[BTS] The Complete Guide to Espionage

[NothingBesideRemains]

Ahhh, with the EP cloning? I hadn't seen mention of that anywhere.

Basic tactic would be, on a duel-continent map traversible by galley:

1) build GW, get CH's (Sumeria would be good)

2) dominate opponent AI down to a single city on your continent.

3) infiltrate the city with 2 g-spys (should do math, 3 might be needed but i doubt if if you get your bonuses correct. 1 might be enough? but dont think so).

4) cease fire

4) Gift 4 cities on other continent to the AI.

5) AI1 creates new colony on new continent (AI 2).

6) Gift a new city (1st legendary) on your continent, near your capital, to AI 1. This city should have a theater to run artists, and enough food to run those 2 artists. It will become your first legendary city.

6) Redeclare on AI1. Capture the original infiltrated city.

8) Blockade your gifted 1st legendary city, and cover land tiles with food, so AI has no choice but to run artists, eventually producing a great artist who will (hopefully) culture bomb.

9) Keep running infiltrate culture spy missions at this city until it naturally gets to legendary status.

10) capture your new legendary city, wiping out AI 1. Then sign peace with AI2.

11) gift 4 cities on your mainland to AI2 (2 can be junk, 2 of which should be theater cities which can run artists again - they will become your 2nd and 3rd infiltrated cities).

12) AI2 splits off its 4 cities on your continent into colony AI3.

13) Declare war, and recapture one of the 2 theater cities you just made. Gift it back to AI2.

14) Redeclare war. Starve both cities into producing great artists.

15) Run spy infiltrate culture spy missions against each, until they also become legendary.

16) Capture and win culture.

Meanwhile, research to music and try to get great artists yourself, maybe caste and golden age or maybe just off of the theater artists. culture bomb when you can so your spy missions have higher incidental culture added.

Be careful of keeping religion the same, and open borders would be nice to reduce costs but that would depend on whether you need to be at war while running missions.

 

[Pangaea]

iAIPerEraModifier does not affect World Wonders or the cost of tech the AI is researching

I'm not sure about the latter, but per era modifiers DO affect world wonder costs. I saw this by chance in a game where I had city inspection view on a civ, and they happened to build a wonder. It cost less than it should have, and the only conclusion I could make that made sense (also by math iirc), is that it had to be per era modifier kicking in there as well.

Also seem to recall @Seraiel talking about it, because he was monitoring build cost from espionage for a wonder he wanted to build, and suddenly the AI got it, before it should have been possible.

 

[Fine_Distinction]

Yep, espionage cloning, but it was never explained in such a detail, your guide is very useful, thanks!

 

[Kaitzilla]

I'm not sure about the latter, but per era modifiers DO affect world wonder costs. I saw this by chance in a game where I had city inspection view on a civ, and they happened to build a wonder. It cost less than it should have, and the only conclusion I could make that made sense (also by math iirc), is that it had to be per era modifier kicking in there as well.

Also seem to recall @Seraiel talking about it, because he was monitoring build cost from espionage for a wonder he wanted to build, and suddenly the AI got it, before it should have been possible.

Whoa, good catch Pangaea!

Yes, iAIPerEraModifier affects world wonder build cost.

I'll go fix it right now.

Outstanding guide, Kaitzilla, thank you so much!

It is so helpful to have such a comprehensive, state-of-the art info, all in one place, and organized so well! I hope you will finish it. I am looking forward especially to guide on espionage victory.

Thanks!
Some day as soon as I get time I'll finish it. >_>

So here's something interesting: if an AI forms a new colony, one of the thibgs that gets cloned over to the new AI... is your EP against the original AI.

If you infiltrate an AI city, then force them to make a colony (I am no expert and was actually testing this process when I discocered the EP cloning), you now have a buttload of EP against 2 AIs.

2 uses I can see:

Tech stealing (especially in a NTT game), as the new AI gets the techs of the old one; and

Espionage culture victory (2 Gspys multiplied by 3 AIs gets you close to 3 legendary cities by math, if the bonuses are good).

I'm not really one for HoF games, so if the above is useful to you, go with God.

Ya, espionage point cloning was used to great effect in SGOTM 25.
[BTS] - SGOTM 25 - Home Slices | Page 115 | CivFanatics Forums

Specifically on Page 4 of 20, December 31st 2017 to January 22nd 2018:
Forcing an AI to create a colony over and over again every few turns is a bit of a pain, but pays off hugely with espionage.

 

[Jivilov]

"Spy Death Odds Each Turn while in AI Territory

When the player presses next turn, they always hold their breath wondering if their spies in AI territory will spontaneously die.

This death check only occurs twice.
Once at the end of every player turn for spies in AI territory, and once after successfully completing a spy mission when the spy tries to return to the player capital."

So why would the Spy want to return to its own capital? To use its experience to thwart enemy Spies?

 

[Snowygerry]

To stride into Moneypenny's office, toss his hat onto the coatrack, and flirt with her before receiving a new life-or-death assignment, what else

 

[Jivilov]

Very funny. But it doesn't answer the question.
Edit: Belay my last. Just read that if successful the gumshoe automatically goes back to her Capital. Silly me. Cheers!