Spies: RTW

[Slaists]

once a spy enters an enemy's city, a parchment that comes up says that he has a certain chance of opening the gate. has anyone seen this actually take place? how does it happen? does one have to issue a command to the spy to open the gate or a try (roll) takes place automatically after an army assaults the settlement?

on another note: in MTW (the latest Viking Version), spies used to significantly increase loaylty of your provinces and decrease it in enemy territories; the higher was a spy's valor, the higher the improvement/hit (in the case of an enemy province) to the loyalty. does it happen in RTW? does a spy's valor/experience play a role?

[camulos]

once a spy enters an enemy's city, a parchment that comes up says that he has a certain chance of opening the gate. has anyone seen this actually take place? how does it happen? does one have to issue a command to the spy to open the gate or a try (roll) takes place automatically after an army assaults the settlement?

When you go to attack the settlement you will see a picture of an open gate on the screen where you can build seige equipment.

On cities with stone walls however you must still use ladders and such to capture the gate before sending your men through or else theyll be showered in hot oil.

[Ulstan]

"once a spy enters an enemy's city, a parchment that comes up says that he has a certain chance of opening the gate. has anyone seen this actually take place?"

Yes. Twice!

"how does it happen? does one have to issue a command to the spy to open the gate or a try (roll) takes place automatically after an army assaults the settlement?"

In the assault screen, you will see a picture of the gates opened if the spy succeeded. You do not have to do anything. (The picture is to the right of the picture of the settlements walls)

Note that the gatehouse is still 'enemy' and thus will still dump oil on your head if it can.

"spies used to significantly increase loaylty of your provinces and decrease it in enemy territories; the higher was a spy's valor, the higher the improvement/hit (in the case of an enemy province) to the loyalty. does it happen in RTW? does a spy's valor/experience play a role?"

I do not know about experience. I do know that moving a bucketload of spies from my city into an enemies one move away
(a) had no effects on my cities happiness rating
(b) Each spy decreased the happiness rating of the enemies city as it moved in.

Also, only spies can see enemy assassins I think.

[Red Harvest]

Yes, I've had it happen several times--it is much more likely now than in MTW. However, that hot oil keeps me from using the gate! So I usually sap anyway.

[Orvis Tertia]

I believe spies have a positive effect on the public order attribute of your city when they are present. I don't know for sure if the spy's attributes affect this, but I assume so.

Spies also thwart infiltration by enemy spies and assasins.

[Red Harvest]

They also seem to reduce the risk of a bribe being accepted and this can be very important.