FTL Travel

Faster than Light Travel is possible through a number of means, both real and theoretical.

Helios Network
The oldest, and most reliable method of FTL travel is the use of the Helios Network. It's system of fixed point-to-point transit gates provides instantaneous transport from the far edge of one edge of a system to a mirrored gate on an equally distant gate of another, neighbouring system.

Use of the Helios Network allows Empires to be built without access to FTL spaceship drives. Subspace drives are critical, however, as the gates were placed far from the sun of each System. Additionally, there is a size limit imposed on which vessels are usable by the physical diameter of the gates themselves. This resulted in the Archaeo-max specifications for vessels.

Gates have, occasionally, broken. Usually due to supernovae, which tear the gate from the end of the wormhole it generates.

FTL Drives
The first successful test of a true FTL drive is widely seen as the start of the Third Age. It has allowed the abandonment of the Archaeo-max ship specifications, although the tidal forces encountered when in FTL transit have added a whole new level of complexity to ship building.

Curiously, while direct routes can be plotted, the gravity of nearby star systems when in FTL transit seriously affects the speed of vessels. To reach sufficent escape velocity to achieve lightspeed, FTL vessels are still forced to go out to the location of the Helios Gates, and when in lightspace there is an even greater tendency be pulled towards systems, which has presented a unique set of problems for navigation.

Archaeo Netowork
This is the mythical surface to surface gate network believed to be originally devised by the Ancients before they were space-born.