Spies and Medieval Era

[docbud]

This might be a stupid question, but I will ask:

Does the AI need to be in the Renaaissance era in order to use spies? I know we players have to. Am I wrong, or isn’t Medieval Era BEFORE Renaissance?

Haile Selassie had stolen TWO techs before one of my spies (counter-espionage) killed it. He is only in the Medieval era.

Here’s a screenshot I took right after my spy killed his.

Elizabeth also stole from me, and she’s in Medieval Era as well. I’m the only one in Renaissance.

Am I missing something?

 

[smellymummy]

once any player reaches renaissance everyone gets a spy

 

[apocalypse105]

As soon as a player enters the renaissance everyone gets 1 spy

Its because of balance reasons so you can counter spies (with you're own spies)

 

[Peacemongerer]

They enabled it so that once ANYBODY enters the Renaissance, everybody gets a spy. A good strategy if you're in the lead is that when you're only 1 tech left in the middle ages, start researching Renaissance era techs but don't finish them... leave them half done and switch to the next one. You still get the full benefits of your research, but you don't open yourself up to spying as quickly.

 

[docbud]

Thanks gang. I didn't realize that. It's been driving me crazy that I'm getting a big tech lead and then the AIs/Civs keeps stealing from me. I finally had to tell Ethiopia to quit stealing from me, as he's done it a total of FOUR times now. I've only got only spy...

@Peacemongerer: I'll try that strategy next game. Thanks.

My tech lead has shrunk and everyone is stealing from me. I've to three cities and only one spy. I'm getting robbed blind.

 

[docbud]

Different thing going on, but I thought I would keep in this thread. I take it it's a good thing when religion "spreads" to other civs? As you can see from this screenshot, my religion has spread to other civs and city states. I had nothing to do with it.

However, Germany tried to send a missionary into my territory and I nabbed it and am sending it far far far far away from my cities

Of course that meant war, but oh well. Oh--I killed another Ethiopian spy!

Screen shot showing my religion spreading...

Am waiting to get enough faith points to get my Inquisitors to station in cities. I really didn't want to declare war on Germany, but he kicked my butt last night in a different game...