I agree. mines had a lot of potential - unlike starbases which have their uses - albeit limited. I remember back in beta using vassari mine layers to cut up gravity wells and literally sculpt the battle feild forcing the enemy fight where I wanted them to or lose more ships fighting the way they wanted. Advent mines were awesome - I remember cranking out a mothership two carriers and some ilums and laying waste to pirate bases right of the bat. Advent mines were particularly good a defending against early rushes, early pirate attacks, and setting traps. Ofcourse the ability to lay them infinitly made the game unplayable rather quickly. Unfortunatly the mechanics of laying mines and their cost make them a non option in most games. They're most useful strateigically in the early game as their effectiveness in severly dampened by armor and sheild upgrades in the later game. In vast quantities they can soften up enemy fleets late game a bit but the only reason to buy them is that its the only thing left you can buy to strengthen defenses. Unfortunatly their cost in the early game makes them a non option - with the possible exeption of the advent using a feeder.

The only use of Vasari mines I had found is to:
- build 3 weapons labs (2 at start, third as you scuttle the cap factory).
- rush research ruiner
- use the cap to engage rebel ships around heavily defended planets (desert/terran)
- jump a ruiner, lay two minefields, jump out
- drag the rebels into the minefield with your cap.

Quick XP and Terran/Desert clearing to be able to build something there.

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Of course, this "trick" is generally useless and fun at best. Going 2-civilian + EGG and chain colonizing one planet after another for sheer tax income and leaving the rebels to defend them involuntarily is much more profitable anyway.

So yeah, mines suck now.