Yes, this is the sign of the Deacon from Prometheus. However, this is also going to be the symbol of the Hive Strategics game sector, for it is symbolizing intellegence here.
Hive Strategics are the eighth game or series of games for the Hive. This was created by member Mantletrooper1 for the overall idea of strategic games for the Hive. However, multiple people have found mingames of this. This is not merely a single Hive game, but this eighth "game" is actually a series of games grouped together as one. This is all of the strategic Hive games grouped to together, for those who wish to experience alittle more skill in their precision and intelligence. This game group came out the same day the Hive clan first experienced Aliens: Colonial Marines and is given credit as the game (group) that was the middle between the transition to ACM. Therefore, it was not invented during either game, but just in the middle. However, all the following games or modes are going to specific whether or not they are played in AvP, ACM, or both.
Now, these games can be played one of 2 ways: as a Royal Playthrough Run or as a minitournament playthrough. The Royal Playthrough Run (RPR) is where players will play all the games (within domain of which of the 2 videogames they are playing in) to decide the first, second, and third place winners. A minitournament, like other games, has the members play the same single strategic game acouple of times to determine the winners. As more games are added to the RPR, the number of matches in the minitournament must also increase. The rewards for this game are 2 rankups for first place, one rankup for second place, and a half rankup for third. This system of rewards is just like Hive Tournament and Hive Pureblood Royale. Over time, this may become the largest game or sector of games, because they keep piling up if a new game idea is strategic. From here, it will be added as a mode to this game, but the experience given will be as though it is a completely new game. This section will have more games over time, once more ideas pop up from creative players.
Game 1: Mimic Mode
The first invented minigame (by Mantletrooper1) for Hive Strategics is the Mimic game or Mimic mode. Mimic mode can be played in either Aliens vs Predator or Aliens: Colonial Marines. Here, players may play as alien (ACM and AvP), marine (ACM and AvP), or predator (AvP only). Up to 10 people can play this in a minitournament. Here, this game is similar to "Simon Says," without the Simon saying so part. The player known as the Director will demonstrate a particular move on another player, the Hivebait. The Director must be a player good at doing advanced moves and tactics, for this is a precision game. From here, all other players, including the Hivebait, must repeat the move the Director did almost exactly. Each player has 2 chances to recreate the mode on the Director. If they fail both times, the Director will kill them and they are out. As rounds progress, moves will get harder and harder to do. If the Hivebait gets out as a trying player, they still remain as Hivebait, but they are out of trying it themselves (so at this point they are pretty much a test dummy). Once two players are left and one gets out, the final player must recreate the final move to win. If they use their 2 tries, the second-last player comes back in until one player gets out and the other recreates the mode. This is a single playthrough of this game. For minitournament playthrough, repeat this game the same for the next game.
Game 2: Boiling Point Mode
The second minigame (by BamaMercenary) for Hive Strategics is Boiling Point. Officially, this is actually the first game invented for ACM in the Hive, but since it fits in Hive Strategics, it is only considered a minigame. This minigame can only be played in Aliens: Colonial Marines for obvious reasons. This game is quite simple to understand, and does not take long to play. This game requires a map in Aliens: Colonial Marines that has the alien Boiler upgrade. This beast is powerful, and can kill opponents with one spit of its acid. This game is somewhat related to the Boiler sneakby part of "The Raven" campaign level on ACM. Here, members had to go really slow as to not awaken Boilers, which would explode and kill the player. Here online, one player is an alien (xenomorph), and the rest are marines. The point of this game is to choose large maps (like Survivor maps, especially Overrun) that has a long run and many hiding places. The marines, for the first minute of the match, start at a predetermined starting point. During this time, the alien player must find the Boiler upgrade and hide somewhere on the map. After that, the marines must then run across the map to a predetermined finish point. Once they reach it, each marine must shoot grenades at the finishing point to show they made it (use melee if out of grenades). They must then go back to the starting point and do the same thing. Afterward, repeat this process back-and-forth depending on the playthrough. If it is RPR, then one must run across the map 3 times (starting to finishing to starting to finishing again). For the minitournament, one must run across 5 times (an extra back to the starting, then one more time to the finishing). Each round of the minitournament is played the same. However, the marines must crouch to slow down when they think they are near the Boiler, who's hidden. The Boiler will not be moving during the marine runthroughs, so the marines will never be able to tell where the Boiler is. From here, they can only make an educated guess where it is and must run or crouch accordingly. If a marine accidentally (or purposely) runs within 20 feet of the Boiler, the Boiler then has the ability to run up to that marine and kill him. The marine cannot fight back either; he can only run. In fact, the only way to survive a Boiler attack is to make it to one of the endpoints (starting or finishing) and execute the grenade or melee attack. If one is killed, they are out and get no credit for that round.
