The Space Exploration mod adds many planets, moons, and asteroid fields. As a major Stargate fan, I love the idea of using Stargates for personal transport between these various destinations. (But not for cargo transport since that would undermine the SE mod)

Something that would be quite nice would be compatibility with Space Exploration so we can deploy space gates that players can travel through (Gates can't be placed on any space tiles right now). This would greatly assist with travel between our space factory and planetary factory, where travel between both can become quite cumbersome and expensive.

On that note, there are three things I'd really love to see with this mod that aren't directly related to SE but more of a preference as a fan. Excuse me if I nerd out and ramble a bit.

The first would be having the gate being larger, since it's pretty tiny and cute but it's difficult to see the fine details on the gate itself or any effects. It also helps to better stand out in a cluster of buildings as well, since I've had issues finding it in busy areas while it's shut off. You've done a nice job with the effects from what bit I could see, so it would be nicer if you didn't have to zoom all the way in to view them.

Secondly, the gate itself should have its buffer full before it can dial. The gate primarily requires electricity to permit the dialing sequence to start (or unlock the ring with a Milky-Way Gate), but once the wormhole is established it will use minimal power to keep both gates active. Unless it's attached to a DHD with a power source, it should draw from the grid to fill the internal buffer to permit dialing (expending the entire buffer when dialed), then drawing minor amounts of power while the gate is active to keep the buffer full or it will shut off. Although the show didn't specify exact amounts the gate buffer needs to achieve a wormhole, there has always been a need for a power source to fill the buffer and achieve a connection. I personally feel that opening a gate should be costly (10MW+ to fill the buffer and consuming 95% of it when dialed) with the gate drawing roughly 600kw while active to sustain the connection. The player can then decide if it's better to open/close the gate when needed or sustain the connection for a constant drain instead.

Thirdly, there should be a setting where only a single Stargate is permitted on a surface (Disabled by default). This applies to Space Exploration again, but this setting would be more for those who'd like to make the Stargate placement and use more meaningful while sticking with the lore. The single Stargate would be a central hub for the factory to grow around, rather than being spammed everywhere. Power demand to use the gate should be increased with this setting enabled, as you won't be using several at once to drain the grid by default. The gate being larger will be useful here too.

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I'd love to further discuss these ideas if you have questions or thoughts of your own. The second idea is most certainly the one I'd love to see implemented the most as it fits the lore of how we know the gate operates, but also to give players more reason to consider their Stargate use outside of just spamming them without much thought. How the gate was used was a key point of the show with regards to funding and resources, so it's like a match made in heaven when combined with Factorio.

I look forward to your reply, thank you for the mod.

Edit: Fixed the weird formatting error that occurred.

But not for cargo transport since that would undermine the SE mod

Cargo can be readily transported this way, based in lore.
No issue here.

Side note it's one of the few big things that distinguishes this mod from being a carbon copy of https://mods.factorio.com/mod/Teleporters - where the mods effectively perform the same function.

(Gates can't be placed on any space tiles right now)

I understand spacegates, but the thing is they can't be moved easily because of the belt/logistics thing, and i would need to either change collision masks of the gates, the tiles, or both, as not doing so will likely result in gates placeable on water.
I see little reason reason for gates to be placeable anywhere.
What's wrong with building a platform for it?

The first would be having the gate being larger, since it's pretty tiny and cute but it's difficult to see the fine details on the gate itself or any effects.
You've done a nice job with the effects from what bit I could see, so it would be nicer if you didn't have to zoom all the way in to view them.

Size is fine for two reasons.
1. According to source material/lore, the gate is about two times the size of a person, or about the size of a small car.
2. At the current size, there is enough surface area to link 16 belts through a single stargate. Adding more would be absurd.

We can see that the current size is about as practical, realistic and as reasonable as it really can be given those key points.

It also helps to better stand out in a cluster of buildings as well, since I've had issues finding it in busy areas while it's shut off.

That's on you.

Secondly, the gate itself should have its buffer full before it can dial.
10MW+ open
600kw while active

You also forgot, the gate should only stay open for 38 minutes.

I make no promises on electricity-demanding stargates.

Thirdly, there should be a setting where only a single Stargate is permitted on a surface.

I was thinking about doing that, but i didn't like it because for gameplay purposes, such as stargates operating on their own without any other mods, there is no multiple surfaces.
So instead i was considering of adding a distance limit so gates can't be opened too close to eachother.
However it just doesn't make for good gameplay because there's no decent way to indicate these restrictions and limitations.

I can add an option if you really wanted it exclusively for one gate per surface, just so you dont have to self-impose that restriction, but beyond that i see little reason to make changes here.
A distance limit would be too confusing.

The second idea is most certainly the one I'd love to see implemented the most as it fits the lore of how we know the gate operates

According to lore, there are 9 symbols in a gate address made up from a pool of about 26.
In this mod there's only 5 symbols in the address, and only 5 to choose from down from 26.
The reason for this difference is a mix of practicality.
It's a lot easier to remember and interact with the fewer symbols and shorter length addresses, but at the same time, it seriously reduces the number of combinations to about 3125.

but also to give players more reason to consider their Stargate use outside of just spamming them without much thought.

All it really takes is the 38 minute timer.
But if i add a circuit-powered DHD to automatically dial, you're back to spamming gates everywhere with a few extra steps.

I'd love to further discuss these ideas

https://discord.gg/a9CNarA