Factorio's biter campaign closes a construction loophole

Image credit: Hive Commander’s swarm and creep systems; the newly corrected ghost-placement behavior is not pictured. Image: Hive Commander by Deablo. via Factorio Mods.

Building an army of biters in Factorio is supposed to cost something. Hive Commander's latest update closes a loophole that let players place ghost structures without paying the pollution cost or obeying creep-only placement rules. Rejected ghosts now return their items, so enforcing the restriction doesn't punish players with disappearing supplies.

That matters because pollution is the resource driving the overhaul's swarm economy. Returning players should also note a separate breaking migration from version 1.5.0 or earlier: it removes Pheromone Vents and two technologies, and unfinished production loses its invested pollution without a refund. The construction fix is straightforward; the upgrade path deserves more care.