I've been playing around with JumpGates for possible inclusion in a future version of ILO but have been hesitant to release them due to hoping I could get the syntax for a starbase to add one to starting races and make -building- the most powerful ones epically expensive (effectively thereby turning non-core races into minor races & prevent too many from being created), but it doesn't look like that's going to happen
This Modadds JumpGates to the game in the form of the following starbase modules:
- A depot ring is basically intended to allow you to extend your life support range & was oeriginally intended as part of some orther possible changews under consideration for ILO. Building one adds +1 StarbaseRange, a flat half credit tourism to covered planets, a flat .25 credit StarbaseMaintenance
- The original idea was to build a starbase module the AI won't freak out about being near their planets... but it has not yet worked out as hoped in my tests
. When it's all said & done, I don't think that's a workable possibility from just xml moding(psst... Stardock).
**************
- A JumpGateNode builds from a Depot Module, cuts the StarBaseRange (the aura) by 50%, adds 50 MovesCap to ships entering its aura, it costs a flat 2 credits of StarBaseMaintenance/turn
- It uses a military starbase ring appearance because adding a new ring type to non-core races doesn't look possible
**************
- A CalibratedJumpGateNode builds from the JumpGateNode... it costs -3- construction modules & 3 credits per turn on top of the 2.25 from prior steps
& adds an additional 25 points to the movescap (75 total)
**************
* A SpacialGateway is the next step. costs -6- constructor modules, & another 6 credits/turn (14.25/turn total)
* it adds +150 movescap (+250 total)
**************
Yes these are expensive, they really are more for using the lower tier for highway type travel lanes every 30-40ish hexes along the route so you don't bypass them -or- in place of engines on your much less mobile fleet. The AI doesn't seem to use them from what I've seen, but they add an interesting flavor to the game in my testing.
Enjoy!
- Tetra
latest version can be found here.