Gateways - What are the rules?

[Thunderchief]

Is there a list somewhere of who can make use of gateways within my borders and who can not?
Can crisis still use them at anytime?
Fallen Empires?
If one of the empires is a major threat does this change things?

I'm playing as a major threat for the first time and I don't want enemies suddenly appearing in the middle of my empire and claiming my gateway systems.

[Elitewrecker PT]

Only people you have open borders with.

[Thunderchief]

In a war borders are open.
Also with major threat if you take the starbase the gateway would become your right?

[Danny]

Enemy gateways are never useable, they only become yours when you WIN the war and own the system.

Unless total war

[Elitewrecker PT]

Originally posted by Thunderchief:

In a war borders are open.
Also with major threat if you take the starbase the gateway would become your right?

Open borders friendly or neutral empires, enemies don't count.
But yes, in a total war, the system would change ownership immediately which means they'd be usable.

[Daniel]

They are just as open as hyperlanes. Just imagine there was a hyperlane from every gateway system to every other gateway system.

[RawCode]

in normal war gateways always usable by original owner

ever if you take system and all planets, AI can teleport into system moment you leave, and there are no ways to disable or destroy gates, making late game painful, as AI will swarm from all directions, especially painful with l cluster gate that can be used by everyone

[corisai]

Originally posted by Elitewrecker PT:

But yes, in a total war, the system would change ownership immediately

ONLY if there is a no colony on planet / habitat. If it exist then system will be occupied (like in normal war) so enemy would need to invade to get access to your gatework.

[Elitewrecker PT]

Yes of course, standard total war rules for ownership change.

[Thunderchief]

Can awakened empires and crisis use my gateways at any time?
I have seen some old forum posts regarding this.

[tempest.of.emptiness]

Originally posted by Quitschi:

They are just as open as hyperlanes. Just imagine there was a hyperlane from every gateway system to every other gateway system.

This is inaccurate. For example, if you are at war with someone they can use hyperlanes to travel to your systems, but they cannot use gateways to travel to or from your systems.

(It is worth noting that L-Gates are different than standard gateways. They are more like hyperlanes, in that anyone can use them to travel to and from the L-Cluster even if they do not own both the source and destination system, and even if they are at war with the owner.)

Originally posted by Thunderchief:

Can awakened empires and crisis use my gateways at any time?
I have seen some old forum posts regarding this.

Fallen and Awakened Empires don't follow the usual rules for borders, in that they ignore them. They can open or close their borders to you, but your borders are always open to them because they don't care whether you give them permission. Because of this, they can use your gateways - when they are not at war with you. Once you are in a war with them they can no longer use your gateways, because hostile ships can never enter or exit a gateway you control.

Crisis ships can never use your gateways, because they are always hostile to you, and hostile ships can never enter or exit a gateway you control.

[Thunderchief]

Natural wormholes are also always open? I need to fortify these?

[Mansen]

Originally posted by Thunderchief:

Natural wormholes are also always open? I need to fortify these?

Yes.

[Ragnarok]

And this is why I have a Starbase Improvement mod that makes Citadels useful against lategame fleets - to deal with the enemy ramming headfirst into the L-cluster.

[corisai]

Originally posted by Ragnarok:

And this is why I have a Starbase Improvement mod that makes Citadels useful against lategame fleets - to deal with the enemy ramming headfirst into the L-cluster.

One good old fortress world solves that issue in vanila as AI still unable to deal with 6k+ armies.