Intel Center Ideas
Post ideas and suggestions on new features or improvements here.
posted on May 17th, 2011, 5:11 am
Current behavior for the intel center is this:
* Click on Sleeper Agent, a spy is randomly placed on an opposing player's ship or station. Cost 150 energy and 1 supply
* The spy expires after about 1 minute
* Spies give line of sight vision of affected unit/structure
-- additions/ideas ---
* Give the Intel Center a "auto cast" button called "Support Infield Operatives" which automatically renews existing spies. This reduces the max energy of the Intel Center by 150 per spy, and costs 1 supply per spy every 1 minute.
* Spies only give intel (line of sight, other info) on a 20 sec interval. (similar to Dominion probe)
* Spies have ranks (similar to ships).
-- Rank 0: May infiltrate mining vessels and constructors
-- Rank 1: Above + Mining stations and research facilities
-- Rank 2: Above + small ships and first "level" ship yards
-- Rank 3: Above + medium ships and 2nd "level" ship yards
-- Rank 4: Above + large ships + Starbases (aka: everything)
(Ranked spies should cost .5-1 supply extra per rank to 'Support')
* Spy location matters:
-- If a spy is on a mining station: Gain sight into either current tritanium or dilithium (if two such spies exist, gain both) - this is represented as another 'line' of resources (top left hand side of screen).
-- If a spy is on a starbase: Gain sight into supply
-- If a spy is on a research station: Gain sight into what has been researched - represented by the hover over text of that station showing what has been researched.
The rank of the intel center is the maximum rank of spy the intel center can produce. The intel center will only place the rank of spy needed on the particular ship/station.
* Click on Sleeper Agent, a spy is randomly placed on an opposing player's ship or station. Cost 150 energy and 1 supply
* The spy expires after about 1 minute
* Spies give line of sight vision of affected unit/structure
-- additions/ideas ---
* Give the Intel Center a "auto cast" button called "Support Infield Operatives" which automatically renews existing spies. This reduces the max energy of the Intel Center by 150 per spy, and costs 1 supply per spy every 1 minute.
* Spies only give intel (line of sight, other info) on a 20 sec interval. (similar to Dominion probe)
* Spies have ranks (similar to ships).
-- Rank 0: May infiltrate mining vessels and constructors
-- Rank 1: Above + Mining stations and research facilities
-- Rank 2: Above + small ships and first "level" ship yards
-- Rank 3: Above + medium ships and 2nd "level" ship yards
-- Rank 4: Above + large ships + Starbases (aka: everything)
(Ranked spies should cost .5-1 supply extra per rank to 'Support')
* Spy location matters:
-- If a spy is on a mining station: Gain sight into either current tritanium or dilithium (if two such spies exist, gain both) - this is represented as another 'line' of resources (top left hand side of screen).
-- If a spy is on a starbase: Gain sight into supply
-- If a spy is on a research station: Gain sight into what has been researched - represented by the hover over text of that station showing what has been researched.
The rank of the intel center is the maximum rank of spy the intel center can produce. The intel center will only place the rank of spy needed on the particular ship/station.
posted on May 17th, 2011, 5:24 am
very interesting but problem: current dominion play style requires them to farm more supply than any other resources unlike other races so wouldn't it be a disadvantage for rom spy station vs dom (?)
posted on May 17th, 2011, 4:06 pm
i love the idea of being able to spy on enemy res counts 
posted on May 17th, 2011, 5:37 pm
I can dig this.
posted on May 17th, 2011, 6:02 pm
I definitely like the idea of adding functionality to the intel center, and I like being able to extend your spies' lifetimes. However I'm not sure about the ranks. While I can see how it makes it harder to see fleet movement before your IC ranks up, it makes it easier to snipe miners. And sniping miners is basically all I do with the IC until it ranks up enough to use Spy. In fact I would rather get a miner than anything else.
I think the answer lies in something like the old shrike special: a ship that can place spies, only have those spies work with the IC. Perhaps it can be a unique ship for the Helev avatar or a third avatar. I personally think a Talon "infiltration refit" would be the best choice. Perhaps make the IC agent more expensive so people are encouraged to place their spies manually, then sabotage the target with the IC.
As far as the sabotage ability itself, maybe it should be made more powerful but it removes the spy? I love sniping dominion prototypes but if spies could be placed manually then it could be overpowered.
I think the answer lies in something like the old shrike special: a ship that can place spies, only have those spies work with the IC. Perhaps it can be a unique ship for the Helev avatar or a third avatar. I personally think a Talon "infiltration refit" would be the best choice. Perhaps make the IC agent more expensive so people are encouraged to place their spies manually, then sabotage the target with the IC.
