Intelligence and Counter-Intel question (from a newb, of course)
 

Been playing for about a week now. I got the hang of it I think, just won my first game yesterday by a landslide and thinking of getting TDM modpack. The only thing I dont quite get is the Intel/CI interaction. Let's say I spend my 20 000 points of intel per turn on an attack project that costs only 5 000. Would that be considered a 20 000 Intel project? Also for defensive, CI projects, the AI attacks the total amount accumulated, right? Not the per turn you put in it? I'm having lots of fun with this fine game, but I can't seem to figure it out, even after reading the newbie FAQ http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif Thanks a bunch in advance.

Zoupa

Re: Intelligence and Counter-Intel question (from a newb, of course)
 

The 5000 project would be a 5000 intel project. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

You would then have an excess of 15,000 points to assign to one or more projects.

An attack would be covered by the CI project on the quque on the furthest right. If that is used up then the next CI project will be used to stop the attack.

And yes, it is accumulated CI points. Per turn points assigned to the CI will increase its amount for that turn. [Edit: and for succeeding turns]

[ April 19, 2003, 01:43: Message edited by: tbontob ]

Re: Intelligence and Counter-Intel question (from a newb, of course)
 

There is one other aspect of CI projects you may not be aware of.

Not all CI projects are equal. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

The points in CI level one will stop 1.2 times the intel attack points.

The points in CI 2 will stop 2.4 intel attack points.

And CI 3 will stop 3.6 intel attack points.

All things being equal, it is better to go with CI level 3 projects.

Re: Intelligence and Counter-Intel question (from a newb, of course)
 

Ok, first, if you are producing 20000 intel points per turn, then you need to spend them all or they are wasted. If you have 1 project which costs 5000, then that project will be completed and you will have 15000 left over. Like Research, you can divide points evenly (bad idea because points are frequently lost when completing projects) or you can have projects be done sequentially. If you had other projects after (to the right of) the first 5000 point project, they would consume their required points and be completed until the Last one was partially completed when the Last of your points for that turn are expended.

Now for Counter Intel...
As attacks come in, they are blocked with CI points. CI level 1, 2 and 3 blocks points as you read in the FAQ. When CI points are used to block an incoming attack, they are deducted from the CI project. When the Last CI project is lowered to the point where it cannot stop the following attacks, the incoming attacks will succeed. I *think* that any points you are putting into CI for are particular turn are added to your CI project before (not after) the incoming attacks are attempted to be blocked. Whatever you do, DO NOT COMPLETE A CI PROJECT. If you do, you will lose all the accumulated points with no benefit.

Hope this helps.

[edit: beat by a speedy typist http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon8.gif ]

Slick.

[ April 19, 2003, 01:51: Message edited by: Slick ]

Re: Intelligence and Counter-Intel question (from a newb, of course)
 

Well, that's the thing. I dont realy know how to manage my Intel points http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif I usually research CI lvl 3 then let it accumulate for a while before going on the offensive. The thing is, if you have a high number of intel points coming in each turn and you dont want to complete that level 3 CI, you have to not spread your points around. That limits you to high level espionnage missions (if you spread them, eventually your CI will complete). I dont think there is a way to have 10 ship bombs a turn, is there?

Also, is there a way to tell, apart from the little green bars, how far along a project is in number of points, whether it be Intel or research?
That would really be helpful IMHO.

And thanks for the quick responses guys. I'm at work now and cant wait to get home to play http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Zoupa

Re: Intelligence and Counter-Intel question (from a newb, of course)
 

You have expressed our own feeling on the intel scenario.

The trick is to maybe only half complete the CI project.

[EDIT: Or have a number of CI projects which have a low amount of points in them.)

And to my knowledge there is no way of knowing the exact amount in a project. Only when it could be completed in that turn will you know the amount...by subtraction.

