In all the multiplayer games I've played I have thus far simply ignored all the Starbases that were built by my enemy. I have even colonized the planet and just left the enemy base sitting there. Strikecraft is all the bases can really do and you easily counter with carriers. And if the strikecraft get out of hand you can just torpedo the base from distance for less cost.
I have only had to fight one Vasari base since I wanted to colonize the planet and a moving base would destroy all the structures. And it was no match whatsoever against an early fleet of a Progenitor + 10 Illuminators. Considering the cost of the fleet compared to the cost of the base that was to be expected. Also carriers kite a Vasari base effortlessly.
What's everyone elses experience on using Starbases in multiplayer?
It seems they are just a late game thing when you don't want to upgrade your fleet supply anymore. The jump destabilizer is useful but only if you have a big fleet nearby to attack the weakened enemy fleet.
Has anyone successfully used an early game Starbase? For turtling your HW in a large team game? (I can't see this working either since the enemy can just go around it, bombard your population and neutralize you.)
Early game Starbases especially don't work against the Vasari because Vasari players never build anything other than the Egg as their starting cap. Even a low level Nano Bomb eats Starbases for breakfast, especially the unupgraded ones. Against the Vasari, Starbases are like caps you can't jump away on sight.