I Just do not understand intel!
 

Hi

Please can someone explain it simply to me, I have read all the faqs, and some topics made by others, but no matter how much I read, I just do not understand it!

I usually play with intel off, but I thought I am missing out, so I really wanted to play with it, all that happens is I get hit with sabotauge, riots, cargo bombs and more, it is just annoying! I have in each system at least 5 intel centers, soem planets filled with nothing but them, I have 12 projects all in counter intel, but I just can not understand it!

I understand the basic of when a project completes it is useless, but how do I stop that from happening? I try it on repeat projects, do not share points, and then swap the project every so often.

I have tried, and I just do not get it, please explain simply..

also, SEV betas, can you just tell me if intel is diffrent in SEV without actually saying how diffrent!?

Thanks

Re: I Just do not understand intel!
 

Beta testers can't tell you anything of the sort, on any subject.

Re: I Just do not understand intel!
 

Intel is like a slot machine, basically.

For counter-intel, the advice is generally to nearly fill up the first one, then move it to the back. Rinse, repeat.

Re: I Just do not understand intel!
 

For anything about how the game actually works, well... If it's something that can be inferred from a public screenshot, I could refer you to the screenshot (without attempting to explain it), but that's about it. Unfortunately I am not aware of any published screenshots relating to intelligence ops.

Re: I Just do not understand intel!
 

Intel is intelligence, an abstract concept describing how many cycles a second you can perform, how big your storage areas are, how long it takes you to access a piece of data, and how much time you need to start a process.

Re: I Just do not understand intel!
 

Counter-intelligence (CI) projects counter the effects of enemy Intel projects. An incoming Intel project first encounters the rightmost CI project. If that's not enough to stop it, it continues right to left until the cumulative CI points stop it, or it burns through all CI projects and succeeds. It makes no difference if the CI points are all in one project or spread over 12. Level 3 CI is more effective than Level 2 which is more effective than Level 1. If a CI project "fills up" it ends and the points in it are wasted. Put such a project into queue position 12 and direct points to another CI project or to offensive Intel.

In my current solo game, I started with 3 CI Level 2 projects and a few hundred points per turn. When the Narn hit me with several Intel projects, the first ones failed but subsequent attacks burned through my CI. As I built more Intel facilities, I was able to defeat all Narn Intel attempts. When I researched advanced Intel, I directed my points into CI Level 3 projects and put my old Level 2 projects at the end of the queue. Now the AIs are gradually burning through the Level 2 projects and will eventually come up against the newer Level 3 defenses.

Re: I Just do not understand intel!
 

I think a more accurate representation would be a rating for each planet that displayed how riddled (Or not) the planet is with your spies.

That determines your chance of success. Most border planets would have at least a low rating, if you have any intel at all.

Re: I Just do not understand intel!
 

See, I dunno, I never had such a big problem with intel, at least against the A.I. Here's my thoughts:

1). You must have more intel points than your enemies. This is simple. Just like you have to have more research points, and minerals mined than your enemy, its as simple as that. (Now people are saying "Well, not so simple, with targeted research and carefully maintenance reduction you can ...blah blah blah ...listen, if your're going toe to toe with someone, you need more, thats it.)

2). To defend yourself, you spend points on the defense projects. I fill all 12 slots. You can put them on share points, check every turn until they're about to finish, then switch to not shared. That way, they;ll have points to use in your defense when an opponent completes a project.

3). When the projects start defending you, see how many go at once. Maybe 3 or 4? Great, that how many attacks are likely comeing your way. Now you can turn on a couple of offensive projects. Put them at the top of the queue.

4). When you go mega-evil, or play against humans, and they gang up on you with a total more than 12 offensive projects, you're screwed. Plain and simple. Something is going to hit. You'll need to use wave motion gun based counter-intel, in that case.

Re: I Just do not understand intel!
 

AFAIK you can defend against more than 12 offensive intel projects at the same time if you have enough intel points stored in your counter intel projects. And in stock game counter intel project III will triple the effect of your intel points! And again in stock game there is a modifier of 120% that boosts counter intel. So counter intel is quite effective, even too effective IMHO.

Re: I Just do not understand intel!
 

Quite right Q. You can often defeat 20 or 30 intel projects with just one CI 3. Having half a dozen nearly complete CI 3's will stop everything for a long time. Use the other six slots for attack.

Re: I Just do not understand intel!
 

Hmmm... I wonder what causes the occasional intel project to break through then. I guess I must not have enough points. Oh well, back to my first point, you need lots more intel facilities than you might think. I think one of the best improvements to SE5 (and I mention it often) would be to have intel tech at the start of the game. So everyone has the facility, and begins building their empire with them in mind.

*EDIT*
spieling

Re: I Just do not understand intel!
 

Research starts out shared points. One of the first things you should do is unshare them and work on one thing at a time. Intel is the opposite. It starts unshared, but the first thing you should do is share the point load across all projects.

Use your first (or three) project as counter intel to protect against any attacks. All other projects are junk at intel level one. Once you get level 2, start your level two counter intel projects (and remove the level one counter ones after you get some lv2 protection built up. Fill the rest with ship or planet(lv3) takeover projects. If you don't have targets that you are sure will be around in 20 turns when the projects complete, set them to "Any ship" All these attack projects should then finish at once. The next set of projects should be less in number and set to finish in a reasonable amount of time. If a group of them is stopped by counter intel, switch targets and surprise someone else.

If you are being attacked, switch all points into counter intel until they stop or you kill them with ships. Remember with the sharing of points they can add attack points up for years and then make one big attack.

Re: I Just do not understand intel!
 

I think one of the best improvements to SE5 (and I mention it often) would be to have intel tech at the start of the game.

I concur. This is why I added (small) intel generation to research labs in Adamant, so that you at least have some inherent defense against intel without researching the tech.

Intel is the opposite. It starts unshared, but the first thing you should do is share the point load across all projects.

I would disagree. Does this not also waste points when projects finish as with tech research? You can coordinate offensive projects finishing at the same time by moving them to the end of the queue one turn from completion until you have enough of them ready to go.

You do not have to be spending points in a CI project for stored points to work for defense. If you have equal spending turned on, you can not keep these projects 1 turn from completion for maximum defense potential.

Re: I Just do not understand intel!
 

Yes, you are correct IF. I left out the part of switching back to unshared the turn before the project completes. This will save all the points that would have been wasted. It seemed kind of complex to go into on an already complex subject. I like the part about sharing the points keeping you defences up, even if you are not thinking about it. A lot depends on when in the sceem of things you get intel tech. If you get it early, go on the attack, if later, defend until you can combine with others against a single person.