We talked about the hive mind changes on Monday's stream.
Yes, Maintenance Depots are gone for both hives and machines. Machines get maintenance drones all over the place, hives get three from Hive Districts (more on hive worlds).
Synapse Drones have also significantly changed roles, they now provide Administrative Capacity and Unity.
There's a Synchronicity tradition that gives them some minor Amenity production as well.
Since hives get Synapse Drones from their capital buildings and the Prosperity finisher, they end up with a pretty easy time generating administrative capacity, especially in the early and mid game. Synapse Nodes can provide more if you need them.
Hives are expected to excel at expansion and unity, and be able to support a sprawling empire of many small planets easily. Building massive worlds is intended to be a tougher for them due to their reduced opportunities to generate amenities.
Machine empires, on the other hand, get few Coordinators outside of dedicated Uplink Nodes. They have maintenance drones readily available, but unless a Servitor, tend to have trouble generating Unity. A Synchronicity tradition lets their Coordinators decrease planet deviancy.
As noted elsewhere, machine empires have substantially increased penalties for going over their Administrative Capacity. Empires that like to expand (like Exterminators or Assimilators) can still do their thing, but will have to maintain their Uplink network if they want to avoid sprawl penalties.
Yes, Maintenance Depots are gone for both hives and machines. Machines get maintenance drones all over the place, hives get three from Hive Districts (more on hive worlds).
Synapse Drones have also significantly changed roles, they now provide Administrative Capacity and Unity.
There's a Synchronicity tradition that gives them some minor Amenity production as well.
Since hives get Synapse Drones from their capital buildings and the Prosperity finisher, they end up with a pretty easy time generating administrative capacity, especially in the early and mid game. Synapse Nodes can provide more if you need them.
Hives are expected to excel at expansion and unity, and be able to support a sprawling empire of many small planets easily. Building massive worlds is intended to be a tougher for them due to their reduced opportunities to generate amenities.
Machine empires, on the other hand, get few Coordinators outside of dedicated Uplink Nodes. They have maintenance drones readily available, but unless a Servitor, tend to have trouble generating Unity. A Synchronicity tradition lets their Coordinators decrease planet deviancy.
As noted elsewhere, machine empires have substantially increased penalties for going over their Administrative Capacity. Empires that like to expand (like Exterminators or Assimilators) can still do their thing, but will have to maintain their Uplink network if they want to avoid sprawl penalties.
No, pops give half a point of sprawl, which is reduced by your sector governor.