question on intel

[Captain Kwok]

In stock, a project is only successful if the selected intel project's cost is greater than the defending player's intel defense points - an all or nothing approach. All unused points in stock accumulate so it's possible to build up a huge reservoir of defense points if you're not currently under intel attacks.

In contrast, the Balance Mod uses a "leaky" intel system. A success percentage is calculated based on the number of attack points a player has, the project cost, and the number of defense points the target player has. The result is that even a weaker player may enjoy some intel success against a stronger player and makes it more difficult to overwhelm an opponent with intel alone. Defensive intel points do not accumulate between turns as it is assumed they are actively being used to deter intel operations by other players.

The success percentage of an intel project is determined as follows:
Success % = Attack Points / (Attack Points + Defense Points * 5 + Project Cost) * 100

The disrupt intel message is actually a sabotage intelligence project and is not the standard message for a project that failed. There are no notifications if a project is blocked by defensive intel points.