As far as the sabotage ability itself, maybe it should be made more powerful but it removes the spy? I love sniping dominion prototypes but if spies could be placed manually then it could be overpowered.
posted on May 18th, 2011, 2:41 am
@Tryptic - fair point on miner sniping...
Then I might make the following changes
* Make Sabatage results dependant on the rank of the spy
-- Rank 0: May destroy sensors
-- Rank 1: Above + Life support
-- Rank 2: Above + Shields
-- Rank 3: Above + Weapons
-- Rank 4: Above + Engines and 10% chance to destroy a ship.
* Spies that are renewed (via "Support Infield Operatives") gain a rank each time they are renewed.
* (undecided on whether to remove 'will only place lowest level spy needed for assignment')
Then I might make the following changes
* Make Sabatage results dependant on the rank of the spy
-- Rank 0: May destroy sensors
-- Rank 1: Above + Life support
-- Rank 2: Above + Shields
-- Rank 3: Above + Weapons
-- Rank 4: Above + Engines and 10% chance to destroy a ship.
* Spies that are renewed (via "Support Infield Operatives") gain a rank each time they are renewed.
* (undecided on whether to remove 'will only place lowest level spy needed for assignment')
posted on May 18th, 2011, 7:44 am
Rank 1: Life support:
I'm sensing almost all klingon ships with their low crew biting the dust by just a single sabotage.
I'd rearrange the list.
-- Rank 0: destroy sensors
-- Rank 1: engines
-- Rank 2: weapons
-- Rank 3: shields
-- Rank 4: life support + 10% chance to destroy ship
I'm sensing almost all klingon ships with their low crew biting the dust by just a single sabotage.
I'd rearrange the list.
-- Rank 0: destroy sensors
-- Rank 1: engines
-- Rank 2: weapons
-- Rank 3: shields
-- Rank 4: life support + 10% chance to destroy ship
posted on May 18th, 2011, 9:23 am
engines should be high up. as should life support.
engines obviously leaves a ship super vulnerable. life support will drop the crew into the yellow, reducing its effectiveness until recrew (if u dont notice the sabotage it will be permanent reduction basically.)
all the other systems are less severe, you can just take the ship out of battle and wait for it to recover. or repair it.
engines obviously leaves a ship super vulnerable. life support will drop the crew into the yellow, reducing its effectiveness until recrew (if u dont notice the sabotage it will be permanent reduction basically.)
all the other systems are less severe, you can just take the ship out of battle and wait for it to recover. or repair it.
posted on May 18th, 2011, 9:43 am
Hmm maybe there is a small chance that spy is founds and killed, or worse interogated and shows your base for a few seconds? That way there is a little negative to the spying?
posted on May 18th, 2011, 9:50 am
ray320 wrote:Hmm maybe there is a small chance that spy is founds and killed, or worse interogated and shows your base for a few seconds? That way there is a little negative to the spying?
i like this idea as well. especially the interrogated part where they see your communications temporarily.
maybe romulans/borg could be better at the interrogation as they are more "persuasive"
feds would be bad at interrogating and would have a low chance of a successful interrogation.
posted on May 18th, 2011, 7:07 pm
Yeah, the Klingons would just kill the spy and the Dominion will go 50/50 either way.
posted on May 18th, 2011, 7:11 pm
Dominion would probably replace the spy... Klingons would be quite capable of torture, it's not new for them to be forceful in learning an enemies secrets.
Starfleet wouldn't be 'bad' exactly, just too humane to go to the extremes required for the more patriotic spies.
Starfleet wouldn't be 'bad' exactly, just too humane to go to the extremes required for the more patriotic spies.
posted on May 18th, 2011, 7:18 pm
Yeah, thats true.
posted on May 18th, 2011, 7:22 pm
klingons would probably kill the spy by accident when beating it. klingons arent famous for tact or restraint. especially the ones cooped up in starbases/mining stations/research stations, who lust for combat but rarely find any.
roms have the mind reading device and borg learn everything a drone knew after assimilation.
feds as you say wont go for torture as often (section 31 isnt everywhere), so they are far less likely to succeed in breaking a spy, hence they are bad at it.
dominion are good at being spies, but i bet their interrogation practices are only slightly better than klinks, as they dont have mind reading devices or assimilation.
roms have the mind reading device and borg learn everything a drone knew after assimilation.
feds as you say wont go for torture as often (section 31 isnt everywhere), so they are far less likely to succeed in breaking a spy, hence they are bad at it.
dominion are good at being spies, but i bet their interrogation practices are only slightly better than klinks, as they dont have mind reading devices or assimilation.
posted on May 18th, 2011, 11:15 pm
maybe feds would broker a deal, and the spy would give off locations of cloaked ships, but no their type, and not the romulan base, that way hes not betraying his people. but the feds still get somthing so they can be defenders of the universe and all that crap
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