Yeah, that tastes better.
And you wanna know the part I like better? Your Orwellian quote "We destroy to preserve", which is delicious in itself, as if they have to convince themselves (and/or Bei) that they are not doing what they are actually doing.
This paradox / inconsistency within pacifistic/conservationist ideologies is clearly an indication that species can't be differentiated so much in their ideologies if they are to survive in the cosmos. They have to preserve themselves and whatever they feel is precious to them. Having this point in consideration, I see no difference between the shivans and the vishnans, they only differ in what they want to "preserve".
Your point about shivans using an automated factory (or factories) is interesting and curious. I would want to know more about that, in a way that would be interesting. The problem with it is that it dumbifies and vulgarizes shivans into stupid easy riders of ancient technologies to bully everyone else, wiping out the lovecraftian mysterious charisma that they have in FS2.