Intel on the Unknown?!?
 

A simple question that I somehow never asked: Do you HAVE to have contact with another empire to intel it? I'm playing this new game with the AI and only the Phong is producing any intel points. My empire only has contact to one other empire (not the Phong) but yet I'm got a fuel leak! Can a fuel leak be a natural event?

Re: Intel on the Unknown?!?
 

Yes you need contact to do intel on someone.

And yes fuel leak is an event (its in the data/event.txt file I have here anyhows).

Cheers,
Askan

Re: Intel on the Unknown?!?
 

Yes, this is one of the 'clunky' aspects of the diplomatic part of the game. You automatically gain 'diplomatic contact' with anyone once you meet them, and you must have diplomatic contact in order to cary out any intelligence operation. It would be much, much nicer if you had to take a few turns to establish diplomatic relations when you met a new empire, and if you could carry out intel vs. an 'unknown' empire that you don't have open relations with.

Re: Intel on the Unknown?!?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Could it be that the Phong are in a partnership with the race you have contact with? That way they would be receiving intel points, but you wouldn't see them on the score display.