Sonar and hidden nationality Subs

[Aneurism]

Here is an idea for a future expansion or for a mod(if it can be pulled off):
Make Submarines a hidden nationality unit, unless the civ that is attacked by one has discovered a new technology called Sonar.

I sometimes mod my own games to play with hidden nationality subs, but I can't figure out a way to do this so that they become visible to any nation that has a certain technology. In addition to this, I think it would make sense if only sub-hunting units were equiped with sonar (the units that can presently detect submarines...destroyers, and Cruisers)
So does anyone know if there is a way to do this, and what do you think of the idea?

 

[ChrTh]

Well, here's the issue: how could Sonar tell you the sub was a specific nationality? Unless you presume that each Civ has their own way of building a sub (and thus leave different sonar signatures--and I know this is true on our planet, but there's a huge difference between our planet and Sid's world), I don't think a Sonar system will give you that ability. Even if it did, you'd have to know what the civ-specific sonar signatures were, and thus, that would require a spy

 

[dexters]

Well, the more reason to plan spies.

While I hated absolutely Civ II's diplo armies of conquest, the balance in Civ III was to make spying so expensive it is rarely used, with the exception of planting spies for military info and city investigation.

If some fo the game's features, like identifying hidden nationality units is contingent upon having a spy in an enemy capital to feed back information on their sub's sonar signatures, that's even better.

I'm not sure how the AI works, as I've heard people say the AI knows it's where your subs are even if subs are supposed to be invisble, it just can't act on it, but for human players, it can be a way to harass AI shipping ala privateer, without starting a war. The AI should be programmed to do the same.

 

[Aneurism]

ChrTh and dexters you both make a good point of needing a way to actually identify the sonar signatures. dexters I like your idea of having a spy in the enemy capital in order to get the sonar signatures in the first place. Maybe it could be an extra tab on the espianage screen to 'spy submarine sonar signatures' once you have developed sonar technolgy. I think that's pretty much what your saying anyway. I'm still more or less happy with just making the submarines hidden nationality in general (without sonar). One could easily find out which civs are capable of building subs, and more or less deduct who would want to attack them with a sub. In a multiplayer game it could create some intriguing situations... a third party could sneak attack one side of two civs that are on the brink of war. I like privateers, and I like harassing oponents shipping whether they are AI or human. It would be fun to continue it into the modern era.

Here is another fun (if not original) idea... make tactical missiles hidden nationality!!

 

[akinkhoo]

everytime i plant a spy, they get killed...

 

[warpstorm]

If a spy gets caught, all subsequent attempts to plants a spy with that civ for a few turns will fail. Wait a while for them to let down their guard.