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[Dazs]

Hello and good mod! Your ships are beautiful and I like the design, and I love the idea of a perma-hostile faction.

Ah thank you, I made HIVER specifically because I though the game would benefit from having a mid level threat baddie, it is nice to hear you are enjoying it. HuginBlar from Epta Consortium (a really good looking mod check it out) helped a lot in polishing the sprites up, I'll pass your kind words along to him as well.

I did a game where tangling with the Hivers cost me a fleet or two! :-)

Well that is risk you run but no risk no reward

I will note, however, that the Hivers' stated goal of hyper-hostility falls apart fairly often- Being hostile to everyone, they tend to post bounties, which then means my war with the Hegemon rapidly gets me into their good graces, at which point they're a normal faction.

Hmm that is odd, I have them flagged to not post bounties in Nex but I guess you are playing with a mod that has separate bounties. I have code implemented that should reset relations to hostile if a faction nears neutral. Could be the reward for those bounties is circumventing that. Are you using a mod that has bounties separate from vanilla and Nex?

Similarly, I kept finding bio-weapons all over the place well before I met the hivers, which hurt their mystique a little bit. Is there a way to make it so their weapons only drop from direct confrontations?

I did my best to have them explode in AI fights and lessen the chance of recovery but it is a hard coded feature that loot drops no matter who is fighting. I do have an optional setting to make them not drop their weapons at all but that is a nuclear option that I assume you do not want to do. As far as I know there is not an option for only personal fights dropping loot but I can look into it.

I'll double check on my end that nothing regarding bounties changed in either 0.96a or the updated Nex that I need to adjust Hiver for. In the mean time if you could let me know if you are using a mod that posts bounties independent of NEX and SS that would be helpful as I could see if there is a blacklist feature I could incorporate.

Thank you for the kind words and bringing this to my attention!

[Dazs]

forgot to add:  in new game setup, when I set "enable Random Core Worlds":  II see in the "enable factions" menu that the Hiver faction is disabled by default...please consider to set to "enabled" by default, or inform players in the OP page about what the default setting is, and what to do about it

@eidolad and a note to all:
I modified my message regarding using this mod with the random core worlds option on the main form page. I added instructions on how to make them appear in the sector when RCW is enabled in to the optional file section on the forum OP (they will be added to the README in the next update) both temporarily as well as permanently. I also added a note regarding the plus/minus of enabling them in RCW and how it drastically changes their threat level.

I hope you are all enjoying the new 0.96a content, I know I sure am. - Enjoy!

[eidolad]

Some observations on the first .96a Hiver Swarm in random core worlds, Nexerelin playthrough:

1.  Hivers were exterminated quicker than any game I've had...they will killed about 6 hours into the playthrough.

2.  I picked up not one, but two Hiver blueprint packages and I'm only character level 3...which is truly unheard of for me.  I don't recall ever seeing a Hiver BP package before this.  If Hiver weapons and ships are still a slight (or better) overmatch for a comparable human system, and if I'm seeing the expected "new" BP package drop rate, then this is pretty significant change. 

I'm picking these up either from Research Stations or other exploration sources.   I'm only doing exploration missions until I have enough cash for the first colony.

_________________

A feature request:  "selective faction respawn" for Nexerelin for the Hiver Swarm, if it doesn't have this option.  If Nex *does* have this option...then definitely let the player choose whether Hiver can respawn.  This would be a reasonable workaround to keep the Hiver in the game.  (like those little pavement ants which returned to my kitchen two Springs in a row until I found the problem)

Or if it is better to ask for this over on the Nexerelin thread, then I'll post it over there.

[NasaBrindle]

I will note, however, that the Hivers' stated goal of hyper-hostility falls apart fairly often- Being hostile to everyone, they tend to post bounties, which then means my war with the Hegemon rapidly gets me into their good graces, at which point they're a normal faction.

Hmm that is odd, I have them flagged to not post bounties in Nex but I guess you are playing with a mod that has separate bounties. I have code implemented that should reset relations to hostile if a faction nears neutral. Could be the reward for those bounties is circumventing that. Are you using a mod that has bounties separate from vanilla and Nex?

It happened in two games, but that was pre .96, and it hasn't recurred since I posted XD. I was using a fair few mods, but nothing that was explicitly about bounties? They were the standard sector-wide bounties you see a lot. I'll get the save-data if it shows up again!

