preventing tech theft ?

[Hawkster]

In a lot of my games I get well ahead (ok way ahead) in techs and am getting to the spaceship building stage. All is great except that the Ai civs (and usually on one in particular) start sending spys to steal techs off me to then pass to all the other civs.


Does anyone know of a workable way of preventing spys from keep doing this - other than sealing borders where possible or trying to expel spys (not easy when I have railroads everywhere and the offending spy can dash anywhere instantly).

It's frustrating watching my tech lead disappear.

(edited to correct spelling)

 

[Dell19]

Put your own spies in your cities... I'm pretty sure this is supposed to stop other empires being able to steal techs. Alternatively fortify units near to the city so that you can kill their spy before it reaches your city.

 

[AnarchyBoy]

Once you achieve space flight and start building a space ship, the AI will always steal techs from you. I think the creators of the game programmed this so that the space race would always be competitive. Just use their thievery as an excuse to declare war. Personally, I love it when they steal from me. Finally I can use my troops without my reputation being damaged.

 

[Duke of Marlbrough]

Each diplomat/spy you have in a city gives you x% chance to stop them from being able to steal techs. IIRC, a calculation is made for spy/diplomat that is in the city, so the more you have in the city the better your chances of stopping them.

I think it was something like a 33% chance to stop them with a Vet Spy.... (don't quote me on this, it's a rough guess).

 

[Remorseless]

Hawkster,
While Dell and (particularly) the Duke are giving you good advice, my style tends to lead toward Anarchy Boy's. After all, what the use of having all those pretty howitzers, tanks, stealth bombers/fighters and battleships if you can't take them out to play once in a while.

 

[Lucky]

Every diplomat has 20% chance of stopping the tech stealing.
A spy has a 40% chance and a vet spy a 60% chance. (as written in the manual)

Note that those numbers are not cumulative, so 2 vet spy´s are not totally securing a city. Each spy has a chance of 60%. So with 2 spys the chance that the tech stealing is successful is 0.4*0.4=0.16=16%. That percentage will never drop to 0.

Remember though, that there cannot be a steal from the same city twice, so you needn´t defend a city which already lost a tech.

 

[Duke of Marlbrough]

I knew someone who still had the manual would post the exact numbers. All my stuff is from my head....

I somewhat remember that if a spy is the unit that stole your tech, that after a certain number of turns, they could do it again.....? Or is that just for us against the AI? I know if a diplomat steals a tech, it flags the city as being 'used', but I thought it was different for spies.....

 

[Hawkster]

Thanks for the replies - I tend not to go for the war route (especially if I building the spaceship) of course the AI always has other ideas - with sneak attacks etc.

I'll try the spy in city route - hopefully that will help!

 

[Old n Slow]

Dips are limited to one theft (unless the city changes hands). Spies can do it repeatedly, but after the first time, the citizens are wary & the odds are more difficult. Some other considerations are: add internal roadblocks (trucks, camels, engineers come to mind); set up some defendible boundaries/chokepoints & have your spies there; undo some of the exterior RR network to slow down their movement in & around your space.

 

[Dark Ascendant]

The AI will never use spies correctly. That's if they go towards espionage at all. Vet spies in all border cities, courtesy of your local Statue of Liberty. Expel the dip, or garrison all the border towns full of military units to invade the AI if they steal a tech. It's a good enough excuse to wage war.

 

[ElephantU]

A tech theft is one of the good excuses for starting a war in Democracy, but if you are not prepared to win in one or two turns your Senate will probably interfere. Shame to get halfway there and then have to go home.

Have you tried GIVING the AI most of the techs? Make them happy with everything but the latest, watch their attitudes and give them a little more. Once you are into SpaceShip time you SHOULD have a reserve of freights built up ready to RushBuild those SS parts, and you SHOULD be getting techs every turn or two...

 

[Dark Ascendant]

Originally posted by ElephantU
A tech theft is one of the good excuses for starting a war in Democracy, but if you are not prepared to win in one or two turns your Senate will probably interfere. Shame to get halfway there and then have to go home.

Have you tried GIVING the AI most of the techs? Make them happy with everything but the latest, watch their attitudes and give them a little more. Once you are into SpaceShip time you SHOULD have a reserve of freights built up ready to RushBuild those SS parts, and you SHOULD be getting techs every turn or two...

Peaceful coexistence?! Bah, wipe them out. Gifting them techs only make potential threats bigger. Diplomatic attitude changes in Civ, but dead civs will stay dead forever.

 

[ElephantU]

Originally posted by Dark Ascendant


Peaceful coexistence?! Bah, wipe them out. Gifting them techs only make potential threats bigger. Diplomatic attitude changes in Civ, but dead civs will stay dead forever.

You have yet to experience the joys of playing the AI like a harp, friend. Try it some time. Get MarcoPolo early, build a great SSC, anytime you see an AI less than Enthus give them something you dont need anymore, check what they are working on and give it to them if you have it already so they work on something else for you to trade for. Those "record" games of getting to AC near 1AD are built on staying small and gifting the AI. Its fun!

 

[Dark Ascendant]

Originally posted by ElephantU


You have yet to experience the joys of playing the AI like a harp, friend. Try it some time. Get MarcoPolo early, build a great SSC, anytime you see an AI less than Enthus give them something you dont need anymore, check what they are working on and give it to them if you have it already so they work on something else for you to trade for. Those "record" games of getting to AC near 1AD are built on staying small and gifting the AI. Its fun!

I guess I'm more into empire-building. Building up an empire and turning it on a victim using the "Divide and Conquer" strategy is the most fun I have.

 

[Marlos]

Originally posted by Dark Ascendant

I guess I'm more into empire-building. Building up an empire and turning it on a victim using the "Divide and Conquer" strategy is the most fun I have.

I have to side up with Dark Ascendant on this one. The only good civ is one that has been assimilated

In fact, my first signature when I signed onto CFC was "In order to win the game, remove the enemy from the game (one city at a time)!" If you beat back the AI and have an SSC, you are surely on your way to conquest!

As far as tech theft is concerned, I try to keep units as close as possible to enemy territory to see dips/spies coming so I can expel/destroy them and keep tech theft from happening. Spies have longer ranges of vision, and reconnaisance flights by fighters are always helpful.

 

[ElephantU]

Doesnt help with the Dip/Spy landing from ship to coastal city...

There's lots to be said for having every AI civ "Enthusiastic", practically unable to research anything because you've given them so much their wimpy cities are pumping out only 20-30 beakers per turn while your SSC powerhouse is doing over 500...