With the removal of unknown contact and other changes regarding UNGAing, I find that the rounds are becoming more and more the same. This is often mistaken as the captains/XOs all being the same.. but the problem really is that all queens are the same.
With close to no hive location variety, marines know generally where the hive is, and can rush there with no issues, removing the need to scout/explore/etc. All the marine plans are the same because hive is ALWAYS in caves/eta/etc.
I would like to propose that we encourage different nest hive locations with the following three changes:
1. Give the queen increased movespeed for the first 3minutes of the game. Runner fast. That was she has the ability to travel to other potential nest sites without gimping the hive.
2. Seperate drone/carrier/hivelord/burrower from other t2 slots. Xenos hardly ever get to use their defense building abilties because you have to fight tooth and claw for your hivelord/burrower slot. Separating them gives defense building a better place.
3. Allow all defensive structures to cost 0 plasma (or reduced plasma) for the first 10minutes of the game. Xenos have the ability to build interesting defenses, using gas traps, walls, hugger traps, sticky resin etc. But no one hardly does. By the time you get your t2 slot you are too young to build more than a few traps before marines arrive. Removing the plasma requirement with more t2 supports will allow early construction of defenses and traps.
New hive locations, with solid defenses, and traps from a good t2 support group would give variety and purpose back to queens. It would make briefing useful again since you actually dont know where the hive is; makes roles like command more import to relay information about defenses and hive location. And would remove some of these 30minute marine stomp rounds that no one seems to enjoy.
Thoughts?