Stellaris

Stellaris

Chris’ Covert Operations
 This topic has been pinned, so it's probably important
Chrisrous  [developer] 9 Jun @ 11:42pm
Operation Details & Balance
Discredit Galactic Envoy

Purpose:
This espionage operation allows you to undermine a rival empire’s diplomatic standing by discrediting one of their envoys. The goal is to weaken their influence within the Galactic Community for a significant duration.

Requirements:
  • Target must be a member of the Galactic Community
  • No active cooldown for this target
  • Costs: 120 Influence, 10 Energy/month, 50 Spy Power

Operation Stages:
  • Observation – Surveillance and information gathering
  • Evidence Fabrication – Fake materials are created
  • Scandal Broadcast – Public release and effect trigger

Effects on target (for 3600 days):
  • –20% Diplomatic Weight
  • –25% efficiency for “Improve Relations” from envoys
  • –10% Xenophile attraction


Undermine Central Control

Purpose:
A covert operation designed to destabilize a rival empire by sparking unrest and eroding their central authority. This attack weakens their control over planets and reduces their political influence - all from within.

Requirements:
  • Only one active instance at a time
  • Costs: 180 Influence, 12 Energy/month, 60 Spy Power

Operation Stages:
  • Stage 1: Infiltration – Setup and warning if target is a Gestalt empire (penalties apply)
  • Stage 2: Disruption – Progress update only
  • Stage 3: Collapse – Major debuffs are triggered

Main Effects on Success:
  • Nationwide modifier for 3600 days:
     –25% Pop Happiness
     –10% Influence gain
  • 50% chance: One random colony suffers deep unrest for 3600 days
     –15 Stability
     –25% Government Ethic Attraction
  • 50% chance: All colonies suffer moderate unrest for 1440 days
     –15 Stability
     –25% Government Ethic Attraction

Gestalt Penalty:
  • +15% Spy Power cost
  • –25% operation speed

Cooldown:
  • 3600 days (10 years) per target


Infiltrate Fleet Command

Purpose:
This covert operation allows you to weaken the naval command structure of a rival empire. Once completed, the enemy suffers a major reduction in ship combat power for one in-game year.

Requirements:
  • Target must be a regular empire
  • Cannot target fallen/awakened empires, enclaves, or guardians
  • Costs: 120 Influence, 10 Energy/month, 50 Spy Power

Operation Stages:
  • Stage 1: Infiltration – Narrative-only event
  • Stage 2: Manipulation – Narrative-only event
  • Stage 3: Sabotage – Triggers the empire-wide debuff

Main Effects on Success:
  • Duration: 360 days
  • Empire-wide modifier:
     –20% Ship Fire Rate
     –20% Weapon Damage
     –20% Ship Hull Points
  • Both sides receive pop-up notifications

Cooldown:
  • 3600 days (10 years) per target


Smuggle Predators Operation

Overview:
A covert operation that releases genetically engineered or alien predator lifeforms on a rival colony. The outbreak triggers chaos, destruction, and a three-stage crisis event, forcing the target to respond or suffer long-term planetary collapse.

Requirements:
  • Target must be a regular empire (no Gestalts)
  • Not already active
  • Costs: 180 Influence, 15 Energy/month, 60 Spy Power

Operation Stages (3/4/4 Difficulty):
  • Stage 1: Infiltration and shipment
  • Stage 2: Containment breach
  • Stage 3: Outbreak and full planetary incident
Upon success, a random enemy colony is selected and infected:

  • Spawns a temporary "Predator Swarm" faction
  • Creates 4 hostile predator armies
  • Kills 1 random pop
  • Triggers the "Predator Outbreak" situation

Situation: Predator Outbreak
Three escalating stages, each with worsening modifiers:

  • Stage 1: +5 Stability, –5 Crime (short-term calm)
  • Stage 2: –10 Stability, +5 Crime, –15% Pop Growth, –10% Resource Output
  • Stage 3: –25 Stability, +15 Crime, –30% Pop Growth, –25% Output, –20% Total Production, +25% Army Build Speed

