On the Phase Gate Issue:
| Phase Gate: Establishes a temporary phase gate at this ship’s location, allowing friendly capital ships to phase jump there at an accelerated rate and further into a gravitational well. |
This leads me to believe a ship creats a Gravity Well that "attracts" ships that are phase jumping to that locations at an accelerated pace. This may not be "new" to others, but from some of the statements I've read here I think that distinction needs to be made.
As for whether a "permanent" gate can be created, it seems you guys are missing the most obvious statement there. If a ship in a system can create the gate why not simply leave a ship in that system to, I dont know, create a gate when you need it? Therefore making a more or less permanent gate? Now, logically if:
A Ship can create the gate
AND
A ship can be left in the system to open a gate whenever needed
THEN
A stationary space platform capable of creating and maintaining a gate as its sole function would be the next logical technological step.
Simply put, if the devs DONT give us permanent gate structures then what we will have is people leaving whatever ship can create the gate sitting in the orbit of every planet in the galaxy. So, it would make sense for them to give us permanent gate structures. (I mean honestly, could you envision your scientists trying to explain to you why its possible to build this technology into a "ship" and not a "space station")
However an alternative implementation would require the sacrifice of said ship to produce the energy required to open a gate. For instance you fly your "scout" into a system, see a planet you want to take, and then "activate" the gate system causing said ship to self destruct. Or perhaps make a "warhead" type device so you have a finite supply that must be replenished once used. This would reinforce the "temporary" nature of the gate while preventing the scenario I described above of people leaving one ship capable of making the gate in each system they own.
Just some thoughts on the matter
