How does one effectively increase intrigue?
I recently finished a game as ARC, who get a 25% boos to covert ops speed and intrigue increase. I deliberately researched directly to Computing, and subsequently produced the Spy Agency because of the bonus. My intent was to covert-ops my way to victory.
What I discovered is that the AIs (at least in this particular game) are exceedingly good at keeping the intrigue level relatively low in all of their cities. In my 320+ turn game, the highest-level covert operation I was able to perform was Recruit Defectors, at intrigue level 3. I never had the chance to Hack Satellites, much less a Coup D'etat. (Note: I never tried to start a new mission with a counter-agent in the city. If I noticed the AI had a defensive spy, I left that city and started elsewhere.)
That said, I know it is certainly possible to get the intrigue that high. I am watching Marbozir play on YouTube, and he was able to Coup a capital. He assigns the spy [1] when the city is at maximum intrigue, and successfully captures it [2] when the mission is completed 18 turns later.
How did he manage to get the intrigue that high in the AI capital? Any tips for boosting intrigue?
[1] Spy assignment
[2] City capture
Best Answer
This is a good question because it is, IMO, massively difficult to obtain the option to perform level 5 covert ops e.g. coup d'état.
If your agent goes to 2 foreign cities and establish networks there and he'll be a "Special Agent" (which is the highest wank possible). But it doesn't seem make a lot of difference! Dirty Beach's comment is true - it is overly dependent on what the other AI civs are doing to your target.
As you know, if you establish a network, you can see if your target has a counter-agent, which probably will make it harder to build up intrigue. If your network reveals that your target is building the Surveillance Web or he/she achieves the Human Hive wonder, it may be impossible to get a coup d'tat.
There is a virtue (in the red military tree) that gives you +40% intrigue from performing covert ops. This will probably help.
Since espionage from other civs is so important, I end up just going for Steal Technology or siphon money and whenever one of my agents is free, I click Reassign and have a look for cities that the AI civs have built up to level 3 or above. When I find one at level 4, I:
- send a Special Agent over
- establish a network (not sure if that makes any difference - it may slow things down too much, it may make the agent less likely to be killed)
- at my Spy Headquarters engage the project called Operations Reconnaissance - this increases the chances of success based on how many agents you have at HQ.
- pull all my other agents back to the HQ in order to increase the probability of success
- Try and Hack Satellites. Although pointless per se, a successful and undetected hack will probably lead to the level 5 options appearing. (You'll also get a little reward and the Culpar Lodge wonder - which isn't that great - it just saves a little time because all your agents are automatically Special Agents.)
I've never tried giving them worms because why attack the city when it's easier to have the city?
IMO, the espionage system isn't entirely bug-free because I'm still detecting covert ops against me in my capital even though I've got the All-Seer sat flying blatantly over the city (which is supposed to give you immunity).
BTW, I'm currently removing my agents whenever it says they have been detected, and sending them to other cities, as it seems to decrease the chances of them getting themselves killed. The idiots.
Pictures about "How does one effectively increase intrigue?"
11 Manipulation Tactics - Which ones fit your Personality?
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Miguel Á. Padriñán, Wendy Wei, Miguel Á. Padriñán, Matthias Groeneveld