I’ve been trying not to comment yet again on my views on this, but, hey, why not, right?
To me, the portals are the truly unique point of Boundless. Finding a new portal to some new area yet undiscovered is the very spirit of exploration to me.
I understand that people want it to be rare, but portals lead to interesting places. I am all for free-form exploration of a planet, (and possibly the rewards for per-region discovery should be increased to value this), but its the portals that make Boundless, boundless.
Exploring all the portal connections, their changing connection points, and the interesting places they lead is as much exploration as wandering the surface of a planet on foot. Both are valid forms of exploration, and both should be embraced, and rewarded.
I’ve found a ton of places through portals that I never would have through wandering, and I’ve found a ton of places through wandering that I never would have through portaling.
My 2credits: Keep portals accessible and supportable to individuals. It hurts no-one. You can still wander the surface as you wish if you prefer that method. Keeping portals viable allows both forms of exploration.