Approaches:
  • Quarantine: Slows progress, increases crime, –5% pop growth
  • Military Response: Stronger control, +25% army build, –5 stability
  • Ignore: Speeds up progress, –15 stability, +10 crime

Random Events (1/3 monthly chance):
  • Hideout Discovered: Suppression, progress –3
  • Spreading Fire: Habitat damaged, –100 minerals/energy, progress –1
  • Refugee Demand: Accept = pop dies; reject = penalty
  • Research Success: +15% society research for 2 years, progress –2

Conclusion:
  • Success: Planet is cleared, no lingering effects
  • Failure: Permanent modifier "Ongoing Terror" (–10 Stability, +5 Crime for 10 years)

Failure Consequences & Diplomacy:
  • +2 Spy Operation Difficulty
  • –25% Spy Network Gain
  • –200 Opinion from target empire
  • –25 Galactic opinion (slow decay)

Important Stats:
  • Spy Power: 60
  • Influence Cost: 180
  • Energy: 15/month
  • Cooldown: 5 years per target
  • Progress: Modified by approaches (–1, –2, +1)

Modifiers:
  • Predator Ongoing Terror: –10 Stability, +5 Crime
  • Predator Contained Fire: –10% Output, +50% Clear Blocker Time
  • Predator Refugee Denied: +10 Crime, –5% Happiness
  • Predator Research Focus: +15% Society Research (2 years)
  • Predator Suppressive Measures: +15% Army Damage, +25% Build Speed
  • Predator Burned Habitat: –15% Output, –2 Housing, –10 Amenities
  • Bioterror Sabotage: –200 Opinion (target), slow decay
  • Bioterrorism Condemned: –25 Galactic Opinion, slow decay


Branch Shutdown Operation

Overview:
A targeted espionage operation allowing non-Megacorps to remove hostile branch offices from their planets - without war. After a successful op, a new planetary situation unfolds, with multiple phases, player-driven approaches, and random events.

Requirements:
  • Target empire must be a Megacorp
  • Branch Office must exist on at least one of your planets

Espionage Operation – Stages (Difficulty 3/4/5):
  • Preparation
  • Access Setup
  • Execution (choose target planet)

On Success:
  • Starts "Corporate Purge" situation on selected planet
  • Branch Office is removed upon situation completion
  • Target and sender receive events
  • Failure triggers a 3% penalty event

Planetary Situation – Progression:
  • 3 stages with increasing penalties
  • Progress is influenced monthly by selected Approach
  • Random events provide boosts or setbacks
  • Ends with success/failure outcome and modifiers

Spy Operation Cost:
  • 25 Spy Power
  • 15 Influence
  • 20 Energy/month

Situation Stage Modifiers:
  • Stage 1: +15 Crime, –10 Stability, –5% BO Value, –5% Happiness
  • Stage 2: +10 Crime, –5 Stability, –15% BO Value, –5 Amenities
  • Stage 3: +5 Crime, –25% BO Value, –2 Amenities

Approaches:
  • Covert Sabotage: –5 Crime, +5 Amenities
  • Special Operation: –10 Stability, –15% Political Power, –5% Happiness
  • Sabotage Wave: +25 Crime, –30% BO Value, –25% Clear Blocker Speed

Random Situation Events:
  • Temporary crime and happiness penalties
  • Branch office disruption bonuses
  • Spy cost increases
  • Stability loss

Outcome Modifiers:
  • Success: +5 Stability, –5 Crime, –100% BO Value, ×5 BO Cost (10 years)
  • Failure - Op: +10% Spy Power Cost (720 days)
  • Failure - Planet: +10 Crime, +15% BO Value, –5% Happiness

Temporary Event Modifiers (Sample):
  • +3/6 Crime (1080 days)
  • –1 Amenities, –4% Happiness (1080 days)
  • –10% BO Value (1080 days)
  • –4 Stability (1080 days)
  • +5% Spy Power Cost (720 days)


Covert Indoctrination Operation

Overview:
A powerful espionage operation that lets you subtly shift the ethics of a rival empire. Instead of launching fleets, infiltrate their ideology - and fracture their unity from within.

