Infiltrator class, is it worth it?

[Buffalkill]

I think I want to try the infiltrator class but I'm not sure if it's worth the trade-offs. Also wondering how long does the training take, how much gold does it cost, and can you still do other things, like maintain a unit and go into battle?

[vonGenf]

Whether it's worth it or not depends on what you want to do with it, and what you expect to get out of this character. It's impossible to answer in general, but I can answer your specific questions.

Also wondering how long does the training take,

A very long time to get proficient enough to do risky things. You're looking at many RL months if you find a situation where you do nothing else full-time; probably closer to a year if you do it on the side. Of course, if you're willing to take risks you can do things before that.

how much gold does it cost,

A lot; then again relatively not so much considering how much gold there is in the game. Training 6 hours a turn will cost you 336 gold a week once you are the expert level; a region Lord can be able to rake in that gold.

and can you still do other things, like maintain a unit and go into battle?

Yes! You get a limitation on unit size, but especially if you're able to maintain your H/P level they are reasonable.

[Velax]

No, it's not really worth it. It takes too much gold and too much time and the returns are too small. My infiltrator has 80+ Infiltration skill yet still gets caught just walking into an enemy region more often than not. Occasionally you'll manage to pull off something good, but generally, unless you're a rich Duke in a realm at peace with lots of spare time, it's just not worth it.

[Anaris]

There are some plans to improve the fun of the infiltrator class, mainly by adding more low-risk, low-reward actions that you can train with (so you can actually be out there doing something, rather than spending gold at the academy), and looking carefully at the balance of all the different levels of infiltrator skill.

[mikm]

The is practically a you are a masochist class. Why bother?
Wounding can happen in battle randomly.
Looting can be done by your unit and you do not get captured for it.
Travels times can increase on their own.
Anyone can tell in what region you are with a scout report. It doesn't take a genius to tell who did what.

[Penchant]

The is practically a you are a masochist class. Why bother?
Wounding can happen in battle randomly.
Looting can be done by your unit and you do not get captured for it.
Travels times can increase on their own.
Anyone can tell in what region you are with a scout report. It doesn't take a genius to tell who did what.

To your first four statements, timing and who/what is important and is the power of the infiltrator. As to your last, there are many times when infiltrators successfully do things without anyone knowing who did it exactly.

[Bael]

I had an infiltrator with about 60 sword, 60 infil skill. He was alone in a region together with a priest. He got caught by "guards" trying to stab the priest. All those invisible, apparition like dudes that suddenly materialised out the ether the moment I tried to do something suspicious.

Edit: so at the moment, no. Unless you have a lot of time and gold, and don't mind losing honour/prestige, getting deported or eventually executed.

Maybe with the new changes, however.

[Dishman]

I started a inexperienced infiltrator some time ago. Played him from 17 to 21 (right now), and have found it neat. I haven't sat and farmed experience at the academy. He's traveled around a few continents, battled enough to gain honor/prestige, and had a few successes. Both swordfighting and infiltration is at around 30-40%, wounded one and was caught on my second attempt at a higher profile target. Might have been caught a few times for stealing and/or various mischief, but no bans that have stuck.

As long as you hold back some gold for training at the academy while you refit your troops, you'll make some progress. Much more of a gambler's class.

[De-Legro]

I started a inexperienced infiltrator some time ago. Played him from 17 to 21 (right now), and have found it neat. I haven't sat and farmed experience at the academy. He's traveled around a few continents, battled enough to gain honor/prestige, and had a few successes. Both swordfighting and infiltration is at around 30-40%, wounded one and was caught on my second attempt at a higher profile target. Might have been caught a few times for stealing and/or various mischief, but no bans that have stuck.

As long as you hold back some gold for training at the academy while you refit your troops, you'll make some progress. Much more of a gambler's class.

This, I have played several infiltrators, and all of them I trained in the field. While I never felt I was changing the course of history I was able to assist my realms quite easily, and felt I had more impact then just another troop leader. Several battles went our way due to playing with road signs for example to delay enemy reinforcements at critical times.

