ME AGAIN TacoMonkey contemplated teleportation devices, as a high-end (expensive, takes a long time to build/acquire/find) mode of transportation. The device would allow distant planets/galaxies to quickly be accessible when used...something similar to the functionality of a Stargate (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stargate_(device)). I'm sure there's a cleaner way to link that, but anyhoo... Considerations that I can think of include: A cool-down time, so you aren't zipping all over the universe willy-nilly A numeric limit - one per planet? Galaxy? Game file? The possibility of having these items established already, and players need to discover them - thus restricting access, and perhaps destination. Players may need to discover (in ruins, or science labs) the location for a destination teleporter before they can efficient use one. Sincere apologies if teleportation devices already exist in-game; I haven't seen anything on it yet but I've only been looking around for a week!
They do exist, it's how you get from ship to surface! Even in star trek, beaming from planet to planet is a Big Deal(tm). It's possible, but it takes a huge commitment of power and resources to build transporter pads than can generate the energy necessary to transmit a humanoid from one planet to another. I do really like the idea of a "unique" (one per save file) item that is some sort of single-use "emergency escape beacon" that immediately returns you to your home planet, that would ideally be very expensive to craft, so you couldn't go around using them willy-nilly.
I found it hard to believe that there wouldn't be teleporters, but yes, I do recall seeing a character beaming down to a planet's surface! Yeah, definitely not technology you'd have on everyone's doorstep, but I like the concept of ancient (or modern, I suppose) portals that zip you across the galaxy in case of emergency. Thanks for the input, galactic penguin overlord.
The game's core mechanic seems to be: Fly Ship to Planet, Beam Down. I'd love to see other variations on teleporters, such as a Stargate or Iconian Gateway on the surface. The problem would be you've now left your ship in orbit around a planet that might be thousands of light years away, and you'd better hope that was a two-way gate. You could have a device that "signals" your ship to come to your current destination, maybe, but the distance might be too great, especially if you've folded space and wound up on the other end of the universe. It might also be interesting to have a gateway that would allow you to explore portions of an alternate dimension, like an antimatter universe, a Hell universe, an alien geometry Cthulhu world, or something bizarre.
I don't know that Teleporting between planets would be a good idea. Since you're spaceship is already capable of FTL travel to any planet in the galaxy, do you really 'need' teleporter gates? I absolutely think that they're a great idea for point-to-point travel on a single planet. Plop down a teleporter pad in a flying bastion, then teleport to ground level when you want to go exploring.
I remember a few other posts pushing for planet-to-planet teleportation, and I have advocated it on each of them. It would be ideal to strip distant, dangerous planets of their resources and be able to directly deposit the rare items to a safe location without forfeiture of fuel for your ship. Eventually, with the danger of the planet and the fuel it takes to get there considered, it may end up becoming more costly than profitable to gather the desired, or even required, materials.
Beaming from planet to planet on a regular basis is a terrible idea. This game is in a setting where traveling from planet to planet is supposed to be a big deal, marginalizing a large part of the game is not something that the devs should do, and it isn't something that the community should push for.