Game 3: Trivial Execute Mode
The Trivial Execute minigame was thought of by Hive member SLICKZONE (Dark_Lycan108). The name "Trivial Execute" refers to another real-world game, Trivial Persuit. However, the minigame here is different because the gameplay is different and losers will be killed in-game (hence the name "execute"). The playthrough of this game is relatively simple. It can be played in both AvP and ACM, because of the flexible and easy gameplay. To begin in AvP, all players but one must play as aliens. The host of the game can play as an alien or a predator, and they must know a great deal of knowledge about xenomorphs to host the game. It starts out with all contestants lining up in a Hive formation (see "Training"). Once everyone is lined up, the host will appear in front of the first player, starting on whatever side they wish. When the host approaches a player, they must stand up and bow to the host, and remain standing while the host asks them a question. From here, the knowledgable host will ask a question about xenomorphs, their movies, predators, and any other question relating to that area. If they get it correctly, the host moves on down the line to the next player, and the same process is repeated. If a member gets an answer wrong a certain number of times (depending on the round), then the host kills them and the line moves in closer together, taking up the previous position. Those executed are out of the game, for the first match if a minitournament method is played. They will spectate from behind the host or out-of-the-way then. During this game, there are 3 rounds. The first round starts with easy questions, and the competitors have 3 tries to get the question correct before they are executed, or out of the game. The host should know what questions about xenomorphs are general and basic, and therefore are administered here. After the host has gone down the entire formation, he will start back at the first contestant still in. The first round is 3-5 times across the formation, depending on how many members are still in and how many the host wishes to do. Afterward, the second round proceeds, where moderate-level questions are given and players have 2 chances to guess right. Once again, the host does the same questioning process down the formation and starts at the beginning again. The second round can be 3-7 times across the formation. Finally, there is the third round. Here, the host asks advanced-level questions about aliens and the competitors only have one try to guess correctly before they are executed. The third round is infinite, depending on how good the members are at alien knowledge. This is nearly the same in ACM, except all players are the same species and those executed are not really killed, but are told to sit out. The host goes and gets an alien upgrade, like the Boiler to host the game. The winner wins this match of either the minitournament or RPR methods. Repeat game same if in minitournament method of play.
Single Zach Method
However, there is a special way to play Trivial Execute. This is the Single Zach Method, named after the biggest fan and idealist for this method, zachplooper28. In this method, only 2 players are required to play: a host and an answerer. This is the only possible event in all Hive games that only requires 2 people, while most others require 4-9 to start. In this method, the knowledgable host stands in front of the single competitor and asks them questions they would in normal Trivial Execute. However, this mode cannot be played as part of a RPR or in a minitournament; it is a stand alone method. To play, there will still be 3 levels of questions, and 20 questions asked overall (7 level one questions, 7 level two questions, and 6 level three questions). This time, all levels have 2 guesses for each question. If the answerer gets over 2 answers wrong, they fail the game. However, just like a special round, the Single Zach method can only be played once a day per player. If the answerer gets 10 of the 20 questions correct before elimination, they get half a rankup. If they get all questions correctly, then they get a full rankup.