I don't recommend playing a infiltrator if you don't want to get caught though, even my top infiltrators would get caught doing things of moderate risk. To me that was just one aspect  of the class, getting to know various judges on a first name basis. I had a long running bet with one Judge on how many times I could escape his prison before he eventually executed me. That is just the mindset I think you need for the infil class. To me it was all about making as big a name for myself as possible before the eventual execution occurred, unless you play against the soft elves cause they just used to deport me. Pain to wait to immigrate but there was always demand for my services in the colonies as well, it was like my summer home.

[Dishman]

I had my infiltrator in the colonies for a while and started to wonder if the slowed pace was too much of a drain. He seemed to age like the rest of my characters but wasn't getting as much academy time as he did on other continents.

I've already roamed a bit with this character, so I don't intend on putting down roots anywhere with him. I'm prepared for the eventual deportations and inevitable execution. It is what gives the class fun.

[Valast]

Going to see about trying something new in the Colonies now that all the realms are in the Colonial Empire err I mean Senate.

Working to see band infiltrators have the option to buy back the ban so that we can keep infiltrators around more.  I know it does not change the slower pace of the Colonies...but still keeps infils from risking death as much until they are trained.

[De-Legro]

Going to see about trying something new in the Colonies now that all the realms are in the Colonial Empire err I mean Senate.

Working to see band infiltrators have the option to buy back the ban so that we can keep infiltrators around more.  I know it does not change the slower pace of the Colonies...but still keeps infils from risking death as much until they are trained.

It seems people are much more likely to execute infiltrators these days. Not so long ago I would have had to actually done something besides being a infiltrator to warrant and execution, like betray a realm or something of that nature.

[Eduardo Almighty]

I'm training for a long time, just to reach 40/40 in Swordfight and Infiltration. It's a hard work and demands a lot of gold. Even so, I continue being arrested even trying to steal rogue regions. And I must say... it's a hard time to reach more than 40% in training, mainly because one day you have 45%, in another training, you have 40% once again... I faced it along the 30/35% many and many times.

I would love to play my first Infiltrator, but it seems now that it's better to play with a Priest than with an Infiltrator. The class need changes, because you will need a LOT of TIME doing nothing more than training... and you can be executed in a blink. In my humble opinion, this is the worst class in the game right now. I saw great Infiltrators in the past, in the last times all I saw are ridiculous attempts from unexperencied Infiltrators just to get caught and then deported/executed.

I doubt there's a lot of players with patience enough to spend a lot of gold - and mainly a lot of time doing nothing - for a little gain. Even an adveturer can give you more fun in a good game than an Infiltrator. Useless class in these days...

[Eirikr]

And I must say... it's a hard time to reach more than 40% in training, mainly because one day you have 45%, in another training, you have 40% once again... I faced it along the 30/35% many and many times.

The number you see is just an approximation. I've had it vary from 50-65 in a single week. So you're not really going down, you just more than likely haven't hit 45% yet... something like 43% maybe. Also note that even when you fail outright, Tom has confirmed that it does add up to increase your chance of succeeding. There's a lot of randomization for skill increases for a very specific reason.

I will say, however, it does go up faster in actual missions.

[Penchant]

I'm training for a long time, just to reach 40/40 in Swordfight and Infiltration. It's a hard work and demands a lot of gold. Even so, I continue being arrested even trying to steal rogue regions. And I must say... it's a hard time to reach more than 40% in training, mainly because one day you have 45%, in another training, you have 40% once again... I faced it along the 30/35% many and many times.

I would love to play my first Infiltrator, but it seems now that it's better to play with a Priest than with an Infiltrator. The class need changes, because you will need a LOT of TIME doing nothing more than training... and you can be executed in a blink. In my humble opinion, this is the worst class in the game right now. I saw great Infiltrators in the past, in the last times all I saw are ridiculous attempts from unexperencied Infiltrators just to get caught and then deported/executed.

I doubt there's a lot of players with patience enough to spend a lot of gold - and mainly a lot of time doing nothing - for a little gain. Even an adveturer can give you more fun in a good game than an Infiltrator. Useless class in these days...

People have field trained their infiltrators before successfully and I am tired of explaining the usefulness of the class, so I won't. They certainly can be quite successful in attacks but there will be plenty of failures as well. (One of my characters was just successfully attacked in fact, unfortunately.)