We are moving away from the option to spam agent orders and get the necessary effect, towards the idea that you build up an agent network in the target location and act through it. Agent networks can involve as many agents/operatives as you like as well as NPCs recruited from the local area. The network can be anywhere that there is a sentient population, either in a base, at a location on a planet and possibly on a ship. The aim is to establish a network using contacts and equipment to pull off operations though the expenditure of a pool of espionage points associated with a specific area.

A base for example has the following areas:

• Admin
  
• Starport
  
• Industrial
  
• Commercial
  
• Technological
  
• Security
  
• Civilian
  

Agent networks allow you to either do direct actions that just require an espionage pool of at least a certain size in an area of the base or they require you to start an operation that will take several weeks or more to complete.

Some Operations are:
[1] Character assassinations
[2] Large scale sabotage
[3] Inciting revolts
[4] Undermining defences
[5] Counter intelligence
[6] Sabotage Research
[7] Establish escape plans
[8] Untooling items (mass production factories or even principles)
[9] Stealing items (so they can be picked up from the planet surface - can be used in combination with [8])

Each operation requires you to build an op centre and convert espionage points from your contacts into points in the operation. This conversion of points will take many weeks and some operations will require a lot of espionage points in an area to pull off. As the conversion occurs it will generate notifications to the base owner that something is going on, the likelihood of this happening will depend on how fast you choose to make the operation occur. To prevent one single ping isolating the fact that something is happening for sure at a base there will be chances of false positives being generated in all bases in the game. To prevent this resulting in data overload, the chance will commensurate with the size of a base and inversely proportional to its security level. An outpost with a few hundred personnel and 200% security for example will probably never generate a false positive. Big starbases with thousands of complexes and modest security are likely to regularly generate false positives.

Once the operation has the required amount of points it can be completed and will automatically succeed (unless there is counter intelligence involved). Some operations are automatically triggered when required, such as Establish Escape Plan (only if they will be successful). Under normal circumstances there is no chance that it will fail, thus removing the requirement to spam a target with agents/operatives. There may be in some cases better than basic results for having more espionage points than the bare minimum, i.e. a tiered result effect. Where this exists, the parameters of the tiers will be known.
Example:
Sabotage Research
Fail - No research destroyed.
Success - Research Mass Destroyed
Superior Success - Research Mass Destroyed along with 10x mass destroyed applied as damage to Research Complexes and supporting P/T/BP's
Epic Success - As above but 100x damage
When an operation is completed, the operation centre is closed down and the operation pool eliminated. Note that this does not mean that the pool in the area is lost. Only the points assigned to the operation are deleted.
Note that the points contributed to the operation pool from a specific contact remain associated with the contact. This is important for calculating success when counter intelligence is involved.
While an operation can be completed when the operation espionage pool is large enough, points can still be added to the pool. The only reason to do this is when it is suspected that a contact has been compromised through counter intelligence and the player is playing a double bluff in making the counter intelligence operator believe that they have the upper hand rather than tipping them off by burning the contact.

To keep everything user friendly there will need to be an interface to view current operations, which contacts are currently contributing and which contacts can contribute along with the current status of the operation. This need only be a simple tree and leaf structure with options to view by system etc.
There is nothing to prevent a contact from contributing to several different operations especially if the amount of espionage points they can contribute to an operation pool per week is much less than the amount of points they can generate. The only drawback to this is that if the agent is turned or eliminated, it will have an effect on multiple operations.

Actions are small things that do not require a full blown operation. They just require an espionage pool in an area to be to be above a certain level. Note that it is possible to transfer points from the Generic Espionage Pool to a specific area pool, but not the other way round.
Most actions cost espionage points, representing bribes and use of equipment.

Actions:
[1] Base information {Items, research, docked ships}
[2] Limited sabotage

All contacts that you gain in area of the base can be developed every week. This requires stellars and equipment but runs the risk that their activities will be detected. All points gained in this area are associated with the contact, so if the contact is subverted, killed or removed then everything relating to the contact is lost.

The level of risk you are prepared to take while developing a contact determines how fast you can improve his contributions, however this makes his activities more likely to be discovered. If a counter intelligence operation targets your contact they might subvert him and this would mean that although you think you have a certain control in an area, went it comes to enacting the operation you actually have much less.

Additional events will be tied to the operative that allows a player to improve their contact quicker if they are prepared to micro manage their individual requests. Like providing certain luxury items on demand, or equipment.

Agents will be able to enter locations other than bases, and here is a list of possible agent actions we are thinking of allowing on ships. The ships security maybe modified from that already showing in the game.

