Yes and no. No one in this discussion thinks that Tech Trading as it stands does not need a big fix. What I and others are arguing is that simply banning it is not the answer. Right now trading technologies is too cheep and easy. What is needed is a way to make it more ballenced without making it illeagal. The other point is that anything that requires a major overhaul will probably not happen until GalCiv III.

What is likely to happen:
Most unique racial techs will be flagged no trade, no steal. Tech trading will continue as before with a few less techs avalible on the market.

What I would like to see as a solution (but probly will not happen):
Instead of getting a tech a outright when you trade for it or capture it, you would gain a space on your technology tree to start researching the technology. Buying or capturing a tech that is on your tech tree would give you research toward that tech when you do actually research it. So instead of instantly getting Impulse Drive when buying it, it appears on you tech tree the first time (if not already there,) The second time you get 25% of the research needed to finish the tech, and so on. There would need to be a check to insure that each tech can only be sold once between any two races.
This would insure that buying high end techs would still require significant research time before use, and I would even agree that research times for 'unique' might need to be doubled or even quadrupled for an alien race. You could still get specific alien techs if you are really willing to work for them, but the free for all would be severely limited.

Scincerely,

[email protected]

I am not sure if following point are just "tweak" or "big suggestion":

Can those "A has declared war on B" icons just be concealed if the player has never contacted with A yet? recentlly I find it buggy to just click out their diplomacy window and buy a single ship from it, after which I can always offically "learn a new race" at next turn.

Resently Dominion of Korx can build trade routes even before their universal translator is ready, which is really unresonable in my mind.
Can we just make it race tech for Korx?

I think that GalCiv should have a "Civilopedia" with descriptions and fiction behind every technology, race, imrovement, wonder, and major ship item along with explanations and tips like in CivIV.

Two items I would like to see in the release version of TA are: 1) The Intelligence screen of starbases should list all available modules as well as the currently installed modules. I want to be able to open the intelligence screen on any of my starbases at any time and see what I could install if I sent a constructor there. 2)Under financial management there are tabs which show the maintenance costs for ships and planet structures. I want a tab for starbases as well.

Some very good ideas here. Those are some of mine ideas that already got posted:

-Allow ships to carry multiple constructor modules OR "make constructors works as miners. When new modules are researched, constructors fan out and improve the starbases themselves".

-Graphic tech tree view viewable for opposing civs once you get enough spies in there.

-"I'd like to know how my allies are planning on voting on an issue in the United Planets before I vote".

-Voting on the UP should move your good/evil slider; ie: should we ban terror stars? No: +2 evil; Yes, +2 good.

And in the starbase intelligence screen have the option of checking whether you want a certain module built (in case of you can't afford it at the moment, no constructor will come to build it).

I would like to see the technology Mini-Soldiers brought back. It was always my preferred invasion technique, and I do not think it was really imbalanced.

would be cool if when ppl contact you, "lets supply arms to who ever will fight bob", you can actually do that

Doom ray is way much too powerfull (22!!!)
Since there is no first strike in battles, any ship with doom ray mutually annihhilates any other ship even if we compare medium with huge.
Looks like the old antimatter missile... but this time there is no way to prevent it. Attacking is futile. Had to develop similar ships and they annihilate each other.

Didn't check if other attack technologies have the same issue

In the old times you could tell governors to build a sequence.
I'd like that brought back. Obviously using tiles bonuses appropriately.

Before building a starbase I'd like to check what squares will be influenced.
The round circle is nice but fuels missunderstandings.
Can you add a trigger that highlights the affected squares given the position of a constructor?

Here are two minor suggestions:

The Xinathium Hull Plating does not seem to be as useful now that there are HP modules. Perhaps some other improvement can be substituted. I would not mind seeing a military production or loyalty-boosting trade good.

It would be nice if the Korx could regain some or all of their -20 loyalty points.
My suggestion:
Mercenary Academy: +5
Freighter Command +5
A loyalty-boosting trade good.