Intelligence Tech Notes

[Edwin P.]

In the developer notes it said that this tech might give a side the ability to see the presence of units (but not their values) in a city hex or adjacent to a city hex.

Excellent/Simple/Elegant idea as cities were usually where spies were based and this would substantially help the AI and newbies to identify targets of opportunity while encouraging players to guard cities in their rear. Why? With the Intelligence tech if you leave Rome or Bucharest unguarded the allies will know it.

In fact, it would be good if you could via the editor, link this tech to the AI level so that at higher levels of AI the AI would start with a higher Intelligence Tech (and perhaps eliminate the catchup research bonus for this tech area?).

[ June 15, 2004, 10:31 AM: Message edited by: Edwin P. ]

[Edwin P.]

I would like to see an Option for Naval Intelligence - essentially Signet that gives a player a chance to spot an enemy fleet (naval or transport unit) during his turn.

This gives the Axis a chance to spot the location of allied invasion fleets and the Allies have a chance to spot the location of Axis wolf packs (or Japanese fleets in a Pacific War Scenario).

This tech also recreates WWII where both sides intercepted and decoded enemy transmissions that revealed the location of a battle group or wolf pack with various degrees of success.

For example

At Naval Intelligence 1 a player has a 1% to spot each naval unit or transport. (essentially you spot 1 in 100 units at sea each turn)

At Naval Intelligence 2 a player has a 3% to spot each each naval unit (essentailly 1 in 33 units will be spotted)

At Naval Intelligence 3 a player has a 6% to spot each naval unit (essentially 1 in 17 units at sea).

At Naval Intelligence 4 a player has a 10% to spot each naval unit (essentially 1 in 10 enemy naval units).

At Naval Intelligence 5 a player has a 15% to spot each enemy naval unit (1 in 7 units)

Naturally, the proposed Generic Naval HQ unit would give a bonus (5%?) to this Naval Intelligence Tech Spotting Chance as the work of various intelligence agencies is better coordinated and assigned a higher level of importance.

I realize that few players might be inclined to invest in this tech; however, it would be a great bonus to give to the AI if the catchup bonus was eliminated. It would also allow modders to create realistic Battle for the Atlantic and Pacific War sceanrios.

Or for a simpler implementation - You spot 1 randomly selected enemy naval unit per tech each turn. At Tech Level 1 you spot 1 enemy naval unit each turn and at Tech Level 5 you spot 5 randomly selected naval units each turn. A Naval HQ unit increases this by 1 unit.

[ June 15, 2004, 11:11 AM: Message edited by: Edwin P. ]

[Lars]

Don't forget, Intel Tech should have a spillover in the amount of damage done by Axis subs to the MPP of the Allies to reflect being in the right place at the right time.

Say a 10% increase or decrease per point depending who's ahead in the race.

[Edwin P.]

I would also like to see a Counter Intelligence Tech that would reduce the enemy's level of Intelligence Tech (and Naval Intelligence Tech).

This would allow you to recreate the tight security imposed in Russia vs the more open reporting available from reading the London Times. Perhaps the Russian Police State would start the game with Counter Intelligence Tech 2 and the UK with Counter Intelligence Tech 0.

Now the choice is, do I invest in intelligence gathering or counter intelligence or do I forsake investing in intelligence for other areas of reasearch and investment.

[Lars]

Edwin, I think you could just wrap all that up in one Tech.

Techs are growing like weeds at this point.

[Edwin P.]

Lars, correct you could. But I think that having these 3 techs makes for a more interesting game and forces players to make choices. Or it could be that I like Civ3 and GalCiv with their multitude of research choices.

Also, with 3 intelligence techs I can reflect each sides historical strengths and weaknesses in this ares - Russia (Counter Intelligence), UK (Naval Intelligence). You can't do that with just one tech.

[ June 15, 2004, 12:17 PM: Message edited by: Edwin P. ]

[With Clusters]

I thought the English had pretty good counter-intelligence (remember all those 'turned' German agents - "yep, its gonna be Calais"). Hmm, maybe we need a 4th intel tech - "double agent tech"! The higher the level, the more chances the enemy has of seeing fictitious, nonexistant units! Oh, the mind boggles!

OK, settling down now. At some point, there's gonna be a limit on the number of 'techs'. Time to decide on which one's are really important...

[John DiFool the 2nd]

Originally posted by Lars:

Don't forget, Intel Tech should have a spillover in the amount of damage done by Axis subs to the MPP of the Allies to reflect being in the right place at the right time.

Say a 10% increase or decrease per point depending who's ahead in the race.

Or you could un-abstract this and let the Axis

player know where certain (=juiciest) convoy

routes are, and let him place his subs

accordingly for maximum payoff...

Now, I'm still not sure exactly how Hubert will

handle convoys-will they exist as routes, as I

have suggested in the past, or as actual on-map

units that you have to guide from port to port?

John DiFool

John DiFool

[Lars]

To my best knowledge they're still routes.

Having the key convoy route become visible based on Intel tech might be an interesting idea. You would have to code in a way to make it change position every turn and then subs would only have an effect if they were close enough to that path. Maybe double for being right on it.

An actually convoy unit might be fun but I think it would lead to a lot of gamey strategies like hugging the edge of the map or saving up convoys and rushing them all through at once.

[pzgndr]

To my best knowledge they're still routes.

Editable routes, actually. :cool:

I think you could just wrap all that up in one Tech.

I expect all the intel/counter-intel stuff will be rolled into a single tech with multiple effects.

[Roosevelt45]

Editable routes, actually.

Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice

I always wanted the convoy system to be more realistic and playable.

[Lars]

Originally posted by pzgndr:

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr /> To my best knowledge they're still routes.

Editable routes, actually. :cool:

</font>

[Edwin P.]

As long as we do not have to select it "every turn

[Edwin P.]

During WWII partisan units, supplied by allied intelligence operations, tied down large numbers of Axis troops in garrison operations.

To create this I would like to see the Allies have the option to use Diplomatic Chits to activate partisan units in selected conquered countries. Now the Axis will not know where Partisan troops will pop up, nor when - will it be Spain, Norway, Vichy, Greece or or Sweden? If they decide not to garrison a nation they risk the chance of partisans being activated by the alliesd and the partisan units liberating the nation, temporarily.

[ June 15, 2004, 05:37 PM: Message edited by: Edwin P. ]

[Lars]

Originally posted by Edwin P.:

As long as we do not have to select it "every turn

Ok, change as needed.