espionage: do you change the slider?

[BYC]

If I go spy economy, I run it at least 50% after I get Code of Laws.

If I go normal economies, I might put it on 10%.

 

[Ball Lightning]

I do alot as it has helped me get ready before people declare war on me and it is good to see into there territory.

 

[Gorman Truart]

Using the espionage slider in the early game is a good way to fall behind in tech. It's easier to catch up later, and the AI rarely does anything harmful to you before you catch up.

 

[Willowmound]

I put it at 10% and leave it.

I like the intelligens. Equally, I get nervous seeing the slider at 0%. As if I'm leaving myself open to something...

I do change the espionage weight when at war.

 

[Nelgirith]

too bad you cant build espionage, like wealth, research and culture (perhaps in a 1 to 8 ratio?). I typically have 0%, but change to 10% as my civ have the excess gold pouring out from banks while keeping research at 60-70%.

Same here. Once my money is flowing in with Research slider at 100%, I just put Espionnage slider to 10%. My main interest in this is to see all the AI cities + defenses, especially the ones I met late in game.

When I'm preparing a war, I run Espionnage slider at 100% for a couple turns (5 to 10) only to rack in all the EP I can, then it goes back to either 0 or 10%.

 

[SPQR300]

It's always 0% at me, I played 3 games in BTS so far, and there was only 1(!!!) time when an opponent made a successful spy action against me. It was a foment unhappiness as far as I remember. Only 1 successful attempt in like 30-40 hours game... It's not worth putting the slider higher for defense, because the AI is impotent using spies. In my latest game there is a "we have discovered enemy spy" message every 3-4 turns, but NEVER a successful spy mission against me... never... I don't know what causes it...

 

[whitulf]

It depends on whether I built the Great Wall and used the Great Spies as 1st Great Specialist Spy (+8 EP/turn) and 2nd Scottland Yard (+100%EP in town) - if I got 2. In thus a case, one can leave the slider at 0% for a looong time.

In any other case it is of higher advantage to have 10% used for espionage, sometimes even 20%, and not too late.

I both cases it can be good distributing the points depending on the needs - it even could lead into getting a tech from another nation just by spending spy-points - not to mention the advantages of knowing weather and when other nations could finish a wonder - and then trying to be faster OR to inhibit the opponent by manipulating that town.

 

[TheWilltoAct]

hmmm I responded too quickly... I think there can indeed be cases where some use of the slider is advisable - such as was mentioned, if a foo is in your land, messin with your stuff

 

[Willowmound]

I played 3 games in BTS so far, and there was only 1(!!!) time when an opponent made a successful spy action against me.

Wow. They do me all the time. You playing some easy difficulty setting?

 

[Enigma256]

Solver Patch makes the AI also better at using spies, that might be it

 

[Minmaster]

on emperor, any relations below pleased means non-stop poisoned cities and multiple caught spies every turn.

 

[Angst]

i just slide it up 10% and let it be for the length of the game

 

[kniteowl]

Only before a War... I go 100% or whatever my max is before I get a deficit.

I concentrate all my EP towrds the Civ I'm eventually going to war and aim for a certain thershold, whether it's to "See Research", "City Visability" or "Investigate City", if it's less then 10 turns of max EP. I'll go for it and when the Civ is nearing elimination I use up all my EP points on them as quickly as possible on mission preferably city revolts for quick invasions

If I know I'll have any EP left over I'll try to prevent them from make a defense by whatever means with my EP, becuase I better make the most out of it after investing.

But that's just my style of play, Obviously I prefer using this tactic with a Financial Civ or under CE, SE require too much Micro-management.

 

[TheWilltoAct]

hmm interesting point... so you are saying if you are going to be eliminating someone you might as well take advantage of those espionage points... it's very simple but not something I really have thought to do!

 

[Munch]

Been experimenting in my current game with espionage seeing as I got two great spies from the Great Wall. With them both settled in my capital I have been able to see everyone's research ever since, which is great for having the slider at 0%. Given this immediate espionage lead I've found running at 50% for a while and generating ~300 EPs a turn, directed against my nearest rival is plenty for having a couple of spies constantly running from my capital to his cheapest city (in terms of EPs) and stealing technologies. I've managed to steal about 6 in a row losing only a couple of spies in the process, getting techs like Gunpowder, Chemistry, Democracy. Very useful! Generally though, I have Espionage on 0% and Research as high as I can if I'm driving for some research goal, alternate this with the opposite and go on a tech stealing bender.

 

[alpaca]

Are you kidding? Of course I do!
It's usually at something between 20% and 30% - I use EP to gather techs from my rivals because with that I can usually save at least 33% of the price. And it's easier to get good espionage multipliers than getting good science multipliers (e.g. you get +100% for Scotland Yard but only +50% for an academy). In addition, the specialists give you one beaker and four EP which is better than any other specialist.
This is especially good because I can use my spies to pick up most techs from the AI cheaply while concentrating on beelines to certain key techs.
And this doesn't even mention the benefit of being able to see your opponent's cities and research.

That said, you also have to build spies but I can live with that - they're not that expensive later on.

You should try it, you can save a lot of commerce by stealing techs.

 

[Venger]

Mind you - I have ONE game of BTS under the belt, a long, epic game, that alas has become unplayable due to bugs. BUT, in that one game, I found that I would change between 0 and 10% on the slider, depending on peace time. Even at 0 I am producing a ton, but when I have spare commerce coins, it's a good time to catch up to the AI or just build up defensive advantage in points.

 

[Enigma256]

Been experimenting in my current game with espionage seeing as I got two great spies from the Great Wall. With them both settled in my capital I have been able to see everyone's research ever since, which is great for having the slider at 0%.

if you built Scotland Yard with the second spy it would have been even better

a settled spy gives 12 EP, Scotland Yard increases EP by 100%, so if you build Scotland Yard with the second spy it not only gives you 12 EP (double the first spy) but will also increase all EP from that since from then on.

 

[ushram]

rarely do i move the slider

 

[TheWilltoAct]

lol wise words