Best builds for machine/ hive mine empires?

[MC24hc]

Im looking to play either as a hive mind or machine faction, what would be the best builds for these two? (non-modded ironman mode)

Thx a lot and have a good day!

[OfficePins]

Nobody will answer this to you, because nobody likes to play with Hive Mind...

I'm asking this question once every week, but nobody answers ...

Go with fleet power and naval capacity, rush at the begining, get big as much as you can, then jjust wait for them to separate themselves either trough war or trough rivalities...

Try to expand as much as you can as fast as you can.

After you won a war, disband your fleet.

Feel free to share your ideas with me, because I haven't won an Ironman Hive Mind game yet...

[KenoKereStyle]

same here

[Ape-tier Buffoonery]

I dont always play hive mind devouring swarm and when I do I either lose outright or get into such a slog its not worth it.

Regular hive game: industrious, fast breeders, fast learners, un-adaptable. (Optionally you can drop fast learners and pick up thrifty and wasteful) Ill grab the +2 sectors and +1 influence civics. Ill go down the adaptability tradition tree, it helps with early game food, gives the +10% habitability to offset your un-adaptable trait, and ultimately makes all your farms give +1 mineral. First ascension is usually master of nature. Second tradition tree is harmony because +20 years on your leaders who at this point are reaching 60ish and going to die off soon you want to keep all those level 5 guys for as long as possible, hive synapse etc is nice too. After traditions are up to you, discovery and expansion are kinda meh at this point.

Early game is just pure mineral buildup, if your devouring you DONT want to scout around dont go further than a few systems here and there. The less people who know about you the better.

For Robots I like rogue servitors. Those tiny planets in the same climate as your puppet species can just be filled up with them so theyre super happy (I open with harmony tree and rush paradise matrix asap they start giving 3 unity when theyre 100% happy)

Edit: Ill add more just at work atm. Merry belated christmas too lol

[KenoKereStyle]

Thanks for advices, appreciate :D merry christmas :))

[jackhickman999]

Machine is pretty easy to play after a little bit of practice they do have a few strengths and weaknesses. I say they are weaker than hive mind in general.


Pros:
You suffer no habitat issues.
You don't have to worry about happiness or not as much and don't have to manage factions.
You leaders last a very long time.

Cons:
Machine pops are energy and mineral intensive they cost energy for upkeep instead of food and they cost minerals to buy.
Leaders are expensive.
You don't have factions so you can't generate extra influence this way
You can only get gesault con ethic.

They is also four different ways of playing them again with different strengths and weakness.

Driven exterminators:
Pros:
Cheaper ships, more weapons damage and higher naval cap.
Gains unity from purges.

Weakness:
Can't use diplo.

Driven assimilators:
Pros:
You gain unity and social science when assimilating.

Rogue Servitiors:
Pros:
You can bonuses for resource and influence production.

Cons:
You have to get a lot of pop from the race you are serving.

Traits and Civics:

That depends on how you want to win the game really the most unversial for machines are traits that boost your mineral and energy production as its the main weakness for machine races.

Mineral is good for anything but I think machine races its more required than a choice to make.

Taking robot build speed boosts are very early one til you're fulled your planet then you might want to modify and get rid of it later.

Ones that reduce robot upkeep are good and even better later on.

Science boosting traits and civics are good and you might want to take focus eng tree.

Comsumer goods reduction is okay.

Ruler opinion is always good though less so for machines I think.


For starting traits I reccomend:

Bulky -1
Power drill 1
Superconductive 1

Civics:
Rockbreakers.

The second one there are a few good ones here.

[MC24hc]

Thx a lot guys :)
My current hive mind game is doing alright, actually won a war against a fallen empire...
Now facing the Prethoryn Scourge...no hope in winning lol

[jackhickman999]

Originally posted by Michael Cheng:

Thx a lot guys :)
My current hive mind game is doing alright, actually won a war against a fallen empire...
Now facing the Prethoryn Scourge...no hope in winning lol

You'll get used to it I just wiped the floor with the contingency but I got this crazy awoken empire with about 1 mill fleet power just crazy as the war in heaven hasnt even started yet.