Espionage is in!

[ShadowKitsune]

As it stands now, all Characters require the use of a ship for System-to-System travel. Intrasystem travel is considered 'organic' (e.g. Personal Shuttle) to Characters.

 

Until I actually see an Order Supplement or GM Note Blurb that specifically details the 'new' Espionage Orders, I'm not going to get too wound up about it. One could argue that SIGINT (Signal Intelligence) should be obtainable by tapping into whatever mechanism we're all using for near instantaneous interstellar communication be it ansible, hyper-pulse generators, subspace transceivers, telepathy, tachyon hyperpidgeons or whatever. (Okay, it would be a violation of the ISPCA Codes of Conduct to tap into a tachyon hyperpidgeon, but still ... ) However, that intelligence should be limited to very broadbrush information such as large Iron Mining operation, small population center, Fleet X was last seen in the Y System, Army Group Z is on Planet M and so forth, but not Fleet X is comprised of [give list of quantity and ship types].

 

If Espionage requires ALINT (Alien Intelligence) - for example, the actual infiltration of a population, fleet or army by a Special Agent Character - then I would expect orders that would reflect that; orders for infiltration, extraction, info gathering by type, assassination, kidnapping/theft, sabotage, disinformation/counter-intellience, terrorism/counter-terrorism and so forth and so on.

 

YMMV,

-SK

[EternusIV]

I've always figured that if an aggressive alien can get a ship through defenses close enough to:

 

1) FIND your Homeworld; and then

2) Drop a spy on to the HW

 

That you are pretty much dead meat anyway. Why send spies when you can send troops or bombs?

 

My only reservation involves the Cloaking Device.

 

I've seen the ANZ for the Cloaking Device so I can imagine a situation where a ship MIGHT be able to get past most screens completely undetected. But a determined enemy will easily cough up the resources necessary to cloak a ship capable of bombing the homeworld instead of dropping off little spies.

[ShadowKitsune]

I have to agree with that statement Eternus, if I can get a ship into orbit why send a spy when I could send a WMD instead. Unless the spy can garner my Empire something that conquest cannot, then the argument is no longer valid.

 

-SK

[ali-t-akua]

While Eternus makes a good point I think it will depend on the situation. If I want to take over the HW rather than bomb it, spies might be very useful. Empire techs are just one thing I could see as having usefulness.

[hobknob]

Does anyone seriously think it's ok to send a spy to another part of the galaxy without the use of a ship?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

What do you think Planetary Gate technology is used for?

 

[Locklyn]

Actually the Planetary Gate is only good for transports within a planetary system, ie like a ship without jump drive. For outsystem transport you'd need the Universal Gate or you could use the *DELETED BY IMPERIAL SECURITY* to just punch a ship through to any warp point you want, one way trip fer sure and the initial models are like the early cloaks, somewhat limited in tonnage they can transfer. Life is good isn't it

 

 

/Locklyn

[Azuth]

Actually the Planetary Gate is only good for transports within a planetary system, ie like a ship without jump drive. For outsystem transport you'd need the Universal Gate or you could use the *DELETED BY IMPERIAL SECURITY* to just punch a ship through to any warp point you want, one way trip fer sure and the initial models are like the early cloaks, somewhat limited in tonnage they can transfer. Life is good isn't it

 

:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Rats, I knew I should have researched that Super Advanced Undelete Button.

[octagon999]

Next to the Holodeck, the Planetary Gate is about the dumbest thing scientists have invented. Haven't they seen reruns of Stargate for goodness sakes?

 

Sheesh, what will they invent next? No, don't tell me. Ignorance is bliss and I'm the happiest guy on this forum.

[Takeda]

Lord Xaar,

 

I know this is a little late, but great title for this thread.

 

So how many people out there have an agent 86 or 99?

 

Takeda

(currently researching Mk II Cone of Silence)

[looker]

Lord Xaar,

 

I know this is a little late, but great title for this thread.

 

So how many people out there have an agent 86 or 99?

 

Takeda

(currently researching Mk II Cone of Silence)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

******************************************************

and talking into his Florsheim wingtips.....

the "Max" trip down memory lane....

Did you watch it live or MIK/TVLAND?

[looker]

It would be creepy to drop agent Dick Tracy into an enemy fleet and see if you could follow them to their home world. Or peek at the warp drive housing for a stamp that said manufactured at Ajax Factory Works on Alpha IV..

[General Miles Avatar]

I've always figured that if an aggressive alien can get a ship through defenses close enough to:

 

1)  FIND your Homeworld; and then

2)  Drop a spy on to the HW

 

That you are pretty much dead meat anyway.  Why send spies when you can send troops or bombs? 

 

My only reservation involves the Cloaking Device.

 

I've seen the ANZ for the Cloaking Device so I can imagine a situation where a ship MIGHT be able to get past most screens completely undetected.  But a determined enemy will easily cough up the resources necessary to cloak a ship capable of bombing the homeworld instead of dropping off little spies.   

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Unless the target world has equipment capable of detecting Cloaked ships. if so your back to square one.

[ShadowKitsune]

You can spend a lot of time coming up with assorted infiltration/counter-infiltration scenarios. In my mind, nobody is going to spend a lot of time using the Espionage portion of the game - if and when it is introduced - unless it delivers something unique. By unique, I mean it can't be done by any other means.

 

For example:

 

"Wet" Work - You send a Special Agent to eliminate another Empire's Character, say an Admiral before a major battle or a Diplomat trying to persuade a neutral Empire that your Empire desires. After reading about how Admirals affect combat, losing one could be a major blow to your enemy.

 

Tech Espionage - Infiltrating an Empire - enemy, ally or other - to learn some of their Tech secrets. (I'm not advocating that you get it all. You'd either get a piece of knowledge like an EXPL hit or an ANZ-type report of the Tech in question. The former gives you some research towards the Tech, the latter gives you a clue to the Tech Tree branch you'd have to follow to duplicate it.)

 

How do you get your characters in position to do any Espionage (Cloak & Dagger) stuff? Don't know. I'm waiting on Pete to explain it. I can think of all kinds of ways to do it, but some of them could be seriously exploited and thus make the game less fun, which is not my goal.

 

-SK

[Paradigm]

I could see someone wanting to keep an eye on a neighbor without necessarily wanting to start a war. Of course if the spy is discovered, it could lead to political problems.

[hobknob]

I serously doubt that spies will ever gain you tech or even research points toward tech. Pete has said and demonstrated time and again that tech is not to be transferred between positions. At best you might get an idea what tech is being researched and what techs have been completed.

 

That leaves many other things to think about, fx.

 

1) eliminating enemy scientists

2) fleet locations

3) ship designs

4) army locations

5) legendary character assasination

6) research sabatage

7) WP stealing or any other planetary information, even getting the results of an order off of the current turn

8) Installation destruction

9) Stockpile contents

10) Start a revolution or uprising on a neutral or conquered pop group

 

There are plenty of things that could be done if implemented.