Espionage?

[Dreikhelm]

Now that Inno has been introducing new abilities with every new great building being released recently, perhaps an ability they could release would be something espionage related. The GB could have a certain number of uses a day (staying fairly low even at high levels to prevent abuse) to give the player the ability to select one production building in another player's city and see what is being produced and what the collection time is.

So what does everyone think? Too powerful?

 

[Falconwing]

I think it's too good of an ability to have as something you get multiple uses from every day. If they came out with a one use item you could win on Events or GE that would be Ok, but in the age of the Arc and speed leveling GB's, you'd have top tier players with dozens of them completely raping their neighborhood.

 

[Algona]

It;s a reasonable idea, not too powerful in limited uses. This GB wiykd be wildly populat with plunderers.

Do plunderers need more help?

I can't speak doe anyone else, but I don't think there are enough dedicated plunderers to merit another GB useful almost exclusively to rhem.

Despite the availability of the current GBs that help enable plundering I still don;t get attacked more then 2 ore 3 times a month, might be awesome defensive boost of fourteen percent (14%).. I've encountered 2 rabid attackers in nearly 4 years of game play split between two cities.

 

[Jase249]

I think it's an intriguing idea but has one glaring problem; players usually sync their production to collect at the same time, or at least in a couple blocks. If you can "see" one goods building you can probably assume the others are on the same clock. That would require players to start staggering their productions which could be a royal pain and probably wouldn't endear them to the game. The plunderers would be happy but they're already pretty happy; they just got the Atlantis Museum.

 

[DeletedUser31882]

Too Powerful.

If a GB or item comes out that allows a player to protect one of their buildings, then I could see espionage being okay. More fancy defense buildings first imo.

 

[DeletedUser28676]

Maybe make it a 'both ways' kind of deal? Say the gb allows for limitted usages. You can either use those to plunder more efficiently x amount of hoodies, or use on your own town hall to block spionage. Something like having a spy in your own cities in civilization.

Those without the gb would need to watch out though

 

[Dreikhelm]

Maybe make it a 'both ways' kind of deal? Say the gb allows for limitted usages. You can either use those to plunder more efficiently x amount of hoodies, or use on your own town hall to block spionage. Something like having a spy in your own cities in civilization.

Those without the gb would need to watch out though

Yeah that would be cool. Instead of a GB, maybe it could be a one time gain building like the monastery. Maybe a CIA headquarters or something. Anyone with the building could spy once per day on someone else with the building.

 

[Volodya]

Essentially the same idea was proposed here: https://forum.us.forgeofempires.com/index.php?threads/just-a-random-thought.21113/

 

[DeletedUser31440]

Anyone with the building could spy once per day on someone else with the building.

Why would anyone build it then?

 

[Dreikhelm]

Why would anyone build it then?

Risk and reward. You could be confident that you collect on time but someone else would not.

 

[Dreikhelm]

Risk and reward. You could be confident that you collect on time but someone else would not.

Or alternatively, maybe a player could use it once per day against ANYONE in their neighborhood but in addition, use it once per day who also has the building?

 

[DeletedUser31440]

Risk and reward. You could be confident that you collect on time but someone else would not.

If it blocked I could see people putting it down, but opening you up to show your production times seems silly.

 

[Algona]

On second thought, way too abusabe.

One player uses it and offers to sell the info to other hoodies.

Or hoodies with the ability agree to use it on different hoodies and share the information.

1 ir 2 plunders a day sting. 20+ ruin progress.

 

[DeletedUser27889]

One player uses it and offers to sell the info to other hoodies.

Or hoodies with the ability agree to use it on different hoodies and share the information.

They can already do this now. It might not be down to the minute but if someone plunders you on Tuesday, waits around for your buildings to pop and there was nothing there at 5:10 but at 5:15 there was, nothing is stopping them from sharing that info now.

On the idea eh. I really don't see the point of it even for plunderers. Just because they can see the time doesn't mean they are going to be able to be on and collect your building at that time. Are they really going to sit with your city loaded waiting for it to pop and try to grab it first? I mean I've seen some 'dedicated' plunderers but I don't think many would care to play like that or have a GB that only tells them a time you *might* be able to get something yet provides nothing itself.

 

[Algona]

They can already do this now. It might not be down to the minute but if someone plunders you on Tuesday, waits around for your buildings to pop and there was nothing there at 5:10 but at 5:15 there was, nothing is stopping them from sharing that info now.

What steps do you take in the game as it is today when you get plundered?

Will that change if more then one person plundered you today?

Do any of those work against a player with a GB with Espionage?

Against a dozen players in your hood with Espionage?

Are they really going to sit with your city loaded waiting for it to pop

Why would I wait around? I plundered you yesterday at 11:30. Today I'm going to use Espionage some time before 11:30. I'll be back 2 or 3 minutes before you are going to collect and break your defense again, Then it's a game of Roshanbo. Will you collect the building before me? Can you win Roshambo against a dozen plunderers at once?

