Powerplay Intelligence

[Bokugo]

Powerplay is slated to change that, at least between Power factions that are in mutual conflict.

Well probably only if you align with someone. Which yeah, I doubt a faction would let you spy for them unless you were aligned with them or at least friendly.

Maybe have it so you have to scan a system for a secret base like what was said above. When you get close to a planet RNGesus picked a USS like marker appears (but maybe called something else like Encrypted Signal or something) Then silent mode scanning and maybe sample collections. This could actually be really fun if done right. The setting is also important like a Capital ship under secret construction behind enemy lines.

 

[CMDR Zadian Lichtfrost]

…
I would love the opportunity to become part of the "military intelligence" section of a faction. …

Cool PvE idea.

In open this will result in: Player group A decides to join Power X. Group A declares everybody else as KOS in systems owned by X, because they could be spies. Just an other excuse in a long list of excuses to destroy weaker ships. Some players will be able to do such missions since they are regularly in an other instance, others will have no chance to do anything in open in areas that are under the influence of a power.

Since player groups already are doing this now (calling it blockade or lockdown) for RP reasons, it will get completely out of hand in power play if they get in-game reasons.

 

[emacinnes]

Value should decrease with time but increase with the distance needed to travel, and also the quality of information should erode based upon the population and tech level of the planet, so you need to keep monitoring if they are being busy bees....

Currently exploration itself has no such cool down, only whether the player has already scanned the location, so just keep the logic consistent for these spy targets, and have it worth a set amount per-player. A sat image of North Korea tomorrow is worth as much as the one today. U can tell as much from the difference in the images, vs just having a single instance.

These could also have some pure-exploration angles to it as well "Mysterious signals detected in system X, send an investigative team", this could be DRUMROLE, thargoids, yay, or simply a pulsar/black hole, swamp gas reflecting the light of venus, a legacy satelitte, remnants of a space fight, or a secret pirate base from a previously uncharted station (as a way to get remote outposts into the game). It wasn't there yesterday, but it wasn't switched on or detectable from SC yesterday, whereas it is today.

 

[lilikin]

Unfortunately this is not the game you are looking for.

 

[Rudolphus]

that give room for ship design 20, spy-explorer ship with a bulkhead, invisible alloy

 

[Mercury Shift]

I put up a similar idea a few weeks back. Seems to be a well desired feature, how do we get Dev attention? My idea is linked in the post about 'scouting' in my sig.