Strange espionage situation.

[Sagax]

I`m currently playing a Maya SV game. I sent my first spy to Pocatello and successfully stole a tech, he noticed that and asked me to stop spying on him. I agreed and immediately ordered my spy to move back to the capital. On the very next turn I get a new notification saying that there is nothing more to steal from the Shoshone. A couple of turns later my spy kills the Shoshone spy and gets promoted (fastest Special Agent I've ever got), I forgive Pocatello.

Then I have a look at the diplomacy screen, and to my surprise, there are two red modifiers from Pocatello:

1. They caught me on spying.
2. I broke my promise to stop spying on him.

How did the second one slip through? I guess it is due to the event I highlighted above, but then it raises another question: why did my spy report on no tech to steal when he had just stolen a tech last turn and now was leaving AI's city?

 

[EK834]

I`m currently playing a Maya SV game. I sent my first spy to Pocatello and successfully stole a tech, he noticed that and asked me to stop spying on him. I agreed and immediately ordered my spy to move back to the capital. On the very next turn I get a new notification saying that there is nothing more to steal from the Shoshone. A couple of turns later my spy kills the Shoshone spy and gets promoted (fastest Special Agent I've ever got), I forgive Pocatello.

Then I have a look at the diplomacy screen, and to my surprise, there are two red modifiers from Pocatello:

1. They caught me on spying.
2. I broke my promise to stop spying on him.

How did the second one slip through? I guess it is due to the event I highlighted above, but then it raises another question: why did my spy report on no tech to steal when he had just stolen a tech last turn and now was leaving AI's city?

For the first thing I'm guessing the notification routine was already queued up to check which tech Pocatello had on his turn before you moved your spy. Just a small bug like there are many in the game.

For the second thing it's already happened to me in identical circumstances. I reported it as a bug, though no one seems to know if it's a bug or one of those super counter-intuitive things in the game and the rule is actually that killing a spy from someone you promised to stop spying to counts as an hostile espionage action and breaks the promise.

I believe it's a bug personally. It doesn't make sense that if you're caught spying you can't park a spy at home anymore for the rest of the game without risking to break the promise.

In the game it happened to me it nearly broke my game (I had played my diplomatic moves close to the vest and it came one hair from starting a chain denouncement. I ended up having to take out the Civ with which it happened, as he was nearby and too hostile).

 

[Sagax]

For the second thing it's already happened to me in identical circumstances. I reported it as a bug, though no one seems to know if it's a bug or one of those super counter-intuitive things in the game and the rule is actually that killing a spy from someone you promised to stop spying to counts as an hostile espionage action and breaks the promise.

"Best" logic ever...
So I get a minor diplomatic boost for forgiving his spying while getting a more severe penalty for killing his spy, all at the same time.

 

[Jampine]

I think the forgiveness just softens the diplomatic blow, as they'll be pretty narked that you killed their spy regardless of what you say. So whoopee, ANOTHER way for the AI to hate you

Also, the rate at which your guys can cap techs from another civ, I think you might be hiring sphees instead of spies(see below(not actually civ related))

Spoiler :

Link to video.