By hive-based I mean eusocial, a la ants, bees, wasps, termites, naked mole rats, some aphids, and that one species of beetle everyone marvels about.
My plan was to make the species mostly genderless, but with a few males, and have a custom secret that turned people female so there would be a kickstart of queens at world gen. I made a copy of the dwarves that worshipped a regional force and the female-turning secret aligned with Nature, so there would be easy access to it and difficult access to actual necromancy. It worked in that genderless dwarves are becoming genuinely female by lusting for immortality and learning the secret, but they're not going on to have kids, despite a serious kick in the pants via personality trait changing. According to my Legends file, one even had "start a family" as a goal but never got around to it, exploring the depths of the world instead.
Is there something special about learning a secret that precludes family? If not, how can I bludgeon what few queens there are into having kids?
But most importantly: Does it matter at all? The Legends file shows new dwarves appearing from somewhere, sans parents but born after the beginning of the world. Where are they coming from? Genuine females have a 1 in 10000 pop ratio. (The civ won't spawn without at least some chance.)
And finally: How do I make sure they pass the secret on? They don't seem to be writing books on it, even though it should be possible.
The secret:
[INTERACTION:GENERATION_SECRET]
[I_SOURCE:SECRET]
[IS_NAME:the secret of generation]
[IS_SPHERE:NATURE]
[IS_SECRET_GOAL:IMMORTALITY]
[IS_SECRET:SUPERNATURAL_LEARNING_POSSIBLE]
[IS_SECRET:MUNDANE_RESEARCH_POSSIBLE]
[IS_SECRET:MUNDANE_TEACHING_POSSIBLE]
[IS_SECRET:MUNDANE_RECORDING_POSSIBLE:objects/text/book_instruction.txt:objects/text/secret_death.txt]
[I_TARGET:A:CREATURE]
[IT_LOCATION:CONTEXT_CREATURE]
[IT_AFFECTED_CREATURE:DWARF:WORKER]
[IT_REQUIRES:CAN_LEARN]
[IT_REQUIRES:CAN_SPEAK]
[I_EFFECT:ADD_SYNDROME]
[IE_TARGET:A]
[IE_IMMEDIATE]
[IE_ARENA_NAME:Breeder]
[SYNDROME]
[CE_BODY_TRANSFORMATION:START:0]
[CE:CREATURE:DWARF:FEMALE]
Hormones! Bodily changes! Political opinions! Necessary for the creation of pleasant worldgen!
[CE_CHANGE_PERSONALITY:FACET:LOVE_PROPENSITY:50:START:0]
[CE_CHANGE_PERSONALITY:FACET:ENVY_PROPENSITY:-10:START:0]
[CE_CHANGE_PERSONALITY:FACET:DEPRESSION_PROPENSITY:-10:START:0]
[CE_CHANGE_PERSONALITY:FACET:ANGER_PROPENSITY:-10:START:0]
[CE_CHANGE_PERSONALITY:FACET:ANXIETY_PROPENSITY:-10:START:0]
[CE_CHANGE_PERSONALITY:FACET:LUST_PROPENSITY:50:START:0]
[CE_CHANGE_PERSONALITY:FACET:VIOLENT:-50:START:0]
[CE_CHANGE_PERSONALITY:FACET:PERSEVERANCE:10:START:0]
[CE_CHANGE_PERSONALITY:FACET:DISCORD:-10:START:0]
[CE_CHANGE_PERSONALITY:FACET:FRIENDLINESS:10:START:0]
[CE_CHANGE_PERSONALITY:FACET:POLITENESS:10:START:0]
[CE_CHANGE_PERSONALITY:FACET:DISDAIN_ADVICE:-10:START:0]
[CE_CHANGE_PERSONALITY:FACET:BRAVERY:-50:START:0]
[CE_CHANGE_PERSONALITY:FACET:AMBITION:10:START:0]
[CE_CHANGE_PERSONALITY:FACET:GRATITUDE:10:START:0]
[CE_CHANGE_PERSONALITY:FACET:VENGEFUL:-10:START:0]
[CE_CHANGE_PERSONALITY:FACET:EMOTIONALLY_OBSESSIVE:-15:START:0]
[CE_CHANGE_PERSONALITY:FACET:DUTIFULNESS:10:START:0]
[CE_CHANGE_PERSONALITY:FACET:GREGARIOUSNESS:15:START:0]