Has anyone been able to buy a planet?

I buy lots of planets.

Having lots of money helps. And if the race you are trying to purchase from does not have that many planets, the price may be higher.

And the price gets higher as the game gets longer.

If you can get the Galactic Bazaar they will be cheaper, since it increases the perceived value of your offers by 50%.

I don't know but your BC should be at least well into or near the six figures which by that time you can find other obvious ways to win the game? I mean is it really worth it to wait until you can actually buy a planet if not planets???

I mean is it really worth it to wait until you can actually buy a planet if not planets???

It's all in how you prefer to play the game. Some people are peaceful sorts and would rather take the map with influence and diplomacy. I like a combination of using influence and military strength for intimidation. If I don't have to go to war I usually won't.

my friend who was playing almost bought one but he thought the computer ment he could just capture it a minute later he he couldn't figure out why he was at war with the terran allance

When you buy a planet its icon will change from theirs to yours.

What likely happened was that he forgot to send the message after he set the amount.

Kinda of the subject of buying a planet. There is another way of getting a planet or planets without have to buy it, conquer it, or even using influence. Start beating your opponent into a pulp, and when you are bigger than him you can ask for a peace treaty and pick a planet or planets out of the planet list. The bigger you are the more planets you can get(until his last one).

Kinda of the subject of buying a planet. There is another way of getting a planet or planets without have to buy it, conquer it

THATS IT!! I like to exert my power and throw my weight around in Galciv2 ... 

  Expensive but effective is to build lots and lots of influence starbases. I know it works up to and including Challenging. My last game I only declared war on the very final planet and that was impatience.You must keep a competant military though!
Never actually tried to buy one - I assumed that the price would be too high and I don't like spending too much!

QUESTION - When you buy a planet do you keep the population and all planetary improvements too ?(When I say population I mean the alien race pop..)

You will keep the population as long as there are not colony or transport ships in orbit.
If those type ships are in orbit they will be filled as they are kicked out of orbit when ownership changes.

I wasn't able to buy a planet (yet), but I intimidated an enemy's ally into a truce, and one of the conditions was them giving me a planet (and all their $$$, influence, techs, and a few ships ). It was pretty hilarious, two other civilizations (allies) declared war on me one turn, then the next negotiated and almost promised me their firstborn not to war on 'em, hehe

Having lots of money helps.

Can we get some numbers here, like what price ranges you've seen & maybe a ballpark of how many planets the AI who sold to you had?

It usually ranges from around 60,000 bc to around 2,000,000 bc.
It averages around 120,000 bc to around 1,200,000 bc.

And it may depend on how many planets they currently have, or simply how much they need the money, as to their accepting a purchase deal.
If they are losing a war they are more willing to sell planets to get the cash to fast buy some ships.

Selling a planet is a different story altogether.

I used to sell planets in Galciv1, seems to be little point to selling planets in Galciv2 - their practically worthless!

Oh my stars and garters!

I guess Moosetek13 hasn't been infected by the "avoid the over 20k income penalty" thing

Or he's able to make surreal economies like Mumblefratz does.

When income nets well over 20k per turn it is highly unrealistic to try and keep it under 20k, and at that point the 20k limit has no noticable effect because it simply doesn't matter any more.

But like I said, try to buy planets when there is a war going on - especially from the losing side.

And those kinds of incomes are generally later in the game, when I have more planets and higher populations. Then, buying a few key planets can make a big difference in an influence victory (my preferred type of victory).