Bizarre Spy Stuff, Could Use Some Corroboration

[steveg700]

So, I've asked a couple times before when spy mission success is determined, because I can find scum-saving and seeing a spy's mission repeatedly turning out the same way.

Here's something I noticed with a save. If I don't change my policies and just click "End Turn", then the Chinese spy trying to neutralize my governor is always killed by one of my counterspies. If I do change my policies, the spy always succeeds and my governor is neutralized. I've done this at least a dozen times each.

Here are the policies before...

Here are the policies I usually change to, but I've tried variations, and as long as I change the policies, the Chinese spy succeds.

Perhaps some folks find this peculiar enough to indulge? Attached is the save file. Maybe othrs will experience something different.

Oh, and before anyone mentions, I've checked to make sure the counterspies wouldn't have their mission shortened prematurely by Machiavellanism. The counterpies have plenty of time on their meter.

 

[Pfeffersack]

Different actions influence the RNG, so this doesn't surprise me. And Machiavellanism doesn't seem to affect ongoing missions (like all the trade-route related cards don't seem to affect yields of already started routes)

 

[steveg700]

Update I: Looks like it's specifically Music Censorship that's the issue. Applying that policy for some reason lets the Chinese spy succeed. Tried a few different ways to bring in MC (replacing another green card, replacing a card of another color). So far 100% consistent. If I changed other policies, the spy would still be killed.

And of course, it would the policy that I really, really wanted to apply.

Update II: Went back a turn before that (287) and paid to change policies. Two turns when they spy would either be captured or killed, nothing happened (presumably failed but was undetected).

 

[leif erikson]

Moderator Action: Moved to Bug Reports.