Hello, creator of the Metal and Star mod!

I’ve been playing this mod and had a few thoughts I’d like to share. These are just my personal opinions, so please take them only as a reference.

First of all, what I felt about this mod is that it makes the game a bit too easy. I don’t think the content itself needs to be changed, but I’d like to suggest delaying the point at which players gain access to it.
As a fan of the game Stellaris, I really love that the mod features the Gateway and Ringworld!

However, at the same time, the mod feels somewhat out of place thematically.
For instance, Gateway travel is not something even we humans of the 21st century could yet comprehend, let alone grasp in an era when we’re just launching our first space platforms.
Perhaps the ancient forerunners made these gateways so perfectly that they can still function after eons, but for narrative weight and gameplay progression, I think it would be better if the gateways were initially inactive.

That way, the real start of the mod’s story could be discovering an inactive gateway and researching gateway navigation, giving the story a more gradual build-up.

Players begin by launching platforms into space and starting space science research.
Eventually, they discover an abandoned gateway positioned between Fulgora and Nauvis, making it relatively easy to find.
Upon investigation, the player learns that it was created by ancient forerunners but is now partially damaged and nonfunctional.
Repairing such a giant structure requires materials engineering technology, meaning the player must first visit the planet Vulcanus.
Once the gateway restoration research is completed, the player discovers that the gateway is made of a forerunner material called Nanite.

As a reward for completing the gateway repair research, players gain access to a space platform assembler capable of producing basic Nanites, as well as technology to convert metals like iron, copper, and tungsten into Nanites.
In addition, the research unlocks two possible follow-up choices: Nanite Application or Gateway Activation.

Nanite Application: Nanites move as if they were alive, requiring knowledge from Gleva. This research allows players to synthesize advanced materials by combining Nanites with iron, copper, carbon, sulfur, ice, and calcite on the space platform.
Gateway Activation: Although the gateway has been repaired, it still remains inert. Activating it requires immense energy, which draws upon knowledge from Fulgora. Completing this research finally reveals the destination of the opposite gateway.

However, the space players arrive in contains no asteroids—and the reason quickly becomes clear.
The massive Ringworld visible before them suggests that the forerunners used every asteroid available to construct and maintain it.
From there, the Ringworld story can continue as before—acquiring gold and other valuable resources, gradually advancing the player’s understanding of Ringworld science.
(When I played with friends, we thought it might be interesting if the Ringworld’s biomes changed periodically in regular intervals.)

Once players understand the Ringworld, they gain knowledge of colossal space structures, leading to research about Neumann V.

At this point, players begin to sense something unusual.
Although the space around the Ringworld should be empty, sensors detect one planet and a massive asteroid cluster.
If the player has learned navigation toward Aquilo, they can venture farther into space to discover Mirandus and Nix.
These worlds consist of strange materials, whose gravitational fields prevent Ringworld Circa from being affected by them.
Perhaps this is a result of forerunner technology—or it could simply be an extreme, naturally occurring phenomenon.
(Personally, I think this would be a great point to introduce antimatter-based weapon technology. Weapons with the antimatter attribute could ignore all defenses, and of course, an antimatter bomb stronger than any atomic bomb would be amazing!)

My main suggestion is to shift Neumann’s high productivity to a later stage, while adjusting the progression so it doesn’t get delayed too much.
Also, by moving advanced technologies like antimatter research to the late game, the overall balance could be preserved without weakening the story or removing content.

This was just an opinion from a passing player. Thank you very much for reading!