Stealing "Stuff"

I can't answer your second question, but I'm sure others can.

For your first question, you can't steal buildings. However, when you invade, you basically get whatever buildings exist on that planet that weren't destroyed in the invasion. This can be normal buildings, galactic wonders, trade goods, or capitals.

However, you can steal technology. You don't try to steal a particular one or anything -- you need to enable espionage. I cannot remember the name of it, but the the 4th option from the main buttons (#2 is research, #3 is where you set taxes), you can choose how much to spend on espionage. Once you get enough espionage, you can begin to steal tech from the races. They can also steal it from you.

In the foreign panel, you can select how much you spend in espionnage on each race..

Personally, I simply spend a little cash, but never stop spending it. Eventually, techs starts cashing in in the late-game, for on-the-side techs not critical, but always fun (except if I didn't wanted the tech, like Stock market!)

How the heck could you not want Stock Market?!? Critical early on if you get into a war and need to upgrade ships with lots of cash really quick.

And those +10% morale bonuses add up nicely as well.

I usually stop spending once I reach the highest level of espionage.

Which leads to a very good question that I have seen a couple times on the forums but it has never really recieved a solid answer.

Once I hit advanced espionage, does the level of spending help steal techs faster? Once you're advanced, is spending 0 the same as spending 150?

As for playing mp3s, I just turn on realplayer before I start playing and play some funcky tunes!

One simple trick for listening to your own MP3s is to replace the files with your own, making sure they have the same exact names. Should work, I believe.

Which leads to a very good question that I have seen a couple times on the forums but it has never really recieved a solid answer. Once I hit advanced espionage, does the level of spending help steal techs faster? Once you're advanced, is spending 0 the same as spending 150?

It's a good question which I also wonder it's answer.

I ran all the way through to adv. espionage once and then it told me that there was no reason to keep spending money since I had reached the top. Are you telling me that you start stealing after you reach advanced? How do you know that you have stolen a tech?

zeph, because it pops up and tells you

edit: and no leeping spending on after reaching advance dis just a waste of money, it does nothing to help you at all, so when you reach advanced just turn spending off and after awhile you will steal techs, (if they have techs to steal that you dont have that is)

A Stock Market provides a 30% economic bonus, a 10% morale bonus, and a 5% influence bonus and costs less than a Banking Center which only provides a 24% economic bonus! What's not to like!!!

I ran all the way through to adv. espionage once and then it told me that there was no reason to keep spending money since I had reached the top.

For that reason I stop spending after Advanced but the descriptions in the game are not always accurate. For example, many people rush to the end of the goverments tech tree because they believe each provides a 25% bonus to their economy, production, and research when in fact each provides only a 10% bonus to their economy.

the governments only give a 10% bonus to economy? thats so cheap

Ach, STOP SPENDING AFTER ADVANCED! IT DOES NOTHING!

This has been answered conclusively repeatedly.

actually, the government research provides a 50% boost to your economy at max

15% at republic.

25 at democracy.

50% at federation.

I'm not sure if they stack, but either way a 50% economy boost is nothing to sneese at.

Thanks ya'll for the help. I wasn't understanding that you only steal techs if you are behind the others which is kinda misleading. I haven't fallen behind them yet so I reckon thats why I haven't stolen anything! But I have learnt how to specialize my planets and the importantance of reseaching up to stock markets.

Zeph