Field Report 26.165: The Hive Fights Back

Pilots,

Build 26.165 is on Steam and the sectors are running it. Older builds will be refused at the door, so update before you fly.

The Hive warns you now Cross into the Queen's space and her patrol Defenders slide between you and her. Bring a friend around the other side and they split. She turns her front toward you, slowly. Fire the first shot and the swarm pulls in tight before it strikes. That pause is your last chance to leave. Every Defender she launches flashes and thumps on its way out.

Defenders fly like pilots No more turrets with wings. A Defender has to line its nose up on you before it can shoot, and it attacks in runs: in from your rear quarter, guns, past you, break, back again. Pairs come from opposite flanks. Put your nose on one and it jinks. Wound one badly and it falls back to fight from under the Queen's shield. Six of them is a real fight. Bring help or bring a plan.

Every craft has a voice The Queen hums, and the hum climbs as her mood does. Defenders whine past you, Foragers drone and cut, bolts zip by with the pitch bending as they pass. Your blaster has a new bark, hull hits clang and splash, deaths are deaths, and her shield rings when you hit the wrong side of her. Turn it up.

Feel Your guns kick the camera. Hits shake it, and the harder you get hit the worse it gets. Losing your ship punches. If that is too much for you, Graphics options has a Camera kick slider, all the way down to off.

What we want from you Did you know the attack was coming before the first bolt hit? Where did you lose track of a Defender? Speeds and numbers are set by feel tonight and will be tuned on your reports, not our guesses.

Good hunting. Watch your six.

— Wulf