Probes: getting the world map instead of tech

[Misotu]

I've always had the impression that probes will steal a tech, if there is one available, then the faction map if no tech is available.

In the game I'm playing now, I've just infiltrated two Pirate bases in the same turn, one after the other. These bases had been infiltrated before, so I was lucky to get two successes in the same turn.

First probe got their map, which surprised me because I know they have a tech I don't have. The second probe ALSO stole the map - which is really annoying. I've had loads of turns where I get a message saying "our probe team found nothing of interest". So ...

Q1 I guess that probes don't always steal a tech if it's available?
Q2 How come the second probe stole the map (and *died* in the process, gnash) when I already had a spiffing, brand new up-to-the-minute copy of said map?

Is this usual ... or a bug?

- Mis
[This message has been edited by Misotu (edited February 10, 2000).]

[zsozso]

A1. This sounds like a bug. You should always get a tech if they have one you don't.

A2. You will keep stealing the map as long as you don't have the complete map of planet, which you would get from launching a satelite or researching secrets of alpha centauri. The game doesn't care how recent your map is, or even if you actually mapped the whole planet by simple exploration.

Zsozso

[BustaMike]

I had the same thing happen. I probed the Hive to try and steal High Energy Chem and got the map instead. This doesn't happen very often though.

[Vi Vicdi]

Yup, happened to me. I think it might have to do with how recently the tech was acquired by the target faction.

[Misotu]

Zsozso: Right, the map thing makes perfect sense. I don't usually use probes much against the AI until later in the game (post-satellite) and then I use them for mind control, just doing a quick probe first to check that they don't have research worth grabbing. Fair enough.

Vi: Do you mean if they've researched it recently? I know they've had this tech for a few turns now, maybe 10 or more. It's the one for Supercollider and they acquired it from another faction. (All the AI factions started building Supercollider all at once - bizarre!)

My only other thought is that I'm also reseaching a discover tech on blind research. One turn away and the Supercollider tech is the only one available to me (hence my desperate attempts to steal it over the last few turns). Is it possible that you can't steal it when you're researching it and there's no other tech in the same category for the game to switch to? I know this doesn't make sense really, but it would account for it only happening very rarely ...

- Mis

[BustaMike]

When I was playing the game was not on blind research and the Hive had 3 conquer techs I did not have (Loyalty, High En. Chem., and Nonlinear Math). I was beelining to treefarms and planetary economics. Despite the Hive having 3 techs I didn't, some for probably 15 turns, I still got the map. I think you should be able to steal it when researching it. Maybe the game just wants to be mean Misotu.

[Vi Vicdi]

Umm, well, yeah, that's what I meant, but 10 turns isn't exactly what I had in mind ...

It has to be something else, like what you mentioned, maybe if you're researching it you can't get it?

[Bblue]

Can confirm this one happened to me in the Ultimate builder challenge.. probed Miram when she had 4 techs I didn't and I get the stupid map :/ Oh well

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"Power does not corrupt; it merely attracts the corruptable"