I've nearly finished with [i]Gatecrashing[/i], and I have some thoughts on how gate exploration will evolve in the next few years. Basically, the single biggest impediment to greater gate exploration and further colonization efforts is that the five (known) Solar gates represent enormously restricting choke points. Pretty much everything needed for such ventures - transhumans, gear, supplies - has to go through them, and the time available is extremely restricted. This is especially an enormous waste in the case of explorers who make a quick trip through one of the gates to explore a new world, and then go back again with most or all of their equipment. This is not only the case with "First In" missions, but also further exploration. Some of the gear can be left behind to speed up the process and limit the gate time, but much will have to be brought back. And all this has to be done within a very tight timetable that allows for next to no margin of error. So, how can you solve this problem? By creating several "hub worlds" that can operate more-or-less autonomously from the Solar System, only requiring very infrequent supply runs. They won't necessarily need as many gates as Portal or Sunrise. However, you probably want at least two reasonably accessible gates close to each other, so if one of the gates gets closed (whether because of "random errors" or hostile life forms/robots coming through that necessitate a shut-down), you still have a second gate through which you can attempt to reconnect to the rest of transhumanity. What you do need is a reasonably functioning industrial base so that you can manufacture your own gear and supplies - and your own morphs as well. It is not necessary to get all the raw materials from the hub world itself (though that's a bonus) - after all, you can always use the gates to find a resource-rich world to get it from. This way, explorers and new attempts at colonization can use the Hub World as a "home base" instead of having to return to the Solar System, dramatically reducing the demands on the Solar Gates. In fact, it might be more efficient and cheaper to carry egos from the Solar System to the Hub World within computer storage and sleeving them into locally-built morphs there instead of taking their morphs through the Solar Gate. And once they are there, they will have [i]much[/i] better access to gate time. Instead of an Expensive favor, it might only be a Moderate favor to access a Hub gate, and credit prices for gate time should likewise be reduced to 10% or less of what they would have to pay at a Solar gate. And they wouldn't have to wait for months for their next trip - instead, they could go through a gate again in a week or less! Autonomist-maintained Hub Worlds probably have an easier time establishing themselves, as they have less problems with getting hold of all the blueprints they need for an industrial base. Nevertheless, the efficiency argument will also appeal to the Hypercorps, and they will have an easier time of getting enough labor for the Hub World (all those indentures...). A Hub World can serve as a home base for an entire campaign, as the PCs can use it to resupply themselves between missions. You could also play an entire campaign where the PCs are the administrators of the Hub World - help it develop and grow, and deal with the challenges that come with access to potentially thousands of different worlds (if you wanted to recreate the feel of [i]Deep Space Nine[/i] or [i]Babylon 5[/i] in Eclipse Phase, this is probably a good approach to do it). If their Hub was founded by a Hypercorp, then they will have to juggle the needs of their domain with the demands of their distant masters. If their Hub is Autonomist, they need to be able to negotiate with lots of very different and stubborn group to work out a group consensus that helps the Hub prosper. And of course, all Hub World have to face the risk that they might get cut off from the Solar Gates. Then they have to discover how well they (and the linked colony worlds) can [i]really[/i] survive without home. How will this affect morale? How will this change the political situation of the Hub? If it used to be the property of a Hypercorp, will the Hub declare independence? Will some other group attempt a coup? Will they one day manage to make contact with another transhuman colony? Or will they make contact with a sapient alien race first - or worse, TITAN war machines? So, what do you think?