Basically the idea is that if the three ftl types never have to interact with each other, you can design different systems to support different ones. This would basically turn them into three "game modes" you can pick between at the strt of each game.
Let's start with warp. If you choose warp at galaxy generation, sensors and distance calculations will work like they currently do. Starbases will have the opportunity to pull in ships from neighbouring systems (since everyone will use warp, you won't have to worry about ships being pulled out of wormhole range or not being able to find a hyperlane back). You could also have it so that nebulas can't be traversed without an upgraded warp technology (and also make sure that empires can't start inside a nebula if warp ftl is selected). The wormhole and gateway system could probably remain unchanged warp, though I'm uncertain how they shouls work with sensors.
Wormholes on the other hand, would work a bit differently. Sensors could work in two ways. The first is that you can sense any wormhole you can travel to, and if you're in a system with a wormhole station you can also sense every single system that wormhole can reach. The other option is that you can sense every single star in the same "wormhole range" as you no matter where you are in it. Since either option would improve sensors dramatically whenever the wormhole range is increased, I think sensor upgrades as a technology can be done away with unless the upgraded wormhole ranges are removed instead. Since this would reveal such large portions of the map it might be a good idea to have a higher nmber of nebulas in wormhole galaxies to improve your stealth options. When it comes to colonization and claiming system all systems i nrange of the same wormhole would count as equally distant, which means the base cost for claiming colonizing adjacent systems would have to be way higher than in hyperdrive mode. Another change would be that you can use other empires wormhole stations if you are at war with them or have open borders with them. Thus if wormholes are balanced so that you will need to use your opponent's wormhole stations to attack them (this might be possible to do if you know your opponents will always have wormhole stations) then the systems with wormhole stations will become natural chokepoints and thus perfect for starbases. another option is that starbases will pull in anyone in the same "wormhole range" as them, though this might get problematic with late-game wormhole ranges.
I don't expect you to do this immediately. Maybe 1.10 could include the warp update and 1.11 could include the wormhole update. I know this would take a lot of work to do to create basically separate gameplay systems, but the game already supports parallell playstyles in the way that for example Machine Empires, Fanatic Purifiers and Inward Perfection works. I think this would be a good way to preserve the ability to choose what travel metohs you want to use while still keeping the game balanced.
Let's start with warp. If you choose warp at galaxy generation, sensors and distance calculations will work like they currently do. Starbases will have the opportunity to pull in ships from neighbouring systems (since everyone will use warp, you won't have to worry about ships being pulled out of wormhole range or not being able to find a hyperlane back). You could also have it so that nebulas can't be traversed without an upgraded warp technology (and also make sure that empires can't start inside a nebula if warp ftl is selected). The wormhole and gateway system could probably remain unchanged warp, though I'm uncertain how they shouls work with sensors.
Wormholes on the other hand, would work a bit differently. Sensors could work in two ways. The first is that you can sense any wormhole you can travel to, and if you're in a system with a wormhole station you can also sense every single system that wormhole can reach. The other option is that you can sense every single star in the same "wormhole range" as you no matter where you are in it. Since either option would improve sensors dramatically whenever the wormhole range is increased, I think sensor upgrades as a technology can be done away with unless the upgraded wormhole ranges are removed instead. Since this would reveal such large portions of the map it might be a good idea to have a higher nmber of nebulas in wormhole galaxies to improve your stealth options. When it comes to colonization and claiming system all systems i nrange of the same wormhole would count as equally distant, which means the base cost for claiming colonizing adjacent systems would have to be way higher than in hyperdrive mode. Another change would be that you can use other empires wormhole stations if you are at war with them or have open borders with them. Thus if wormholes are balanced so that you will need to use your opponent's wormhole stations to attack them (this might be possible to do if you know your opponents will always have wormhole stations) then the systems with wormhole stations will become natural chokepoints and thus perfect for starbases. another option is that starbases will pull in anyone in the same "wormhole range" as them, though this might get problematic with late-game wormhole ranges.
I don't expect you to do this immediately. Maybe 1.10 could include the warp update and 1.11 could include the wormhole update. I know this would take a lot of work to do to create basically separate gameplay systems, but the game already supports parallell playstyles in the way that for example Machine Empires, Fanatic Purifiers and Inward Perfection works. I think this would be a good way to preserve the ability to choose what travel metohs you want to use while still keeping the game balanced.
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