Why so few Infiltrators?

[Zakilevo]

Since the class is called 'infiltrator' why not give an ability to temporarily join a realm? or excess closed off group messages? ;)

[Sacha]

I think you just gave the coders a mild seizure with that suggestion :-p

[Sarwell]

To everyone suggesting that infils should be able to intercept messages, I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that that was on the "will never be added" list. I believe the rationale was such an ability would just drive people to use external messaging programs instead for sensitive messages, which would in turn be conducive to further abuse of external channels. I may be wrong - I frequently seem to be - and I admit that it's a tantalizing idea on the surface.

[egamma]

To everyone suggesting that infils should be able to intercept messages, I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that that was on the "will never be added" list. I believe the rationale was such an ability would just drive people to use external messaging programs instead for sensitive messages, which would in turn be conducive to further abuse of external channels. I may be wrong - I frequently seem to be - and I admit that it's a tantalizing idea on the surface.

correct.

[Frostwood]

How about the ability to play the adventurer game?  With a set amount of hours, but no fatigue.
That way an infiltrator could train his skill and be useful by slaying monsters(and gain gold).

After all there is historical precedent for nobles adventuring.  A.K.A quest of holy grail.

Imitating people's letters(a.k.a their signature), might be interesting.  Forging orders seems good as well.  That way you can pretend to be someone else.

A fake name might be an idea, that can be uncovered under certain conditions.  That way, they ban the wrong name, and if you are banned by the same judge, you have a chance of your old name being discovered.

[Vellos]

To everyone suggesting that infils should be able to intercept messages, I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that that was on the "will never be added" list. I believe the rationale was such an ability would just drive people to use external messaging programs instead for sensitive messages, which would in turn be conducive to further abuse of external channels. I may be wrong - I frequently seem to be - and I admit that it's a tantalizing idea on the surface.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Mentors already have an ability like this, or used to, don't they? Like if you get enough mentor points you can access random messages elsewhere?

[Stabbity]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Mentors already have an ability like this, or used to, don't they? Like if you get enough mentor points you can access random messages elsewhere?

Scribe notes not messages.

[Tiridia]

What about an an ability to send letters that appear to be sent in someone else's name? The more prestigious the name used, the more chances of failure?

By the way - shouldn't this discussion be under development?

[Stabbity]

What about an an ability to send letters that appear to be sent in someone else's name? The more prestigious the name used, the more chances of failure?

By the way - shouldn't this discussion be under development?

Messing with the message system like that won't happen. It will just encourage people to use OOG methods to communicate.

[Tiridia]

Ok, here's another message related goodies - make it possible to send anonymous messages with a chance of being detected, of course. These messages would be the kind to enable replying as well. That doesn't in any way encourage OOG communications or otherwise mess with the current message system.

[Penchant]

During a discussion on IRC related to being an infil, we came up with an interesting idea with two things that could be good. Giving infils the ability to pose as other classes and with limited functionality. so a diplo/infil could be ambassador and talk to locals of region. A infil/trader could view market, and broker trades which is a bit much now but when some more work is done with trader class should be fine especially with them not getting the bonus to trade distance. Hero would give chance of death, and maybe ability to move family home, I don't know what hero's get to exactly. Infil/hero would be stuck with keeping hero forever though so if he stops being a hero he would be stuck with hero is my thought. Infil/Cavalier...is an interesting character to have as its a character living two lives that are opposites but I don't know what limited functionality they would get, no looting and no civ work to fit with necessity of not letting people see through your lie with ease. Infil/Mentor, I would not be against getting full mentor class, since helping people learn the game is of high importance and the more people doing it, the better.

Infils get much more plausible deniability and a bit more to do when they can't be off attacking people. Obviously a lot of work to do this, but I think there is a lot of benefit to it too. (Plausible deniability has definitely been a major issue IMO, especially when anybody with a secondary class is automatically cleared right now.)

[Kwanstein]

In an effort to increase the infiltrators functionality in a believable way, perhaps he could be able to destroy a targets paraphernalia. Burning down siege engines, defacing banners and killing scouts or healers could be very handy in certain situations, yet not in violation of verisimilitude.

Another option, which I'm surprised isn't already implemented (I believe it was at one time), is the ability to burn down food stores. With options to attack most other aspects of regional 'economy' it's a bit incongruous that this ability is left out.

Expanding on food, infiltrators could perhaps be given tools to hinder trading as well. This could be done in a number of imaginative ways, one of which would be to disable a regions ability to trade for a turn or more. In order to keep this logical, the infiltrator could be required to have an entourage of troops with him in order to do this. With the infiltrators shady nature, as well as an armed force at his command, it makes sense that only an infiltrator and no one else would be able to do this. It would also be very handy -- sending an infiltrator along with a main invasion force would restrict the enemies ability to drain food out of a region the moments before it's capture.

[Indirik]

Two things:

One, anything that makes the message system unreliable/suspect is bad for the game. Undermining the trust in the message system is an overall negative thing, regardless of what it purportedly adds to the infil game.

Two: When you are brainstorming infil ideas, please remember that the philosophy on infiltrators is moving *away* from the infil-as-ninja camp, and towards the infil-as-spymaster.

[Anaris]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Mentors already have an ability like this, or used to, don't they? Like if you get enough mentor points you can access random messages elsewhere?

Scribe notes and tax settings only, not messages.

Plus, Mentors are presently in total disarray, and need reworking from the ground up.

[Frostwood]

Two things:

One, anything that makes the message system unreliable/suspect is bad for the game. Undermining the trust in the message system is an overall negative thing, regardless of what it purportedly adds to the infil game.

Two: When you are brainstorming infil ideas, please remember that the philosophy on infiltrators is moving *away* from the infil-as-ninja camp, and towards the infil-as-spymaster.

Fake names, fake classes, sabotage buildings-sabotaging a granary would be really bad in wintertime.  Temporarily disabling a building would have a much higher chance of success, then destroying one outright.

Unfortunately, not being able to read other's messages severely limits the spymaster potential, as that is what spy's do-find out information.  What else is there?  A lot of the information is public to nobles, other than troop movements.