Playing the Game
Players will work together in warbands between 3 and 8, or alone as freelance mercenaries, to take back territories, defend their homes, investigate anomalies and recover technology and supplies left in the Hive.
Each event you will get the chance to choose which territories you will want to conquer and where you want to raid. Tech specialists give you temporary bonuses or permanent upgrades to grasp the edge in combat while combined firepower and brute strength in combat will grant you victory. Where combat may do no good, diplomacy may be the better option. Haggle for equipment, convince people to leave you alone or get them to join you for a tidy profit and you may get the strongest faction with minimal fighting.
How you play is up to you, but just remember, being the strongest may get you the worst kind of attention.
Choosing your faction
Hive has five factions to choose from. You can choose whichever one suits your playing style or your preferred genre.
“The Company” are the suit wearing business types who used to run Hive. Well-equipped as well as well-dressed, they consider everything their property and will take it back, by force if necessary. Their style is very Hitman/The Transporter. Business suits combined with security force equipment, all of which is well presented but still heavily damaged with cuts, burns and bullet holes.
Alley Kings are the criminals, convicts and gangsters that were holed up in the penal fortress when the cataclysm began. They use all the old clothes, street-wear and gang colours kept in the “Reclaimed property” vault combined with the combat and riot gear used by the security personnel. Style is very rioting gangs, street combat and videogames such as APB, Saint’s Row and Brink.
Tech Savvies: The engineering corps of Hive, they hid out among the heavily metal-protected junkyard, turning the scrap and broken tech into new, useful upgrades and hardware. They are a combination of steam and dieselpunk, inspired by games like Bioshock and Dishonoured and films such as Serenity and Mutant Chronicles.
“Glowies” are the civilians working and living near the power-plant’s Bio-nuclear waste silos. They have evolved to adapt to their surroundings, mutating to survive. The Neons naturally glow and dress to match, even their skin glows noticeably in the dark. Others have taken on traits of the old house pets, cats, dogs, lizards, birds, their DNA combining slowly into each generation until they took on physical traits of the animals in question.
Haven: Pirates, cut-throats and thieves. They sail the mine shafts underneath hive on retrofitted Grav-barges, originally designed to ship tetracite ore from the deep mines. They have a strong morale code and set of rules to who is a viable target, no attacking ports and traders, only other crews are free targets, and even then, no killing. Style is between mining gear and typical pirate attire with an emphasis on modern tech and materials.
Each faction has two sub-groups. Each subgroup has their own strengths and weaknesses. Choose which one appeals to you the most or whichever one fits into the kind of character you want to play. The faction briefs will tell you about their cultural advantages and disadvantages. Generally, it will be that one is more geared to combat, the other to tech, though this may not as clean cut. Warbands can comprise of mixtures of both but balancing them out will be key.
Genning your character
When you gen your character, your first choice is to decide what role you will play. Being a part of a group of diverse skill sets is better than being in a group of solid combat troops. Each has their own benefit and using this may give you a starting advantage. Check the strengths and weaknesses of the subgroups before choosing.
All characters start with 6 points. You may choose to put up to 3 points in any of the skills. You may also choose one Specialisation, which will have the full 5 points into, but must be the full 5
Warleaders: Each Warband must have at least one Warleader in order to take any actions in the arena. The primary Warleader puts 1 point in Warleader automatically but only gets 4 additional points, this lessened skill point amount represents his effort in life to get to the rank of head of his faction group.
Each Faction has genning bonuses depending on who you choose to play as, consult your faction page before deciding on your starting stats
Skills
Skills are broken down into two categories, Combat and Career. Depending on character preference, you may choose a set number of skills from each category.
Combat:
One-handed weapons:- Simple one-handed weapons such as knives, daggers, pipes, batons, etc. Level of skill determines what weapon you can use. Mid-level skill also unlocks use of bucklers and small shields.
Two-handed weapons: Things such as staffs, pool cues, fire axes, etc. Level of skill determines what weapon is used. Higher levels also allow you to use a targe.
One-handed Firearms: Allows you to use pistols and small shotguns. Level of skill determines what pistols you can use, dependant on action and ammo capacity. Higher levels allow you to use permanent upgrades.
Two-Handed Firearms: Allows you to use Assault rifles, sniper rifles and LMG’s. Level of skill determines what weapons you can use, dependant on action and ammo capacity. Higher levels allow you to use permanent upgrades.
Light Rigs: Use of light protective rigs which add to your total hitpoints. Higher levels allow for use of better protective rigs with minor resist abilities
Heavy Rigs: Use of Heavy protective rigs which add to your total hitpoints. Higher levels allow for use of better protective rigs with superior resist abilities. Highest levels allow use of a riot shield
Weapon Chart Index
Career:
Medic: Allows the healing of members of the team/faction. Improves odds of survival when downed in combat and has ability to heal minor wounds in field. Higher levels allow instant pick-up in field and further decreased chance of fatality.
