Basic agent stats and use

[Mhantra]

I can't really find the time to write a full guide, but wanted to just verbalize some of the basics of the agent mini-game. Yes, I see agent use as a mandatory mini-game. I wrote this because watching Youtube let's plays, I see, still, a lot of frustration with agent use, and notice the complete lack oif understanding of the larger system.

It won't surprise many of you, I am sure, that it all comes down to Authority, Cunning and Zeal rating. Now, yes, I could go on and talk about how to build your generals and cities with regard to Authority, Cunning and Zeal, and this is applicable, but I will try to just stick to agent use. keep in mind they are all interrelated though.


1. There is a direct relationship between the type of skill you are using (Authority, Cunning and Zeal) and the rating of Authority, Cunning and Zeal of the target, be it another agent, city or general (army).

* This means check your agent's rating before choosing your target. If you have multiple of your agents to choose from to hit a target, or there are multiple targets to choose from (3 enemy agents in one area is not uncommon). This makes a very large difference.


2. Your Authority, Cunning and Zeal are also your defense against the enemy's Authority, Cunning and Zeal. This is true for all of your agents, generals and cities.

* You could theoretically put a high Cunning spy in a high Authority protected city (buildings) with a high Zeal general and have a lot of protection against enemy agents.


3. Each stat has a set of benefits, but they will not show until you are at 4 in that skill. In fact, if you have a 3 in Authority, Cunning or Zeal, you are neutral. No benefits, no negatives. If you are below 3, you get a negative. For example, if you have 1 in Authority, you will deal with a +20% cost to your agent actions. However, once you hit a 5, it will be a 10% discount on cost (don't quote me on the exact percentage). Incidentally, it works this way for generals too.

* You can check the effects of each stat by selecting the agent and then floating over the icon at the bottom. There are a couplle other icons there that show the current status, such as if agent is invisible or has been spotted.


4. Each stat has its own skill tree, so to say. But you must choose the basic one to "open" the tree. For example, you could have a +1 Zeal from a trait and another from a house member so you may be at a 4 or 5 Zeal, but until you actually choose the +1 Zeal trait when the agent levels up, it won't open the the tree.

* You can level the skills you have already chosen seperately from the actual Zeal, Authority and Cunning skill trees. I haven't figured out when, though it feels like 2-3 levels past when you have taken it.


5. Agents, generally, (and there are exceptions), can be built for three purposes: travelling with an army, province control or direct action against army/town/agent.

* Travelling with an army: training trooops is borderline OP, reduce cost of upkeep or troop creation, raise moral or lower enemy morale, adding charge to your troops, reducing enemy fighting stats...
* Provincial control: This can be done just by building them with these benefits and can be used when agent is in army etc, but also by just standing him in the rovince where you want the raised tax income, culture conversion or public order. Incidentally, you can toggle on their ability they can use while just standing there not part of an army. It is left hand button when you select them. Hero typed raise moral, spies develop an anti-spy network, dignitary types raise tax income etc. Oh, putting a spy near an enemy or your own settlement just setting up a network is reasonable experience for agent with far less danger.
* Direct actions against army/town/agent: I would seriously guess this is what most people are doing with their agents, and probably dying or getting wounded a lot on higher difficulty levels while doing so. This is as it sounds, you directly try to influcent an army, town or agent, making that single attempt for its turn. This is where you are able to check your success rate by percentage, and it was WIN when they added the different percentages for success chance overall, for full effect or partial effect (chance to kill or wound, chance to fail, get killed or wounded). Now, you could obvioulsy just check all of each option every time you try to use a skill, but whan I am trying to sell here is that it is PREDICTABLE and you can PLAN. This is VERY GOOD!


6. If at all possible, research Champion and Dignitary as soon as possible, and always have your maximum. Converting agents to your side (why can I not remember the actual term?) is fabulously valuable. You can go over your cap limit this way. If you have 1/1 spies and one defects to your side, you will have 2/1 spies. I cannot stress this enough!

So there are a million things to talk about as far as overall plans and tips, but I will leave that for the discussion afterward.