Requirements:
  • Target must be a regular empire (not Gestalt or Machine)

Espionage Operation – 3 Phases (Difficulty 5):
  • Launch operation; target empire is checked for eligibility
  • Choose desired ethic (e.g. Militarist, Pacifist) to infiltrate
  • Trigger planetary situation in target empire

Spy Operation Cost:
  • 180 Influence
  • 15 Energy/month
  • 50 Spy Power
  • 10-year cooldown (3650 days)

Planetary Situation – 3 Escalation Stages:
Each stage increases ideological pressure on the target empire’s population. Drift is amplified, and dissent begins to grow.

  • New POPs with the chosen ethic are seeded (1 per planet if not present)
  • Factions are enabled and re-evaluated
  • Monthly progress is influenced by the target’s selected Approach

Target Empire's Approaches:
  • Monitor Quietly: High ethic drift, lower approval
  • Reassert National Values: Reduces drift, minor unrest
  • Purge Subversive Elements: Severe backlash, slower drift

Random Events (5 types):
Each event offers two choices, leading to temporary modifiers affecting ethics, happiness, Unity, faction approval, political power, and more.

Outcome:
  • Success: 10-year modifier increasing ethic shift toward chosen ethic
  • Failure: Reinforces current government ethics and increases unity

Example Modifiers:
  • Target Ethic Modifier: +20% ethic attraction, –20% gov ethic attraction, –7.5% happiness
  • Success Modifier (10 years): +30% target ethic attraction, –25% gov ethic attraction, +25% drift, –5% happiness
  • Failure Modifier: +20% gov ethic attraction, –15% drift, +10% faction approval, +5% happiness

Temporary Modifiers (from events):
  • Unity upkeep
  • Influence cost
  • Faction approval
  • Ethic attraction
  • Diplomatic weight
  • Agenda progress


Covert Shield Protocol

Overview:
This espionage operation strengthens strategic alliances by establishing a covert data-sharing protocol. Designed for use only between close partners, it enhances resistance to hostile espionage and deepens diplomatic ties.

Requirements:
  • Target must be a Defensive Pact, Federation member, Overlord, or Subject

Spy Operation – 4 Stages (Difficulty 3):
Each stage comes with unique event pop-ups that narrate the growing intelligence pact.

  • Cooperation Begins
  • Network Expansion
  • Encrypted Exchange
  • Shield Activation

Costs & Cooldown:
  • 120 Influence (one-time)
  • 10 Energy/month during operation
  • 40 Spy Power required
  • 3600-day cooldown (10 years)

Effects on Completion:
    []Target empire gains Covert Shield Protection for 10 years:
  • +2 hostile spy operation difficulty
  • +20% counter-espionage
  • Initiator gains Covert Shield Protocol for 2 years:
  • +10 Edict Fund
  • +5 Spy Network Value
  • Both empires gain +25 opinion with each other (no decay for 10 years)
  • Both receive completion pop-ups

Modifiers:
  • covert_shield_protection (Target Empire, 10 years):
  • +2 operation difficulty for enemies
  • +20% counter-espionage
  • covert_shield_protocol_player (Player, 2 years):
  • +10 Edict Fund
  • +5 Spy Network Value
  • opinion_covert_shield_support:
  • +25 opinion boost between initiator and target


Suppress Insurgency

Overview:
This espionage operation lets you stabilize troubled empires by covertly removing active revolts and boosting local order. It's a non-lethal, targeted approach to restoring public control - at the cost of reduced ideological diversity.

