Espionage and Counter Espionage

[Angmar]

OKay I think I have figured a few things out about spies. I havent planted any yet as Im still trying to lock down my empire from being spied on.

When spying gets problematic I usually go and monkey with the opressometer ( great name ). Now I have a question about this. There are the two arrows. If I set things to highest arrow ( aka locking down my empire ) Is this the last step before my people start to revolt or is it the first step where they do start? Or is it a sliding scale the higher I set it the more my people will complain and that is a marker for where they really start to complain?

My other question is about building spies and not planting them. I know this means that they do conter espionage. However does their role play any factor in what spies they will stop? Ie: does a science spy stop missions against your science better than say a military spy? Or is it simple a spy is a spy when he is not "on the other side"

This game rocks, and I am glad to see a forum here for it

Cheers,

 

[DaEezT]

I second this post!

 

[Grey Fox]

I think that the higher you set the Opressometer, the higher you opress your people. A tip here is to increase the budget towards Unrest, or recreation or what it's called.

Whatch out for the New Orion, they use plenty of Spies

I think it might help what kind of spies you got...

 

[CivAgamemnon]

Remember, spies that are created but not assigned are counterintelligence, so balance out your forces with half assigned and half unassigned. That should give you SOME protection. I think.

 

[Freddybear]

My latest game, as Meklar, I've been trying to keep one of each type of spy unassigned. I've caught *lots* of enemy spies, including several from the New Orions.

 

[damunzy]

It seems to me that counter intelligence goes by the type of spy.

 

[Cheetah]

I've played a few Orion3 games on LAN.

And since some of my friends has a great love for spies, I know a little about them.

And yes, science spies counter science spies, military counter military, etc.

I tend to ignore spies in the start, but that might be something stupid. In one game i was psilons and a friend of me used so many science spies against me that my research was crippled. I was behind all 12 other players (both humans and AI) because my researchers were assassined, research labs blown up, etc.

A lot of spies at home tends to be necessary.

How many spies do you have at home?

 

[DaEezT]

I now always start making spies from the start and try to have at least 4 defensive spies at home at all times. But I only use science spies, that way I have all techs and the other races are stuck with theirs
It is kinda anoying to see your facilities blow up from time to time and no leader ever reached retirement age (actually they can be considered long lived after 5 turns ) but buildings can be rebuilt and leaders are for the weak

 

[Bloog]

As for maintaining leaders, maybe it's peoples' gameplay style ? Absolute govs seem more appealing for having great leaders (aka evil oppressors). When playing oppression style, a higher base oppression will keep them bullies alive.

 

[Panda]

I start building spies on turn 1 - one of each type, as counter-agents. Only then do I start to build extra Scientific spies for espionage, while building (training?) new spies for those counter-agents who retired.

And yeah, my leaders don't last long either.

 

[Grisu]

I usually use up to 2 counter-spies per type, especially if I'm playing a race that isn't oppressable (humans).

concerning the leaders: mine often die the turn after they entered my service only loknar (+20% research) once lived about 40 turns and that only because I protected him viciously (5 counter-spies)

 

[Cantankerous]

Wow, I didn't realize that non-inserted spies worked as counter-intelligence. (See, I did learn something new today.)

And I don't see why leaders agree to join my empire considering they have a history of being assassinated within ten turns.

What types of counterintelligence spies "protect" leaders? Military spies?

 

[Bloog]

In my current game my empire is completely cut off from the galaxy by 2 Guardians. I got a dozen of stars for my own.
I've been building spies from the start. Got contact with only the Cynoid after they ran into a guardian from thhe other side.
Cynoid is at war with almost everyone. I keep 2 political spies at home, but Cynoid doesn't send spies a lot. And most spies they use are social ones.
I keep sending in scientific spies, most of the time 2 are active. By now (turn 100) I have stolen about 15 techs, including merculite . The frequency of stealing techs seems to drop. Maybe the difference in techs known affects stealing. I alse blew almost every lab; most techs I get at the moment are way outdated.

As for my leaders, I constantly have 3 of them, together giving over 50% extra production. They die naturally, but get replaced immediately by new leaders with almost the same abilities (many random events). This may be pure luck, but the production bonus just rocks.