[ April 19, 2003, 02:04: Message edited by: tbontob ]

Re: Intelligence and Counter-Intel question (from a newb, of course)
 

Also, let's say you don't invest in that CI and just let it sit. As more and more attacks are defeated by it, will the green bars gradually go down?

Zoupa

Re: Intelligence and Counter-Intel question (from a newb, of course)
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Sure, add a second one to the queue. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif You can have up to 12 projects running at once, and there can be duplicates. They will be treated as totally separate projects.

Re: Intelligence and Counter-Intel question (from a newb, of course)
 

In fact running 10 ship bomb intels a turn has saved my butt on several occassions. Knock out key ships from invading fleets when your own fleets aren't quite upto the task. A few rounds of ship bombs can be nasty.

Re: Intelligence and Counter-Intel question (from a newb, of course)
 

What I meant was there is no way to have 10 ship bombs/turn without investing some of it in CI too http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Zoupa

Re: Intelligence and Counter-Intel question (from a newb, of course)
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">If you were producing 50000 points exactly, you could execute exactly 10 ship bombs per turn with no points going anywhere else (with "divide points evenly" turned off, of course)

Slick.

Re: Intelligence and Counter-Intel question (from a newb, of course)
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Precisely. If you still have some left, you will be protected, but once the green bar is gone, the enemy attacks will start succeeding.

Re: Intelligence and Counter-Intel question (from a newb, of course)
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">If you were producing 50000 points exactly, you could execute exactly 10 ship bombs per turn with no points going anywhere else (with "divide points evenly" turned off, of course)

Slick.</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">You mean to say that if I put 50 000 points into a project that costs 5 000 it will do it 10 times over in one turn??? (not a year, a turn?) http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif I did not know that. Or am I misunderstanding?

Re: Intelligence and Counter-Intel question (from a newb, of course)
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">If you were producing 50000 points exactly, you could execute exactly 10 ship bombs per turn with no points going anywhere else (with "divide points evenly" turned off, of course)

Slick.</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">You mean to say that if I put 50 000 points into a project that costs 5 000 it will do it 10 times over in one turn??? (not a year, a turn?) http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif I did not know that. Or am I misunderstanding?</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Sorry, I was unclear, in order for that to happen, you would have to stack 10 projects in a row. There is enough room for 12 projects. There is no way (and no reason) to put more points into a project than it is rated for. Once a project has its rated points, it executes. At that time it either succeeds or fails based on the enemy CI having enough stored points to stop it or not.

Slick.

[ April 19, 2003, 05:25: Message edited by: Slick ]

Re: Intelligence and Counter-Intel question (from a newb, of course)
 

Why do people always have to mark their questions as newbie questions? Who cares if it was asked by a newbie or a veteran? It doesn't make a difference. The question gets answered in exactly the same way...

Re: Intelligence and Counter-Intel question (from a newb, of course)
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I dunno http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif Old habits die hard. I think people are more inclined to explain more fully or to be nicer to newbies than to veterans.

Zoupa

Re: Intelligence and Counter-Intel question (from a newb, of course)
 

Also most (but not all) are more inclined to be patient with some of our oddball questions. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: Intelligence and Counter-Intel question (from a newb, of course)
 

I suppose it also helps to ward off acronyms http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

"If the enemy DN use CSM you need to counter by using LC with PDC at WP, IMO."

Re: Intelligence and Counter-Intel question (from a newb, of course)
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">And It allows one to ask those "stupid" questions without getting embarrased, those questions that never get's asked at lectures even though everyone wonders....

And just to clarify, if you turn divide points off, any points not used by the current (first in queue) project when that project is completed, will spill over to the next project in line (to the right), so you can thereby execute many projects one turn and not spend anything on the item on the far right in the queue (end).

[ April 19, 2003, 19:43: Message edited by: Ruatha ]

Re: Intelligence and Counter-Intel question (from a newb, of course)
 

Doh! I tried that yesterday after work. Been playing a week wasting all those points dammit http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/blush.gif Ah well, good to know. Thanks guys

Zoupa