[Taqwus]

One bit that bothers me about the current intel system is that it's effectively infinite range/speed. That is, as soon as one of your people is within the same system as another -- it doesn't matter if it's a suicidal recon probe that hasn't the fuel to move another step, let alone return -- you can unleash the full force of your intelligence points upon them.

Towards the end of my psy/time game, I was generating 200+k intel points/turn, which meant that the turn I found the Last race (a neutral who'd been well out of the way, and utterly oblivious to the wars elsewhere), I could subvert two of his planets, or four of his ships -- 100% guaranteed as they had no counterintel. This, despite the fact that I really hadn't had the time to infiltrate them, or even to study the basics about their society, and that even if they'd been warlike and demolished my probe ship, and zealously guarded all warp points, my spies could still get through.

It would seem at least that the amount of contact between races should matter a bit, although I really do not know how that should be modeled. But having a delay (distance-based? That is, say, minimum distance in terms of edges on the known subgraph of the galaxy?), at least for the first op, makes sense. And some of the operations perhaps should be limited by how much IP you can put into them per turn, ala construction limits, so that you just don't start subverting planets instantly. A nightmare in a multi might be a Darlok-type race sending out non-returning probes w/ supply storage up the wazoo, who then starts to steal/subvert without fear of retal anytime soon (at least, by somebody who cares about getting his ships back)...

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-- The thing that goes bump in the night