Newbie questions:: Please help!

[ToranagaSama]

I'm pretty sure it goes by whichever spy has the most subterfuge. If one has 6 and the other has 3 it will go bye the one with 6. When you attack a settlement with a spy in it the game automatically has the spy try to get them open. I'm not completely sure but I think if you siege a settlement and the spy fails to open them you could break the siege and try again. It's not worth the trouble though because you can take the settlement in 2 turns without the spy. If the spy successfully opens the gate you won't have to wait that extra turn to built battering rams/siege towers/etc.

Doesn't the Spy die or something if he fails; or, the attack fails?? I have some vague recollection....

I also use spies to see how strong an army or settlement is. I can figure out if my army is strong enough to take it or not. Even endgame though, it's nice to have a spy in the settlements you are going to take.

Oooohhh, bad Kauser, bad Kauser!

Just joking, once your more confident (perhaps you already are), you may enjoy a bit of *roleplaying*. That is makeup a set of rules to play by that add to the challenge. One might be to refrain from using Spies to ascertain the makeup of enemy AI stacks.

This way your Generalship should get better as you'll learn to bring a balanced army, and to WIN with a balanced army no matter what the AI brings (or anyone else for that matter).

Me, I always like being surprised; never know what the AI makeup is until the battlescreen.

[Krauser]

Doesn't the Spy die or something if he fails; or, the attack fails?? I have some vague recollection....

The spy has a chance to be spotted any turn he is in the town. If spotted he can die but a lot of times he just gets kicked out of the settlement. You can just move him back in on your turn. I don't think he can die trying to open the gate. None of my spies have so far. When they failed they just failed. I used siege to get in and take the city. The spy was still there afterwords.

Oooohhh, bad Kauser, bad Kauser!

Just joking, once your more confident (perhaps you already are), you may enjoy a bit of *roleplaying*. That is makeup a set of rules to play by that add to the challenge. One might be to refrain from using Spies to ascertain the makeup of enemy AI stacks.

This way your Generalship should get better as you'll learn to bring a balanced army, and to WIN with a balanced army no matter what the AI brings (or anyone else for that matter).

Me, I always like being surprised; never know what the AI makeup is until the battlescreen.

I didn't use spies on my first campaign so I think it's okay to use them this time. I don't think spies make it too easy because I usually have a balanced army anyways. I might want to change it a little if I notice they have a lot of elephants. If it's just a bunch of town watch and peasants then I can reduce the size of the army and send the other half to take another settlement.