[Discuss] Catching your own realm's spies... and then beating them.

[psymann]

Bug was reported back in April with the following ID: 0002824 - about 
capturing scouts from members of your own realm.

Tom's response, to your own scouts being captured, was: "So?  It's not 
as if he'd be waving a flag around announcing where he's from, right? 
It's only after you capture him that you find out."

I do agree with this statement, but what I do not agree with is the fact 
you have to _beat_ this information out of him.  "Your men bring you an 
enemy scout who was captured while trying to gather information about 
the region. You can beat out of him that he was sent by [your realm-mate]."


I think that the wording is the error in this case, not the event. 
Possibly also, the result that the scout is lost is wrong.  Sure, 
capture the scout, but you shouldn't need to beat him - just send him 
back to duty.


Instead, he should say "I come from [your realm-mate]."  You should then 
have two options:
1) accept the story (you let him go, and he returns to [your realm-mate] 
a day or two later)
2) refuse to accept it (he is beaten up and lost to [your realm-mate])

To make this more sensible, so that you don't just accept any old story 
from scouts, you should have a high proportion of enemy scouts claiming 
to be from your realm-mates.  And again, you can accept/reject the 
story.  If you accept, he returns to his master (your enemy) and if you 
reject, then you beat him up, and he either reveals his true master, or 
continues to lie and claim to be from your realm-mate.

You could even offer an option to return scout to your enemy even after 
he's admitted who he works for.

-----

So your options, when capturing a scout are:

1) Scout is from realm-mate ; scout says he's from realm-mate ; you 
accept ; he returns to realm-mate.
2) Scout is from realm-mate ; scout says he's from realm-mate ; you 
reject ; he is beaten and still says he's from realm mate ; he is lost 
to realm-mate.

3) Scout is from enemy ; scout says he's from enemy ; you are merciful 
and let him go ; he returns to enemy.
4) Scout is from enemy ; scout says he's from enemy ; you are not 
merciful and lock him away or kill him ; he is lost to enemy.
5) Scout is from enemy ; scout keeps silent ; you beat him ; he admits 
he's from enemy; he is lost to enemy.
6) Scout is from enemy ; scout keeps silent ; you beat him ; he still 
keeps silent ; he is lost to enemy.
7) Scout is from enemy ; scout says he's from your realm-mate ; you 
accept ; scout is set free and returns to enemy.
8) Scout is from enemy ; scout says he's from your realm-mate ; you 
reject ; he is beaten and admits he's from enemy ; he is lost to enemy.
9) Scout is from enemy ; scout says he's from your realm-mate ; you 
reject ; he is beaten and continues to say he's from your realm-mate ; 
he is lost to your enemy.

-----

psymann


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