Game 4: Death Ninja
This is the fourth game of the Hive Strategics, thanks to member lizbragg. This mingame is mirrored off the real-life game Ninja, where people strike each other with their arms to take each other out. Originally only restricted to 3 people, it was originally called Death Triangle. However, Matriarch italian-stal thought it would be better to have less restriction. Therefore, 3-10 can play this game maximum in either the RPR or a minitournament. To play, all players must be predators (this meaning this minigame is restricted to AvP only). Before playing, all predators must get their combi stick, the only weapon used in this game. Afterward, the predators will stand in Inner Formation from Training, except alittle more spaced out. (*Note: this should be played in Gateway or Refinery.) Once that happens, the highest-ranked member begins by quickly throwing the combi stick at the person to the right or left of him. Then, the circle goes right, so the next person to the left of the first person then goes and suddenly throws their combi stick. During all this, the person being thrown at only has one move to dodge the suddenly thrown combi stick from the adjacent person throwing it, whether it be a few steps or a jump. If they are hit, they come back one life less. All players have 3 lives if there are 5 or less players, or 2 lives if 6 or more. Once they lose all their lives, they are out. From here, the numbers will dwindle until two will go back and forth in a combi duel. The final survivor wins that minigame round of a RPR or minitournament. Repeat the same way if a minitournamet is being played.
Game 5: Surhival
Although one may not be able to fully see, the name of this minigame is similar to "survivor," but instead has a clever input of the word Hive in sur"hive"al. Now, Surhival was invented by Hive member numnutsforever, and it is supposed to mirror the real AvP "Survivor." This is one of the few modes of a Hive game where it is played as a team deathmatch setup. There is only aliens and marines playable, making this minigame able to be played in AvP and ACM. There should be an equal number of marines and aliens, except if there is an odd number, in which case will be added to the marine side. All weapons are usable, except for the smartgun. Before beginning, the marines will start on one side of the map and the aliens will start on the other. This means there will be no attacking for the first 30 seconds. Now, this game can be played through one of three methods.
Continuous Method
The first one is the Continuous Method, where the gameplay is almost exactly the same as the real Survival mode. This is where the marines have 5 lives each and must survive as long as possible against the opposing alien team. If they last 5 minutes, they win. If they lose all lives before then, the aliens win that round of games.
Life Method
Next is the Life Method, where the marines have 5 lives each and the aliens have 8 lives each. If the marines kill all the aliens, they win. If the aliens kill all the marines, they win that round.
Final Stand Method
Finally is the Final Stand Method, where it is the combination of the Continuous and Life Methods. In this, the marines must last 10 minutes, while they have 8 lives and the aliens have 10. This means the game can end one of two ways. The marines could either last the time limit or wipe out the aliens' lives to win, while the aliens only have to kill all the marines lives before time is up to win. If this is played with RPR, then only one round will be played before going on to the next mingame. If minitournament is played instead, then all the different methods of this minigame can be played throughout the various rounds of it.
PreDODor Method
Another way to play the Surhival minigame is the PreDODor Method, which was invented by previous Matriarch BadassOfDOD. This mode is like Surhival, but instead with predators (hence the mix of "predator" and BadassOfDOD's gamertag). Here, this is only played in a Continuous method makeup. So if this separate method is played, only a time survival can be played. Here, only 2-3 people can be the predators, even if there are a lot of people playing. To start off, nothing begins until after 30 seconds, like all other methods of Surhival. Then, the battle begins and the aliens have infinite lives while the predators have 7 lives each. The objective of the game is survive 10 minutes of continuous aliens. However, the predators have some help. They are allowed to use every weapon but the smartdisc. However, they only are allowed one energy bar each for the whole 10 minutes, so no recharging unless one dies. This means once the energy bar is out, the only extra weapon other than melee attacks the predator could use is a combi stick. If at least one predator stands by the end, the predators win. If the predators are wiped out, the aliens win. Rules of winning are the same here as they are for other Surhival methods.