Aliens are a bit too sci-fi.
Automatons with their robot like steampunk are non-genre enough. ^^
Zergling like dogs that leave no corpses can be done.
The charts are awesome, but the suggested changes have a problem: They require transformations, and cant be done with syndromes alone.
Using specific food on other civ members or using tools as meat I cant do.
I really do like the mimic idea, which aboveground fort that looks normal, and a hidden insect base underneath. It would explain the trade depot, caravans and the badic vanilla workshops. I cant take away still, kitchen or clothier etc. from them, but its a nice explanation that they build those as decoys to fool traders.
Anyone here reads/knows Shadowrun? Universal Brotherhood and their Insect shamans/conversion? It would fit oh-so-perfectly.
Rumrusher, could you be a bit more specific about that multi-civ plugin? I somehow never heard aboit it, nor have I seen anyone use it.
Maybe it would be a good idea to make your main units grazers as well, and have them level up 3 times, from each of the caverns? So you start with basic units, but the deeper the hive goes, the more powerful your units get?
It just has to be something not-too-complex, otherwise its hard to micromanage and learn. And I really like the idea of farmibg biomass from colonies/hives.