[smjjames]

Question: What is the likelihood of a Hive Mind Fallen Empire?

Nil AFAIK because all four of them are based on a single fanatic ethic. Unless they add a fifth FE that is a hivemind. And I'm not sure how a hive FE would work, obviously one that failed to complete biological ascension. How the hivemind FE would interact with the War In Heaven stuff, no clue either.

 

[Person012345]

It's seems to common enough. And the conflation between hive mind and eusocial seems to be common as well.

You seem to be agreeing with me. Or at least saying that his definition and the one I am talking about are relatively similarly supported.

BlackUmbrellas provided NUMEROUS quotes from this very thread alone of people assuming rl insect hives worked more or less like the fantasy Stellaris hiveminds (minus the psychic part, but still believing that drones were controlled by an individual). Just on the last page, someone chimed in with the mistaken belief that rl insect hives were under the 'control' of 'individual' queens! They very graciously accepted correction.

Please quote this for me

At this point, you've just got your head in the sand, blatantly lying because you are so unwilling to admit you were wrong. Many, many people DO think rl insect hives are literally feudal or something. There have been plenty of examples. And you keep flatly denying this happens - ironically, because you falsely believe everyone else shares YOUR definition.

Are you being purposefully dense? I didn't say nobody thinks ants are feudal or something of the sort, but if you think that the MAJORITY of people do, then you have even less faith in human intelligence than I do. I think it's patently absurd to say that the majority of human beings believe that hive animals take direct orders, telepathically or otherwise, from the queen. And that's not even that relevant to the conversation we're having as belief in the functioning of real life hives has little to do with one's conception of a "hive mind", "swarm intelligence", "eusocial" and other words of this sort. I would bet that most people would not be able to tell you the difference between these three words.

 

[Zaltys]

I'll be honest: I find the whole 'eating pops' thing to be too edgy, and it'll likely be a dealbreaker for me. Especially if all hive minds are forced to do it. This went from 'day one buy' to 'dunno if I'll keep playing this'.

There's plenty of hive minds in fiction who coexist just fine with other species. So forcing them all to be Zergs is just plain boring, especially from the RP-perspective.

 

[VoidEmperor]

I'll be honest: I find the whole 'eating pops' thing to be too edgy, and it'll likely be a dealbreaker for me. Especially if all hive minds are forced to do it. This went from 'day one buy' to 'dunno if I'll keep playing this'.

There's plenty of hive minds in fiction who coexist just fine with other species. So forcing them all to be Zergs is just plain boring, especially from the RP-perspective.

If you don't like eating your pops, don't eat your pops. For hiveminds, well, it does make sense that other species cannot be integrated right away. They could not communicate or anything with members of the hivemind. Same that a pop dies in another empire - Cuz they would feel cut off, alone. Just play it like this: You are the great hive mind, and you have been striving for peace with the rest of the galaxy. However, you appear to not be able to exert enough control about every one of your drones to not eat non-hive members! So, you are secretly striving for biological ascension, in hopes that it may allow you a way to integrate other species into your hive.

Happy?

 

[Zaltys]

Happy?

Not even remotely. What if, for instance, I want to play a hive mind species that doesn't even eat meat? Or one that's like the Borg?

 

[Haltin]

Or maybe it's just an excuse to not make an alternate The Shroud flavor text specifically for them.

How much flavor text does even an entirely Ascension Path require? You'd think it'd be less work to do a route rewrite than to invent an excuse.

And besides, many if not most event chains are going to require rewrites anyway.

 

[BlackUmbrellas]

How much flavor text does even an entirely Ascension Path require? You'd think it'd be less work to do a route rewrite than to invent an excuse.

And besides, many if not most event chains are going to require rewrites anyway.

A lot of flavour text.

(There are also considerations of the types of buffs different paths provide and how they'd interact with the Hive Mind mechanics.)

 

[Haltin]

No reason a hive mind can't have gotten to the Space Age with a vast amount of unproductive industry and obsolete drone support infrastructure still lying around.

Certainly. But they should all be Industrial Wastelands. A slum implies that the hive has or can have serious coordination problems, and while that is certainly possible (do hives still need to establish sectors? are those separate hives?) it's also a subject that should really be detailed in its own dedicated expansion (I suggest "Bug War" .

 

[Person012345]

I'll be honest: I find the whole 'eating pops' thing to be too edgy, and it'll likely be a dealbreaker for me. Especially if all hive minds are forced to do it. This went from 'day one buy' to 'dunno if I'll keep playing this'.