[1] Stowaway (ship) - Only allows silent transport
[2] Infiltrate Ship - Become part of crew, allows actions
[3] Stabotage Ship
- Glitch Systems
- Blind Sensors
- Reduce Integrity
- AI virus
[4] Claim Ship (from AI)
[5] Read Pending Orders
[6] Kill Crew

Additional agent skill that we are thinking of adding

Expertise
Area Specialisation [Improved point gain in one area]
Area Diversity [Gain points in multiple areas]

Stealth
Infiltration [Personal active]
Escape Planning [Active at end of missions or when necessary]
Plan Operation [Increased Conversion of operation points]
Incognito [Reduces profile of agent]
Conceal [Reduces operation profile]

Surveillance
Keen Senses
Personal Insight
Network Surveillance
Street Wise
Recon

Acquire Contacts
Clandestine Methods [Reduces exposure]
Leverage
Bribe
Xenophilia

Sabotage
Glitch System
Explosives

Admittedly this is an area to flesh out but our thoughts at the moment run along these lines:

Unlike the current set up we do not want lots of operatives and agents undertaking operations also we do not want the ones that are created dropping like flies. As such we are more interested in mechanics that derail their efforts and give the opportunity to pull the characters out. Burning the contact will therefore only be possible where the person has little in the way of skill and resources at the time of discovery. This is only likely if the character is inexperienced but doing a lot of actions that are resulting in lots of security pings/checks without developing the contact in relation to the location.

It is possible to detect active contacts in a base. This is likely to be automatic based on security or a response following a positive security ping. Once detected there are four options:

• Eliminate Contact - no need to go into much more detail. This is the simplest option and ties up all loose ends but gives no details. This though will fail if there is a sufficient escape plan operation in place (or they have a sufficient size pool themselves). Escaped Contacts have their pools/equipment eliminated but can be removed (covertly picked up) for use elsewhere. The contact is considered neutralised at this location.
  
• Arrest the contact - interrogates the contact giving details on what size pool the contact has and which field and whether the contact was on an operation (but not specifics) Contact is eliminated. As with Eliminate Contact escape plans will be used if set up. Escaping arrest is much easier than escaping elimination though as above will still be considered neutralised.
  
• Bug the contact - this requires creating a counter intelligence operation with the contact as a target. This will only reveal an operation in which the contact is involved. No efforts are made to interact with the contact.
  
• Subvert the contact - this requires creating a counter intelligence operation with the contact as a target. This therefore needs operatives in the base to do the operation.
  

This upgrade introduces two new mechanics, espionage points and operations. Together these limit the ability to achieve monumental results based on lucky chance or use of dozens to hundreds of character to increase the odds. The mechanics work on the basis of identifying a goal and working towards it while opponents if they become aware of the situation can work to thwart the action.

The mechanics however have applications beyond agents and can be applied in principle to other areas of the game, though of course will always require the use of a non-pseudo character to enact.

All these actions will require an expenditure of a pool that has been generated in a specific location which may be inside a ship or maybe in another location depending on the action being attempted. Some may require the equivalent to an operation (such as determining weaknesses of a target).

Suggestions (of which some will almost certainly not make the cut) include:

• Combat. An operation to identify a weak point in the defences of a fixed installation such as a platform or a starbase is an obvious one. This could temporarily reduce armour or shields on the target (worked on the Death Star). So too the creation of an ambush point whereby ship get to fire in round zero.
  
• Hijack. Steal a ship in the starport by bypassing base defend check when boarding.
  
• Flag of convenience. Use even a flag of an enemy affiliation for a short period.
  
• Expert Pilot. Move through a nebula or belt with no risk.
  
• Expert Navigator. Jump from lower ring.
  
• Expert Packer. Temporarily increase cargo capacity.
  
• Slaver/Cruise Liner. Temporarily increase life capacity.
  
• Dig in. Reduce profile of a GP or increase control factors in defence.
  
• Jury Rigging. Upgrading installed items to higher mks a cost to integrity or damage. Increasing integrity at a cost of hull damage or vice-versa.
  
• Training. Promoting troops to veterans.
  
• Trade. Increasing amounts available through deals with civvy traders.
  
• Civilians. Creating a government or changing one. Influencing system support.
  
• Smuggling. Effectively cloaking either for a long period of time or temporarily decreasing the planetary trade value.
  
• Hire Pirates. Spawn a quantity of NPC ships hostile to a specific affiliation.
  
• Hire rogues. As above but spawns GP’s to move around a world and attack specific affiliations.
  
• Special Action and Investigation Results. Allows the GM to tailor additional results or impasses to better define risk and reward.