The business of spies

[siff]

I don't know if this has been talked about...

A nice way to enter into or exit from business deals is to use spies. My scenario was like this:

I had one aluminum resource that was constantly being destroyed by a spy, as a result I could not build modern armor. I made a deal with allied friend to supply me with aluminum. Now I could focus on my upcoming war and produce all the armors a wanted.

After about 5 - 10 turns I caught the spy and was able supply my own aluminum for the production. My allied partner was supplying me with aluminum at 100 per turn and I wanted to get out of this deal without getting him angry. The plan was quite simply to destroy his aluminum production, I did and it worked like a charm.

Related point is if you want to make some money from a player that holds an expensice resource that you also hold, go and destroy his source with spies and then offer to sell it to him.

Siff

 

[MSTK]

In Civ III, making a trade and then cutting off the supply of that trade so you wouldn't have to pay it off was considered an exploit.
Im' not sure about Civ IV, though....

 

[Vizzini]

Ah but siff was indeed "paying it off" every turn - just didn't want to continue the deal. By destroying the source the AI had to say "Sorry I don't want to continue this any more".

Seems like a perfectly valid tactic to force the AI into being the one to break off the agreement. Would also work if that resource was being traded to some other civ.. make the two of 'em mad at each other.

Sounds like the very reason spies were put in the game.

 

[Arkalius]

Considering it costs upwards of 200 or so gold to wreck a resource with a spy, and the fact that you can fail and earn negative reputation with the AI I think deters the idea of using that as a way to get out of a deal early. In the OP's case it was worth it since he's paying 100/turn for the resource. If you're only paying like 10 or so then it's kind of not worth the effort.

 

[siff]

that goes withour saying, this only applies to expensive deals late in the game.
It also, as you point out, carries the risk of penalty if the spy is caught.

Siff