There's plenty of hive minds in fiction who coexist just fine with other species. So forcing them all to be Zergs is just plain boring, especially from the RP-perspective.

Uh, you aren't forced to be zergs and you can coexist with other species. Just don't invade them and you're good.

 

[BlackUmbrellas]

Certainly. But they should all be Industrial Wastelands. A slum implies that the hive has or can have serious coordination problems, and while that is certainly possible (do hives still need to establish sectors? are those separate hives?) it's also a subject that should really be detailed in its own dedicated expansion (I suggest "Bug War" .

I don't see the point in splitting hairs over it. "Industrial Wastelands", "Slums", what does it really matter? They're serving the same purpose, and it doesn't take a whole lot of imagination to justify a Hive Mind having "Slums" that it needs to clear away and revitalize into Space-Age industry.

 

[SolarGuy]

and have to abide by truces.

Can that part be modded out of the game?

 

[faljen_isus]

Not even remotely. What if, for instance, I want to play a hive mind species that doesn't even eat meat? Or one that's like the Borg?

borg consume all pops where they go, either by eradication or by assimilation, but rare are they who survive the borg when they visit or stay

 

[KingKone]

I'll be honest: I find the whole 'eating pops' thing to be too edgy, and it'll likely be a dealbreaker for me. Especially if all hive minds are forced to do it. This went from 'day one buy' to 'dunno if I'll keep playing this'.

There's plenty of hive minds in fiction who coexist just fine with other species. So forcing them all to be Zergs is just plain boring, especially from the RP-perspective.

I kind of agree sometimes paradox goes a bit too far on the evil and cruel side of things but as with mass genocide and slavery you don't have to play zenphoboes and slavers. Ironically I don't find eating pops that bad as food is about survival and I also see it as lighthearted play (playing the Venus flytrap people for instance). But slavery, genocide and the fact you can have forced preproduction and not allow reproduction I find somewhat distasteful.

Anyway I don't like the whole hive mind idea as I like to RP.

 

[faljen_isus]

I kind of agree sometimes paradox goes a bit too far on the evil and cruel side of things but as with mass genocide and slavery you don't have to play zenphoboes and slavers. Ironically I don't find eating pops that bad as food is about survival and I also see it as lighthearted play (playing the Venus flytrap people for instance). But slavery, genocide and the fact you can have forced preproduction and not allow reproduction I find somewhat distasteful.

Anyway I don't like the whole hive mind idea as I like to RP.

genocide and having the ability to prevent it is good for the game, you cant have a game that encompasses an entire galaxy and expect there to be no genocide and purging
the main point of this type of game is the freedom to choose your path, and the numerous the options they give us the better it is, especially for the players

from my viewpoint, there are no distasteful things in pursuit of good, full and deep gameplay

 

[KingKone]

genocide and having the ability to prevent it is good for the game, you cant have a game that encompasses an entire galaxy and expect there to be no genocide and purging
the main point of this type of game is the freedom to choose your path, and the numerous the options they give us the better it is, especially for the players

from my viewpoint, there are no distasteful things in pursuit of good, full and deep gameplay

I see what you mean and it is just a game and with very deep game play but I just like to play the good guy unless I'm in a bad mood and want to eat everything lol.

 

[safe-keeper]

Certainly. But they should all be Industrial Wastelands. A slum implies that the hive has or can have serious coordination problems, and while that is certainly possible (do hives still need to establish sectors? are those separate hives?) it's also a subject that should really be detailed in its own dedicated expansion (I suggest "Bug War" .

Or it just implies a very pragmatic and collectivist hive, where certain people don't need comfy housing and fancy things because they can serve their purposes without them.

 

[Vahouth]

One little detail that I noticed and I like about the hive mind pops, is that they all appear to be the same, even the autonomous drones!
They are not individually coloured as there is no individuality in the hive.

At least I hope that we can choose their colours from scratch.

 

[Primarch Victus]

Question: What is the likelihood of a Hive Mind Fallen Empire?

A Hive Mind Fallen Empire would be very dangerous depending in what they think about their neighbors.

 

[Cossack_of_Hetmanschina]

Is it possible to customize title of ruler.Like "Emperor\Empress" instead of "King\Queen","Consul" instead of "President",etc?

 

[Caspoi]

Is it possible to customize title of ruler.Like "Emperor\Empress" instead of "King\Queen","Consul" instead of "President",etc?

Presumably, considering how have been able to do so before.