more stuff we need

[apache]

Oh geez. Looks like I can't write too well, because I think everyone misunderstood what I wrote. Except for that facilities upgrade thing. I never knew about that. Or maybe I did know, but forgot. Eitherway, thanks a lot.
Ok, first, I don't think I wrote anything about upgrading ships, it was late, but I am pretty sure I didn't put that in. I do know how to upgrade ships, so thanks, but that was useless info.
On mines, no they don't blow up friendlies right now, but my suggestion was to change them so that they do, unless you build in a sensor component into them. That way mine design and placement can be done with thought, and strategy.
On trading, yes I know how to get multiple technologies traded right now, however, I just sometimes encounter the situation where I think an AI has 3 levels of tech better than my own, for example, so I try to trade that AI for those 3 levels, but it turns out I was wrong and he only had 1 level better than me, so I get that same tech level 3 times in return for the trade. It would make more sense for the trades to request specific levels, so the AI can tell you he can't trade that stuff with you or whatever. I have successfully traded with the AI before for multiple tech levels. In a game recently, using the TDM modpack, I traded the earth alliance for 7 levels of planet utilization to get myself atmospheric converters. Well, I guess its a minor or irrelevant thing, but I think it would make tech trading easier and more efficient.
Hope this clears my post up a bit. And thanks again for that wrench info. Gonna make my life so much easier.