Distant Worlds is a vast, pausable real-time, 4X space strategy game which models a "living galaxy" with incredible options for replayability and customizability. Experience the full depth and detail of large turn-based strategy games, but with the simplicity and ease of real-time, and on the scale of a massively-multiplayer online game. Now greatly enhanced with the new Universe release, which includes all four previous releases as well as the new Universe expansion!
This should probably go to the wish list, but it fits so well with this discussion.
Character spies are an awesome game addition but I think the original spy system could have been kept as well.
You would purchase a spy network (the same thing as a spy in RotS). These networks could be assigned similarly and with the same missions as the spies in RotS.
When you eventually spawn a super spy (character) you could assign them to lead a spy network. This would make the character spies similar to generals and admirals.
+1
For those interested, forum thread link to post with a master list of all my DW mods: Link
I am playing currently Haakonish and they got
+1 Intel Char
+20% intel char recruitment.
But i still don't got any new Intel chars.
Even with the best possible chances i allready lost the 2 agents i got from start.
I think the chances for new Intel Agents should be increase much, special when you dont got any left.
I feel that the new spy system is a step backward. At RotS spying was real fun, but with Legends it is nearly pointless and irritating. Merkers idea sounds like the best combination of the two systems.
This should probably go to the wish list, but it fits so well with this discussion.
Character spies are an awesome game addition but I think the original spy system could have been kept as well.
You would purchase a spy network (the same thing as a spy in RotS). These networks could be assigned similarly and with the same missions as the spies in RotS.
When you eventually spawn a super spy (character) you could assign them to lead a spy network. This would make the character spies similar to generals and admirals.
[8D]
Good idea!
Although I found that it was too easy to get spies up to high levels previously. That may have been because the enemy didn't use counter spies enough because I caught enemy spies all the time yet didn't have mine caught very often.
I think the current system is sort of okay, just for being in keeping with the rest of the character system. But regarding spying it could use some tweaks to hasten the appearance of new agents.
One option I could think of would be to spend money directly, either to purchase a new agent or get a heightend chance of one appearing after a time. Maybe spies acquired through this route should usually be far less powerful than the random chance, 'elite' persons.
A far more interesting possibility could be in the use of an existing spy. Create a new mission, 'recruit agents', 'build network' or whatever'd be a good name for that activity. When successful, a new agent should appear. Chances of success could be determined by length of the mission (the usual month, quarter year or whole year), skill of the recruiting agent, number of agents you already have and race traits (with Ketarov, etc having an advantage).
The risk of the mission would be very low to non-exitent, at least for the recruiting agent. But you could run a risk of getting a double-agent into your service. Just keep in mind that the recruiter isn't available for counter intelligence, so there is a trade-off as there should be with every agent activity.
It would be cool if we could also have a specific branch of the research tree dedicated to spies. That way spies would come with certain characteristics which we could tweak by researching certain technologies (eg. psychology studies that improve their counter-intelligence techniques; genetic modifications so when human spy goes to Dhayut empire the spy looks like Dhayut or one of the allied races of Dhayut, etc).
I miss the old spying days, and I am glad it is gone. Previously it was all about training them, steal some tech, and get your deep cover agents. The game is more interesting when it is not that easy to get full info on the movements of your enemy.
At the same time, for me the spying game is quite absent now, and the AI advisor is not eager to suggest missions unless at war either.
Another idea I had had regarding this was the idea of "building" a spy network. You'd have to establish one first (possibly even having a tech first before you could establish one) and it would cost maintenance to upkeep. In return, you'd have a higher chance of having spies appear and join your empire.
In this way, it wouldn't be as easy as it was before and you couldn't replace them instantly. They'd be valuable but you could get more of them than currently.
The same idea could be added for other areas (such as military generals).
Scanners and contact provide some information on other powers, and there is some counter-intelligence, or at least some general security risk to attempted penetrations, going on in the background even without an agent assigned to it. But in the game only the spy characters can take direct action, meaning that they represent the rare individuals with extraordinary abilities that are more numerous in fiction than reality but also routine espionage and direct action activities that go on at an industrial scale in today's world - something represented in some games by spy points or something abstract. I like the characters, but with only one, even two, the spymaster has very little to do. Maybe more agents would unsettle the balance of the game, but it would seem to provide a better experience.
Which leads to the big question of how much having an agent character doing counter-intelligence affects the normal risks and opportunities faced by opposing spies? Other than being a tech leader worried about massive industrial espionage, does it make sense to prioritize counter-intelligence for the sole agent available or is it foolish not to have the agent(s) out there at work developing skills?
