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Originally posted by Hobelhouse
Here's an idea: a spy that gets tech upgrades, like a worker.
Say, the spy comes with Sabotage Improvement/City and the normal city watching action.
Suitcase nuke comes with Manhattan Project.
Biological Warfare comes with Biology.
X comes with Y, etc.
Here's an idea: a spy that gets tech upgrades, like a worker.
Say, the spy comes with Sabotage Improvement/City and the normal city watching action.
Suitcase nuke comes with Manhattan Project.
Biological Warfare comes with Biology.
X comes with Y, etc.
This is one of my 'top of the head' ideas:
Units with spying capabilities start at a relatively early age (any one or combination of Monarchy, Literature, Writing, Drama could give the unit - I'd like to swap Mon for Priest, but I'm not sure how that would stand up to the tech tree). Spies always get non-detection as they do in CIV (unless revealed by (counter)espionage or attacked by animals/barbs)). The initial (medium-expensive) units start off pretty much as a current CIV spy (info only) with no abilities bar counterespionage within a city (low chance, say 10%).
Once you build a Wonder (pick one you feel most appropriate to the design) your spies gain the ability to grab local maps or a beaker boost to a tech, possibly even an entire tech if it's cheap enough. This could be either/or, via promotions
Spying could become another path to victory if promotions are added, say 'Forger' (for documents to gain access to maps or unit whereabouts), 'Eloquence' for rabble-rousing, etc etc
A bit further on (say Middle Ages, or even Renaissance), & a local Wonder could allow /one/ city to turn out counterespionage agents. These would be the same as other spies, but have the free 'counter' promotion giving them (say) a 50% chance to detect enemy spies within 1sq, & 100% chance to 'neutralise' (kill or deport) spies on the same sq (optional - there are times when you /want/ enemy spies with you). This (medium-expensive) wonder would enable more advanced spying promotions (entire known map, larger beaker gain etc)
Finally you get to the late age. Pentagon (possibly coupled with Internet, or make a new WW called ,say, Langley) enables spies to take on their final mission(s) or allows scout/explorer a new u/g path WRT sabotage etc
As I said, this is top-of-the-head thinking, & it's only one path. Maybe I'll remember to come back & explore the alternative scout/explorer dead end from that PoV
The killer for spies ATM & WRT the current game is their 'totally invisible' status (except within a square that has someone else's spy, natch). If that status were relaxed even to /some/ extent the unit would be much easier to develop (see above
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