Hi all,
I've had an idea to rework Hive Minds, not to 'fix' them, but just to try it out. I'm looking at making it over the Easter Period.
CONCEPT
I want to rework the civics for Hive Minds, making them stronger and more unique, and I wish to do away with unity while keeping ascension perks.
IMPLEMENTATION
Essentially, I'm going to make each of the Hive Mind Civics (excluding 'one mind') bound to the upgrades of a tradition tree, excluding any benefits to happiness, factions or unity bonuses. In essence, it will make Hive Minds have a strong starting game, with diminishing returns as other empires gain traditions or expand. Whether these will be mutually exclusive or not I'll have to test. If having two will make for an OP start, I'll do this and include a few basic civics for flavour (probably apeing the existing ones)
You also won't be able to gain unity (by changing the ethos to give you a -100% unity gain). This is to prevent traditions gained through civics being unlocked, and forces you to remain specialised in what you pick for civics, encouraging the 'single minded' aspect of being a collective conscious.
To unlock ascension perks, I will create a new tech called Singular Vision (and do away with the 'One Mind' civic). This is a repeatable tech that can only be unlocked after learning the 'ascension theory' tech, and have a significant tech cost. This is designed to represent your hive mind gaining better knowledge, and using this to learn asenscion perks.
The Civics I've bound to traditions like so (some of these may get swapped around):
ASCETIC - HARMONY - Possibly the weakest civic for Hive Minds reflects their lack of need for material things, and general disregard for the self.
Consumer Goods -15%
Defensive War Ship Build Speed +33%
Defensive War Fire Rate +15%
Leader Lifespan +20
DIVIDED ATTENTION - PROSPERITY - Represented by having the hive mind be able to focus in multiple areas, increasing efficiency
Mining Station Cost -33%
Terraforming Cost -33%
Building Upkeep - 10%
Ship Upkeep -10%
Ship & Building Cost -15%
NATURAL NEURAL NETWORK - DIPLOMACY - Difficult one to justify, but I see it as the ability to communicate within itself, and be aware of all communication channels with itself and other species, this increasing its diplomatic appeal
Diplomactic Influence Cost -50%
Trust Growth increase +33%
Habitability +10%
Federations
Fed Naval Cap X2
POOLED KNOWLEDGE - DISCOVERY - pretty obvious one here, the hive is dedicated to the gathering of knowledge
Research Station Cost -33%
Research Bonus +10%
Survey Research Gain +33%
Leader Skill Levels +1
Scientist Recruitment -33%
Anomaly Fail Risk -10%
Anomaly Discovery Chance +15%
STRENGTH OF LEGIONS - SUPREMACY - another easy one, making you an effective early game conqueror
Border Range +20%
Fire Rate +15%
ShipBuild Speed +15%
Naval Cap +10%
Cede Planet Cost Reduced +25%
Admiral Skill Level +2
Army Damage +25%
SUBSPACE EPHAPSE - EXPLORATION - as this implies being omnipresent on an interplanetary basis, I felt that the exploration tree suited it well
+1 Pop on colonisation
+2 Core System
Pop growth time -10%
Colony Development -50%
Frontier Outpost upkeep -50%
Frontier & Colony Influence Cost -50%
SUBSUMED WILL - DOMINATION - the remaining tradition, but it fits in with the idea of gaining subjects, with a move to absorb and control them when ready.
Subjugation Cost -25%
Research Treaties to Vassals
Governor Skills +2
Leader Cap +2
Vassal Naval Cap +20%
Tributary Revenue +10%
Subject integration Cooldown
Subject Opinion +20%
Subject Integration Cost -30%
Was curious to share this to see if anyone had any suggestions.
TL;DR - Replace HM civics with tradition tree bonuses, remove unity growth, researchable asenscion perk slots, with the caveat of needing a prerequisite.
I've had an idea to rework Hive Minds, not to 'fix' them, but just to try it out. I'm looking at making it over the Easter Period.
CONCEPT
I want to rework the civics for Hive Minds, making them stronger and more unique, and I wish to do away with unity while keeping ascension perks.
IMPLEMENTATION
Essentially, I'm going to make each of the Hive Mind Civics (excluding 'one mind') bound to the upgrades of a tradition tree, excluding any benefits to happiness, factions or unity bonuses. In essence, it will make Hive Minds have a strong starting game, with diminishing returns as other empires gain traditions or expand. Whether these will be mutually exclusive or not I'll have to test. If having two will make for an OP start, I'll do this and include a few basic civics for flavour (probably apeing the existing ones)
You also won't be able to gain unity (by changing the ethos to give you a -100% unity gain). This is to prevent traditions gained through civics being unlocked, and forces you to remain specialised in what you pick for civics, encouraging the 'single minded' aspect of being a collective conscious.
To unlock ascension perks, I will create a new tech called Singular Vision (and do away with the 'One Mind' civic). This is a repeatable tech that can only be unlocked after learning the 'ascension theory' tech, and have a significant tech cost. This is designed to represent your hive mind gaining better knowledge, and using this to learn asenscion perks.
The Civics I've bound to traditions like so (some of these may get swapped around):
ASCETIC - HARMONY - Possibly the weakest civic for Hive Minds reflects their lack of need for material things, and general disregard for the self.
Consumer Goods -15%
Defensive War Ship Build Speed +33%
Defensive War Fire Rate +15%
Leader Lifespan +20
DIVIDED ATTENTION - PROSPERITY - Represented by having the hive mind be able to focus in multiple areas, increasing efficiency
Mining Station Cost -33%
Terraforming Cost -33%
Building Upkeep - 10%
Ship Upkeep -10%
Ship & Building Cost -15%
NATURAL NEURAL NETWORK - DIPLOMACY - Difficult one to justify, but I see it as the ability to communicate within itself, and be aware of all communication channels with itself and other species, this increasing its diplomatic appeal
Diplomactic Influence Cost -50%
Trust Growth increase +33%
Habitability +10%
Federations
Fed Naval Cap X2
POOLED KNOWLEDGE - DISCOVERY - pretty obvious one here, the hive is dedicated to the gathering of knowledge
Research Station Cost -33%
Research Bonus +10%
Survey Research Gain +33%
Leader Skill Levels +1
Scientist Recruitment -33%
Anomaly Fail Risk -10%
Anomaly Discovery Chance +15%
STRENGTH OF LEGIONS - SUPREMACY - another easy one, making you an effective early game conqueror
Border Range +20%
Fire Rate +15%
ShipBuild Speed +15%
Naval Cap +10%
Cede Planet Cost Reduced +25%
Admiral Skill Level +2
Army Damage +25%
SUBSPACE EPHAPSE - EXPLORATION - as this implies being omnipresent on an interplanetary basis, I felt that the exploration tree suited it well
+1 Pop on colonisation
+2 Core System
Pop growth time -10%
Colony Development -50%
Frontier Outpost upkeep -50%
Frontier & Colony Influence Cost -50%
SUBSUMED WILL - DOMINATION - the remaining tradition, but it fits in with the idea of gaining subjects, with a move to absorb and control them when ready.
Subjugation Cost -25%
Research Treaties to Vassals
Governor Skills +2
Leader Cap +2
Vassal Naval Cap +20%
Tributary Revenue +10%
Subject integration Cooldown
Subject Opinion +20%
Subject Integration Cost -30%
Was curious to share this to see if anyone had any suggestions.
TL;DR - Replace HM civics with tradition tree bonuses, remove unity growth, researchable asenscion perk slots, with the caveat of needing a prerequisite.
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