Reveal All Armies is too much

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    • Reveal All Armies is too much

      After having used systematic spying in the late game, last couple of games, I must conclude that achieving 'reveal all armies' is too easy.

      Sure it's 'nice' to see where all your enemies are every 2nd or 3rd turn, but....it means he can do the same to you.

      It seriously devaluates the option of sneaking up, diversions and other tactics. The game might as well play with all units revealed IMO.

      At least this spy bonus should be reduced to like 50% of all armies or something.

      Has this not bothered anyone else and has it ever been any different?

      Btw.: Does all spyin happen almost simultaneously? Or does it happen relative to every players timezone? If it's simultaneous, it means it's biased to favor those having their playing time around the turn shift...
      59/15/28

    • Considering the information that a well planted spy could give in real life the game doesn't even touch on how much of an advantage having a spy network brings. So that fact that you get one little snapshot in time when you use this feature is rather simple. You only get a snapshot, not a window to see who is moving where and when for any given amount in time. The best way to combat if you suspect that someone is doing this to you is to keep you units on a looping patrol through your provinces. Yes they will still see how much you have but they will not know exactly where they are unless they keep spending the gold to see. If they are willing to spend that much gold then you are dead anyway.
      "It is even better to act quickly and err than to hesitate until the time of action is past." - Karl Von Clausewitz

    • I often see the discussions here comparing to RL and history. I don't think it's a relevant point in most cases.

      But since you have taken it up: Name one example from RL history where a spy in WW2 revealed the exact location of every army, navy and airunit an enemy nation had...

      Oh well, you can't. I.a. for the simple reason that the waring nations themselves did not themselves have the complete picture at a given time.

      And in any case, I think history is irrelevant. My post is about a feature that kills strategic and tactical options in the game.
      59/15/28

    • Ignatio Oddball wrote:

      After having used systematic spying in the late game, last couple of games, I must conclude that achieving 'reveal all armies' is too easy.
      The difference, of course, is that "systematic spying" can be done without spending gold, but the "reveal all armies" function requires 1700 gold units every time you get a snapshot.

      People often complain about the abusive over-use of gold by some players, and the unfair advantage it brings, but I must say that one of the most effective ways to counter gold-spammers is to use better intelligence against them. In my experience, most gold-spammers place far too much emphasis on quickly building units (and using gold is a very expensive way to build your army), and not enough on resource production, industrial capacity and intelligence. I will spend some gold if I believe I have the prospect of defeating a gold-spammer, and the intelligence that the "reveal all armies" function provides can be a great leveler if you have the ability to counter-punch.

    • BRDubbs wrote:

      Spy results are shown at day change which is the same for all players. You can find when day change happens in the newspaper: 2nd box down on right.
      Small elaboration: sabotage results are shown in the newspaper after the daily update. The most important espionage functions -- intelligence -- are not publicly disclosed and are found among the espionage information under the espionage functions menu that is located on the left-hand side of the game screen.

      Sabotage is annoying and can create some problems. Intelligence on enemy troop disposition, industrial capacity and resource production can be truly devastating if you use it to your maximum advantage.

    • MontanaBB wrote:

      Ignatio Oddball wrote:

      After having used systematic spying in the late game, last couple of games, I must conclude that achieving 'reveal all armies' is too easy.
      The difference, of course, is that "systematic spying" can be done without spending gold, but the "reveal all armies" function requires 1700 gold units every time you get a snapshot.
      People often complain about the abusive over-use of gold by some players, and the unfair advantage it brings, but I must say that one of the most effective ways to counter gold-spammers is to use better intelligence against them. In my experience, most gold-spammers place far too much emphasis on quickly building units (and using gold is a very expensive way to build your army), and not enough on resource production, industrial capacity and intelligence. I will spend some gold if I believe I have the prospect of defeating a gold-spammer, and the intelligence that the "reveal all armies" function provides can be a great leveler if you have the ability to counter-punch.
      I don't consider this a gold problem. Even if gold use was removed, this spying would still be too powerfull.
      59/15/28

    • Ignatio Oddball wrote:

      MontanaBB wrote:

      Ignatio Oddball wrote:

      After having used systematic spying in the late game, last couple of games, I must conclude that achieving 'reveal all armies' is too easy.
      The difference, of course, is that "systematic spying" can be done without spending gold, but the "reveal all armies" function requires 1700 gold units every time you get a snapshot.People often complain about the abusive over-use of gold by some players, and the unfair advantage it brings, but I must say that one of the most effective ways to counter gold-spammers is to use better intelligence against them. In my experience, most gold-spammers place far too much emphasis on quickly building units (and using gold is a very expensive way to build your army), and not enough on resource production, industrial capacity and intelligence. I will spend some gold if I believe I have the prospect of defeating a gold-spammer, and the intelligence that the "reveal all armies" function provides can be a great leveler if you have the ability to counter-punch.
      I don't consider this a gold problem. Even if gold use was removed, this spying would still be too powerfull.
      i think you didn't get what @MontanaBB tried to say
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