@Artemys Symetra I basically took the new 4.0 stellaris files and compared them to my old pre 4.0 modded files (using a difference checker tool). Then I took over the changes I made in the old files into the new 4.0 ones. That way I could avoid having any outdated code, which would not work any longer with 4.0 remaining. The issues you have with this other mod are likely because either, because the mod has not been updated to 4.0 yet, or because the mod developer missed a code change.

I have this problem on Machines & Robot Expansion Continued :
https://sp.zhabite.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3163759042
events xvcv.mdlc.31 and 32 fire every day
and like your mod had similar problem,I wanted to ask you how you did it. if it is simple (or not)

@Artemy Symetra I need more information. On which mod do u have the problem?

@drachenklinge4 (hart) I have the blank popup problem on other mod, can you tell me how you repair your mod please ?

Thank you!

insane reactivity ! thank you very much for your work <3

The Mod is now updated to 4.0

@Artemys Symetra @Janlitschka the mod will be updated till this weekend. Currently paradox updates stellaris every day making an update to the mod difficult.

on 4.0, it causes blank popup every day

Hey, how is the 4.0 Compatability? Thank you!

really good simple mod and yet makes spy operations so much more interesting :)

feedback spam, I know, but I figured you might want to know :) the privateers spawned a 9k fleet when the empire targeted had an average fleet size of 25k (multiple in fact, but they were spread out at least)

not sure if privateers just has a very low limit and the 9k would spawn if they had a 10k fleet too, but yeah, not exactly an appropriate scaled threat still, they did divert a fleet, but only a 13k minor fleet that wiped the floor with them and moved on :)
1/2

Not sure what to suggest, more strength could force them to divert a larger/multiple fleets, or alternatively more spawns would at least have them playing whack-a-mole a bit longer and be more of a viable distraction (especially once the empire is larger and has multiple fleets)

Given the cost and difficulty of the operation, annoyingly it still underperforms. I suppose another option would be to make it cheaper/easier, but given the difficulty of doing something like that undetected by the target empire I actually think the cost/difficulty is more or less right...
2/2

It doubles the cohesion hit.

Spotted an interesting take on smear campaign on the forums post leader-update. (link: https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/threads/smear-campaign-op-needs-balance-adjustment.1613709/)

Basically it seems federation cohesion is far easier to get now, making the cohesion loss from the operation worthless as it will be made up again very quickly...

Just checking, as it doesnt seem to say in your description, did you x5 the cohesion hit, or just the opinion? if not, might be worth increasing the cohesion affect too?

Generally loving this mod, it's a great stopgap until paradox fix espionage.

@drachen - thanks man, great job overall :) definitely makes me not ignore espionage as much, AI used smear on me and while it didnt break the federation, they've only got positive opinion because I've still got an envoy improving relations, so without that I'm not sure what would have happened. Loving it though.

The negative opinion is always added no matter if a target is in a federation or not. The negative cohesion is just added on top if the target is inside a federation. I didnt change this. The goal of smear campaign is after all to break up an enemies federation or defense pact.

The negative opinion should now decay faster.

also the negative opinion for smear campaign seems to be going down by 0.75 per year, so it'll be there for over 400 years! Which is a bit much, I feel like your description implies that's not intentional? 100 years seems more fair :)

on smear campaign - if they're in a federation wont it just do the -20 cohesion? I thought the opinion modifier was just if the target wasn't in a federation?

Another cool feature for that one would be to make it more useful and predictable - a check to ensure the 'random empire' chosen currently has positive opinions of the empire, otherwise it could just make their enemies even more grumpy, which from what I'm aware doesnt do much?

@Figaround Its one of the outcomes, if you get caught spying. But when caught you usually have two options. Take the opinion hit or take ease tensions.

I don't know English very well. Apparently anything over -100 is the effects of successful spy operations? I thought that's how much the country would hate me if they knew I was spying on them!

@Figaround there are usually multiple options to pick. The negative modifier is avoidable. Also it needs high negative opinion, if you really want to break up another empires federation/defensive pact via spy opteration as their positive opinion to each other often goes into the hundreds.

For example:

"opinion_exposed_espionage = {
opinion = {
base = -250
}
decay = {
base = 0.5
modifier = {
factor = value:negative_opinion_decay_rate"

-250 ratio for exposed espionage? Really? That's a huge and indefensible value In reality, almost all countries spy on almost all countries, caught spies are put in jail and usually that's it.

Why did you create the 00_opinion_modifiers_nemesis file? I looked and there are huge relationship penalties in hundreds of units, why? I will delete this file from the mod folder. Will the mod work?

It modifies pirate fleets.

@Lordlony I am not sure. Does this mod modify pirate_fleet_effects or spy operations in general? Because marauders and the great khan have different files and dont affect the pirate one.

Would I be correct in saying this is not compatible with The Great Khan Expanded [3.8.☠] ?

The mod is now updated to 3.8

Great mod. Smear campaigns become really useful. Good job! I'd appreciate it if updated

Can you make a mod that only changes the effects of starbase sabotage (and maybe increases the cost)

Maybe also a few more things. Like maybe you could bribe a fleet to make it completely inactive for a time. The spy mechanic just has such a low ceiling and the worst you can be is a minor annoyance.

NICE MOD i needed this i found the spy sistem awsome but the operations are soo shit!
now they are good
you could maybe do a mod to add more vanilla kind of operations <3
awsome work

Good job! I was looking for something exactly like this! I really don't understand why Paradox didn't make the operations much more powerful