[Dazs]

Some observations on the first .96a Hiver Swarm in random core worlds, Nexerelin playthrough:

1.  Hivers were exterminated quicker than any game I've had...they will killed about 6 hours into the playthrough.

Well that is why I stated that using them in RCW mode sort of breaks the mod. They become toothless but still have superior tech that is now easier to obtain. As I stated earlier, they start off with a couple small fleets that the NPC factions will eventually defeat then eliminate them in the early stages of the game since they cannot reproduce the lost ships. Hiver Swarm is all about Risk vs reward and I have done my best to balance the difficulty level. RCW tosses all that out the window and well you get what the random number generator gives you.

2.  I picked up not one, but two Hiver blueprint packages and I'm only character level 3...which is truly unheard of for me.  I don't recall ever seeing a Hiver BP package before this.  If Hiver weapons and ships are still a slight (or better) overmatch for a comparable human system, and if I'm seeing the expected "new" BP package drop rate, then this is pretty significant change. 

I'm picking these up either from Research Stations or other exploration sources.   I'm only doing exploration missions until I have enough cash for the first colony.

As far as the BP issue, I am not sure why they drop more in RCW mode. You can always just destroy them or sell them on the black market and power up the pirate faction for extra fun.

_________________

A feature request:  "selective faction respawn" for Nexerelin for the Hiver Swarm, if it doesn't have this option.  If Nex *does* have this option...then definitely let the player choose whether Hiver can respawn.  This would be a reasonable workaround to keep the Hiver in the game.  (like those little pavement ants which returned to my kitchen two Springs in a row until I found the problem)

I believe there is an option in NEX for faction respawn but it effects all factions.

Or if it is better to ask for this over on the Nexerelin thread, then I'll post it over there.

It is such a niche request to have that be selective, I would not personally bother Histidine with it as I am sure there is still a ton of work keeping Nex 0.96a stable and I respect the time needed to do all the work that involves.

Thank you for the status update. I do not use them in RCW myself and it is helpful to hear how they fare in that mode from someone who does.

[Dazs]

It happened in two games, but that was pre .96, and it hasn't recurred since I posted XD.

I have read in the Nexerelin notes that the bounty system has had some changes made so it may have solved the issue.

I was using a fair few mods, but nothing that was explicitly about bounties? They were the standard sector-wide bounties you see a lot. I'll get the save-data if it shows up again!

I asked because I have them flagged to post no bounties in the Nexerelin faction config so I figure it was a mod using the magiclib bounty system or something like it.

Thank you for the follow up, I'll keep an eye out for it myself and I appreciate the offer to let me know if it happens again post 0.96a.

[eidolad]

ok thanks for the info.  FYI that in a single orbital base loot instance:  two Hiver BP packs.  .96a or one of the mods I have has definitely increased the drop rate of blueprint packs in general...

I've got four of the tasty Hiver BP packs in my inventory already

____

Super minor thing:  my brand new Adorable-class frigate purchase as a Junk Yard Dog faction planet (Random Core Worlds) came with the name "HIVER Chekin".

____

To work around the Hivers disappearing, I may just go with faction respawn in my next game that I want Hivers in.  That makes them a pest that just keeps on coming back.

[Dazs]

ok thanks for the info.  FYI that in a single orbital base loot instance:  two Hiver BP packs.  .96a or one of the mods I have has definitely increased the drop rate of blueprint packs in general...

I've got four of the tasty Hiver BP packs in my inventory already

I do seem to remember there being a loot re-work in the patch notes but the details escape me in my pre-coffee state. There is an optional file in the RAR that you can enable that makes their BP not drop at all if it gets to be a nuisance.
____

Super minor thing:  my brand new Adorable-class frigate purchase as a Junk Yard Dog faction planet (Random Core Worlds) came with the name "HIVER Chekin".

That is odd, I have JYD ship names set to only pull from a list of dog puns I made for them. At a guess RCW may not read the faction files, it is random after all   Must just be a weird coincidence that it picked one of my other mods for it's naming scheme.

To work around the Hivers disappearing, I may just go with faction respawn in my next game that I want Hivers in.  That makes them a pest that just keeps on coming back.

Yep that will work for all factions including Hiver. Just know that when they appear they start fresh and the other factions are more established so Hivers will most likely be eliminated even faster.

I enjoy your status reports, thank you for sharing your experience.

