I think shade needs a slight buff to be a viable first choice hive, that could come in a variety of ways, either a buff to the shade structure, the drifters ability, or the spur upgrades.
Either way I think we can all agree shade is currently not on par with the other two hives. Heres some of my ideas to buff it:
The shade structure could make things silent if in it's range. This would not just give the aliens an advantage to be near it but also other loud structres, also this would enable a drifter to build a new hive next to a shade without giving it away.
Make aura a more accurate reading rather than just a shade of colour so you know exactly how many bites/swipes a marine will take to kill.
Make aura see structures/power nodes and their health through walls.
Make camoflague or aura give lifeforms a walking/crouching speed bonus (unlike celerity it would not make you run faster, just walk faster).
Drifters could fire invisibility/silence clouds, maybe also intergrated with ink.
Drifters are invisible when not moving if you have shade hive.
Either way I think we can all agree shade is currently not on par with the other two hives. Heres some of my ideas to buff it:
The shade structure could make things silent if in it's range. This would not just give the aliens an advantage to be near it but also other loud structres, also this would enable a drifter to build a new hive next to a shade without giving it away.
Make aura a more accurate reading rather than just a shade of colour so you know exactly how many bites/swipes a marine will take to kill.
Make aura see structures/power nodes and their health through walls.
Make camoflague or aura give lifeforms a walking/crouching speed bonus (unlike celerity it would not make you run faster, just walk faster).
Drifters could fire invisibility/silence clouds, maybe also intergrated with ink.
Drifters are invisible when not moving if you have shade hive.