This is probably incredibly obvious, but the tutorial didn't explain so...
1. How do I use the jump-gates? I followed the tutorial, designed and researched a gravitational survey ship, and had it running automated rounds. It found a jump-gate, and I'd like to send my mini-military-fleet (a couple of the fighters the tutorial has you build) through to scout out the new area, but I can't figure out how to use it. From what I understand, I either need ships with some kind of special engine/drive to go through them, or a ship that can be used to send other ships through them... And is there a way to view the destination of the jump without going through it?
2. My geographical survey ships found a pretty resource-rich meteorite right next to "Earth". How would I go about building mines on it? For that matter, how would I go about building anything that isn't a ship, anywhere?
Thanks.
First: you are asking about jumpgates and judging from your question you are actually asking about jumppoints.
jumppoints: areas in space that nallow ships with a JUMP engine to TRANSIT to another system.
jumpgates: technological constructs on top of a JP that allows any ship to pass, no jumpengines needed.
Assuming you have a JP, not a JG, you need to design a jump engine big enough for your needs, build a ship using it and send it across.
No, jumpways cross space (if not time) and link random systems together, no way of knowing where they go before you get there.
mining colony: you can also just assign a cargoship to load (auto)mines on Earth and then unload them at asteroid#. (asteroids etal are hidden by default, check its box)
Be careful with massdrivers: make sure to load only as much as you need. (orders to load 0 will load as many as will fit in the holds)
You can build prefab Stuff in the industry tab, still either population or an engineers corps is needed for assembling it on-site. installations can be build onsite or on-terra and moved.
(engineers take 5 battalions troop capacity per squad!)
All construction is ordered through the interface under the industry tab of the economy window.
Select from the pulldown Installations/missiles/shipparts/fighters/PDC-stuff, then select your item, the number of units wanted and the percentage of your capacity to assign to it.
fighter production is done by fighter factories, missiles by ordnance factories and all the rest (besides ships) by the construction factories.