It was so close, I was on the edge of my seat in the final hours of it. Managed to pull off a tech vic. Spies really do help, believe me they make a difference. In fact it was the only was to interfere with the ethiopians who were a super power in this particular game. My only other choice would have been to start a war and no way I could have taken them down, not that massive continent. They had a huge ocean seperating us too so that made attacking just not an option.
I had off and on wars with the spanish in the last half of the game. I had the upper hand in most of the battles. I assembled an amphious assault group, had 12 marines, a few transports and 2 missile cruisers loaded up with missiles. Let the missiles fly, opened fire the deck guns, then hit the beach. I leveled 4 of isabella's major cities like this. I really like marines, with the right promotions they are a formidable fighting force!
Towards the ending of the game, I ended up confused. I first started to build up tactical nukes and subs. I had it all planned out. I would declare war on zara yaqob, nuke about 8 of his major cities with the tacticals then follow up with a few ICBMs. He never had access to uranium so I had an advantage. After sending in some spies, I seen he did not have any nukes of his own, at least not in the major cities.
Then not long after, I figured nuclear war was not the answer. I started to go for the tech race. Now i had to be fast, very fast! I needed every factory, coal plant, nuke plant, industrial park, you name it. I needed production in my cities and fast! I worked quick as I could to make it happen. After several turns, spaceship parts were beginning to be built. One after another they were rolling out of my factories. Now, zara yaqob and lincoln was both doing the same.
Now I decided to build spies and several of them. I did and was able to sabotage production in one of zara's cities. Yes! Lincoln was not going so fast so I was not concerned. I spied zara to death, did everything I could do to slow down his progress and it worked. There it went, finally, I launched off to alpha centauri packing away a tech vic
A hell of a game this one was, so close, yet so far away zara maybe next time 
Sum it up, spies played a big part in me winning this game like I did towards the end. I also love the fact you can destroy improvements with spies. This said, I am sold on spies now. They allow a player to interfere with larger more powerful countries without starting a war. Just don't get caught whatever you do or pay the price you will. I think it does a -3 relation hit when you get caught. A couple of those and you may find that you had awakened a sleeping giant.
I had off and on wars with the spanish in the last half of the game. I had the upper hand in most of the battles. I assembled an amphious assault group, had 12 marines, a few transports and 2 missile cruisers loaded up with missiles. Let the missiles fly, opened fire the deck guns, then hit the beach. I leveled 4 of isabella's major cities like this. I really like marines, with the right promotions they are a formidable fighting force!
Towards the ending of the game, I ended up confused. I first started to build up tactical nukes and subs. I had it all planned out. I would declare war on zara yaqob, nuke about 8 of his major cities with the tacticals then follow up with a few ICBMs. He never had access to uranium so I had an advantage. After sending in some spies, I seen he did not have any nukes of his own, at least not in the major cities.
Then not long after, I figured nuclear war was not the answer. I started to go for the tech race. Now i had to be fast, very fast! I needed every factory, coal plant, nuke plant, industrial park, you name it. I needed production in my cities and fast! I worked quick as I could to make it happen. After several turns, spaceship parts were beginning to be built. One after another they were rolling out of my factories. Now, zara yaqob and lincoln was both doing the same.
Now I decided to build spies and several of them. I did and was able to sabotage production in one of zara's cities. Yes! Lincoln was not going so fast so I was not concerned. I spied zara to death, did everything I could do to slow down his progress and it worked. There it went, finally, I launched off to alpha centauri packing away a tech vic
A hell of a game this one was, so close, yet so far away zara maybe next time Sum it up, spies played a big part in me winning this game like I did towards the end. I also love the fact you can destroy improvements with spies. This said, I am sold on spies now. They allow a player to interfere with larger more powerful countries without starting a war. Just don't get caught whatever you do or pay the price you will. I think it does a -3 relation hit when you get caught. A couple of those and you may find that you had awakened a sleeping giant.
