Stargates

[Lmoy]

Since the stargates are the only practical method of traveling between star systems, wouldn't the majority of a system's population be as close to the stargate as possible? The way it is now, most of a system's stations are built far from the stargates.
In real life, almost all cities are built right next to and around available transportation.
St. Lawrence river, for example. Being the easiest way to get deep into Canada, most of Canada's original settlements were founded along it.
And holding the stargates should be a major strategic advantage in the event of a war (for obvious reasons), and yet nobody makes any effort to take any control of the gates. Except for the Huari. And then only in Huaramarca.

[digdug]

I believe that Humans are still bound to Planets. Stations should be around those, because people live and use planet resources.
But then, you have probably a good point about the strategic military defenses: I wouldn't be too surprised to see turrets and defense stations sitting right next to stargates in Eridani and St Kathrine, currently the only 2 stargates with signs alerting travellers of dangers.

And those signs too can explain why stargates are not controlled, as most systems are mostly void, and/or contain only small human factions, which are not a trouble to Commonwealth or Corporates.

[EDIT]
An Ares or Ranx blocked stargate could be an interesting mini-boss, now that I think about it.

[RPC]

Actually, I posted a while ago about a similar topic: if humans can "lock" stargates. I forgot what the answer was, but now that I think about it, patrolling the stargate is the next best thing. I would imagine that the primary suspects of gate patrolling would be the CW, Ares and possibly the Dwarg and Sung.

[Lmoy]

Locking and unlocking the stargates appears to be something only the Iocrym (and whatever created them) can control.
Turrets around the gates would be a good idea though.

[Ttech]

I think it would be the Ancient races are the ones who can unlock and lock gates.