Do you run multiple cities? Think you can manage them all in whatever way you are trying to dodge being plundered?

That's OK, we;ll be back every day. When the hood switches, they'll do the same. How much time are you willing to wait doing uour collecting? Are you willing to do that every day?

Or maybe it's better to not have this ability in the game?

 

[DeletedUser27889]

Will that change if more then one person plundered you today?

Having this proposed GB does not alter any of those things. There is nothing stopping anyone in game now from sitting and waiting to see when you collect and nothing stopping that person from giving or selling that info to others in the hood.

Also,

Do any of those work against a player with a GB with Espionage?

No anti plunder method works against someone who is out to get you apart from shield. I feel I should preface with someone with the same era troops out to get you. The game and it's 7 Rogues/stupid AI if someone decides it's worth it to lose some troops to your 400% defense they are going to lose some troops. Collect on time isn't even close to a guarantee. As is the game practically hands the win to the attacker. Those rows and rows of watchfires are nice and SBC is a beautiful building but they are as useful as the ADT sign on the front of your house, visual deterrent only, hi lighting a more difficult target.

Why would I wait around? I plundered you yesterday at 11:30. Today I'm going to use Espionage some time before 11:30. I'll be back 2 or 3 minutes before you are going to collect and break your defense again, Then it's a game of Roshanbo. Will you collect the building before me? Can you win Roshambo against a dozen plunderers at once?

So you play the exact same game now. You plunder me yesterday at 11:30 informing you by buildings/collections are arouns 11:30. You return a few minutes before 11:30 to attack and wait for my buildings to pop and see who gets it first.

That's why this building accomplishes nothing patience wouldn't already give you.

 

[Algona]

Having this proposed GB does not alter any of those things. There is nothing stopping anyone in game now from sitting and waiting to see when you collect and nothing stopping that person from giving or selling that info to others in the hood.

Also,

No anti plunder method works against someone who is out to get you apart from shield. I feel I should preface with someone with the same era troops out to get you. The game and it's 7 Rogues/stupid AI if someone decides it's worth it to lose some troops to your 400% defense they are going to lose some troops. Collect on time isn't even close to a guarantee. As is the game practically hands the win to the attacker. Those rows and rows of watchfires are nice and SBC is a beautiful building but they are as useful as the ADT sign on the front of your house, visual deterrent only, hi lighting a more difficult target.

So you play the exact same game now. You plunder me yesterday at 11:30 informing you by buildings/collections are arouns 11:30. You return a few minutes before 11:30 to attack and wait for my buildings to pop and see who gets it first.

You didn't answer my questions. I asked how you respond to being plundered, not for a repeat of the sentiment you already posted on what plunderers do.

If you can't or won't think aout how the game is played now, how can you have a valid opinion on what effects a possible change can have?

That's why this building accomplishes nothing patience wouldn't already give you.

Nonsense. This saves plunderers time, the most valuable Resource in the game. They don't have to wait around for any amount of time, they know exactly when to plunder you.

 

[Graviton]

No anti plunder method works against someone who is out to get you apart from shield...Collect on time isn't even close to a guarantee.

Collecting on time is an absolute, fool-proof, 100% effective defense against plunder. Even the city shield allows plunder if somebody attacked you before you put it up.

You say this game practically hands the win to the attacker. This proposal would make what is already easy, easier by tenfold. Algona's point about people selling information to other hoodies pretty much ends the discussion. Way too much potential for abuse, even if it didn't tip the scales even more in favor of the attacker. Big 'no'.

 

[DeletedUser27889]

You didn't answer my questions. I asked how you respond to being plundered, not for a repeat of the sentiment you already posted on what plunderers do.

Attack back and hope for the best. I don't really know what you're getting at here.

Collecting on time is an absolute, fool-proof, 100% effective defense against plunder. Even the city shield allows plunder if somebody attacked you before you put it up.

Absolutely false. Unless you have a single building you're collecting a plunderer can plunder one while you collect another. If you do your RQs it becomes much more likely. Perhaps if you ignore your RQs and use the diamond collect all button everyday then you're in the clear but being online when your buildings pop and starting your collections does not protect you from someone who learns your collection time, IE someone who has spent 1 day plundering the hood and waiting for peoples collections and writing them down. Which is why all this would do is save a hardcore plunderer 1 day of work per hood change.

 

[Graviton]

I'll just say I've been playing for three years and not once, on seven worlds, has someone plundered me between the time I started collecting the first building and the time I collected the last. But sure, I'll modify my statement: collecting on time is 98.999% effective.

If a plunderer wants to figure out exactly what time my buildings will pop (which, btw, is a currently rare scenario that this proposal would make significantly more common) he can darn well work for the info.