Biotech: Allows the combination of biotech components into temporary upgrades to give advantage in battle. These include stims, adrenal upgrades and anti-radiation pills. Also has the in-game ability to analyse fallen monsters and samples to derive a weakness from it.
Armstech: Allows the combination of Armstech components to create temporary weapons and rig upgrades for the warband. These include extended mag, rig reinforcement and weapon mods. Also has the in-game ability to analyse fallen opponent equipment to find information on enemy loadouts.
Cybertech: Allows the creation of cybernetic enhancements to increase bodily functionality, help in defending territory and to successfully hack computer terminals. These include HUD assist, spy-tap and computer spike. Also allows in-game ability to hack terminals and analyse synthetic constructs.
Warleader: This is a necessary ability to have a warband. Your warband must include between 3 and 10 members and only have one warleader. A warband roster must be included during your character gen. Warleaders have the ability to choose where and when to attack, defend or raid. For each point you have in Warleader skill, you get an additional piece of intel prior to an attack or an encounter. Only if you have a Warleader in the warband will you get general loot post-match. Higher levels of the warleader skill also allow you to call for reinforcements or extractions.
Tooling up for war
As this a LARP system and not real combat, all weapons must be classified as “LARP-safe”. Also, do not turn up with the biggest weapon you have and expect to be able to use it. Weapons are dependent on skill and are balanced for equality in combat. These criteria must be met as follows. Each one has four levels, “Crude”, “Worn”, “Standard-issue” and “Prototype”. Each player starts with either 3 crude level equipment pieces, or one crude and one worn. One of the crude level equipment can also be swapped out for crafting components.
Melee: All weapons must be of foam and latex construction with a fibreglass core. Nerf swords are too hard for proper combat and are not being used in this system. The size of the weapon you can use is dependent on the skills you have invested in your character. Please check the weapons chart prior to the event for guidance. We are working on getting a merchant who sells Larp-safe weapons during the event.
Ranged: All weapons must be of NERF make or a make that we have checked for viability. The weapons you can use are dependent on what skills your character has. Modding weapons is fine but do take into account things like scopes, sights and drum-feeds are considered upgrades and must be purchased in-game to be used. 6 shot clips are considered standard for ALL guns in game and a basic weapon must have one of these. All modded weapons will be test-fired for safety. Also, as bullets are a commodity in the Hive system DO NOT BRING YOUR OWN ROUNDS FOR USE IN COMBAT. This will unbalance the game and be considered cheating. You can purchase rounds in game from the vendors or find them as loot.
Rigs: Rigs are the equivalent of armour in Hive. These are considered as personal energy fields that mitigate damage dependant on strength. This makes all shots universal and even glancing shots are considered hits. Shots to weapons do not count.
Each rig comprises of parts or components of armour. Each part is considered the protective casing for the capacitor and field generator. Higher levels of rig will require more components and/or specific coverage. This is detailed in the weapons chart. A typical component might be a greave, a vambrace or a pauldron
Light Rigs: Must be made of tough leather, hard plastic or similar dense material. Light tactical gear will also be considered fitting.
Heavy rigs: Must be made of metal, something similar to represent metal or be of similar bulky construction. Heavy tactical or riot armour will also be considered fitting
Having The equipment:
In order to use the weapon/armour you must have the relative equipment card. Equipment cards do not need to be attached to the equipment in question but you will be required to keep it on your person in order to use the equipment. A ref will check your equipment compared to your equipment cards prior to a match. If your equipment does not match the Card, you will be asked to change it or leave it behind. Equipment cards can be acquired from the merchant or “Fixer” or found in the field.
Certain looted Equipment cards may also differ from normally bought ones. These may be customized or one-off pieces. They will be detailed on the card, may have different skills or abilities but may need additional phys-repping.
Currency
Currency in Hive is based on the fragment of the unknown object that fell from the sky and became imbedded across the colony. The currency works as follows:
10 Bits = 1 sliver, 10 slivers = 1 shard
The currency can be used at the merchant or “Fixer” to buy equipment, components or hire mercenaries. However, shards are very important for other reasons so using them all to purchase things may not be wise.
Combat
Combat is done in rounds of 2 to 5 minutes. Each time, an Arbiter or similar NPC (Ref) wil be with you. You take a shot or a hit from a weapon, you take one point off your hitpoints. Once all your hitpoints are gone, you go down. If for any reason you need to leave, hold you weapon and high and in a way that isn’t useable and walk out. Crew may also do this between waves of an “Onslaught” mission.
Duels may also happen in the "Safe zone". These will generally be refereed by an NPC
Melee weapons must be used cautiously. No head-blows and always pull your hits. If you need verification of this, ask to go over it with a ref
DO NOT PICK UP ROUNDS FROM THE FLOOR!. If you accidentally fire, it is considered a wasted shot, do not proceed to pick up any rounds from the floor. Only pick them up if the fell out of your pocket. A jammed bullet must also be discarded.
