Hivelord rework

[Toroic]

Summary (a quick, 2-3 sentence summary): Hivelord as it is currently is an inefficient use of slots, and drones who want to build more already get that from upgrading. It could get new abilities to make it more interesting

Benefits (How this will benefit the server and game as a whole): hivelord will be less a waste of a slot, can give better tunnels and be a rally point for xeno attacks

Details (Description of how you think this would work, the benefits, etc):

-Hivelord is 1/hive
-Takes a t3 slot
-Unrestricted (no cooldown) tunnel building, can also collapse tunnels
-Expanded pheromone range (2x)
-Cannot build resin, just drop weeds
-Xenos get a verb to switch between pointer to queen vs to hivelord
-better health and armor, retains resin walker
-Queen gets a verb to view the hivelord similar to BO and SL

Implementation (Optional, if you have an idea how to implement it): Some coding similar to what already exists, provides hivelord a distinct purpose and doesn't waste evolution slots on building castes, helps xenos implement more complex attack plans.

[Derpislav]

Hive Tyrant plz. +1.
I would like to see them buff xenos with their presence besides just pheromones. A walking hivemind relay, if you wish. Faster ability recharge when in viewing distance of Hivelord?

[Jackie Estegado]

Hivelord is indeed just not used anymore, especialy on Icecolony where you can barely even make usefull tunnels. And with these new abilities it would much better resemble what it is in the lore instead of having a completly madeup role. +1

[Crab_Spider]

Hivelords have a large health pool, can increase their speed to that of a runner's with resin walker and frenzy pheromones, have a high plasma store, and basically build resin structures faster than a drone.

People become a Hivelord to build upon some the Drone's flaws, making tactical strategies stronger. They don't need much of a rework.

Neutral.

[Toroic]

Hivelords have a large health pool, can increase their speed to that of a runner's with resin walker and frenzy pheromones, have a high plasma store, and basically build resin structures faster than a drone.

People become a Hivelord to build upon some the Drone's flaws, making tactical strategies stronger. They don't need much of a rework.

Neutral.

What flaws does an upgraded drone have, exactly? They're relatively fast even off weeds, have pheromones and weeds, can ventcrawl and use acid.

Hivelord get better base regen, a larger pool, slow movement, no acid, and tunnels that are barely used effectively on LV with their 10 minute cooldown.

[Jackie Estegado]

Hivelords have a large health pool, can increase their speed to that of a runner's with resin walker and frenzy pheromones, have a high plasma store, and basically build resin structures faster than a drone.

People become a Hivelord to build upon some the Drone's flaws, making tactical strategies stronger. They don't need much of a rework.

Neutral.

Apart from what Toroic said hivelord are nearly useless in combat compared to a drone, and they also can't become a queen. Then there is the fact that they just bottleneck evolution.

[Swagile]

The problem I see with Hivelord is that when you have a good hive lord, no one notices.

By that I mean when a Hivelord makes a great network on LV, no one cares to use it and so the slot is wasted even when the hive lord makes tons of good tunnels.

The problem I see with hivelord and why tunnels aren't used is because when you shift examine tunnels, they don't tell you exactly where you are going (most of them are Weyland Yutani Compound). And you cannot check whats on the other side like you can with ladders, leading you to be extremely vulnerable if marines tunnel camp and then kill you when you pop on the other side.

[Casgair]

To be totally honest, the only reason you really need tunnels most rounds are for quick hugger grabbing -- if the hive is pushing there's almost zero use for them, especially on LV 624. Combined with the fact that lots of tunnels can be confusing for anyone else trying to use them, and you have to wonder how much utility you really get from it.

That said, on resin I'd argue that an HL is a stronger combatant than a drone due to more speed and a better tackle. This is of course ignoring slots and lack of ventcrawl.

[ShortTemperedLeprechaun]

I support this. Hivelord is lackluster, when you compare it to an upgraded drone. And it's just a bigger target.

[Halinder]

So what would the inclination be to play hivelord, now that it's essentially just there to spread pheromones, weeds, and tunnels without the ability to build anything?

[tempchar]

I am supportive of the idea of a rework to the hivelord, but not this kind of rework.

This rework will just make the hivelord into a mind-numbingly boring role. It can't build anything (tunnels are rather lackluster), it can't fight (no special abilities like acid spit or pounce, a sentinel would be more reliable in combat), and even if it WAS able to fight, it would be pointless because this reworked hivelord seems best at hanging around and keeping pheromones going (which is not very fun).

The more I think of it, the more I see this reworked hivelord as an inferior praetorian. It is trying to be a jack-of-all-trades, but because of that it doesn't really excel in anything and fails to find a niche that other xeno castes do not already occupy.

I would like to see a rework to the hivelord, but I'm just not feeling this one. -1

[Halinder]

I'd +1 it if it the hivelord was given more abilities to support xenos, such as replacing their pheromones with a single Hivelord pheromone that provides the frenzy, guarding, and recovery pheromones all in one.

[DementedKitty]

Hivelord needs better communication to the hive, this could be achieved multiple ways. +1

Mutliple ways it could be achieved:
Tunnel messages are like death messages for aliens telling them of where they are going to and from.
Hivelord could just have different colored text for it's name like the queen does.
It could reverberate to the hive's minds instead(So it's messages aren't similar to a queen's) so it's telling of tunnels isn't just lost in the chat logs.

[Snypehunter007]

viewtopic.php?f=59&t=7075#p122569

Locking.