Infiltrators

[Indirik]

Oh, and I'm personally not too fond of the "irregulars" idea. We've been trying to get rid of the "infiltrator as ninja" concept. I'd hate to start up the "infiltrator as seal team leader" idea.

[Huntsmaster]

Oh, and I'm personally not too fond of the "irregulars" idea. We've been trying to get rid of the "infiltrator as ninja" concept. I'd hate to start up the "infiltrator as seal team leader" idea.

"Infiltrators are restricted in the amount of troops they can recruit. They cannot recruit anything except special forces. In addition, troops led by infiltrators will only fight if they are alone (i.e. no allies on the field) and the server time is between sunset and sunrise."

I dunno... would it really be so bad?  :P

[egamma]

"Infiltrators are restricted in the amount of troops they can recruit. They cannot recruit anything except special forces. In addition, troops led by infiltrators will only fight if they are alone (i.e. no allies on the field) and the server time is between sunset and sunrise."

I dunno... would it really be so bad?  :P

It would be completely against SMA. We're not Robin Hood.

[Bedwyr]

If we're changing infiltrators into spymasters (which I think is an excellent idea, and Tom quite liked it as well) as part of the plan to create plausible deniability then having them use different troops from everyone else seems contradictory.

Tom does like the spymaster concept, and it neatly dovetails into another idea he had recently.

[Huntsmaster]

It would be completely against SMA. We're not Robin Hood.

Well, leaving aside the "joking" implied by  ':P' and the fact that the only SMA island has far fewer infiltrators than ravenous hordes of undead... I kind of like the idea of unit restrictions/bonuses for infiltrators. I think it would add a little fun at the start of the fight&flight insertion that I see more than a few infiltrators using. (By that I'm referring to the infiltrators that cover up their movement into an enemy realm by moving with a main army, getting their unit killed, and then moving on to do their dirty deeds).

[Dragon]

If we're changing infiltrators into spymasters (which I think is an excellent idea, and Tom quite liked it as well) as part of the plan to create plausible deniability then having them use different troops from everyone else seems contradictory.

Tom does like the spymaster concept, and it neatly dovetails into another idea he had recently.

Make two branches of Infiltrator then?

Assassin and Spymaster.
The branch chosen will unlock new options. The Spymaster would gain alle the before mentioned spy skills(Spy on army formations end so forth) while the Assassin might gain new ways to harm nobles (poision food, cut horse stirrup, sabotage balcony railings, etc.). There should also be an option to harm Para (stab healer, torch banner, sabotage cart, etc.) although this should perhaps be shared by both branch classes.

Amongst these new options several would be a lot less risk but also likely to do less harm. Forex. "cut horse stirrup" would be easy to do but in most cases only result in bruised pride for the target while worst case being able to lightly wound.  Chance of being spotted would be the biggest risk, while being captured closer to nothing. Chance of gaining infiltration skill this way would be low but there would be a small chance and thus newbie Infils could run around and train in this most amusing RP manner rather than sit in the academy 24/7.


By doing two branches Infils also become a lot more interesting to play with a longer carreer path and a chosen focus. Some would no doubt prefer the, perhaps slightly safer path, of a Spymaster and provide their realm with invaluable information. Others again will be more likely to opt for the Assassins way. There could be a minor formula edit as well on different ops where the Assassin branch is depending more on Swordskill for success on its operations and the Spymaster relies more on Infiltration skill.

[mikm]

Still thing would be to kill  your oponent.

[feyeleanor]

If we're changing infiltrators into spymasters (which I think is an excellent idea, and Tom quite liked it as well) as part of the plan to create plausible deniability then having them use different troops from everyone else seems contradictory.

Tom does like the spymaster concept, and it neatly dovetails into another idea he had recently.

Irregular would be a mode just like Regular Army or Vanguard, so that shouldn't interfere with plausible deniability, whereas a restriction to Special Forces would. Admittedly Special Forces would probably work quite well as Irregulars but that would be a decision for the player to make.

One thing it's definitely not intended to be though is a means of turning infiltrators into Rambo-like characters, more the sort of partisan and guerrilla leaders which every age has thrown up.

However I'd be happy with the existing command options for infiltrators if other aspects of the spymaster potential were beefed up :)

[Heq]

Sort of Infiltrators as Che?

I can kinda get behind that, though I don't know of too many historical examplars I suppose no-one checks the motivations of raubitters.

[JPierreD]

Nobles and Infils simply do not mix in my mind. Sneak into a vault to rob it? Burn food without being noticed? Stab someone when he sleeps? It looks way too much like a commoner's job.

The problem is that making the adventurers infiltrators, even if much poorer ones, would change a lot the dynamic of the game. It would be interesting, in a way, for it would cost them much more to raise their skills by themselves, and a noble could fund them, but it would be an expensive bet since if he gets caught doing infil job he gets auto-hanged. And it should be only experienced advies to avoid infil spam? Meh, still doesn't sound good enough.

[Norrel]

Nobles and Infils simply do not mix in my mind. Sneak into a vault to rob it? Burn food without being noticed? Stab someone when he sleeps? It looks way too much like a commoner's job.

The problem is that making the adventurers infiltrators, even if much poorer ones, would change a lot the dynamic of the game. It would be interesting, in a way, for it would cost them much more to raise their skills by themselves, and a noble could fund them, but it would be an expensive bet since if he gets caught doing infil job he gets auto-hanged. And it should be only experienced advies to avoid infil spam? Meh, still doesn't sound good enough.

I think a better solution would be to turn infiltrators into nobles who hire NPC assassins and thieves to do their dirty work, which is far more realistic. However, this would mean that all those infils with 80%+ SFing are basically useless now. allowing advies to turn into infiltrators would be cool as well, but would presumably be both too much effort as well as against the spirit of the game. I refuse to make any of my characters infils because it just seems so out of place.

[Chenier]

I think a better solution would be to turn infiltrators into nobles who hire NPC assassins and thieves to do their dirty work, which is far more realistic. However, this would mean that all those infils with 80%+ SFing are basically useless now. allowing advies to turn into infiltrators would be cool as well, but would presumably be both too much effort as well as against the spirit of the game. I refuse to make any of my characters infils because it just seems so out of place.

Or... make them demolition experts, with more focus on the new explosives than on sword fighting. ;)

I indeed don't see the noble going off in the night to stab someone, but marching into a warehouse, escorted by his unit, to set up these magic powder devices to blow the whole thing up? Yea, I could see that.

[JPierreD]

Or... make them demolition experts, with more focus on the new explosives than on sword fighting. ;)

I indeed don't see the noble going off in the night to stab someone, but marching into a warehouse, escorted by his unit, to set up these magic powder devices to blow the whole thing up? Yea, I could see that.

Makes sense and blends with leading SF units.

[vonGenf]

all those infils with 80%+ SFing

Makes sense and blends with leading SF units.

Just to clarify... there is no such thing as a SF skill, and demolition tools have no relation to SF units, right?

[Anaris]

Just to clarify... there is no such thing as a SF skill, and demolition tools have no relation to SF units, right?

That's SwordFighting skill ;)