as said above, there are so many other better options in 1v1s and 2v2s that pay off much faster. For a 1v1 (and usually a 2v2 too) I love assailants, which my friends and I are starting to think are more powerful than illuminators cost/dmg wise. For a bigger game, go Transporters and Kanraks or fast tech to enforcer/subverter for a slower but more powerful attack.

You almost make it sound as though every Vasari has a right to get RA up and running on any type of map with any number of players. If it were that easy to get RA up and running there'd be no reason for anyone to play any race other than Vasari.

Opposing players, at least halfway decent ones, are fully aware of the Vasari's potential to get RA up and they won't allow that to happen if they can. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that in 3v3's and 4v4's the opposing Vasari(s) might even be the top target. Firstly, you don't want them to get RA up, and secondly, their ships are very expensive and thus you can expect them to have smaller fleets which means that you can try to crush them early on with your large TEC fleet of cheap LRMs or your Advent fleet of powerful illuminators.

I'll only play Vasari on large maps where the player density is not going to be real high because if I think I'm not going to have a good chance of getting RA up and running, I don't want to have to pay for the Vasari's expensive supply point hogging ships, but that's just me. I do like the Vasari and think they have some great ships, btw, and Vasari was the first race I learned.