As it stands, ships travel between planets in the exact fashion they do between stars. For some unknown reason, researching the ability to jump between stars just magically allows ships to now go a little further -- there's no speed difference, animation difference; anything. I would like to propose the following:
Instead of the research for interstellar travel simply allowing the right click of a different star to do something, I think it should instead grant the ability to build jump gates. Jump gates are only able to be constructed in the gravity well of a star, and can only be placed in the direction of the link to another star. When you go to build a jump gate, most of the gravity well would be red, for the exception of a small wedge between where the jump line touches the gravity well, and the planet. Building the jump gate in such a space will automatically determine which star the gate will be used to jump to. Since there is currently no way to 'capture' a star, I believe the ability to construct this jump gate should be given to either a special frigate, or simply added as a capital ship ability when the research is completed.
Jump gates will be one way, and units will use the gate to jump to whichever star it's set for. It would be cool if jumping off of a jump gate had a different animation and perhaps went faster, but that's really just cosmetic.
This would establish a strategic target to defend at all costs, and a way to prevent the enemy from jumping into your solar system, instead of now where they just sneak along the border of the gravity well and hop over as if your defenses weren't there.
Just to recap:
1) Interstellar research is completed.
2) A capital ship is brought to star well and constructs the jump gate with on-board constructor units, or something similar.
3) All ships can now jump to, but not back from, a different star. You'd need to also bring your capital ship and construct a jump gate on the other star to get back to your original star.
Right now I think interstellar travel is too trivial, and this would add more more strategic value to jumping stars.
What do you guys think?