Key Features:
  • New 3-stage espionage operation targeting non-Gestalt, non-Machine empires
  • Removes active revolt situations on high-crime or low-stability planets
  • Applies powerful temporary buffs to affected planets
  • Nationwide ethics attraction penalty to simulate ideological repression
  • Cooldown: 5 years per target

Costs:
  • 180 Influence (one-time)
  • 15 Energy/month (during operation)
  • 50 Spy Power

Operation Flow:
  • Stage 1 – Initiation: Informational event
  • Stage 2 – Preparation: Informational event
  • Stage 3 – Execution:
  • Clears revolt situations on planets with over 25 Crime or under 40 Stability
  • Grants +10 Stability and +5% Happiness for 5 years on those planets
  • Applies a 5-year country-wide ethics attraction penalty (–10%)
  • Cooldown flag prevents repeat use for 5 years on the same target
  • Both player and target empire receive notification events

Modifiers & Effects:
  • suppress_insurgency_ethic_penalty: –10% governing ethics attraction (country, 5 years)
  • suppress_insurgency_stability_buff: +10 Stability (planet, 5 years)
  • suppress_insurgency_happiness_buff: +5% Pop Happiness (planet, 5 years)


Shifting Allegiance

What it does:
A new espionage operation for Overlords to influence the political alignment and loyalty of their vassals through covert manipulation. Success triggers a full situation with dynamic effects, approaches, and events.

How it works:
  • 3-stage operation (cost: 200 Influence, 15 Energy/month, 50 Spy Power)
  • Only usable on your own vassals (no fallen empires, enclaves, or guardians)
  • On success: starts a new situation in the target empire
  • Cooldown: 10 years (per vassal)

The Situation:
  • Progress bar: 3 levels, starts at 50%
  • Player or AI picks one of 3 approaches:
  • Encourage Alignment – Increase loyalty and ethic drift toward you
  • Assert Sovereignty – Push back, lower loyalty, raise internal power
  • Observe Passively – No change
  • Each month: base +0.25 progress, modifiable by approach

Random Events (during situation):
  • Ambivalent Voices: Encourage debate or suppress it
  • Diplomatic Incident: Cover it up or investigate
  • Charismatic Reformer: Support the movement or shut it down

Outcomes (Situation End)
  • Success: Gain +25 opinion, loyalty boost, ethic shift toward you
  • Failure: Lose –50 opinion, drop in loyalty, increased independence pressure
  • Various modifiers depending on event paths (loyalty, ethics, pop power, spy cost)

Notable Modifiers:
  • Success: +0.25 Loyalty, –0.10 ethic attraction (rival ideologies fade)
  • Rejected: –0.10 Loyalty, +0.10 ethic attraction, +0.05 pop ruler power
  • Exposed: +10% spy operation cost for 5 years
  • Committee Response: –0.05 Loyalty, –25% ethic shift speed
  • Loyalty Boost (acceptance): +0.05 happiness
Last edited by Chrisrous; 23 hours ago
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Showing 1-7 of 7 comments
Chake™ 10 Jun @ 1:53am 
Good joob
Should "Branch Shutdown" be committed to the empire who set its branch offices on?
Chrisrous  [developer] 17 Jun @ 11:38am 
Originally posted by The Engineer Pop:
Should "Branch Shutdown" be committed to the empire who set its branch offices on?

Good question! Yes - "Branch Shutdown" specifically targets the empire that established branch offices on your planets.
It only becomes available if they have an active branch presence in your territory.
Kepos 5 Jul @ 2:05am 
Really love this smart intelligence add-on mod. I guess we'll see that PDX will adopt your idea sooner or later. :steamhappy:

Yesterday I started my first test of the 'Branch Shutdown', it was a great success.
Well, on second stage, because in first place I thought lowering the numbers will lead toward success, until I found out, that I have to actively choose one of those 3 options.
Now that I'm aware of, I can deal with it. It's only a small inconvencience, but would it be an idea to have a event pop-up where the player has to choose one of them, same as the other similar game events? Cheers!
Chrisrous  [developer] 5 Jul @ 9:34am 
Originally posted by Kepos:
Really love this smart intelligence add-on mod. I guess we'll see that PDX will adopt your idea sooner or later. :steamhappy:

