[DEVBLOG#266] Player-built hives

Welcome to a deep dive into one of the most thrilling features of the "Vanilla Factions Expanded - Insectoids 2" - creating and managing player-built hives. This feature will allow you to do what many of you always wanted - coexist with insectoids. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how you can build and sustain your very own insectoid empire.

Understanding Insectoid Architecture

The mod introduces several specialized structures that are crucial for constructing a functional hive. These include various types of walls such as the Hive Wall, Insect Jelly Wall, and the more robust Royal Jelly Wall. Each of these has unique properties that influence not just defense strategies but also the aesthetics of your hive.

There is also a variety of different structures that can only be built by Insectoids - and often, only be constructed on the special Creep terrain. These structures provide insectoid-related solutions to player-centric problems - you will be able to generate some power using staticpods, extinguish fires using foampods, or light up your farms with glowpod spires that consume no energy and provide even more light than the sunlamp!

These structures can only be constructed by Insectoids with a Worker class tag. Not having any of them will mean no construction work will happen.

Building Your Hive

You start off by researching the Basic insectoidtech research project. This will allow you to construct basic hives.

ARTIFICIAL BASIC HIVE

• Description: An artificially constructed hive of giant insects. It is capable of spawning the most basic insectoids over time, as well as small amounts of valuable insect jelly.

• Please note: This is the only hive that can be built by the player. The other hives need to be constructed by worker insectoids. This hive may also be built by worker class insectoids, but can also be built by the player.

• Costs 120 Insect Jelly to construct.

Spawns:

• It spawns 10 insect jelly every 26,000 ticks ~ 30,000 ticks.

• It is capable of spawning following insectoid types:

  • Megascarab - Worker class

• Insectoid respawn time: 120000 ticks (2 days)

• Will self-heal over time 1 HP per 6,000 ticks.

It also spawns 1 Glow pod within 12 and 24 game hours after being built. (Same as base game hives).

This simple hive is the foundation on which you build your empire. While it's only capable of spawning very basic megascarabs, these megascarabs will go around constructing anything you want them to construct.

General

• Insectoids in hives do not lose their tameness level. They do not need taming, they belong to the colony the moment they spawn.

• Insectoids in hives do not appear in the colony animals screen. They only begin appearing on that screen if they somehow disconnect from the hive, for example when:

  • They leave the map.

  • The hive is destroyed.

• Insectoid in hives belong to the player faction and will not attack the player.

• Some insectoids can be drafted and controlled, but still should remain the part of the hive as long as they are on the colony map. When undrafted again, their standard hive AI should take over.

Purpose and roles

Insectoids can have one of the three roles in this mod. Each role assigns a different AI tree to them. Players can find out what role the currently selected insectoid has by checking the hive gizmo. Hovering over the role icon will display the following descriptions in the float menu:

• Defender: Defender insectoids vigilantly protect their hive by attacking any hostile entities that come within a designated radius.

• Hunter: Hunter insectoids proactively search for and hunt wildlife near their hive, bringing back and storing kills for communal consumption.

• Worker: Worker insectoids are tasked with constructing and maintaining insectoid-specific structures, as well as performing essential hauling and mining duties.

Changing spawn

Players can at will change the type of spawn in the hive.

Clicking the icon that represents currently selected insectoid opens up a dropdown menu with all other available insectoids in this hive. Each insectoid is depicted with an image, and with their role to the right.

When the player selects a different caste, all insectoids connected to that hive turn into insectoid cocoons. After 6000 ticks, they emerge from the cocoons in the new form.

Changing color

Players can change the colors of the insectoids of the specific hive. This changes the color of the mask applied to them. Players can at any point change this color, and changing it will instantly change the colors of the mask on the insectoids. This means that there is no cocoon stage or anything if it’s a simple color change.

The button shows an insectoid head colored with the currently selected color. Clicking it should pause the game and open the following screen, similar to changing the color of biotech mechanoid allegiance overlay.

The default selected color should be Subtle Brown. (Structure_BrownSubtle, (101, 88, 67))

Selecting insects and hive gizmos.

