Hives & Colonies Modpack Update

This update focuses on mod updates, performance improvements, progression balance, and the first public beta integration of the new Characters content.

Highlights

• Updated installed mods to newer versions.

• Updated Hives & Colonies: Characters with the new SoaMarjorie beta content.

• Added Bountiful integration to support bounty board gameplay and future character encounters.

• Added several performance-focused mods to improve overall stability and gameplay smoothness.

• Added new configuration for Bountiful bounty boards.

• Added Stellar View client configuration.

• Continued progression and world balance work across the modpack.

Hives & Colonies: Characters

The Characters mod has been updated with the new SoaMarjorie beta.

SoaMarjorie is a temporary encounter-based mining character who can appear near Bountiful bounty boards and deep underground caves.

Current beta features include:

• Bountiful board encounters in villages.

• Cave encounters from Y 0 and below.

• Limited real mining behavior.

• Torch placement in caves.

• Pickaxe use while mining.

• Axe use when threatened.

• Defensive behavior against hostile mobs and aggressive players.

• Persistent encounter cooldowns.

• Per-player affinity and memory tracking.

• Graphical affinity feedback overlay.

• Balanced resource sharing when mining near a player.

Polen remains the main persistent story companion, while SoaMarjorie introduces the first temporary encounter-based character system.

Bountiful Integration

Bountiful has been added and configured for the modpack.

Current balance direction:

• Bounty boards update less aggressively.

• Bounty timers remain enabled.

• Decree mixing is disabled for more controlled progression.

• Filler bounty complexity has been reduced.

• Bountiful rewards are intended to support progression without overwhelming other systems.

This also prepares the modpack for character encounters tied to bounty boards.

Performance and Stability

• Added multiple performance-focused mods.

• Updated existing mods to improve compatibility and stability.

• Added/updated client-side configuration where needed.

• Cleaned ignored generated/runtime files to reduce unnecessary repository noise.

Balance Changes

• Continued progression balancing for transport, storage, and utility systems.

• Adjusted Pipez, Waystones, and backpack-related progression.

• Added or refined cross-mod progression gates.

• Reduced dungeon loot power.

• Made some modded structures rarer.

• Continued worldgen balance adjustments.

• Adjusted Corail Tombstone-related configuration and loot behavior.

• Fixed broken quest dependency issues.

Worldgen and Exploration

• Reduced frequency of certain modded structures.

• Reduced dungeon loot output to better preserve early and mid-game progression.

• Adjusted worldgen balance to make exploration feel more intentional and less overloaded.

Config Updates

• Added Bountiful configuration.

• Added Stellar View client configuration.

• Updated Ars Nouveau search index data.

• Updated default and runtime configs related to balance and progression.

• Added Tombstone-related configuration and loot table adjustments.

Notes

This update is part of the ongoing beta development of Hives & Colonies. Balance values, performance setup, character encounters, Bountiful integration, and progression gates may continue to change as testing continues.

If you are updating an existing world, make a backup before playing.