(1)...does it mean that in X-R we'll be initially limited to one star system?Gates still exist, but right now.... they do not work. However, there are signs that this may soon change!
In encyclopedia I read that some small parts of the gates system weren't shutdown so if it's true and we'll be placed in such "lucky zone" then we'll be able to have access to more than one cluster.
(2) if we'll be limited one system, or systems that belong to one race (or even a systems of more than one race that will obviously melt into one over time - maybe exept Boron-Split cluster
) - does this mean that we'll have no "TC style races" in X-R? Because in such social conditions and limited racial variability, the faction division (e.g. pirates, rebels, goverment) would be more natural than race (Argon, Boron etc.) division.(3) Terrans and their gateless jumpdrives - they don't need gates to work, neither to plot jump coordinates (athough this one was problematic as with X-shuttle first jump). I think that after so long time Terran mannage to perfect this tech, even more when gates went down. If we assume that the only limiting factor of this technology is jump range (longer jump - more energy needed and lower accuracy, so longer jumps and much more dangerous and chaotic), then even without gates Terrans would be able to reach nearest star systems (if I remember Brennan Triumph is Alpha Centauri).
...the question is if Terrans are present? Because that way they would have a major headstart comparing to the rest of galaxy in almost all factors:
technological - superior jump tech
economical - Sol and Algrin had their "highways" in the times of TC, Gate shutdown won't affect their economy as much as other races.
military - as most of their ships have propably gateless drives, it's safe to assume that expeditionary part of their fleet is capable of returning to Sol/Terran space after shutdown (albeit if some of them end up in sectors that are at the other side of the galaxy they might end up stranded)
The good question is the civilian use of gateless drive:
Because if they mastered the technology they could even have a some kind of Trans orbital Accelerator like infrastructure that work for interstellar distances - like stations that supercharge ship's gateless jumpdrive and make jump calculations for it so it's capable of jump that woudn't be possible by the ship on it's own.
Such thing technologically would be completely diffrent than Gate network, but it would work exactly the same and would make gates redudant.