When selected, the hive should display a small gizmo similar to the mechanitor bandwidth gizmo. This gives player full control over this particular hive, and provides the player with the necessary information.

Via this gizmo, the player can:

• Select individual insects that have spawned by pressing little colored squares.

• See the amount of spawned insects and the maximum amount of insects that this hive can sustain.

• Change the caste.

• Change the color of the insects, by using one of the preset colors.

Spawn limits

The hives only support a certain number of insectoids. If that specific hive has spawned all supported insectoids, it will stop spawning more, displaying the following message in the inspect panel:

“Spawning stopped: maximum amount reached.”

If Insectoids leave the map via any way, they disconnect from the hive and just become a standard colony animal. This way the hives ensure that there is always a certain amount of insects on the local map, around the hive.

The default maximum number of insectoids spawned is 3. This however can be increased later on with research projects. Using pherocores on hives also increases the number of maximum spawn of that hive by 1.

AI TYPES

Buildable hives spawn insectoids that have different AI depending on the type of insectoid set. Players want to build several nests, each spawning a different type of insectoid. These insectoids only use that AI if they are constructed by the player and not manhunting. AI dictates their default behavior.

Please note: The AI types only apply if the insectoids are connected to the hive. If for some reason they disconnect (for example the hive is destroyed or they leave the colony map) and they become regular animals, the AI types no longer apply to them.

Hunter

Hunter insectoids will periodically go out and hunt animals, if those are available. They will carry the dead animals and place them somewhere around their own hive. Hunter insectoids can be drafted.

• Hunter insectoids stick around their hive, walking around in a small radius.

• Every 60.000 ticks each hunter-insectoid will scan the map for available wildlife.

• If wildlife isn’t available, do nothing.

• If wildlife is available, they will each pick a random animal and begin hunting it. It should still respect the maximum Prey Size set in the insectoid def.

• Upon killing that animal, they will bring this animal back and place it in a random cell in a 4 tile radius around the hive.

• If animal becomes unavailable, they will cancel the hunt and return to the hive.

• If the task is interrupted, they return to the hive.

This animal will then be available to be eaten by all insectoids in nearby hives.

Defender

Defender insectoids will prioritise defending the hive from any attackers. They will automatically engage hostile pawns that enter the radius of their hives. Defender insectoids can be drafted.

• Whenever hostile pawns (humans or enemies) enter the radius of 30 tiles around the hive, defender insectoids will automatically attack them.

• Once the hostile pawns are dead, defender insectoids return to the hive and stick around it.

Worker

Worker insectoids are responsible for performing any sort of construction tasks, as long as the construction tasks are designated to be done by insectoids. They will not build multianalyzers and mini-turrets, but they will be able to construct hive walls, jelly walls and any insectoid structures from this mod. Insectoids cannot construct regular buildings.

• Whenever a construction blueprint for some insectoid-built structure is placed, worker insectoids will reserve a task to deliver resources to it.

• Whenever a blueprint has all the resources delivered to it, a worker insectoid will reserve a task to go and build that structure.

• Whenever hauling can be done, worker insectoid will reserve the hauling task. They can essentially haul.

• Whenever mining can be done, worker insectoid will reserve the mining job. They can essentially mine.

• When no tasks are available, worker insectoid returns to the hive and walks in a small radius around it.

• Worker insectoids also maintain the hives.

Now that we know the different AI types and the basic hive that you can build, let's find out what you need to actually get all the cool new insectoids in your colony.

In one of the next devblogs I will cover insectoid bosses and obtaining pherocores. However, you can use those pherocores to construct some of the new artificial hives. These hives will enable you to breed all the cool new insectoid types - and they usually come with cool abilities too. I mean, hellbeetle can literally breathe fire!

ARTIFICIAL STANDARD HIVE

• Description: An artificially constructed hive of giant insects. It is capable of spawning various Sorne geneline insectoids over time, as well as some amount of insect jelly.

