Espionage: What Should It DO?

[daniel060]

There's been a lot of talk about adding an espionage system to the game. I also agree that it feels wrong for technologically advanced, spacefaring civilizations to have no way to influence each other covertly. There are many mechanical ways to implement espionage, but instead of argue about which one's better, I'd like to come up with the actions that any good espionage system would allow a player to take. In no particular order, I want to:

• Steal map data (because it makes zero sense that belligerent empires would just share that with you)
• Steal resources and/or ships
• Tap into an active sensor link
• Steal technology (or progress toward a tech)
• Sabotage planetary buildings and/or spaceports
• Sow discontent (reduce happiness among pops)
• Agitate for liberty among conquered/enslaved pops
• Agitate for ethics shifts (probably using the faction system)
• Influence elections
• Plant false information about my empire's fleet positions/strength and/or outpost strength
• Introduce computer viruses that disable or damage enemy ships/outposts
• Assassinate/kidnap enemy leaders
• Recruit/plant a spy loyal to my empire among another empire's leader pool
• Support crime on a planet/empire
• Incite wars between two neighboring empires
• Perform counterespionage against all this

I think that being able to conduct asymmetrical warfare against a superior foe would help ameliorate the doomstack problem. And some of these would even be useful against allies. I've been in situations where I knew this one empire would join our federation if only they weren't such fanatical egalitarians . . . a little covert ethics nudge, and problem solved! And think of the possibilities of planting a spy in a rival's leader pool, then getting that leader elected to rule that empire.

Not all of these things should be easy; in fact, some of them should be really, really hard to pull off--even achievement-worthy. Long-term aspirations can be fun.

What cool, nefarious, devious tricks have I missed here? What would YOU like to be able to do with an espionage system?

 

[Morty Jhones]

Personally i would do espionage as influence. but give in tec and traits that improve Influence gain

Systems which you spend points on give you basic visibility, certain diplomacy options such as open borders and stealth tec give you reduced cost's.
you can build spy networks on planets with the same habitability as yours and resurch being able to infiltrate others.
spy networks would let you siphion resources to your own empire, bolster fractions, cause disability and crime and when the network is well established format sabotage, extending build time and fomenting rebellion.

COunter espinarge would be a product of the level of the capital and other buildings witch would increses the costs