Tech stealing spies

from GalCiv2 Forums
Okay, someone please explain this to me. I've played many a game so far, and on each one I've maxed out my spy network. And since I'm intelligent, and read the forums, I discovered that putting money into my spies doesn't do anything after hitting advanced. However, despite maxing out early, (having several games which lasted years beyond hitting advanced) I never stole a tech. Not one. There were plenty to steal, but nothing. However, because I had tons of money and was curious, I left my spending on this time, and now I'm stealing techs on a fairly regular basis. What's the deal? Seems to me that putting more money in actually does help.
9,082 views 13 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Don't know if I still have to do this to get it noticed, but what the hey...
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
This is normal- and I guess its kinda to be expected- its unlikely that the screening process for people who have access to high technology in such precarious times would somehow miss a trait like "so absolutely sociopathic that he/she will sell out his own race in favor of the promise of reward from beings from another planet".

Thats one thing that always bugged me about Moo2. How exactly can a human impersonate a Melkar? How would one find a treacherous machine?

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Siege of Centauri
Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Not really the point though. I'm just trying to figure out whether I actually need to put more money in, or whether my previous games were statistical improbabilities.
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I ussually set espionage at a rather low level but still enough to get to advanced quick. I normally get techs after that so.. Not to much, some pretty useless to me (like getting laser 2 after another allready gave me plasma 3), sometimes the best that ever happened.. So no idea why it doesn't seem to work for you..
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
i think you need the money in even after you hit advanced.....and if you have the money to spare.....why not?
Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Oddly enough, i read things all the time about people that hit Advanced earlier in the game and never get a stolen tech. Maybe there's a bug that isn't as obvious as others. I turn off spending after hitting advanced and still steal techs but i usually don't even remember i have spies till a year or so in anyway....

So i dunno, maybe it has something to do with hitting advanced too early? possible?
Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Hi!
There's quite low chance to get a tech with spies. Based on my experience it is IMO tied to econ strenght, or STH similar, as I usually don't get any tech from really big opponents, but got it from small ones. In my recent maso game I maxed espionage on biggest one opponent really early, but haven't got any tech from him in at least 2 game years, and from second strongest opponent also not. But when I get advanced level on a small one, I got very soon the only one better tech he had, and just a few turns ago, another one.
I also noticed those techs start coming when opponents lose some econ strenght. Maybe then they put less investment in espionage? Just guessing...
BR, Iztok
Reply #8 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Who knows? That's a pretty subtle bug, though. Any of the devs want to chime in?
Reply #9 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I noticed when I turned off tech trading that I stopped stealing techs. I used to steal techs as fast as opponenets would research them. Unfortunately, I you are way ahead in techs there is nothing for you to steal.
Reply #10 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Thats one thing that always bugged me about Moo2. How exactly can a human impersonate a Melkar? How would one find a treacherous machine?


I think they are called Meklar not Melkar.
Reply #11 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
1) you can be so far ahead overall that there is nothing tos teal

2) you can have an opponent who is extremely loyal as a race

3) you can have an opponent who also has a lot of money in spying

As for how a human could pass for a Meklar, or a Torian, or whatever, I am sure some combination of stealth, holographic and/or other technologies would allow for the possibility of a spy to get into a research or industrial facility without being detected and get information.

I won't even get into the discussion about traitors, dissatisfaction, and government control of technology, that's a big, ugly can of worms.
Reply #12 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I hit advanced as soon as possible, turn spending off, and watch as the tech's roll in. The other games had to be statistical improbalities.
Reply #13 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
In my game, the "Xeno Ethics" tech was stolen, requiring me to immediately choose an alignment. If I wanted to choose an alignment, I would have researched the tech myself. Instead I was forced to either go evil for 0bc (since I was leaning evil) or pay money to go Neutral or Good. I didn't want any of those options, but I couldn't get away from it since researching the tech requires that you use it... (Specifically I wanted Neutral, but didn't want to pay the money.)