Espionage/Trading

I was using espionage quite a bit in my first few games, but in my last two I have not used it at all. The main reason I was using espionage was to determine the tech areas of my AI opponents. BUT, it seems I can do this much easier with 100% accuracy for free by just going into the "Speak To" screen and scanning their techs they have for "trade". :-/

It then occurred to me that perhaps the AI would simply not display techs that it had, yet was unwilling to trade. But, it seems that there are quite a few things the AI has displayed on the "Speak To" screen that it will not trade regardless of the offer...


This stirs a few other points/questions I had regarding the trade screen:

1.) The AI seems to value its Colonies, star bases and ships VERY, VERY highly while it places very, very little value on the player's colonies, etc. I suspect this is required or else the human player could find many a loop hole to screw the AI in these types of trades (ex like right before declaring war on the same AI race).

2.) The AI seems to value its votes in the Galactic Assembly VERY, VERY highly while it places a very low value you the player's votes. I see no real reason for esp. when the player has no idea what is coming up for vote during the next consol session (or do we?) and the "trading" of Galactic Assembly votes should be the most common type of diplomatic trade (IMO).

3.) The AI does not seem to do much tech trading amongst itself much at all.

4.) I see no way to ask/demand an allied race to attack someone I am at war with as they do not appear the poplist on the trade screen (or is this because my ally is "friendly" with the folks I want them to attack and am at war with).

Later,
GG
5,459 views 4 replies
Reply #1 Top
Yes, the Trade screen is the ying and yang ...
Love it and hate it ...
Sometimes I just turn trade off ...
But it does add sum to the game play ...

1.) You got that right
2.) You can use this, give the AI a few points and they
go all goofy like a puppy !!!!
3.) Maybe, But I have seen the AI trade all their techs like
tweens swapping gossip at a sleep over ...
4.) Allies huh ? They never help you and are always bugging you
for stuff ...
Reply #2 Top
Espionage is fairly rubbish on this game anyway, theres little or no depth to it. About all you can do is sus out the oppositions ships and colonies and then do absolutely nothing else, it even tells you not to waste any more money on it as you've got all you can get.

A few more options would have been welcome, such as.

A deliberate attempt to steal tech.

A destabilise option to remove an inconvenient alliance.

Sabotage.

Ship theft.

Also the option "persuade" minor races to join your civilisation, in the interests of their good health.
Reply #3 Top
I don't know if I would call it rubish. I have played a few other 4x sci-fi games and this is above par IMO.

I do think they could really take this game to the next level easily by turning GCIII into the sci-fi 4x game with the best Diplomacy/Espionage facet around.

A dozen espionage options (or variants) and a nice deep diplomacy system could all be presented without a ton of high $$ production. The design would be the difference.

Another bitch would be the AI for the diplomacy system. But, a lot more fun to design than the damned inventory systems I work on...
Reply #4 Top
Intresting, but lets also know this as well.

1.The A.I chooses to be exploited at lower intellegence levels.

2.On high intellegence levels they dont give a crap about the influence points you gave them 20 years ago.

3.Ethical alignments will change anything about trade, war, and the galaxy in general.

4.The A.I value planets for a good reason, military factorys, they wont pay squat for yours becuase the A.I sees you as lowly in priorities when it comes to trade unless they make the offer.

Explanation:The A.I loves to screw you, i would love to tick off some humans myself. You make good points and raise a good arguement, however you should also see the other side of facts.

Evalution:Both sides make valid points, the arguement is productive for it helps us learn. The A.I is to smart for its own good to put it bluntly, this is both good and bad.