I was just wondering, when I was playing there seemed to be a tendency for fights to cling to the edges of the system, along the jump-boundary, unless something specific happened to push or pull them inward.

I was just wondering where fights tended to happen now- if fights tend to be the same in this respect, if people never experienced that trend, etc...

In my experience the battle starts where it starts. Then ships start to spin away - usually to the other side of a planet.

There follows a period of ambush and skirmish, until the loser tries to exit the system.

So, yes, towards the end of the conflict it heads to the edge of the system, but through the rest of it I have been fighting all over the place.

I don't disagree that "battle starts where it starts." As often as not that seemed to be wherever one ship happened to find another, the first ship to become visible on each side, or whatever "worker bee" (colony ship) that got ambushed.
However the tactical maneuvering always seemed to be to find a place where you were in or near a jump-out zone, but only as a lesser concern able to use whatever "terrain" formation seemed advantageous.


anyone else?

I think the gate rules have pulled combat towards them - and I presume the epic blooms will do the same.

So that should add even more variety.

I agree with both.

aren't the gates required to be in the jump-out zone though? Or did that change?

Yes, gates are in the jump out zone - so yes, those combats are in safer areas. Until all the mines get deployed that is.