I Forgive You!

[Dunkah]

So in my latest game I am playing as Sejong. (Korea).

As expected I am way ahead in science. And as expected all of the other civs are trying relentlessly to steal all of my techs.

My poilcy has always been forgive the first instance. Don't forgive the second and ask them to stop stealing from me. Denounce on the third. Declare war on the fourth...

However, this still does not stop them. Unless I completely wipe them out they keep on attempting to steal techs.

Eventually what I did was to build up a Constabulary and a Police Station in Seoul and to get anything I could to stop them. Basically once I did that I almost always killed their spies every time. I even started rotating my spies in and out of Seoul to the point where every spy I own is level 3.

Now I just forgive every time, why take the hit?

This seems kind of broken to me... What do you think?

 

[mystikx21]

I agree it's free XP for spies that you can then use for something else.. and it would help if you had to defend more than just your capital. There's no reason not to put the national college in the capital if you're going to have to invest so much in counterespionage for a high science city as it is.

 

[Dunkah]

You would think that once a spy gets killed in a particular city that they would try a different city.

I used to think this was a neat addition to the game but am thinking differently now. Not sure how to fix it but I think it needs some kind of tweak!

 

[mystikx21]

I haven't noticed much if they go after another city if you have a higher science city (often a jungle university style one can get ahead of the capital, or by using academies). That would be the first issue is whether it knows to look for a high priority target via population or just looks at the capital. One caveat to that is that it would be extremely annoying to go wide/conquerer and then have to build police stations everywhere.

You wouldn't have enough spies to cover anything other than the largest science cities (-whichever one has the Firewall).

Or you could completely ignore it and just lay waste to everyone who crosses you.

 

[Dunkah]

Perhaps a compensation diplo screen.

"Omg I am so sorry I was caught yet again after all of the leeway you have shown my Civ"...

"Aw that's ok... 500 gp should cover it"

 

[Ahriman]

It would be interesting to look at the underlying diplomatic code and to know under what circumstances, if any, demanding that they stop will actually have that effect.

 

[Dunkah]

It may be cool if the game gave you a heads up like "The presence of a spy in Detroit has been detected".

Then you could move your spy into that city if you had one to spare. Possibly thwarting efforts.

Perhaps even giving detection as a spy ability in the first place...

 

[whoward69]

That would be the first issue is whether it knows to look for a high priority target via population or just looks at the capital.

The code looks for the highest "potential" - either from gathering intel in a city or by deducing it from the population - city. BUT, the AI must also know the city exists, and unless you've had open borders or been at war and had their troops marching through your lands, the only city they may know about is your capital (from an embassy).

The code is in CvEspionageAI::BuildOffenseCityList() if you want to study it.

 

[mystikx21]

So in other words, it could be advantageous under the current model to have a medium sized city with a bunch of academies or jungles around with the national college and a high population production city with low or no tech buildings to confuse them for a while. Alternatively to guard a city with units in the way to prevent discovery.

Thanks.

 

[Thalassicus]

I've always felt like the AI ignores us when we demand it stop doing stuff.

It doesn't really seem to change their behavior much... I stopped making demands unless they are Afraid.