Intelligence war

[capnq]

I have enough intel points to do a couple of PPP each turn (and a few smaller projects like resource procurement). If I use crew insurrection instead of PPP it works fine - any one know why?

PPP is the only intel project known to have a chance of failure even without counterintel opposing it, but if you're doing multiple PPPs, I don't know why at least some of them aren't succeeding.

Also I have intelled an enemy ship which had a quantum reactor (limitless supply) a technology which I didn't have. When I scrapped/analysed the ship I didn't get the quantum reactor? any reason why. Is it something to do with me not having the right theoretical technology?

You should have gotten one level of Resupply tech (one of the Emergency Resupply Pods); you only would get the Quantum Reactor if you already had Resupply 4.

[rockman]

Thanks for the help, I didn't realise you didn't get the same technology as on the ship - I DID get an energency supply pod technology so that explains why no QR - I'll just have to intel some more enemy ships!
Not sure about the PPP thing - maybe just keep on trying, only trouble is I need to use resource procurement just to keep my enconomy going or else I wouldn't be able to pay my maintainence costs. I thought that if I used PPP to get a couple of mineral planets it might relieve the pressure on me to use Resource procurement every turn and free up some intel points for crew insurrection. I have a serious mineral shortage - are robo miners etc worthwhile?

[DirectorTsaarx]

Originally posted by rockman:
I have a serious mineral shortage - are robo miners etc worthwhile?

It depends.

The "best" way to use robo miners is to design a base station (or starbase) filled with miners, and then (obviously) build the base on the highest mineral value asteroids you can find. Fortunately, in Gold (at least the current Version), asteroid values can be as high as 300% (!). The two reasons for using bases instead of ships are:

1. Bases have 50% maintenance reduction, so the net gain is higher
2. Only one ship/base/satellite can perform remote mining in a given sector at any given time, and bases can hold more mining components

Of course, for the above strategy you have to be able to build space yard ships (requires at least cruiser hull size) and be able to survive long enough for that ship to build the resource base. Not to mention pay maintenance on the space yard ship... but the long-term benefits should outweigh the short term losses.

[rockman]

To follow on in my game - (if anyone is still interested!) i have been using my intelligence to bLast the Sergetti, the main threat to my empire. I have been using the "food contamination" against them and I reckon I must have successfully contaiminated between 15-20 of their planets. The question I have is whether there are degrees of sucess eg small number of population die, sizable number die, all population dies etc. I always seem to get the message that "a sizable percentage of the populaton has died" what exatly does that mean?
I have had a few intel attacks slip through my counter intel (those bloody drakol!) and they have used food contamination against my planets. However in those cases ALL my population of the planet has died, not just a sizable percentage. Also my attacks do not seem to have significantly reduced the population or resources of the Sergetti empire much - I have checked it out on the Empire comparison graph.
Can anyone please shed some lght on this?

Thanks!

[Suicide Junkie]

The food contamination kills a certain number of people. 300 million maybe... on domed planets, that can easily be everybody.

If you're using it on a major population center, it will not have much affect at all.
If you hit a small world with it, you can totally shut it down.

[rockman]

Okay - get it now. Say I have aleady hit a small planet and killed everyone on it and I select food contamination and "any planet" will that planet be excluded from the list of "any planet" to be hit? I am guessing probably not? Would reduce the effectiveness of your attacks over time as more and more planets got hit you would end up hitting the same "dead" planets again. Am I right?

[Ruatha]

Hmm, interesting question.
Can colonies without pop be targeted?
Anyone knows?

[Wanderer]

I tend to find Puppet Political Parties don't work as well unless the enemy planets are full of angry people. Try several turns of massed Anarchy Groups projects then start hitting them with PPPs. The Anarchy Groups also reduce the enemy's production which is always a good thing. Unless your opponents have Urban Pacification Centers, hundreds of troops etc... the effects can be quite long-Lasting.

Another thing is... make sure the PPP isn't the first thing on your project list (best of all make it the Last project on your list that'll complete in one turn) - I suspect it's more likely to succeed as the first projects use up the enemy's Counter-Intelligence points so they can't resist the later projects. Might not be the case, but it seems to work most of the time.

Oh, and don't be disheartened if your first successful PPPs merely cause enemy planets to rebel and declare independence. You'll eventually get planets defecting directly to you. The single planet empires will usually surrender to you (along with some tech) if you enter the system and challenge them.