how do you gather intelligence?

[joeclark77 (OP)]

Just looking for your tips and tricks as to gathering intelligence on friendly NPRs.  I met an NPR about 10-15 years ago and they've become very friendly just through diplomacy, even giving me weapons technology and offering geological data.  Naturally I am planning to double-cross them.  They've allowed me to send survey ships into their home system, but I've been using passive sensors only.  If I turn on active sensors, will they anticipate an attack and fire on me?  What about if I start launching sensor bouys or drones?

On a related note, how do you use espionage teams?  Do I need to drop them on the alien homeworld?  If so, will the aliens see me doing it and will that trigger a war?  Does using multiple espionage teams multiply my gains significantly or are there diminishing returns?

Another silly idea: would an NPR respond in force if I were to establish a colony on their homeworld, unload some of my population and troops and installations there?  The climate is lovely.

Just how intelligent is the AI in anticipating an attack?  If I were to send a large fleet of armed cruisers into their system, past the hundred or so FACs they usually have picketing the jump point, would they be dumb enough to let me move to my optimal range of 50m km or so?  Or would they say "this obviously isn't a commercial fleet" and blow me up immediately?

[GreatTuna]

1.  No and no, unless your drones start exploding on their ships.
2.  No, you can drop them on any populated colony to get results, but teams are penalized on very small populations.  No, it won't trigger a war ever if your team(s) get killed.  Espionage points from multiple teams stack up without penalties.
3.  No.
4.  They won't attack you until you attack them or their colonies.

[Icecoon]

3. Actually your relations with them will be spoiled an they may declare a war against you in a short time ... even if you establish a colony in any other system occupied by them.