Idea for spy: Informants and double agents

[Frank_Stein]

Informants are support role that other players can get. They aren't antags proper in that they don't get gear or a license to kill, but they do get the goal to support a spy player. Both a spy and informant know who the other is. Informants do not get the list of targets spies are looking for, but instead get a preview on one item on the next list before the change.

A double agent is exactly like an informant, except with the goal to hinder the spy they are assigned to. Likewise, they both will know each other, but the double agent will also have the name of another rival spy they are really working for. The rival spy does not know they have a double agent working for them.

[Roomba]

Why would anyone want to be an informant? You spawn at the neck and call of another player, with your role overwhelmingly relegated to the grunt work of grabbing stuff and transporting it from one place to another. In return you get none of the fancy toys your master gets as a reward for your work, none of the antag license to be as murdery as you want, and the liability of being adminhelped if your master deems you insufficiently helpful. And since the informants know their master's identities, all it takes is one informant disgruntled with this arrangement to ruin their master's day at roundstart.

[Frank_Stein]

Where I was coming from was, what I really enjoy about spy is the web of intrigue. Having  more people to interact with as a spy that's not just observation or assassination is something I think could be fun, especially when there's the chance for double crossing and working people through social manipulation.

I suppose not everyone enjoys not just being a support role though.

What if, instead of a free for all, spies had allegiances to organizations and could potentially work with another spy of the same group, but you'd have to guess if they were your all or not? You could still choose to work alone, or work with someone else at the expense of opening yourself for a potential betrayal

Spy targets could be reworked where different groups had the same targets, but sometimes different recovery points, possibly even being tasked to defend another target from being claimed by another group

Do you think that would work better?

[MrMagolor]

This idea sounds cool but it doesn't really flesh out well.