Gaining new tech feels underwhelming

[sbach2o]

It is sort of off-topic for this thread, but there is something tech-related that feels like a bug in the game:

Whenever a "steal tech so-and-so" quest pops up, you automatically get access to that technology and can sell (or gift) it to the race posing the mission. Doing so does not fulfill the quest, regardless of whether the quest is accepted or not. If the quest wasn't accepted, it just vanishes, if it was, it gets obsoleted.

I do not know how to actually fulfill the qust. If I accept it, then go somewhere to perform an espionage action I will get some tech there. I can 'use' that item to get something (probably not the tech actually asked for, but I never really paid attention). But how to proceed from there? All I can think of, is trying to trade the tech, but that is to no avail.

This is irksome because in past patches the "steal tech" mission used to work.

More info: since the switch to the new, supposedly broken, "steal tech" mission, I never could sell the tech to anybody but the race posing the tech. This isn't so surprising when considering that third party races need to be present for a chance. After all, the reason you get this mission is that they are lacking a technology that at least one other race has.

Another bug is that sometimes the technology-items appear in planet's stores, usually in the 'essential items' section or the 'held items' or the 'donation' slot, which often get polluted by seemingly random stuff (another bug, but this should be well known). There they often (always?) have a value greater than zero and the technology cannot be learned, which is at least something - it reduces the potential for exploitation. All that can be done with those items is to sell them back.

[Chumpy]

LostSoul's post fits my experience. Like, sometimes I can get a few thousand from a race behind on the technology curve, but it's chump change and not that common.

[Shadow]

What tech the races have controls what components they can install on their ships.

[RoboAV]

Does it also affect the items they have for sale in the trade screen?

[Shadow]

Originally Posted by sbach2o

I do not know how to actually fulfill the qust. If I accept it, then go somewhere to perform an espionage action I will get some tech there. I can 'use' that item to get something (probably not the tech actually asked for, but I never really paid attention). But how to proceed from there? All I can think of, is trying to trade the tech, but that is to no avail.

Once you steal the tech in question, you should be able to go to the race and solve the quest.

Originally Posted by RoboAV

Does it also affect the items they have for sale in the trade screen?

That would make sense, but no.

[Moonshine Fox]

Originally Posted by Shadow

What tech the races have controls what components they can install on their ships.

You know, I just noticed this yesterday. Humans wanted me to steal the Deflector technology from the Cortex, and once I did, Human ships started to have shields. That's neat! Nice feature, Shadow!

[sbach2o]

Originally Posted by Moonshine Fox

You know, I just noticed this yesterday. Humans wanted me to steal the Deflector technology from the Cortex, and once I did, Human ships started to have shields. That's neat! Nice feature, Shadow!

This type of quest works for you? For me it doesn't (see above).

Originally Posted by Shadow

Once you steal the tech in question, you should be able to go to the race and solve the quest.

I tried it, doing an espionage action after accepting a steal tech mission. Received a tech-item on the second attempt. Went to the race screen, and couldn't resolve the quest. Used up the tech item per right-click,
and again couldn't resolve the quest.

Is it possible to steal a tech item that does not contain the correct technology when having accepted such a mission? It looks reasonable since I could've accepted several such missions (in theory at least, never has happened to me). So do I need to make N attempts to get the correct tech? Note, that I already have the technology for trade with the respective race.

Needing to make N attempts at it would turn this kind of mission from a pretty bad deal into an outright terrible deal.

[Chumpy]

Yeah, it is.

Also, once every race already has shields and armor and everything else, the effects of new tech aren't obvious at all.

[Moonshine Fox]

You have to get the correct tech from the espionage. You get tech, but you have to "use" it to find out what tech you got, and it has to be the right one.