How do you steal tech

[mkorin]

I finally decided to try and steal tech and have had no luck in two games. There must be some game mechanic that I don't know. My spy almost never has the steal tech option when it is in a city and I click on the options. Once when it did, I didn't have enough money. I orginally thought cash was the reason it was not showing up. Then once I was able to steal a tech, it never showed up again.


So the real question is twofold:

What makes the steal tech option show up? and

Can you only steal one tech per civ or per game or per city?

Mike

[Palpster]

You don't need money....all you need is a high enough count of espionage points against your opponent and you can do it as many times as you like, provided a)you have enough EP and b) your opponent has techs to steal

[darrelljs]

Keep the Spy in the city for 5 turns and he gets a 50% discount. Make the attempt in the city closest to your borders. Trade with your target. Have an EP edge against your target. All of these things are going to make the tech steal cost less, in fact stealing techs is the most effecient method, you on average pay less in EPs than you would in beakers (I'd say 70% of the cost) based on our thief economy SG and yet the multipliers you get for EPs vs. beakers are outstanding. Specialists treat EPs like culture rather than beakers, so you have a massive advantage there. Scotland Yard is twice the strength of an Academy. A Great Spy Infiltration gives twice the EPs a Great Scientist lightbulb gives (at least early on). And then you have mid and late game buildings that give raw EPs. Imagine a building that gave 8 beakers and +50% research? The downside is the hammer cost and diplomatic cost of failed Spy missions.

Darrell

[mkorin]

Thank you, that clears up all my misconceptions. I can now steal tech if I wish.

Mike