Spies

[Anomandaris]

I had only one game where I was able to complete the quest requiring a 4 intrigue or above action. First game with ARC and I was rushing the computer network (not terribly rushing, just getting it pretty quick). Managed to complete the quest, a couple of dozen of turns later max intrigue was 3. I guess AIs build surveillance networks everywhere, and pretty quick at that. You can only do higher actions early, I guess (which kind of removes the point of their existence).

 

[Serenya]

You have to see the city after having build the spy agency. Since there is no fog of war on any of the capitals they are always on the list. Any city you find after having build it will be on the list. To add a city you have been too before just get it back in line of sight of a unit.

Thank you! That makes sense in an odd sort of way, I will give that a try next game.

 

[Minor Annoyance]

Surveillance Webs are too good for the AI and not good enough for humans. The AI seems to build them everywhere and I rarely build them. I think I only did 4+ level ops in my first two games. Afterwards I only ever saw intrigue over 3 in newly built cities and that didn't last long. I built a surveillance web in my capital but I didn't want anyone getting free science or units either so I used a counter agent And considering I can never get intrigue over three in other cities my agents aren't usually tied up in operations and are free to return home.

 

[sprang]

Thank you! That makes sense in an odd sort of way, I will give that a try next game.

Pretty sure it must be a *city* too- spotting an outpost will not cause the subsequent city to appear in your list. You'll have to go back and re-scout it.

 

[sprang]

Surveillance Webs are too good for the AI and not good enough for humans. The AI seems to build them everywhere and I rarely build them. I think I only did 4+ level ops in my first two games. Afterwards I only ever saw intrigue over 3 in newly built cities and that didn't last long. I built a surveillance web in my capital but I didn't want anyone getting free science or units either so I used a counter agent And considering I can never get intrigue over three in other cities my agents aren't usually tied up in operations and are free to return home.

I can only flip cities when I beeline Computing and focus on a capital. Even then, it's hit or miss if I'll get the Intrigue level to 5 before they build Surveillance Webs.

So if you want to flip capitals as part of your Domination strategy, you should expect to get a crack at three or four at most. Start with the strongest powers or most distant - whoever would be most annoying to walk over and pound. And even then, you won't always succeed.

Last game, I finally had Tiangong up to 5, selected Coup, and within three turns she must have built the web and placed a counter-agent because the Intrigue was falling like a stone. It was below level 1 after just 12 turns or so... that mission failed badly.

But part of the problem is that Coup is too strong to balance. If it can always be defended, it's irrelevant. If it can't ever be defended, it destroys the game. If the AI can't do it (exploits, bad scripting, etc.), it's a free human win every time. If the AI can do it, it makes for terrible gameplay.

 

[DarkestOnion]

I'm quite sure im not using spies to their full potential and im holding off playing ARC until i figure this out. All my spies ever seem to be capable of doing is syphoning ome energy or stealing some science and they dont seem to be levelling up too much to let me do other stuff.

They ocassionaly level up to allow me to steal a tech but i dont think my spies have been sucsessful at this.

What am i doing wrong? and more importantly how do you guys go about making maximum use of your spies?

Thanks
Shafi

I am primarily an ARC player so I would like to offer you the following tips:

1) Choose the National Security Project Operations Reconnaissance and leave a spy (or two) at headquarters to boost your chances of success.

2) Always attempt the highest intrigue operation to ramp up city intrigue as quickly as possible.

3a) Decide whether you want to steal science, steal money, or coup de'tat AI capitals and stick to your plan.

3b) It may be optimal to pull all but the coup de'tat spies back to headquarters when attempting a coup de'tat just to increase the chance of success.

 

[Kaigen]

I am primarily an ARC player so I would like to offer you the following tips:

1) Choose the National Security Project Operations Reconnaissance and leave a spy (or two) at headquarters to boost your chances of success.

2) Always attempt the highest intrigue operation to ramp up city intrigue as quickly as possible.

3a) Decide whether you want to steal science, steal money, or coup de'tat AI capitals and stick to your plan.

3b) It may be optimal to pull all but the coup de'tat spies back to headquarters when attempting a coup de'tat just to increase the chance of success.

IIRC, National Security Project only increases your chances of success by 1-2% per agent, so it's really too small of a bonus to worry about. Your projects should only come into play if you have more agents than there are available AI cities to stick them in, and if that's the case you should be scouting to get more targets. Especially as the ARC, an agent in an enemy city is an order of magnitude more valuable than an agent cooling their heels at home. I don't even bother using my agents for counterintelligence anymore unless intrigue is ramping up in a city where I can't get a surveillance web up.

That said, I don't bother with trying to set up coup d'etat attempts, but I have to imagine that even in that case your agents would be employed increasing intrigue in other cities unless you really only want to flip that one city.

 

[JuanB]

From what I understand the more agents there are in a city the more intrigue there is. From my own games I have the feeling that when playing with all 8 sponsors the intrigue grows much faster then when I play on smaller maps.

 

[sprang]

From what I understand the more agents there are in a city the more intrigue there is. From my own games I have the feeling that when playing with all 8 sponsors the intrigue grows much faster then when I play on smaller maps.

That's another reason why successive capital coups are hard. Your agent alone won't get that capital up to Level 5 if the owner is keeping a counter-agent in it, but there may be more than one agent at work... until you start seizing AI capitals and wiping out their spy academies.

 

[Xenotitan]

Yeah if you look at the intrigue levels you can sometimes figure out which cities already have spies in them. Double teaming a city is really good for getting the intrigue up.

 

[Galatian]

How does the random generator play into the Spy system? I'm right now playing with ARC and was rushing Computing as well as the +40% Intrigue in the might tree. I keep doing "Establish Network" over and over and try a Coup d'état on my enemies Capitols. I saved my game right before finished said mission and it seems like the outcome differs even though I don't have the random seed generator active. Is this normal behavior?

 

[Anomandaris]

Considering you can reload to get the building quests on the first turn after building them, again without ticking the new random seed option, probably. Except I doubt normal means intended in this case.

 

[Serenya]

The AI can definitely do it - I had a game where ARC and I both flipped capitals.

 

[FaceUnderMask]

The AI can definitely do it - I had a game where ARC and I both flipped capitals.

My friend didn't knew it was possible and lost a capital to the AI that way.