Friends and regulars are what make Hive a Social place. They are what are leading us away from the whale dichotomy. They are also how I find new users that are of interest to me, through their comments on friends and regular post, and from re-hives by my friends and regulars. Social is not about random commenting on post just to make the poster feel good, it is about building those Social connections.
Many people forget it is from that circle of friends or regulars that many find new friends and regulars to add to their circle.
It's not about randomly commenting, that's not engaging, it's about widening the scope, the create a greater social experience.