the zerg as if he was a centralized intelligence of a Hive Mind. He just never got the chance to do so.

My point is that the species known as Zerg along with Xel'naga's control, PSI Overlord component, and additional to primal zerg ability to biological evolve doesn't make them exclusive to only biological ascension as BlackUmbrellas claims.

Also I didn't leave that part out. I said Amon influenced Zerg and all that implies.

What you're refusing to recognize is that telepathic =/= belonging to the Psionic Ascension Path.

In Stellaris, all Hive Minds are telepathic- that's how their mind functions, its a psychic entity connected to every body of its species. The nature of this link means that the Hive Mind entity is incapable of connecting to the Shroud the way non-Hive Mind entities are (and thus Hive Minds cannot manifest psionic abilities outside of this latent internal telepathy).

The Zerg have no notable psychic powers besides their hive-mind telepathy itself- that's why Kerrigan was important, remember? Because she had psionic abilities the Zerg were otherwise incapable of harnessing. All Zerg special abilities are biological in nature, the only hint of psionics they have outside of Kerrigan or Amon's Hybrids (which aren't Zerg and are thus irrelevant to this discussion) is their telepathic hive-mind link itself.

Instead, the ability of the Zerg to assimilate other species into their hive-mind and to rapidly adapt its species on the micro-level through rapid directed evolution clearly makes them fall under the category of "Genetic Ascension" according to Stellaris rules.

 

[Noomie]

Zerg were also augmented with psi power from overlord (the creature that gives supplies before it were assimilated into zerg swarm not the top dog overlord).

Furthermore while Amon were sleeping during starcraft campaign. He was prefect capable of controlling the zerg as if he was a centralized intelligence of a Hive Mind. He just never got the chance to do so.

My point is that the species known as Zerg along with Xel'naga's control, PSI Overlord component, and additional to primal zerg ability to biological evolve doesn't make them exclusive to only biological ascension as BlackUmbrellas claims.

Also I didn't leave that part out. I said Amon influenced Zerg and all that implies.

The Swarm was designed from conception to be tied to one ruling authority (that would be the overriding will of the overmind) that Amon could easily control, because protoss were too independent.

I get what you're trying to get at, that the psi power of the overmind is comparable to psi ascension. But it really isn't, it's biological to the core. Yes there is innate psionics tied to it but you'd make a better argument with the Khala and the Protoss, they're not a hive mind specifically but they're very close to it what with being interconnected on a mental and emotional level.

Edit; Forgot to clarify, I meant that you'd make a better argument of psi ascendancy hive mind with Protoss, rather than Zerg.

 

[BlackUmbrellas]

As much as it seems to lock out certain styles and RP I'm all for a little more uniqueness in various play styles so the way the Devs are going is fine by me.

Typically, I've hated when someone redirects me to mods to solve a problem but this will probably be a good time to find those mods after Utopia hits

Also, anyone notice how the HIve Mind background has a clearly not so organic look to it?

Stellaris Hive Minds still use technology. They're just a species with one mind- and that alone doesn't imply biotech.

 

[Madzai]

I have one of the developers as a friend on Discord and I chat to him fairly regularly. I asked him this question a few days ago and he said something to the effect of "If we were to do that, we might as well release Stellaris 2." Not his exact words, but that was pretty much what he was getting at. It seems they kinda have limited time to develop all of this, so that is why it is restricted for the moment. But that being said, giving Hive-Minds the ability to go Psionic or Synthetic is something I personally want quite a lot, so hopefully they will be able to include that in a future patch/expansion.

I don't want to be an a**, but with amount of content in Stellaris as it is right now they better start with releasing Stellaris 1.0. Because right now it's more like Stellaris 0.5 - even if we compare it to release versions of their other products - at least those had solid basic, compared with Stellaris where most of basic being in total rework almost a year after initial release.

 

[Tavior]

What you're refusing to recognize is that telepathic =/= belonging to the Psionic Ascension Path.

