Embassies/Spying useful to you?

[kevincompton]

I havn't really spent much time investing in espionage and stealing techs and such. Has anyone found rather these tactics are useful or simply cost a lot of money. They are expensive and when I have tried to steal techs it fails.

 

[ManOfMiracles]

I usually have a tech lead so haven't tried to steal techs. Propaganda is rarely successful so it is a huge waste of money. The only thing I find useful about spies is knowing how many/what type of units the enemy has.

 

[sourboy]

It's awesome in the Modern Age if you have all the upgrades (in Conquests). Outside of there it's rather useless except for occasional city spying.

 

[Gumby78]

I use spies alot. Mostly for stealing tech and investing cities. In one game, under Communism, i kept stealing tech until was no longer behind in techs. Sure, it cost a lot of money but with the amount of GPT i was pulling in I was stealing techs every 3 or 4 turns.

 

[bingen]

Embassies are almost essential. Mainly for the ability to sign military alliances.

Stealing techs is incredibly useful on Sid difficulty where self research is really pricy. Perhaps the best way to keep up in the late game.

 

[ForTheEmpire]

Spies are your best friends! Seriously, you don't even have to perform any actions with them after you insert them into an AIs capital. Just seeing how the composition of their military is is crucial in planning your own military strategy. Embassies are valuable in knowing what resources and luxuries the AI possesses. Also, you get to see how far along an AI is on a wonder build, so you can time your own wonder builds properly.

 

[kevincompton]

I'm def gonna mess with that more but it sounds to me like I really need to get the conquests expansion.

 

[Turner]

I use spies quite a lot when at war with the AI. Nice to see what units they have defending a city when I'm trying to take it.

 

[BasketCase]

I've had next to no use for spies at all.

-- They're tough to insert. I've succeeded exactly once in my entire Civ3 career.

-- I've had very few occasions where stealing technology would be handy. Extorting a tech out of the enemy in exchange for peace is more reliable.

-- Never had a need to see enemy units, but this is due mostly to my style of play. If I'm fighting a defensive war, I can already see all the units in my territory. If I'm going offensive, I'm attacking ONE opponent, usually one city at a time (the no-roads rule when in enemy territory makes it hard to blitz multiple targets), and attacking with everything I have, regardless of how much force I really need.

-- Propaganda?? Bah. Enemy cities (which are usually high in corruption) aren't worth spending money on. They deserve my wrath, not my wallet!!!


Guess it's all just a matter of how you play.

 

[bob rulz]

Yes it depends entirely on your style of play.

 

[Lord Parkin]

For me it's very clear-cut:

Embassies are absolutely, totally necessary - no questions asked. The agreements you can enter into alone are worth the very small cost, and there's absolutely no penalty.

Spies are very useful, but not necessary. I find it's best to only plant them in civs that I hate and don't mind a war with - if an annoyed civ gets furious, who cares? and if a furious civ declares war, fine: that's what I wanted anyway.

As for the embassy/spy stealth options, all of them are useless to me except Investigate City. Most of the time techs are cheaper just buying them directly from the civ (or demanding them as peace payment), and the spy options are pretty much all expensive, rarely work, and are in short, unnecessary.

But that's just me.

 

[mevlin]

I like to use propaganda on Island cities where they are far away from the capitals influence and are much cheaper to "turn". Also I agree, Embassies are essential for the diplomacy screen.

Seeing what is defending a city is awesome too. If you need to decide between two cities to attack, it's very handy.

Regards

 

[anarres]

Since tech steal costs are not related to difficulty and tech prices are, it makes more sense to steal on higher difficulties.

On Sid it is very cost effective...

 

[Arathorn]

I use 'em all the time. Like anarres said, the relative cost of stealing vs. buying/researching changes on difficulty levels. Stealing is cheaper than buying (even at last civ prices) on Sid starting fairly early in the middle ages. Being careful usually means not getting into a war you don't want. If you do, well, there's a *reason* most people don't play Sid.

Military make-up is incredibly handy to know. Spies give that for free. They have a zillion jet fighters and flak? OK, don't use bombers. How many fast attackers am I going to have to defend against in the initial wave? Under 100? OK, I can handle that. etc. etc. etc.

With that said, in general, I establish embassies about as soon as I can afford them easily. Spies are planted fairly quickly, but always with an eye on whether I can stand a war if I fail or not.

One rule many people are not aware of. If you fail to plant a spy in one turn, you will automatically fail for the next 4 turns. So, if you fail in 1810 and try again every turn, you will fail every time through 2050. You have to wait a few turns and then try again.

Arathorn

 

[norwegianviking]

Spys are almost worthless because they usually get caught but embassies are okay

 

[sabo]

I use spies quite a lot when at war with the AI. Nice to see what units they have defending a city when I'm trying to take it.

Yeah no sense going up against a size 13 metro with 15 fortified infantry in it with your 6 cavalry

Besides it's nice to know how big their army is.

 

[norwegianviking]

It is good to know that stuff but first you have to pay fifty times before the spy isn't caught

 

[Tripwire]

I always plant spies so I know what units they have making up their army. Investigating cities is also crucial in wartime.

The other functions I never use.

 

[bob rulz]

I will use propaganda if I really, really want/need that city. Of course, democracy makes this impossible.

 

[digitalgoodtime]

"One rule many people are not aware of. If you fail to plant a spy in one turn, you will automatically fail for the next 4 turns. So, if you fail in 1810 and try again every turn, you will fail every time through 2050. You have to wait a few turns and then try again."

Are u sure Arathorn? Is this on a levels of play?
I have have not had this happen to me, I will try once every turn untill I get a spy in. Often I get one in on the first, second, or third turn... When I first started playing I tried a bunch of times on the same turn and that was a waste of money..

I think governments make some difference as to your chance of sucess/failure to don't they?