• Can only be constructed by Worker insectoids. Will never be worked on by other pawns or the VFE-Mechanoids construction crane.

Spawns:

• It spawns 20 insect jelly every 26,000 ticks ~ 30,000 ticks.

• It is capable of spawning following insectoid types:

  • Spelopede - Worker class

  • Megapede- Defender class

  • Megaspider - Hunter class

• Insectoid respawn time: 180000 ticks (3 days)

• Will self-heal over time 1 HP per 6,000 ticks.

• It also spawns 1 Glow pod within 12 and 24 game hours after being built. (Same as base game hives).

ARTIFICIAL NACHUDUS HIVE

• Description: An artificially constructed hive of giant insects. It is capable of spawning various Nachudus geneline insectoids over time, as well as some amount of insect jelly.

• Can only be constructed by Worker insectoids. Will never be worked on by other pawns or the VFE-Mechanoids construction crane.

Spawns:

• It spawns 20 insect jelly every 26,000 ticks ~ 30,000 ticks.

• It is capable of spawning following insectoid types:

  • Fuelmite - Defender class

  • Boomtick - Defender class

  • Hellbeetle - Hunter class

• Insectoid respawn time: 180000 ticks (3 days)

It should explode in the radius of 3.9 with a flame explosion when destroyed.

• Will self-heal over time 1 HP per 6,000 ticks.

• It also spawns 1 Foampod within 12 and 24 game hours after being built. (Same as base game hives, except foampod and not glowpod).

ARTIFICIAL CHELIS HIVE

• Description: An artificially constructed hive of giant insects. It is capable of spawning various Chelis geneline insectoids over time, as well as some amount of insect jelly.

• Can only be constructed by Worker insectoids. Will never be worked on by other pawns or the VFE-Mechanoids construction crane.

Spawns:

• It spawns 20 insect jelly every 26,000 ticks ~ 30,000 ticks.

• It is capable of spawning following insectoid types:

  • Macrofly - Hunter class

  • Megawasp - Hunter class

  • Gigalocust- Hunter class

• Insectoid respawn time: 180000 ticks (3 days)

• Will self-heal over time 1 HP per 6,000 ticks.

• It also spawns 1 Glow pod within 12 and 24 game hours after being built. (Same as base game hives).

ARTIFICIAL KEMIAN HIVE

• Description: An artificially constructed hive of giant insects. It is capable of spawning various Kemia geneline insectoids over time, as well as some amount of insect jelly.

• Can only be constructed by Worker insectoids. Will never be worked on by other pawns or the VFE-Mechanoids construction crane.

Spawns:

• It spawns 20 insect jelly every 26,000 ticks ~ 30,000 ticks.

• It is capable of spawning following insectoid types:

  • Megathrisp - Worker class

  • Acidspitter - Defender class

  • Venomite - Hunter class

• Insectoid respawn time: 180000 ticks (3 days)

• Will self-heal over time 1 HP per 6,000 ticks.

• It also spawns 1 Glow pod within 12 and 24 game hours after being built. (Same as base game hives).

ARTIFICIAL XANIDES HIVE

• Description: An artificially constructed hive of giant insects. It is capable of spawning various Xanides geneline insectoids over time, as well as some amount of insect jelly.

• Can only be constructed by Worker insectoids. Will never be worked on by other pawns or the VFE-Mechanoids construction crane.

Spawns:

• It spawns 20 insect jelly every 26,000 ticks ~ 30,000 ticks.

• It is capable of spawning following insectoid types:

  • Durapod - Worker class

  • Tankroach - Defender class

  • Ironclad - Defender class

• Insectoid respawn time: 180000 ticks (3 days)

• Will self-heal over time 1 HP per 6,000 ticks.

• It also spawns 1 Glow pod within 12 and 24 game hours after being built. (Same as base game hives).

Some of these hives do not have, for example, worker class insectoids. This means it's very important to ensure you still have the basic hives to do any construction work you need.

Let me know what you think about these player-built hives. I think it will create a really cool gameplay loop of growing your own army in the back garden.