In Stellaris, all Hive Minds are telepathic- that's how their mind functions, its a psychic entity connected to every body of its species. The nature of this link means that the Hive Mind entity is incapable of connecting to the Shroud the way non-Hive Mind entities are (and thus Hive Minds cannot manifest psionic abilities outside of this latent internal telepathy).

The Zerg have no notable psychic powers besides their hive-mind telepathy itself- that's why Kerrigan was important, remember? Because she had psionic abilities the Zerg were otherwise incapable of harnessing. All Zerg special abilities are biological in nature, the only hint of psionics they have outside of Kerrigan or Amon's Hybrids (which aren't Zerg and are thus irrelevant to this discussion) is their telepathic hive-mind link itself.

Instead, the ability of the Zerg to assimilate other species into their hive-mind and to rapidly adapt its species on the micro-level through rapid directed evolution clearly makes them fall under the category of "Genetic Ascension" according to Stellaris rules.

Overlord was capable of using psi power to resurrect their cerebrate when the khala protoss tried to kill it. Hence the dark templar had to step in and do it for them despite the distrust between light and dark templar.

They are drawn to psi emitter which also affect human with telepathic power. This just show that they have latent psi power if not fully manifested.

The flying transport unit lore-wise before being assimilated into zerg have telepathic power and were pressed into use in additional to biological modifying them to their current form. Otherwise they would have NO Hive Mind to work with in the first place. Remember primal zerg doesn't even remotely have any telepathic power and Xel'naga add the species overlord so they would.

How else do you explain where amon's zerg got their hive mind telepathy? yeah I thought so.

The Swarm was designed from conception to be tied to one ruling authority (that would be the overriding will of the overmind) that Amon could easily control, because protoss were too independent.

I get what you're trying to get at, that the psi power of the overmind is comparable to psi ascension. But it really isn't, it's biological to the core. Yes there is innate psionics tied to it but you'd make a better argument with the Khala and the Protoss, they're not a hive mind specifically but they're very close to it what with being interconnected on a mental and emotional level.

Edit; Forgot to clarify, I meant that you'd make a better argument of psi ascendancy hive mind with Protoss, rather than Zerg.

Even if the protoss were a better example of psi ascension. They are NOT an example of psi ascension Hive Mind.

 

[BlackUmbrellas]

I mean, heck, let's look at the timeline of how the Zerg became what they are:

• Amon's Xel'Naga find the primitive Zerg on Zerus- I guess Heart of the Swarm retconned this into the "Primal Zerg" that could adapt traits from things they ate, but original canon was that the Zerg were a parasitic worm that could control animals it attached to and make them manifest useful mutations. (These two versions are technically reconcilable).
• Amon's Xel'Naga began to tinker with and modify the primitive Zerg, vastly boosting their ability to induce mutations and creating the Overmind as an easily-influenced puppet that would control all the Zerg at once.
• Again, a retcon: originally, the Overmind simply turned against the Xel'Naga that created it and assimilated them. Legacy of the Void changes this into the Xel'naga attacking Amon and his allies, wiping them out, and the Zerg assimilating the casualties.
• The Overmind sits on Zerus for a while tinkering with the Zerg (possibly creating its Cerebrates as underlings around this point), then detects spacefaring organisms venturing nearby- it telepathically beckons them to Zerus, then assimilates them (these being nebulous origin of the Overlords or perhaps the interplanetary Leviathans or whatever they're called.)
• As the Overmind leads the Zerg towards Auir (which it learned the location of through the devoured Xel'Naga), assimilating useful species along the way.

So, to summarize:

1. The Zerg's hive-mind was created by the genetic tinkering of a more advanced species.
2. The Zerg have a telepathic connection that makes all members subservient to the Overmind.
3. The Overmind created autonomous (but still subservient) personalities to micro-manage its swarm.
4. The Zerg assimilate other species into the hive-mind.
5. The Zerg are expert manipulators of genetics and adapt their many composite drone-species into specialized roles.

That sure sounds like a Hive Mind that completed the Genetic Ascension Path to me.