[Complex] (6-07) Block "End Turn" When a Spy is Unassigned

[kleanse]

Proposal:
Block "End Turn" button with "Spy Needs Orders" when an Awake Spy is unassigned; a button that toggles the state of an unassigned Spy between Sleeping and Awake will be available in the Spy Menu.

Rationale:
Units block the player from ending their turn when they have no orders. Spies without orders (unassigned), however, have no such mechanism to direct the player's attention, making them easy to overlook. This proposal ensures unassigned spies are given missions immediately and waste no turns idling.

Edit: include method to prevent game from softlocking due to owning more spies than available cities on the map.

Complex Proposal: DLL + UI Changes

 

[adan_eslavo]

This actually something I ALWAYS forget about! Excellent idea.

 

[Recursive]

If there are more spies than cities, this would softlock the game. Likewise, the player may not want to send a spy to every possible city there is (although I guess with the Establish Surveillance mission, that's okay).

 

[kleanse]

If there are more spies than cities, this would softlock the game. Likewise, the player may not want to send a spy to every possible city there is (although I guess with the Establish Surveillance mission, that's okay).

I was thinking the same problem before I made this proposal. I’m not too familiar with the rate spies are recruited, but considering they scale with the number of players and city states in the game and capitals cannot be razed, perhaps this problem might be nonexistent. Is it typical to have more spies than capitals in the late game?

 

[adan_eslavo]

If there are more spies than cities, this would softlock the game. Likewise, the player may not want to send a spy to every possible city there is (although I guess with the Establish Surveillance mission, that's okay).

This can be resolved by additional checks. If player cannot do anything, let him confirm and progress. If he does not want to use the spy, let him confirm and continue. The point is to have a good notification that will not vanish in the right side when all notifications are shown.

 

[Recursive]

I was thinking the same problem before I made this proposal. I’m not too familiar with the rate spies are recruited, but considering they scale with the number of players and city states in the game and capitals cannot be razed, perhaps this problem might be nonexistent. Is it typical to have more spies than capitals in the late game?

Advanced Starts would softlock the game since there are no cities on the first turn. And it's possible through IGE to delete capitals.

 

[Anarcomu]

And it's possible through IGE to delete capitals.

OCC also allows destruction of capitals.

 

[ma_kuh]

Maybe we can make unassigned spies actually do something instead? So you avoid the softlock concern, but you don't end up missing out on spy turns. Maybe as part of the espionage reworks we replace explicitly assigned counter-spies, but any unassigned spies are treated as counter-spies for all cities? Something like that? Numbers would of course need tweaking.

 

[Dimmy]

Maybe a notification instead? There is too much notifications already I reckon but when a turn starts with unassigned spies you get a notification just like when you get new spies?

 

[kleanse]

Spoiler Spy Menu :

Looking at the current Spy Menu, all spies have the "Move" action; spies in foreign cities have the additional "View" action; and spies in cities owned by city-states have the additional "Coup" action. Unassigned spies share the additional "View" action of spies stationed in foreign cities, but this action is unavailable and thus useless. Transforming this button to a switch that toggles between Sleeping and Awake states for unassigned spies can prevent a softlock: only an Awake Spy blocks "End Turn". Of course, the sponsor can decide how to best implement this change.

 

[adan_eslavo]

Spoiler Spy Menu :

View attachment 674257

Looking at the current Spy Menu, all spies have the "Move" action; spies in foreign cities have the additional "View" action; and spies in cities owned by city-states have the additional "Coup" action. Unassigned spies share the additional "View" action of spies stationed in foreign cities, but this action is unavailable and thus useless. Transforming this button to a switch that toggles between Sleeping and Awake states for unassigned spies can prevent a softlock: only an Awake Spy blocks "End Turn". Of course, the sponsor can decide how to best implement this change.

Very good solution.

 

[adan_eslavo]

@kleanse Make and amendment with your latest idea.

 

[kleanse]

@kleanse Make and amendment with your latest idea.

Amended