[C3C] Charming spy needs a barrier!

[revenantlast]

So... I was hoping to implement the charm bombard as 'sabotage' for spies, which I think works great to represent a spy disrupting communication/sabotaging equipment in the field.

I've been doing tests to clarify the info in other threads and from what i can tell:

• Charm will half the defense points of units, in a stack outside a city (i think based on the normal chance to hit for bombard, checked for each unit in a stack)
• Charm only works against a city with charm barrier.
• Against a city with a charm barrier, charm will randomly either :

1. Completely miss.
2. Half the defense points of units (same as outside a city)
3. Destroy random improvements (same as collateral damage)
4. Destroy citizens (same as collateral damage.)
5. Or destroy the charm barrier

• Once the charm barrier is destroyed, all effects seem to stop.

Firstly has anyone else experienced this or was it just chance that my units/building weren't effected without a barrier?

If so, charm barrier is more rightly a 'charm target' or 'charm weakness'.

Originally I thought I would make my court houses and police stations charm barriers as they would be protecting the city... but now i don't know ?!? It seems silly having a police station making your cities vulnerable to sabotage, so for my spies I need an improvement that allows them a 'back-door-in' some how...I have a line of tourist buildings requiring an airport going through to a Hotel and casino which might work but I 'm unsure.

So does anyone one have any ideas on how to implement this?

Any suggestions for buildings that provide a weakness to sabotage or that encourage corruption?

Or how do you guys use charm/charm barriers?

 

[Predator145]

When I tried charm bombard I made all buildings charm barriers. But then a city with no building is also immune from having its defenders' defenses halved and its citizens killed.

 

[Lord Malbeth]

I think the problems you are raising are part of the reason why Firaxis killed the charm idea in the final version of Conquest. If not balanced, a charm unit can become OP very, very easily.

Here's a thought: Maybe make all buildings charm barriers, so that all cities can be attacked/sabotaged/bombarded. But give the charm until (the "saboteur", or what have you) a very, very low attack defense value--something like A1 D1. Then, make it invisible and allow it to only bombard 1 space away.

To balance this out, you could also have a unit called a "guardsman" (or something like that) that can detect invisible units and maybe can even stealth attack saboteurs. That would provide the necessary "police" balance.

 

[revenantlast]

Here's a thought: Maybe make all buildings charm barriers, so that all cities can be attacked/sabotaged/bombarded. But give the charm until (the "saboteur", or what have you) a very, very low attack defense value--something like A1 D1. Then, make it invisible and allow it to only bombard 1 space away.

To balance this out, you could also have a unit called a "guardsman" (or something like that) that can detect invisible units and maybe can even stealth attack saboteurs. That would provide the necessary "police" balance.

I actually was thinking about a few police units.
I was thinking an immobile unit with no A/D but can see invisible auto-produced by the police station. They can let your units see and attack the spies who have to get close up to your city. Also a Police HQ small wonder that produces a 'chopper' that is set to explore so you can discover spies in the field.
Maybe also having the immobile unit upgrade to a offensive 'SWAT' unit that can stealth-attack spies.

I am also going to have the spies produced by government specific intelligence agencies, so if your government has elite spies in the espionage box, you gets a better spy unit... this should also help to stop the AI over using these units.

When I tried charm bombard I made all buildings charm barriers. But then a city with no building is also immune from having its defenders' defenses halved and its citizens killed.

I like this idea, but i think it will make the spies a bit OP.
My spies would be able to destroy any improvement and cut the defenses of troops in any city. I think I prefer the idea of having some improvements, that have alot of value (culture, taxes, luxuries trade, etc) but open up the risk of letting spies into your city.

If I was doing a Medieval/castle based mod, I might have a 'sally-port' improvement that give more defense but allowed saboteurs to sneak in, but sadly my mind is set on a modern age mod at the moment.

Thanks for the reply's..

 

[Ozymandias]

HERE'S a complete rundown on Charm

 

[Gojira54]

Not wanting to necromancy the detailed 2012 thread Ozymandias referenced above...

Why not make the Palace itself the Charm Barrier? That can never be destroyed...

 

[Nathiri]

Not wanting to necromancy the detailed 2012 thread Ozymandias referenced above...

Why not make the Palace itself the Charm Barrier? That can never be destroyed...

That'd only work for the capital?

 

[Gojira54]

That'd only work for the capital?

Right, sorry, I didn't really explain what I had in my head.
Have the Capital create Charm Barrier improvement in every city. Would need to flag it as a Wonder to do so.