Bibor
Doomsday Machine
The aim of this guide is to elaborate, with examples, on how to successfully use Espionage, an often neglected part of civ4 gameplay.
The Espionage Economy Guide
*** work in progress ***
First, let's bust some myths about running an Espionage-oriented economy:
1. It doesn't require The Great Wall (although it certainly helps). Depending on the start, it might be more beneficial to focus production efforts elsewhere.
2. It doesn't require Great Spies at all (although they come in handy).
3. It's not a Specialist Economy. Not by a long shot.
4. It doesn't prevent teching.
5. It's not exclusive to "one landmass" games.
What is the Espionage Economy?
It can be assumed that everyone will have their own interpretation, but there are three important factors that define an EE:
1. Willingness to invest into Espionage buildings.
2. Replacing with slider spending for a solid number of turns.
3. Proactively utilizing the accumulated points.
Why Use Espionage Economy?
If the EE is based on slider spending and favors CE, why even bother with espionage? After all, science focus offers major advantages over the AI that only, truly science can provide. It's a fair question.
What leaders work well with EE?
1. Financial. Because most of your and , yes, science, will come from your slider.
2. Spiritual Diplomatic versatility and some nifty tricks you can pull off (will explain).
3. Industrious Generally a strong trait, also makes GW and Oracle reachable.
Gilgamesh requires a special mention, as his UB and traits make him a formidable EE leader, even if he's Creative and Defensive.
Opening moves
There are several interesting opening moves when aiming for an EE, depending on your terrain, leader, preferences etc.:
1. Masonry -> The Great Wall -> Priesthood -> Writing -> Oracle to Code of Laws
2. Priesthood -> Writing -> Oracle to Code of Laws
3. Masonry -> The Great Wall -> tech to Code of laws
Gilgamesh, again, deserves a special mention, as his Courthouses open with Priesthood, making Masonry -> The Great Wall -> Priesthood (-> Oracle) extremely efficient.
Overview of the whole game
Ideally, you won't be only stealing techs. You should be researching as well. The trick is to determine when to research and when to steal.
The Chart would look something like this:
1. Research in the Classical Era until you unlock all the classical combat techs.
2. Steal your way through Medieval non-combat and combat techs (Civil Service, Machinery, Engineering, Guilds).
3. Research or Steal your way through the Lib race. Its worth only if you can lib something better than Printing Press and Nationhood.
4. Research your way to Military Tradition and/or Rifling.
5. Steal your way through the utility techs like Democracy, Constitution, Communism etc.
6. Once you have all Espionage buildings up and running, your espionage generation even without the slider should be sufficient to double your research pace by teching and stealing (or preventing others from winning) at the same time.
What to do with Great Spies?
It really depends on the situation.
1. If you have a commerce poor start, I suggest infiltrating the best close techer. The 4000 points should kickstart you well enough to blitz you through the middle ages.
2. If you have a good commerce start, but want an additional "oomph" around the Lib Race time, settle the Great Spy.
3. If you have a great bureaucracy commerce capital, put down a Scotland Yard.
4. Great Spies after the second one should be probably used for Infiltration missions if you're lagging behind pre-Communism or used for Golden Ages. Post-communism, your empire should be generating around 1000+ per turn anyway.
When to build, What to build.
First let me emphasize this, because its really important: Specialists (even spy specialists) are not mandatory at all. If you're in the "teching phase", feel free to run scientists and plant Academies or bulb something critical.
Espionage Modifiers:
Courthouse (Code of Laws): running your first spy specialist; especially handy if you didn't build the great wall. Build it when you need the maintenance drop. It's not critical for espionage, except in the city with The Great Wall (usually your capital).
Castle (Engineering): +25% and +1 trade routes. If you don't want to incorporate Mining Inc. etc., avoid teching Economics and Corporation. It's a dead end like Divine Right anyway.
Jail (Constitution): +25%
Security Bureau (Democracy): +8 Expensive building, build it last.
Intelligence Agency (Communism): +8 +50% Woah!
Nationhood civic (Nationhood): +25%
Scotland Yard (Great Spy building): +100%
For a total of 125% espionage modifiers in all cities.
Library (Writing): you should still build them whenever you can squeeze it in.
