Ability to destroy incoming espionage probe(s) on sight

    • Fleet, Defense and Combats

    • Ability to destroy incoming espionage probe(s) on sight

      I had suggested this idea around 2006 in a localized forum, and my idea was rejected and got lost among lots of other suggestions. I would like to suggest it once more by answering the claims made that time.

      My Idea: If a player sees an incoming espionage probe, he/she should be able to destroy it (unless there are no defensive buildings in that planet) by simply clicking a "Destroy" button.

      Reason 1: Espionage must be done secretly and without getting caught, as the common sense confirms. In the real world logic, if an agent is caught, he/she is killed immediately (or used for other purposes (e.g.; exchanging agents), but I don't expect OGame to be so much complicated).
      Reason 2: Sending espionage probes will be more fun. Will it success or will it get caught? The uncertainty will make it more thrilling.
      Reason 3: Strong players can scan 100+ players in a short time and the weaker can't revolt against this easily. Maybe this would be the only upper hand of a weak player against a strong bully.
      Reason 4: There will no longer be a need to send messages like "I am online. Yes, I have many resources/ships on the planet, but I'm going to save them shortly." after being probed.

      Claim 1: If this feature is implemented, too many people will keep refreshing pages so frequently, and the game servers will be loaded heavily.
      Answer: If people keep refreshing the pages, they will see more advertisements, and so OGame will earn more money from the ads. After refreshing a page, most of the time, the only thing that would change on the screen will be the ads. Thus, the ads will get more attention and the user will be more likely to click the ads.

      Claim 2: Some people will use bots to track incoming probes periodically.
      Answer: If a player can detect every incoming probe, that is a good and convincing sign that he/she is a cheater. This is a good change to detect and reveal cheaters. The cheaters will leave a noticeable trace by doing this.

      I will be happy if you consider this idea. Thanks.

    • your idea sound interesting, but also if it is evident what you had in mind, you forgotten to explain what is consequence of destroy probes.

      Actually already exist counterintelligence and it may happen that ships in espionage are involved in combat and destroyed. But this has no effect in espionage report that will receive the one who launched the espionage mission.

      In your message is not clear if you are also proposing that if you destroy probe, then attacker don't receive info ....... and if this change is only or destroyed by "Destroy" button, or always (so also when is affect by counterintelligence).
      If nothing change in effect of report, then I think it is not so useful your change, because it will not so relevant debries by probes.

      If instead you want to propose also to change effect in report, we have to talk a long ......... because starting that I'm one that will like something of that kind, it is need also to have a balance ........... problem will become if someone is impossible to spy, because has lucky or research level so high to destroy always (and DM could help a lot).

      So maybe effect don't receive report could linked with noob protection or rank, in this way will be always possible to spy top class ........ or instead to have "if probes live you see, if probes die you don't see" , could be insert a function with a probability to receive no info or partial info (example say there are cruiser 1000, rip ? , etc ....... random you receive number about a type of ship/defence, and other nothing)

    • I'm sorry for the missing information. I am adding the details.

      The probes that are caught are always destroyed. The destroyed probes turn into debris around the spied planet. When a probe is destroyed, the spying player get no information; maybe he gets a message saying that the communication with his probes are lost.

      Also, this catch & destroy has nothing to do with research level of any technology. It is just, if a spied player sees that he is being spied, he is simply able to kill the approaching probes by clicking a button.

      What if a fleet is accompanying the espionage probe? In this case, this feature will not be available (the "Destroy" button will not be shown). This feature will only be available if the spying fleet consists of only espionage probes.

    • @Salih @TGWo
      Quick question regaring point 2.

      As you said, some players will use bots to destroy the probes. My question is, what is going to happen if you send a espionage attack? If you have ever played vs bots, one easy way to take them down, is to send a lot of probes + your ships in a espionage mission in order to trigger a battle due to big amout of probes and as the bot does not retire the fleet during a espionage, you get the chance to destroy that player.

      If this feature is done and the bot/player click on that "Destroy" button, would I lose all my ships or only the probes? Would the espionage mission get cancelled and my ships return back?

    • Charlie wrote:

      If this feature is done and the bot/player click on that "Destroy" button, would I lose all my ships or only the probes? Would the espionage mission get cancelled and my ships return back?

      Salih wrote:

      What if a fleet is accompanying the espionage probe? In this case, this feature will not be available (the "Destroy" button will not be shown). This feature will only be available if the spying fleet consists of only espionage probes.
      In other words, defenders will be able to destroy incoming probes with his hand only if probes are coming in mission espionage alone.

      If attacker will send more type of ships in espionage mission, defender will not able to use destroy botton ............. of course still exist normal function of counterespionage and so if attacker is lucky will be a combat with ships of defender

    • Charlie wrote:

      So it would be like a "Destoy" botton per mission in the fleet tab I guess. And the ones that only have probes, the player will be able to destroy them.
      Similar to how the all buttons are not shown in the galaxy view screen, the "Destroy" button will only be shown if the incoming fleet is consisting of only espionage probes. If there are at least one other kind of ship accompanying to the espionage probes, the "Destroy" button will not be visible.

    • it want to say that you are not able to see spy in arrive. Nobody force to play in speed server ........ speed server has good and negative things ........

      slow server and speed server are different for how to play, for defensive strategies, etc. ........... It is hard to create something that work in any kind of uni , at least in this case don't propose that speed of probes is not affect by speed of universe, that could sound good