All Players have One Body Hit and a clothing rig point. Rigs will add to the total hitpoints, however many points are on your rig card will REPLACE your clothing point
There are certain combat calls that may be used during play. You will be able to use these calls if you have a weapon with the relevant skill. These are as follows:
Suppressing fire: If a ranged weapon is shot past you in quick succession and you hear the call “Suppressing fire” you must get into cover and stay there for as long as the volley is maintained. You cannot move from that cover or glance over, however, you may blind-fire from cover.
Stun: If you are hit by a weapon or a grenade is thrown near you and the user calls “Stun” you must not make any aggressive actions for 5 seconds, this includes attacking, shooting or using other calls. You may parry with a melee weapon if you have one but only if it is already drawn
Critical: If a shot hits and “Critical Hit” is called after then you must go down. Critical Hits is a one hit kill. Be warned though, it is very rare. All arbiters have the ability to call Critical Hit with their one-shot sidearms, even in the Safe Zone, though arbiters will never kill.
Immobilize: If a grenade lands near you or a single shot hits and you hear the call “Immobilize” your feet must remain cemented to the ground for 10 seconds. You may still fight, lean out of cover or stand up but you cannot move from the spot
Double: If a hit is made and “Double” is called, you take 2 damage points instead of 1. No other effects.
MASS: If mass is shouted, this affect everything within a 3 metre radius from the source. If it’s a grenade, the player will point this out when making the call.
Only one Combat call can be made at a time, exception being MASS
Some defences may be able to stop combat calls from taking effect. If your rig or an upgrade has the ability to resist a call, shout “Resist” immediately after the call is made. If you do not make the call, you are considered to take the effect regardless.
During certain combat calls, such as grenades, a ref may step in to reinforce the call. They will stand at the point of origin (Where the grenade lands) and put their arms out, making the call. Grenades have a radius of 3 metres.
Being Downed:
If your character is dropped to zero hit-points, slump to the ground, but not anywhere that could be considered hazardous, do try to move out of the way when possible. Once the match is finished you must speak to a ref once the match is finished. He or she will draw a ball from a bag marked “Injury beads”. Which colour ball you get depends on what effect it has.
White: You are fine
Yellow: you have a piece of equipment taken.
Green: You have a piece of equipment taken. Draw again
Red: You suffer an injury. The ref will then draw another bead to find out your injury. He will take into account your medic’s level.
Black: You are dead. Hand over all equipment to the Ref and report to the Receptionist.
Medics and upgrades may have the ability to alter the outcome. If a medic is there and not downed, have them state what effect they have on the draw. Medics will only alter the effect if they were not downed in combat or where called in for “Extraction”
Certain missions may result in aditional dangerous beads being added, these missions will be informed to you as “High Risk”
Combining:
Anybody with a career skill other than Warleader can identify and combine components. Crafting require 5 minutes of Roleplaying with something relating to the craft, anything is good. If a ref does not see you doing this or if they are busy, consult with the merchant or “Fixer”.
The ref will ask if you wish to identify or combine these items. He will then ask for your skill level and consult the chart. If the combination is a success, the components will be taken away and replaced with an equipment card, if it fails they will be taken away. If it is correct but you are missing a piece a “Half-constructed” card will be issued listing what equipment pieces have been used. You may try this again at a later date by adding another component. No recipe will ever require the same component twice. You can find recipes in-game or experiment to find the combinations.
You cannot have someone else doing the crafting for you, you must be the one to consult the referee. You cannot do this in bulk either.
Using upgrades:
When an upgrade is used it is handed into the Receptionist or similar referee. Your chosen character or unit, dependant on the upgrade, then gains the ability it states for the rest of the event or on the item it is bonded with. They can be used at the beginning or half way through but will never be carried over.
Weapon upgrades: Each level of weapon after crude can take upgrades. Worn level weapons can take 1 upgrade, Standard issue weapons can use two, Prototype can have 3. The “Additional tactical rail” upgrade used in tandem can apply 1 additional ugrade, but this can only be used once. It is possible to remove the upgrade to free up the slot, but you will not recover the upgrade.
Some upgrades are not permanently fixed to weapons so can be used by anyone, eg. The “Removeable tac light”, any gun can take it but it must have an empty slot, but will not be fixed permanently
The NPC merchants can also do certain weapon upgrades unavailable to even the crafters, these aren’t particularly expensive but help personalise weapons to your play style. Consult them for your current options as these may change.
The campaign map:
Each event will present you with the ability to expand your territory. In the centre of the main hall will be a campaign map. Higher levels of Warleader skill will give more detailed info on your surroundings. Each Event you will be given a set amount of Attacks. You may try to take any adjoining area to your territory. You may be required to defend your territory but after one successful defence, that space is locked down and cannot be attacked again. Each territory will give you routine loot or advantages after each event. You may also be attacked by Renegades. There may also be times when secret passages appear on the map as shortcuts to other areas beyond your reach or elsewhere on the map.
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