So, I've noticed alot of people calling the workers in their stories 'drones', and even referring to workers of social insects (such as bees, ants, wasps, etc.) as 'drones'.

There's a problem here, though.

A 'drone' is the term for a male in a social animal hive that is meant for breeding purposes, though int he case of changelings could simply mean a male changeling. A drone, scientifically speaking, is generally not intelligent, though it could be with changelings, and is male, while workers, soldiers, and other specialist jobs are crewed by females, albeit sterile ones in most social insect hives.

So the big thing to remember is... keep your terminology straight! Just because all the 'cool' kids are using the wrong names, don't be afraid to do the research!

But, you don't need to fully rework your entire story over this one detail. If you're an aspiring writer, keep it in mind, or if you haven't yet written a changeling story, make sure to use the right words. Immersion is half the war to keep your reader's attention, and every little bit helps.

Feel free to discuss your thoughts below, of course, and talk about your views on how the hive is structured.

This is just my idea, ask 10 MLP fans and you'll probably get 10 different answers.

Prospects-changelings without wings who do the hardest jobs, such as digging tunnels and long periods of guard duty. Either they are being punished for some reason, or ( very rarely) they were members of other races who are proving themselves to the Hive after they voluntarily chose to become changelings. Execution is too serious for most crimes, exile might risk them defecting, and prison means they would just be using up the Hive's love resources. Prospect time is normally short, apart from a few serious offences.

Full Changelings who are not infiltrators are the next level up; they work in the markets, act as the police and fire brigade, farm the fungus fields and do all manner of jobs between the two poles of the worst jobs and the best jobs. They also care for the eggs and grubs and teach the growing nymphs everything they need to know.

Infiltrators are a class above, these are the changelings who go out and find coupledoms, kidnap one of the members of said coupledoms, gather the love that they need to survive, eat a bit of it, and send most of it back to the Hive. They are very much looked up to-most non infiltrator changelings hope to join their ranks. Some also act as secret agents for their Queen at high levels in the pony, zebra, and griffin royal courts. For most changelings, this is as high as they can rise in rank.

Officers are few in number and have the most important jobs.

The treasurer of the Hive collects taxes, and is in charge of checking on how much love the Hive has as a whole at any one time. If the amount of love should fall to the extent that rationing is needed, he lets the Queen know what has happened and why.

The Sergeant-At-Arms is the changeling equivalent of the police chief and the captain of the guards rolled into one, in charge of law enforcement and general discipline.

Whilst not a formal officer as such, certain royal jesters have a surprising amount of influence behind the scenes. If they can have a Changeling Queen rolling over and over in peals of laughter, it means that if they intercede for some luckless changeling who broke changeling laws, or say bad news that the Changeling Queen does not want to hear, they are unlikely to face punishment. When a Queen is depressed, having a jester can really help her cheer up.

At the top is of course, the Changeling Queen, with powers of life and death over her Hive. Queens vary wildly in personality; some deeply care for their changelings, others not as much. A Queen with enough love can live for thousands of years, but after the first few hundred years they depend more and more on the love of the Hive and their carapace slowly becomes brittle and loses it's gleam. Even the Queens have a Council of Queens at the top, which functions like a board of directors and decides about major international issues.

2554946
That's an interesting take. I'd like to know, is this a Hivemind set up, or are each of the 'lings sentient in their own right?

As well, when I was talking for the terminology, I was mostly meaning that that authors calling things like bee and ant workers 'drones' was incorrect, and that this incorrect term should not be the basis for your own terminology.

I see the changelings as being fully sentient, although the Queen can use the Hivemind to give orders and the like.

2548706 Good point, but there is another interpretation of the word/expression Drone, which would indicate a less intelligent, or more mindless individual.

If referred to as Worker, it would be a more free, or in insect cases, a female, or mare character.

On that case, I have both completed and upcoming stories about Changelings in various situations.

I like to keep them more Ponylike, but sometimes with the insect characteristics. There is always the chance to pick up from existing cultures for referrences as well.

2554946 Organising them in classes seems a good idea, both on insect level, and on the clasical society maner. There are several good reasons for implementing and organising them in this manner. Just like Ponies specialise in 3 standard forms or types.

2595800 I like the idea to have it centered around the Queen, who can use it to control and organise larger tasks, like an invasion.
This may also work separately from the Queen, in smaller work gangs. Is it a form of telepathy, or is it a magical spell kind of function?

4618666
First one, that can work in a non-hive setup, but that would more accurately refer to someone stuck doing menial or repetitive job by choice; thus, not for a breed that is less intelligent, but one less prone to new tasks.

The other is dependent on the type of changeling. Most likely, if it followed the Ants and Bees analogy, then it'd actually be pheromones, maybe augmented by telepathy and/or magic.