University (Education) and Observatory (Astronomy): build them when you can if you plan on teching in the industrial+ eras.
The Espionage Economy Guide
*** work in progress ***
First, let's bust some myths about running an Espionage-oriented economy:
1. It doesn't require The Great Wall (although it certainly helps). Depending on the start, it might be more beneficial to focus production efforts elsewhere.
2. It doesn't require Great Spies at all (although they come in handy).
3. It's not a Specialist Economy. Not by a long shot.
4. It doesn't prevent teching.
5. It's not exclusive to "one landmass" games.
What is the Espionage Economy?
It can be assumed that everyone will have their own interpretation, but there are three important factors that define an EE:
1. Willingness to invest into Espionage buildings.
2. Replacing with slider spending for a solid number of turns.
3. Proactively utilizing the accumulated points.
Why Use Espionage Economy?
If the EE is based on slider spending and favors CE, why even bother with espionage? After all, science focus offers major advantages over the AI that only, truly science can provide. It's a fair question.
What leaders work well with EE?
1. Financial. Because most of your and , yes, science, will come from your slider.
2. Spiritual Diplomatic versatility and some nifty tricks you can pull off (will explain).
3. Industrious Generally a strong trait, also makes GW and Oracle reachable.
Gilgamesh requires a special mention, as his UB and traits make him a formidable EE leader, even if he's Creative and Defensive.
Opening moves
There are several interesting opening moves when aiming for an EE, depending on your terrain, leader, preferences etc.:
1. Masonry -> The Great Wall -> Priesthood -> Writing -> Oracle to Code of Laws
2. Priesthood -> Writing -> Oracle to Code of Laws
3. Masonry -> The Great Wall -> tech to Code of laws
Gilgamesh, again, deserves a special mention, as his Courthouses open with Priesthood, making Masonry -> The Great Wall -> Priesthood (-> Oracle) extremely efficient.
Overview of the whole game
Ideally, you won't be only stealing techs. You should be researching as well. The trick is to determine when to research and when to steal.
The Chart would look something like this:
1. Research in the Classical Era until you unlock all the classical combat techs.
2. Steal your way through Medieval non-combat and combat techs (Civil Service, Machinery, Engineering, Guilds).
3. Research or Steal your way through the Lib race. Its worth only if you can lib something better than Printing Press and Nationhood.
4. Research your way to Military Tradition and/or Rifling.
5. Steal your way through the utility techs like Democracy, Constitution, Communism etc.
6. Once you have all Espionage buildings up and running, your espionage generation even without the slider should be sufficient to double your research pace by teching and stealing (or preventing others from winning) at the same time.
What to do with Great Spies?
It really depends on the situation.
1. If you have a commerce poor start, I suggest infiltrating the best close techer. The 4000 points should kickstart you well enough to blitz you through the middle ages.
2. If you have a good commerce start, but want an additional "oomph" around the Lib Race time, settle the Great Spy.
3. If you have a great bureaucracy commerce capital, put down a Scotland Yard.
4. Great Spies after the second one should be probably used for Infiltration missions if you're lagging behind pre-Communism or used for Golden Ages. Post-communism, your empire should be generating around 1000+ per turn anyway.
When to build, What to build.
First let me emphasize this, because its really important: Specialists (even spy specialists) are not mandatory at all. If you're in the "teching phase", feel free to run scientists and plant Academies or bulb something critical.
Espionage Modifiers:
Courthouse (Code of Laws): running your first spy specialist; especially handy if you didn't build the great wall. Build it when you need the maintenance drop. It's not critical for espionage, except in the city with The Great Wall (usually your capital).
Castle (Engineering): +25% and +1 trade routes. If you don't want to incorporate Mining Inc. etc., avoid teching Economics and Corporation. It's a dead end like Divine Right anyway.
Jail (Constitution): +25%
Security Bureau (Democracy): +8 Expensive building, build it last.
Intelligence Agency (Communism): +8 +50% Woah!
Nationhood civic (Nationhood): +25%
Scotland Yard (Great Spy building): +100%
For a total of 125% espionage modifiers in all cities.
Library (Writing): you should still build them whenever you can squeeze it in.
University (Education) and Observatory (Astronomy): build them when you can if you plan on teching in the industrial+ eras.