AI and how it uses its spies

[romelus]

i haven't seen this mentioned anywhere. so here is an attempt to get some knowledge on how AI handles its spying actions

i've had occasions when i was informed someone had tried to plant a spy in my capital. so here's a list of related questions, please contribute as much as you know:

1. if you declare war after such message, does your reputation get penalized? ai loves to declare war on me if i fail to plant.

2. does the ai actually use any of the spying actions? and do you always get informed if they succeed? i haven't seen any notifications in all my games - could be that the ai doesn't try, or i just don't get informed?

3. i assume that after several failed attempts, the ai finally gets a spy. has anyone ever been able to expose an enemy spy?

please feel free to add questions/answers on this subject.

 

[eyrei]

Originally posted by romelus
i haven't seen this mentioned anywhere. so here is an attempt to get some knowledge on how AI handles its spying actions

i've had occasions when i was informed someone had tried to plant a spy in my capital. so here's a list of related questions, please contribute as much as you know:

1. if you declare war after such message, does your reputation get penalized? ai loves to declare war on me if i fail to plant.

2. does the ai actually use any of the spying actions? and do you always get informed if they succeed? i haven't seen any notifications in all my games - could be that the ai doesn't try, or i just don't get informed?

3. i assume that after several failed attempts, the ai finally gets a spy. has anyone ever been able to expose an enemy spy?

please feel free to add questions/answers on this subject.

1. You would be the aggressor.

2. The AI will plant spies, but the only thing I have had them do so far is steal my battle plans.

3. I have never bothered to expose a spy, but the AI exposed one of mine.

 

[Moulton]

The AI declares war at the drop of a hat. They don't seem to care about reputation. You might. I don't know if iit affects it, but if I caught a spy, i would probably declare war--depending on the basic relationship with that civ. I plant spies in every country I can, including friends. I dont steal from them... don't want to do that, and bsides, it costs too much.

Steal battle plans?? would do that, that would not be against a freiend---but have never had that kind of money at that stage of the game. Never seen the AI with that money, either, but then they dont always need money, do they?
AFAIK, they have never planted a spy on me. But I would not be told --to answer another question--unless it was exposed. They seem to know exactly what units I have and where they are, at all times, the whole game, so they don't really need spies. I have seen settlers start through my land, and sent units to block their only egress at the other side--15 squares from their nearest unit or city. They immetiately turned back. They should not be able to see that, but somehow, they know.

Bottom line: I do not worry about their spies. I dont even care if they steal my battle plans. I can move units faster than they can react anyway, by that time, and that means they dont have money for anything else....

 

[chiefpaco]

I've caught lots of spies using the expose enemy mole. It used to be suspicious when the AI got a bunch of techs quickly. Now I don't really bother. I still think the AI is always spying on me...

 

[zzcczz]

It doesn't happen in too many games, but I have seen the AI sabotage production from time-to-time.

 

[Hurricane]

I´ve also had the AI sabotage my production as well as steal my battle plans. I once tried to expose the enemy spy, but it failed and my spy got cought instead.

 

[Scientia]

Originally posted by romelus

1. if you declare war after such message, does your reputation get penalized? ai loves to declare war on me if i fail to plant.

2. does the ai actually use any of the spying actions? and do you always get informed if they succeed? i haven't seen any notifications in all my games - could be that the ai doesn't try, or i just don't get informed?

3. i assume that after several failed attempts, the ai finally gets a spy. has anyone ever been able to expose an enemy spy?

1. I have never seen a message that an AI civ attempted to plant a spy but failed. I assume they plant spies . . .

2. I haven't seen any explict messages about AI spying, but I have seen AI civs suddenly "discover" a tech 1 - 2 turns after I finished researching it, and I was the first one to learn it. The Russians seem to "discover" a lot of my techs this way.

3. Again, never seen a failed AI spy plant attempt, but as for attempting to expose one, I have never been successful. First of all, it seems your spy must leave the foreign capital to come home to perform this mission. Then while "home" the attempt to expose fails, and the spy is "killed" and you lose spying ability until you plant a new spy. The odd part here is that the death of your spy implies that there is a spy planted, but how can you be sure?

I did experience something unusual with regard to spying on my latest game. I'm playing the Japanese, on WarLord level, and am finally in the lead tech-wise. I bought Espionage from the Chinese and immediately built the IA. Most of the civs are polite with me at this stage . . . but I never anticipated that I would successfully plant spies in all 9 of them in a single turn on the first try!!! That has never happened for me before . . . usually I have to spend several turns to have spies planted in all civs, and most have multiple failures before success (never had a civ declare for for failure though . . . yet).

I don't use many of the spy functions . . . too expensive usually versus the gain/risk factor. About the only thing they are good for is a simple enemy troop count.

 

[Ouchgeddon]

If the AI wants to spend thousands in cash for a little tech, fine by me...

My main use for spies is to sabotage production and to keep an eye on enemy building progress (spaceship parts need spies, ICBMs or whatnot Embassy can do itself). Usually it's only used on a Spaceship part, since it costs a lot of cash, and more the longer you wait.

 

[Hurricane]

You will always be informed when a spy has done something to you. So if another civ suddely has a new tech, it´s not because they stole it from you. However, you will only know what was done, not who dunnit.

 

[Kinniken]

His spy got killed.
I'm sure he managed it a few time though... or else his great scientists can both be hoplessly behind mine AND discover two techs I was the only one to have in one turn...

 

[Moulton]

Spying is not the only way they gain tech. In addition to selling for a map, whixh has been discussed elsewhere.
Playing regency, at the point where espionage has not been discovered... tired of falling behind in tech, I spent some gold and investigated every French and German city. My beaker output is 289, French 179, German 169... yet somehow they can research faster than I can. I selected Navigation, and was told it would take 14 turns. I chose to pursue chemistry, physics,Magnetism instead. Germany had discovered astronomy 4 turns earlier, and sold it on this turn. therefore, if she wer researching navigation, it would take another 24 turns, since her research was half mine. It only took 8....go figure.

 

[romelus]

civ3 is like a box of plastic chocolates... nothing is as it seems :flamedevi

i can only assume the ai research bonus is applied after the beaker count. so you would never see some godly beaker counts in one city.

 

[CivMonger]

I plant spies in all the cities, and I find it very helpful. For instance, I learned through a spy that the french, who at first appear powerful, have a lot of outdated units, and their coal, iron, AND saltpeter are all at the same city, along the coast. Lets face it, its only a matter of time before my 16 artillery and 8 infantry and 8 tanks go on vacation there, and then sponatneosly decide, lets kick the living crap outta the 2 spearman protecting the only things that can get the french outta the stoneage. Anyone care to guess how well their spearmen and horseman are gonna do VS. tanks, bombers, and artillery?

 

[Zouave]

Originally posted by Hurricane
I´ve also had the AI sabotage my production as well as steal my battle plans. I once tried to expose the enemy spy, but it failed and my spy got cought instead.

"Expose enemy mole"! Yea, surrre. It almost never works - excepts to get them to declare war on you!

If the AI wants to spend ridiculously high costs for Espionage related building and functions, let them. I wouldn't touch it unless I Edited down the costs dramatically of the advance, the Sm. Wonder, and all other costs.

Espionage in Civ II was much better - and more enjoyable.