[Nitram Draw]

One thing I would like to see changed is the ease of aquiring technology by non-research methods. Technology is the key to victory. While you should be able to steal or otherwise aquire technology, there should be restrictions on how fast you can use it and when you can begin to research additional levels. Just because you have an item doesn't mean you can use, build or advance the technology. You should have to research it, maybe at a reduced cost, or have the item a set number of years to simulate the time it takes to fully understand the item.
I also feel that the AI should be very conservative in trading technologies. They should only trade when it is to their benefit, based on their racial characteristics and the value of the tech traded.
I also think that you should only get 1 or 2 techs from a surrendering race, to simulate the destruction of data before the surrender.
Just some thoughts on ways to make a great game even better.