I Recently posted a thread a few days ago asking if anyone had tried playing with cargo modules to make them extend range & got a number of mixed reactions including " the Dev Team has bigger fish to fry".  Since it didn't seem like anyone had actually tried it.  The code to do it already exists, and now it;s been done

The change above (also in the dropbox link for the xml file with it  already changed).  The change results in the range of ships with caego modules being extended by 50% above whatever range they had without the module.  Cargo modules are one of the first tier techs you can research at turn zero, but due to range limitations & a stock 30 mass component, It's impossible to do scouting with a big ship of exotic trade goods... as opposed to a silver tongue, gunbarrel, or higher production.  With the change above extending range of cargo ships, they can now be used to help control the circumstances of first contact Having played with the change, it allows for an interesting twist to the early  game & allows trade routes to be setup as an extended olive branch to neighboring races.  With the current state of the ai however, it's difficult to judge if the change is too much, good, or bad since it's almost impossible to make the ai attack you if you have andy bonus with them (trade, diplomacy, military strength, open borders, etc).