[KDR_11k]

Man, the Hivers are way too dominant in Nexrelin with standard core worlds. They always have like 3 invasions running at the same time, sat-bombing several colonies before I even get enough strength to influence anything. Feels like 90% of my battles are against the Hivers just while I try to keep them off my alliance's planets (I've picked Persean League) and every battle is an endless slogfest. I guess the upside is that I get a near endless supply of Hiver loot just from post-battle salvage and their OP weapons can turn any ship into a monster. The conventional factions hardly matter anymore because the Hivers send more attacks than the rest of the sector combined.
It doesn't look like anybody ever attacks their homeworlds so they could easily be less aggressive without losing ground. Or maybe have year-long "hibernation" phases in which they don't invade so we get to see a bit of the regular game in that time.

[Dazs]

Man, the Hivers are way too dominant in Nexrelin with standard core worlds. They always have like 3 invasions running at the same time, sat-bombing several colonies before I even get enough strength to influence anything.

It sounds like you do not have any other faction mods enabled. Hivers are recommended for a game that has several enabled to help keep them at bay while you build up. You were doing it hard mode, nice job!

Feels like 90% of my battles are against the Hivers just while I try to keep them off my alliance's planets (I've picked Persean League) and every battle is an endless slogfest. I guess the upside is that I get a near endless supply of Hiver loot just from post-battle salvage and their OP weapons can turn any ship into a monster. The conventional factions hardly matter anymore because the Hivers send more attacks than the rest of the sector combined.
It doesn't look like anybody ever attacks their homeworlds so they could easily be less aggressive without losing ground. Or maybe have year-long "hibernation" phases in which they don't invade so we get to see a bit of the regular game in that time.

That is about what I would expect using this mod without more than at least 3 added factions in the game. I know I have made that reccomendation several times but I will add it to the front page of the forum for clarity sake. I find that in my games, and granted I play with multiple factions enabled, the Hivers are fending off multiple invasions. I have them tuned for them to be able to do that and also send invasion fleets of their own.

I have tinkered with the idea of having a separate download that tones them down for a more vanilla game but I just haven't had the time to write another overhaul of the mod. However, once I am done working on a TTSC update, my calendar is free (assuming something on one of my other mods does not blow up) so I'll take a stab at a separate download with a weaker Hiver as my next project. No ETA on that but it has been a long time coming and it is about time I got to it

Thank you for your post, I rely on reports like yours to give me insight on how other people play the game and how I can better tune my mods to accommodate different playstyles. Oh and it also it gave me the kick in the pants I needed. 

[KDR_11k]

Ah, yeah, I was only playing with CFT and Arma Armatura, the 0.96 update reset my collection of mods.

[Oelopaca]

Hola.

I have played Starsector hundreds of hours, sometimes with more than 10 mod factions, always whit Nex. I tried this one because it reminded me of Starship Troopers and I love it.

But what a disappointment, to find out that they are Green Remnants. You had a great idea but you missed the target. Of course it is your vision, your creation. But they certainly don't look like what they're supposed to. I started a game and I have not managed to reach even 20 hours. It's not so much the amount of power they have right off the bat, it's just that fighting them isn't fun because they're not bugs, they're green Remnants. Pure technology.

I thought it would be the numbers, many ships but relatively weak. It's quite the opposite, that's what the Remnants are for, don't take the paper from the Remnants, it's the only thing those wretches without a soul have.

Other than that, the mod is very good, technically. At least you haven't included manga drawings in the images of the commanders as my "friend" Knight Chase has done with Mayasuran Navy, I was going to post him too but it's even hard for me to enter his section, he has gone too far with the manga aunts. It *** up the atmosphere of the game. But yours do look like they are some kind of merciless leader insects. The design of the ships is good and it's nice to see them coming into battle. The mechanics of an alien race of ever-threatening insects from deep within the sector is amazing, and in a way you've nailed it.

I made the account just to write this to you, you have made me lose 20 hours of my life, which are worth little and I was going to lose them on anything else, true, but it was on your thing. It pains me to uninstall it, it was a good concept, but it doesn't fulfill its supposed insectoid role. I'm a little kidding, you do a good job, but I'm not going to use your mod in the next game.

Well, maybe I'll visit Knight Chase, the truth is that it scares me how someone can spoil something so well worked for a piece of crap like that, we must not forget that it is Starsector. I don't need to see girls drawn in the commander's image, just the face of a being trying to survive in the Persean Sector, and I want to believe it.

