Some great ideas ...

Also, might be useful to know in advance how an opponent is going to vote at the UP ...

But one idea that would be cool, would be to expand on the idea of the link between spying and events.

Like a spy event that you set off and pay for - for example, trying to clone the leader of the enemy race and have your clone put on the throne, kill off the real leader, and voila! Your own puppet empire! muhahahaha! It could take several events and lots of resources, but how cool?

(1) I would love to "monitor" (and possibly influence) their building of a one-in-the-galaxy-item (tradegood or wonder), helping me time any rush purchase. (And they should get to do the same to me.)

(2) I would love to at least know when someone intends to vote for me at the UP, so I don't vote for them effectively wasting our votes. Or, perhaps, be able to 'announce' (to friends? allies?) how I am going to vote, so they can take it into account? Or something.

I'm trying out the watch thread feature on this thread.

Perhaps the information regarding relative strengths -- military, economic, et al -- should be inaccurate. Espionage and trade ties would reduce errors in their estimation. This would also need to apply to the AIs, of course.

Incidentally, do the AIs ever hide their technology on the trading screen? It might be a nasty surprise, at least at higher levels, especially if one hides the fact that it has a spiffy new ship class.

i would too!

Wow, lot's of cool ideas and pretty cool CariElf has an eye on that thread.

My opinion to the ideas so far
I agree with nearly everything, but I don't think the idea with the special spy-ships makes much sense.
If I want to send a spy to another planet, that is the LAST thing I would do. I would send my spy with a regular freighter that is going there anyway or something like that.
And I think it would (for my taste) add a bit too much micromanagement to the game.
A completly new espionage-system with more opportunites and features would really make the game a whole lot more interesting than it is anyway, but you have to be careful not to make it to complicated. To much details the players has to look after would go against the spirit of galciv, I think.

Some new (I think) ideas

1. One minor thing: The "Morphing"-technology should give a espionage-bonus additional to or instead of the soldiering bonus. I was, in fact, quite surprised that it didn't... I mean, now your spy can shape-change into a Torian or Drengin... if that doesn't give you an adavance in espionage, what does?!

2. Cloaked sensor drones (= spy satellites?) would be nice... so you can see what your enemy does without him knowing... should be quite simple too add, too.

3. Counterspionage:
I'd really love the idea of disinformation... spending some money to feed fakes to the enemy. Not to complictated - just one slider and the more money you spend, the less accurate becomes the info that your enemy gets. Just +/- some random numbers to the stats.
And when the AI uses this against a player, it could give you some nice surprises... like "How the hell could he rush those Dreadnoughts, I thought his economy is down??"

4. The idea of linking spies with events is interesting. Especially when the expansion with linked events is available.
I thought about a series of events that might be triggered when you spend a lot of money for espionage:
Your secret service is getting to powerful and starts to make his own politics instead following your orders... feel free to use the idea if you like it.

(And btw, I would pay for that extension too, but when you give it for free... well, I won't say no;))
[Message Edited]

Not to pirate ideas from other games...but espionage is an element of war and security in real life...so it would apply to ANY game.

Here's some more basic ideas:

Bribe: Pay bc to a foreign govorner monthly to turn to your side and take the system with him. Takes alot of bc and a long time...kinda like culture turning.

Intelligence: Gain more information on an enemy military locations. (map opens up to reveal them) Lifts the black shroud.

Counter-Intelligence: BC paid per month prevents other species gaining information on you planets. The more money, the better the protection.

Defection: Pay bc monthly to have ships join your ranks during wartime. No guarantee that this will work until a message is received from enemy general confirming defection. Until then, it's just chance.

Slander: Pay bc per month to worsen the relationships between two other species by one notch at a time. The more money, the faster it happens.

Terrorism: Pay bc per month to plant a bomb that could take out social structures anonomysly. Works well with Galactic Wonders

Sabotage: Pay bc per month to hinder & slow down abilities of another species' production or research. You pick how much and what kind of production.

Pirate: Hire minor races to assault and board enemy trade ships to planets OTHER THAN YOUR OWN, which should pursuade them to trade with you instead. (Route is too dangerous, we're gonna trade with the Terrans)...VERY cool I think...

Pollute: Smuggle in chemicals and biological agents to reduce a planet's PQ by 1 point. Expensive, but lowers morale as well.

Poison: Smuggle in chemicals and biological agents to reduce a planet's population without going to war. Not very nice...every culture's worst nightmare...other than the Terror Star.

Assassinate: Take out the current ruler of that system, INCREASES morale of that system due to patriotism, but high slander skills will have it blamed on another species increasing hostilities. Also worsens the economy for awhile.

Train: Add to your military lineup a wide variety of space monsters specially trained to attack a system (controlled like a ship). The attack will seem like a natural disaster to them. Keeps you in good relations while taking out ships.

POW-MIA: Rather than destroying all enemy troops in battle, bring them home in a transport and use them as a bargaining tool for trade goods, bc, or tech, or PEACE.

Instigate: Have an enemy AI attack YOU. This works well with multiple alliances, as your allies should favor you and take your side in battle, not the other guy.

Riot: Insight chaos within the ranks and population of a starbase rather than destroying it. Control goes to you when successful. Only works in wartime, or will declare war when successful.