King Flevance
Deity
I just recently got BTS having skipped Warlords. The most interesting and overwhelming aspect that I can see (outside of all the new civs) is the new espionage system. It's extremely fun and it makes alphabet more intense to go after than it was before... to me anyways. I used to not worry about alphabet and tade for it. Now, I am not so sure that is a good idea. When my opponents have spies and I don't it downright sucks.
I am curious as to what you guys use as espionage strategies. Like early on:
1) How do you weight your espionage early on? Evenly? Pick 1 guy? 2?
I tend to pick 1 guy right off the bat, but this can sometimes work against me. I have played a couple games now where I was spying on 1 guy and later found out he was a good ally, so I switched and had some "wasted" points. In my current game though, I didn't spy on Charlemagne at all and was building relatons with him. Which he ended up declaring war on me with almost a friendly status (although I was a point or two off so technically pleased.) Which he then kept sending spies in and poisoning my water. (which was brilliant as he had 2 cities go to a 1 pop from a 5-7 so my unit costs shot up.)
Which brings me to my next question:
2) What missions if any do you use?
I try not to use many missions because I like getting LOS and Investigate and I find it hard to get to those caps along with maintain it. So I don't know how much of my holding back on missions is really in vain. I have really been enjoying the Sumerians though so I get real early courthouses right now for all those espionage points.
Another question:
3) How often do you use spy specialists? How early do you increase the espionage slider?
I usually use specialists more than the slider. Although I don't really use them that much either. And I have yet to get a Great Spy. How much should you really invest in espionage early on?
Final espionage question:
4) How do you use your Great Spies?
As I said, I have yet to get one but it seems that the SPy mission in a foreign City is sort of like the GM's trade mission. (Which I only find useful in dire situations.) I would suspect everyone uses them as specialists.
PS: Any news of when v3.13 is coming out? I know its done as they said but what is the approximated ETA if anyone knows. I am wanting to get all my old vanilla mods up and running again and suspect that I should wait until v3.13 is released.
Cheers.
I am curious as to what you guys use as espionage strategies. Like early on:
1) How do you weight your espionage early on? Evenly? Pick 1 guy? 2?
I tend to pick 1 guy right off the bat, but this can sometimes work against me. I have played a couple games now where I was spying on 1 guy and later found out he was a good ally, so I switched and had some "wasted" points. In my current game though, I didn't spy on Charlemagne at all and was building relatons with him. Which he ended up declaring war on me with almost a friendly status (although I was a point or two off so technically pleased.) Which he then kept sending spies in and poisoning my water. (which was brilliant as he had 2 cities go to a 1 pop from a 5-7 so my unit costs shot up.)
Which brings me to my next question:
2) What missions if any do you use?
I try not to use many missions because I like getting LOS and Investigate and I find it hard to get to those caps along with maintain it. So I don't know how much of my holding back on missions is really in vain. I have really been enjoying the Sumerians though so I get real early courthouses right now for all those espionage points.
Another question:
3) How often do you use spy specialists? How early do you increase the espionage slider?
I usually use specialists more than the slider. Although I don't really use them that much either. And I have yet to get a Great Spy. How much should you really invest in espionage early on?
Final espionage question:
4) How do you use your Great Spies?
As I said, I have yet to get one but it seems that the SPy mission in a foreign City is sort of like the GM's trade mission. (Which I only find useful in dire situations.) I would suspect everyone uses them as specialists.
PS: Any news of when v3.13 is coming out? I know its done as they said but what is the approximated ETA if anyone knows. I am wanting to get all my old vanilla mods up and running again and suspect that I should wait until v3.13 is released.
Cheers.