Idea for a new great person: the Secret Agent

[MasterDave]

Idea for a new Great Person in an expansion: the Super-Spy. I have seen people lament about the limitations on spies in Civ 4 and I too miss the ability to steal techs, bribe units, poison water supplies, etc. I think the answer might be a new kind of GP that would act like a spy, but have the ability to steal a tech (for free), bribe units (perhaps with a limit of 5 units or so), poison a city (reducing its pop by 20-50%), or incite a border city that is already under cultural pressure to revolt (perhaps by increasing its revolt risk due to cultural influence for 10 turns or something, this should not be automatic).

The spy could be created from military intelligence specialsts that could be placed with barracks, drydocks, and bunkers. I guess the military intelligence specialist could produce light bulbs and maybe hammers (via better logistics), or perhaps could give one bonus XP per specialist to new units being created in that city. The spy could accelerate either military or government techs, and could be placed in a city as a 100% effective counter-spy that would produce more light bulbs and hammers (or military unit XP's) then a regular specialist. I also think that regular spies could be used as counter-spies against the GP spy in your cities, it would give players more incentive to build and use spies to protect key cities. The GP spy would have a chance to get caught while performing an operation, but I think that this should be less of a chance than a normal spy would have.

What do you guys think of this idea?

[Simplicity]

This sounds like a great idea to me...

It's something people want, but requires limiting. It strengthens spying, which is generally agreed to be horribly weak.

[Aro]

Same here. I like it!

[LordShiva]

Sorry, I'm not feeling it. Maybe make regular spies more powerful (though I like them they way they are - after all, who ever heard of the CIA causing a Russian city to revolt, or vice-versa?), but if we start giving ourselves more kinds of historically tenuous GP, why not Great Farmers or Great Clam Fishermen?

[MasterDave]

Originally posted by LordShiva
Sorry, I'm not feeling it. Maybe make regular spies more powerful (though I like them they way they are - after all, who ever heard of the CIA causing a Russian city to revolt, or vice-versa?), but if we start giving ourselves more kinds of historically tenuous GP, why not Great Farmers or Great Clam Fishermen?

Don't be dissin' the clams. The Clams are life!! The Clams must flow!!! HE WHO CONTROLS THE CLAMS CONTROLS THE UNIVERSE!!!

[Hauptman]

On the planet Wave, the giant clams are the... clam.


The great Clam Fisherman.

Settle in city for +3 food.
Automaticly learn "growth" techs.
Or build special building, Fish Market. +3 polution, -2 happy (the smell) Population growth X2 (ala longevity in civ3) !!!

[MasterDave]

One way to limit the power of a Secret Agent GP would be to make the use a major ability consume the GP, just like all of the current GP's. However, in the case of the GP spy, I think that he should be able to do everything else that regular spies can do, with the same or less chance of getting caught. This means that you could sabotage city production or improvements repeatedly just like a regular spy, but you could potentially be doing this way before you are able to build Scotland Yard.

[Lord Avalon]

Clams got legs!
- BC

[Veritass]

...or perhaps a...

Great General: not as specific as in previous CIVs, but maybe +25% offense and +25% defense for any units attacking or defending from the same square as the Great General.

Great Diplomat: undertakes diplomatic mission to another civ and gives permanent +3 to diplomatic relations with that civ.

Great Farmer: settles in city to produce +1 Food from every farm in use by the city.

Great Engineer: undertakes mining improvements and generates +1 Hammer from every mine in use by the city.

Great Physician: +2 to max growth in city in which he settles.

On a less serious note, how about...

Great Lover: increases happiness and growth rate in city in which he settles.

[Solomwi]

Great General, perhaps, could also be used to build a Headquarters/Command Center/whatever you want to call it, that provides +2 XP (+50%?) to any unit built in the city, similar to the Great Scientist and the Academy.

[Aro]

Expansion pack, here we go...

[Axxaer]

I see this going only so far as a mod. Just think of it this way, the more different types of great people you add in, the less likely you are to get any particular one (I think). And personally, I'm very happy with the ones we have already. Sure I think these ideas sound great, but not if it means being even less likely to get a Great Engineer while I'm building a wonder.

[chuckdelicious]

Re: ...or perhaps a...

Originally posted by Veritass
Great General: not as specific as in previous CIVs, but maybe +25% offense and +25% defense for any units attacking or defending from the same square as the Great General.

Great Diplomat: undertakes diplomatic mission to another civ and gives permanent +3 to diplomatic relations with that civ.

Great Farmer: settles in city to produce +1 Food from every farm in use by the city.

Great Engineer: undertakes mining improvements and generates +1 Hammer from every mine in use by the city.

Great Physician: +2 to max growth in city in which he settles.

On a less serious note, how about...

Great Lover: increases happiness and growth rate in city in which he settles.

Great Banana: Used to increase the effectiveness of silly polls on acs in addition to being a delicious snack!

[MasterDave]

Originally posted by Axxaer
I see this going only so far as a mod. Just think of it this way, the more different types of great people you add in, the less likely you are to get any particular one (I think). And personally, I'm very happy with the ones we have already. Sure I think these ideas sound great, but not if it means being even less likely to get a Great Engineer while I'm building a wonder.

You have a good point, there if it were up to me, I would only add one, maybe two types of great people. Of the ones we discussed the Secret Agent would probably be the most "fun", although a great general would be cool too.

Of the types we have already, I sort of groan internally when a Great Merchant appears, although they can occasionally be awesome when added to a city that is limited in size by poor food production.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Hauptman
Or build special building, Fish Market. +3 polution, -2 happy (the smell) Population growth X2 (ala longevity in civ3) !!!

Fish Market is actually a great idea. Functionally similar to a market or grocer, but works with fish, clams, and crabs.

May only be built at coastal cities until refrigeration.