This opinion is mine of course, and opinions are like ass, everyone has one. I translated it with google, my english is the worst. Que tenga un buen día Señor.

[Dazs]

Ah, yeah, I was only playing with CFT and Arma Armatura, the 0.96 update reset my collection of mods.

Well at least you have good taste in mods

[Dazs]

Hola.

I have played Starsector hundreds of hours, sometimes with more than 10 mod factions, always whit Nex. I tried this one because it reminded me of Starship Troopers and I love it.

I am a big Robert Heinlein fan and have read all his books. I thought the movie was it's own thing and missed the mark but good cheesy fun none the less

But what a disappointment, to find out that they are Green Remnants. You had a great idea but you missed the target. Of course it is your vision, your creation. But they certainly don't look like what they're supposed to. I started a game and I have not managed to reach even 20 hours. It's not so much the amount of power they have right off the bat, it's just that fighting them isn't fun because they're not bugs, they're green Remnants. Pure technology.

I am sorry to hear that. I guess at a certain perspective you could see them as analogous to remnant but the remnant are the roaming big bads and do not invade or colonize but I think I understand your POV.

I thought it would be the numbers, many ships but relatively weak. It's quite the opposite, that's what the Remnants are for, don't take the paper from the Remnants, it's the only thing those wretches without a soul have.

I would love for them to be an actual swarm like the Tyranids and have fleets filled with hundreds of small and medium ships but I am constrained by the fleet limit size that the game imposes. I tried to compensate for that by giving them the ability to send out multiple invasions at once and swarming in that fashion. I do not mean for this mod to compete with the Remnant, they hate those blue metal boys just as much as the space monkeys. I tried to balance them to be a weaker stepping stone for a player to build up with xp and power levels against so they can eventually go after the Ordo fleets infesting the system.

Other than that, the mod is very good, technically. At least you haven't included manga drawings in the images of the commanders as my "friend" Knight Chase has done with Mayasuran Navy, I was going to post him too but it's even hard for me to enter his section, he has gone too far with the manga aunts. It *** up the atmosphere of the game. But yours do look like they are some kind of merciless leader insects. The design of the ships is good and it's nice to see them coming into battle. The mechanics of an alien race of ever-threatening insects from deep within the sector is amazing, and in a way you've nailed it.

Well that is kind of you to say, thank you. As far as the Manga inspired mods out there, I enjoy them to an extent but I can see where you may find them to be game breaking in a lore perspective. If you find that you want to play with their ships but not the portraits you can always edit the sprites with replacements. It is a single player game, you hurt no one if you tinker with the mods for your personal use. IDK, just a thought.

I made the account just to write this to you, you have made me lose 20 hours of my life, which are worth little and I was going to lose them on anything else, true, but it was on your thing. It pains me to uninstall it, it was a good concept, but it doesn't fulfill its supposed insectoid role. I'm a little kidding, you do a good job, but I'm not going to use your mod in the next game.

That is a fair assessment, and I implore you to not undervalue your time because it is all limited and precious.

Well, maybe I'll visit Knight Chase, the truth is that it scares me how someone can spoil something so well worked for a piece of crap like that, we must not forget that it is Starsector. I don't need to see girls drawn in the commander's image, just the face of a being trying to survive in the Persean Sector, and I want to believe it.

Well that is their vision, please try to respect that. Even though you may not like that style, there is a player base that does and Knight Chase does a good job catering to it. The beauty of this game is that it is free to mod in so many ways. If you can learn Java, and have the inclination then you can make any sort of mod you desire. You can have space clowns that do not fire weapons but use flowers that shoot water and plastic hammers that bop your ships on the head if that its your inclination.

This opinion is mine of course, and opinions are like ass, everyone has one. I translated it with google, my english is the worst. Que tenga un buen día Señor.

That is some commitment and I salute you for taking the time to not only give me a concise feedback but also to translate it. I wish you well in your Starsector saga.

[KDR_11k]

The Hiver battles open with some swarming as their logistics and support ships recklessly charge in and get swatted within the first minute, after that it tends to be the more dangerous and long lived ships that stick around so it becomes a bit more of a standard battle.

Maybe they could be made swarmier by having some ships come with non-respawning large strike craft in tow, like the Roider Union fighter attachment hullmod? AFAIK the game won't allow proper line ships to be spawned in that way but if they're non-respawning you could add some much heavier "strikecraft" that go even beyond what the current quite dangerous strikers of the Hivers are like.