Yesterday I started my first test of the 'Branch Shutdown', it was a great success.
Well, on second stage, because in first place I thought lowering the numbers will lead toward success, until I found out, that I have to actively choose one of those 3 options.
Now that I'm aware of, I can deal with it. It's only a small inconvencience, but would it be an idea to have a event pop-up where the player has to choose one of them, same as the other similar game events? Cheers!
Thanks a lot, I really appreciate the kind words and if PDX ever picks up these ideas, I’ll take it as flattery… even if they forget to mention me :P. Glad the mod brings you some covert fun in the meantime!

Glad to hear Branch Shutdown worked well for you! And yes, you're absolutely right after success, the operation triggers a dynamic planetary situation, and the player has to manually pick an Approach.

It’s a different flow than regular events, so I fully understand the confusion.
Your suggestion to trigger a popup when the situation starts forcing an immediate choice is a good idea and something I’ve already noted as a potential improvement. It’s already on my list, and I’ll explore adding it for better clarity.

Thanks again and happy scheming!
Kepos 6 Jul @ 12:07pm 
Yeah, have no doubts about PDX...some other modders got a job there that way...

As for the 'Branch Shutdown'...I close one branch after the other, but either the 5 year block is too short or they do ignore it. After a few months/years they rebuild it again. It doesn't feel as if the job is successfull and in the end going to war about seems to be the only way to settle it.

Possibly 5 years is too short or...what I think, the block isn't working as intended. I have to check the timescale on the next mission to verify that. Possibly one of my other mods 'may' interfere...playing with ~150 active mods.
Is there a way to cast a full ban on specific empires to come back with a future mission?
My first neighbor is a pain and of course criminal megacorp. :steamsad:


Confirmed: those 5 years block to not last 5 years
Removed a branch in 2261 and it returned 2265.
That way it doesn't pay out, because the agent that is siding the mission is also lost. This is a Sisyphus mission right now.
Last edited by Kepos; 6 Jul @ 1:43pm
Chrisrous  [developer] 7 Jul @ 10:18am 
Originally posted by Kepos:
Yeah, have no doubts about PDX...some other modders got a job there that way...

As for the 'Branch Shutdown'...I close one branch after the other, but either the 5 year block is too short or they do ignore it. After a few months/years they rebuild it again. It doesn't feel as if the job is successfull and in the end going to war about seems to be the only way to settle it.

Possibly 5 years is too short or...what I think, the block isn't working as intended. I have to check the timescale on the next mission to verify that. Possibly one of my other mods 'may' interfere...playing with ~150 active mods.
Is there a way to cast a full ban on specific empires to come back with a future mission?
My first neighbor is a pain and of course criminal megacorp. :steamsad:


Confirmed: those 5 years block to not last 5 years
Removed a branch in 2261 and it returned 2265.
That way it doesn't pay out, because the agent that is siding the mission is also lost. This is a Sisyphus mission right now.
Yeah the original 5-year block after a successful Branch Shutdown turned out too short in practice, especially against aggressive Megacorps. I've already extended it to 10 years to give players more strategic breathing room and make the payoff feel more meaningful.

Also added a small country pop-up when the Branch Shutdown Situation starts. It doesn’t change any mechanics, but it acts as a clear reminder for the player to choose an approach.

A full ban on specific empires isn't currently possible without hardcoding behavior that could break balance, but I'm looking into better ways to make repeat branch attempts more costly or riskier over time.

Appreciate the heads-up and yeah, 150 mods can definitely make testing tricky. Let me know if the 10-year cooldown feels better in your next run.
Last edited by Chrisrous; 7 Jul @ 10:19am
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