how you stop those spies?

[gnaark]

dear all,

I'm currently playing a normal emperor game as Russia where I'm pretty much dominating and will go for a science victory I think.

Just one thing, I know that I can build those buildings too counter the spies and put mine to kill them all (I do that) but I find it so annoying that every 10 turns I kill one spy and that they never want to stop.
I'm the biggest military force with the strongest economy, they should be creeped out...but they keep coming.

is it "how it's designed" or is there something I miss?

I'm thinking of nuking them now

 

[Firesmacker]

If you are the tech leader or close to it, you will be infested with spies. There isn't much else you can do but what you are already doing. They will promise not to spy anymore when you catch them but keep doing it anyway. Just like I do...

The Order tenant Double Agents works really well but still isn't a guarantee that you will catch and kill them. AI spying is just something we all have to live with.

 

[HNBiscuit]

It makes sense really. If you are the tech leader, they will send all their spys to punder off the leader.

I think that sending to the cap is a bit rubbish though once defence measures kick in, I would like to see them send to other cities, which would take longer but be more likely to yeild a result.

 

[FeiLing]

It makes sense really. If you are the tech leader, they will send all their spys to punder off the leader.

I think that sending to the cap is a bit rubbish though once defence measures kick in, I would like to see them send to other cities, which would take longer but be more likely to yeild a result.

Well having a tech stolen/spy killed every 10 turns is much more effective than having a tech stolen every 100 turns. That's at least what roughly happens to me, when I put a spy in the enemies second largest city instead of his capital.

I only put spies to defense to actually level them up. As soon as they hit lvl3 I use them for city states where I know the enemy is also trying to rig. I DO want them to steal techs from me, because this enables them to catch up and actually research some tech that I don't have yet and that I can steal from then then to save some time.

 

[Deau]

Use defensive spy as a hub to get promoted to lvl 3, rotate your spies to get all lvl 3 spies and then use them to COUP every CSs out there.

If you dominate SO MUCH on tech, it's almost best to accept being stolen to help the AI catch up and thus do more beakers for RAs.

LVL 3 spies will also coup significantly more successfully and if you can/could spare SPs in your natural path, scholasticism will yield you more science than stolen techs would with that kind of management.

 

[Fire0rb]

Well in my experience one of your close neighbours ALWAYS steals from you if you have at least one tech he has not...

If you get ahead in tech its normal and the AI should not be able to surpass your science lead with stealing because they dont know how to use it properly...

So level some of your spies but after that i mostly just ignore it.
I think i never ever build a anti-spy-building since G&K in single player...

 

[Arachnofiend]

Use defensive spy as a hub to get promoted to lvl 3, rotate your spies to get all lvl 3 spies and then use them to COUP every CSs out there.

If you dominate SO MUCH on tech, it's almost best to accept being stolen to help the AI catch up and thus do more beakers for RAs.

LVL 3 spies will also coup significantly more successfully and if you can/could spare SPs in your natural path, scholasticism will yield you more science than stolen techs would with that kind of management.

This is pretty much it. There's no real reason to stop enemy spies for the sake of preventing tech steals; catching up to the AI is the problem with science, once you're there they won't be able to keep pace with you. Using your spies to nab CS allies or to buy votes as diplomats is much more useful than having them hang around in your own cities, regardless of how many techs are getting stolen.