Spies become useless mid - endgame.

[DiamondDuty]

Everyone's encryption gets so high, eventually everyone who is still alive hits this ceiling where nobody can really do anything other than maaaybe gather information against each other.
This spy system seems to only be very mildly useful early game.

What do you think?

[Myth]

the devs over at eu4 just recently apologized for p poor releases for that game....i got a feeling we will be getting one from the stellaris crew in a few months

[GeneralVeers]

Actually, I've run into this problem in a lot of strategy games. Even a personal fave of mine.

Master Of Orion. Both 1 and 2 had this problem. If you didn't play as Darlok, and if you didn't completely max your espionage, spying became pointless at the endgame.

[Mindset]

You could use them for research boosts if you want, though...

[nytyme]

I dunno, I've managed to steal super rare tech in the end-game. Like one time, I got a tech that boosted my survey speed 40%
If there had been planets left to survey, that would've been awesome!

[Clone]

Playing a spy empire here. I've got a hand in every cookie jar. Currently using a buffer state (Hythean Mandate) in my federation to do all my dirty work by sparking conflicts and running sabotages on thier rivals while maintaining positive relationships myself. I have such advanced codebreaking I can run tech thefts without an asset and the only people to even come close to giving me trouble are Gestalt empires.

[CrUsHeR]

Well, by default every empire will eventually have the same capped out technology for encryption and codebreaking.
This is what makes the various mechanics for +1 or +2 on these so important.

Also the Assets have different efficiency in different areas.

[Maht]

Definitely needs fleshing out.

[GeneralVeers]

Originally posted by CrUsHeR:

Well, by default every empire will eventually have the same capped out technology for encryption and codebreaking.

Game needs to have some way for an Empire that's..........

How should I put it..........clandestine-ly inclined.........

(Wow, that sounded cheesy)

to get access to special espionage technologies that aren't accessible any other way. Like, a Special Project that takes a LOT of research.

[Ryika]

Originally posted by DiamondDuty:

Everyone's encryption gets so high, eventually everyone who is still alive hits this ceiling where nobody can really do anything other than maaaybe gather information against each other.

Have you ever actually reached that point, or are you just guessing that this is how things end up? Because as far as I can tell, that's not a realistic scenario at all, no idea how that situation would come to be.

Technologies that add Encryption and Codebreaking come in pairs, so by default the relative state at the start and the end of the tech tree will be exactly the same. There are a few more effects that add Encryption than there are effects that add Codebreaking I think, but it's not like everybody's going to have them since they come in the form of edicts, civics, and such.

And as long as you can gain (more) Assets, you can always push the maximum spy notwork level as high as you need it over time.

[I am Goot]

WAIT A MOMENT..... did you say that one of the whole purposes of buying the DLC is actually worthless........ In a Paradox release....... NO!!!!!!!!! I don't believe you..... actually I do, I lost faith in Paradox releasing quality content years ago, when it seemed to me they were taking concepts from other games in the genre and calling it 'new'.

You know the sorta games I am referring, Hyperlane only travel, with wormholes that can pop up randomly and mostly go to a random system on the map, we've never experienced that in Sins of a Solar Empire.

Titans.... oh wait thats Sins of a Solar Empire again

Gateways..... im three for three, thats another Sins of a Solar Empire rip off, but can also be taken from Sword of the Stars

Megastructures, another one from Sword of the Stars

Can people see my point here?

Whats next Paradox, can we get to see our Star Bases moving around the map?

Maybe we can get tech that will allow us to build more than one Starbase?

Hell why don't you just merge with Stardock/Ironclad and completely overhaul their game into Stellaris, you've pretty much taken everything from the game already, so why not.

I can only make an opinion/comment based on the 'other' games I have personally played. I am certain there are other content rip offs from other franchises out there I have not seen myself which Paradox then relabels as their new content features, because they know the Fanboys will just lap it up and tell em.... "you're doing a great job"

[Elitewrecker PT]

"Can people see my point here?"

Or ya know, just classic sci-fi tropes... It's not a matter of a game taking a concept from another game, it's a matter of games taking concepts from old sci-fi media. Rarely is something seen an actually brand new concept.

[Sea Base]

Originally posted by DiamondDuty:

What do you think?

I think you shouldn't have such bad science that that happens in the first place. As long as you are equal or better in tech, this problem doesn't really exist outside of specific extremes of empire set up as it's quite hard to get a -25 or greater max intel if you are actually tech competitive that stops you getting assets, and thus increasing the max intel level.

[SkiRich]

Once the GalCom is up and everyone joins, espionage gets less and less worthwhile - my opinion.
There needs to be more tasks in the espionage window to do to make it worthwhile.

[Forblaze]

Originally posted by Clone:

Playing a spy empire here. I've got a hand in every cookie jar. Currently using a buffer state (Hythean Mandate) in my federation to do all my dirty work by sparking conflicts and running sabotages on thier rivals while maintaining positive relationships myself. I have such advanced codebreaking I can run tech thefts without an asset and the only people to even come close to giving me trouble are Gestalt empires.

I really have to question if this is actually useful or you just want it to be and are winning normally. Blowing up starbase modules isn't going to turn the tides of any war. The only meaningful thing I can think of is running smear campaigns on two empires targeting eachother to prevent a federation from forming.

[DiamondDuty]

Originally posted by Sea Base:

Originally posted by DiamondDuty:

What do you think?

I think you shouldn't have such bad science that that happens in the first place. As long as you are equal or better in tech, this problem doesn't really exist outside of specific extremes of empire set up as it's quite hard to get a -25 or greater max intel if you are actually tech competitive that stops you getting assets, and thus increasing the max intel level.

I have the best tech in the current game. Making 4k tech. I don't think that is the issue here. Also, an assumption on your part.