Guide to Espionage

What you can see depends on the number of probes you send, the level of your espionage tech as well as the level of the enemies tech. The following just explains the formula it's based on.


Number of probes to see X level of information:
X + (Y * (((your espionage technology) - (your opponent's espionage technology)) ^ 2))
If your espionage technology is higher than your opponent's, then Y is -1. If your opponent's is higher, then Y is 1, and if both are equal, Y is 0.

X = 2 for resources and ships
X = 3 for resources, ships, and defense
X = 5 for resources, ships, defense, and buildings
X = 7 for resources, ships, defense, buildings, and research

You always get resources no matter how many probes you send. If an espionage mission gets counterespionaged, the espionage report is still sent even if the espionaging fleet is destroyed.

Example:
You have espionage technology level 11, your opponent has level 12, and you want to see up to buildings when you espionage your opponent. You would send
5 + (1 * ((11 - 12) ^ 2))
5 + (1 * (1 ^ 2))
= 6 probes to get the wanted information.

Here's how many probes one should send to get up to research based on various differences of enemy espionage technology relative to yours:

• -3 Difference : 1 probe
  
• -2 Difference : 3 probes
  
• -1 Difference : 6 probes
  
• 0 Difference : 7 probes
  
• +1 Difference : 8 probes
  
• +2 Difference : 11 probes
  
• +3 Difference : 15 probes
  

Also, as you develop your espionage technology, you can find out more about incoming enemy fleets:

Level 2 lets you see how many ships are coming.
Level 4 also displays which types of ships are in the fleet.
Level 8 shows you how many of each ship type are in the fleet.

Chance for Counter-Espionage

You will see this on all espionage reports. It is basically the chance of the fleet of probes being shot down by the spyed upon players fleet. Your probes will only be shot down when it reaches 100%. Also they will only be shot down if the emeny player has a fleet on thier planet (this includes solar sattelites). The fleet is needed to see the probes, but the probes can then be shot down by defensive structures on the surface when spotted.

There is no known formula for how this is calculated, for the most part it seems to be just randomised. However in my own experience the Chance for counter espionage increases along with the number of probes you send, however i dont think it will ever increase enough to negate the radomizing factor.