Economics of a Starbase........

no clue.

Honestly I would disagree with that.  If you put a starbase at one of the frontier points in your chain of planets then it may be possible to center your defensive operations around it which would perhaps lessen the chances of losing planets.

Something like that anyway.  Without further details on the actual abilities on the starbase I can only speculate as to it's strategic value.

I'm assume you can have both your capital ships and your starbase if they use different fleed capacity. Also the starbase is used for defence mainly, while your capital ships are more useful in offence, hence you want them freed from defence duty. That's where the starbases come in, they can hold the line in the back while your move forward. Also the can build ships, which no capital ship can do, so it will assist with supply lines.

this is what I think starbases were made for

                        x            x                 y       

                               x               S                  y            y 

                                   x                     y                

Now lets say that this a (relatively simple) 1v1 game map, the x's mean player 1 and the y's mean player 2. both the top and the bottom most x and y planets are connected to the S (Star), which is the only way through to enemy space

After player 1 does some scouting, he discovers that player 2 has built a starbase on the top most y planet, while he has built a huge fleet on the bottom y planet.

Which planet would player 1 choose to attack? I suppose time will tell, and we'll be able to have this kind of discussion with actual experience.

Can't wait for Entrenchments release!

Well i would certainly think they'd be expensive, hell they're practically a fortress of death if done right. I don't think the first will be free but I certainly hope so. five times as much as a cap ship? That's 15,000 creds if the numbers are exactly five times. And then you also have the metal and crystal to shove into that cost which also will be undoubtedly expensive. However I am going to reserve my judgment on whether it's "worth it" or not until I get Entrenchment and play with a Star Base.

idc, i just want starbases...starbases level up like normal capital ships do so imagine a lvl 10 (if it goes that high) starbase at the frontlines just pummeling the enemy...and only way thru is that starbase...i'd chose that starbase...they will take up a large chunk of space and will have a huge attack radius i assume....so yeah im sorta rambling but i'm excited for them

Be a bit silly if the stabrase costed soo much that you never actually see them in game. hehe

do you have to research starbases to build them?

I heard that they can take on 6 caps and still win. Coupled with some decent defense they should be able to handle any midsized fleet.

My point is if your in a game where it could go either way - it's going to be tough to save that many credits...and leave yourself exposed in the meanwhile.

I'm also a bit worried about the high cost. That isn't all up front, is it? That'll make it nearly 15K creds and 2K resources! A moderate fleet can be had for that kind of scratch.

Krogoth, anyone?

In fairness its meant to do the work of a moderate fleet. Defense Fleet, anyway.

It sounds like there are other useful upgrades besides weapons for the station like trading upgrade that would make it better over 5 caps IF you are looking for something to use purely for defending systems.

There should be a way to buy a Starbase and make "payments" on it....like one hundred credits a minute by a "bank" that you would have to pay off. If you over extend yourself your money would dry up.

not a bad idea per se, reminds me of gal civ II's option to buy stuff instead of using turns to produce it. but what might also work, and perhaps work better is if you had a ... sort of credit system. like in the black market you got the option to borrow money and then subsequently pay it back over rates and it thus gets deducted on a per sec. basis (to keep in line with current measurement). it does sound complicated though and might direct players too much away from other affairs, plus it would take time to actually calculate it through and make a good decision.

Starbases are targeted towards turtlers, which naturally tend to focus mainly on sitting tight and gathering resources, so building one shouldn't be that much of a problem for a turtler.

I only hope, though, that there is something a turtler can do in the meantime against an aggressive rusher.

My impression is that these are really for the larger maps.  Where a large number of planets / systems creates a need to defend multiple fronts, while making high-cost units more accessible.

Anyway, haven't they already said that you'll be able to buy upgrades to the spacestation piecemeal?

weapons upgrades

trading upgrades

etc?

Saving up to purchase the equivalent of a med-size fleet all at  once would severely regulate these things to much larger maps.

In theory, a starbase should be more powerful than their cost in cap ships, because they can take the space a capship does to engines and use it for more weapons, armor, and shields.  Plus they're, you know, bigger.

On the flip side, unless the starbases can do horrendous DPS, what's to stop your attack fleet form simply flying to the other side of the planet--or if the starbase if guarding the planet itself, what's to keep you from picking at the enemy system with strikecraft or bypassing the planet all together?

A much needed defensive postion eventually becomes a middle planet once you expand. Will starbases be able to be deconstructed and moved to the new defensive postion?

Plus starbaes should come with a special class of fighters, so the base does in fact cover the whole well. Only the best pilots and ships would be given a starbase assignment. Interceptors maybe....a little bigger than fighters...but smaller than flak frigs.

That is the 15k credit question.... So, what happens when that frontier planet isn't on the frontier any more ? Or, as mentioned previously if I phase into the system, take some lumps, and just bypass the whole thing. Thinking that the Akkan Armistace ability is looking pretty sweet here, 60 seconds free run at the second phase lane. Static defense doesn't work versus a mobile opponent.

I would hope that a starbase is more then a defense structure. Maybe it could be the same as a few research stations, a trade port, plus the combat abilities ? Otherwise, I see it as a huge waste of credits. I'll take my 5 caps any day. Or 30 Kodiaks... or 20 Percherons... or 50 LRMs...

Regardless, I'm impressed enough with the orginal game that I'll buy the expansion, even if I think a starbase is stupid. Kudos to IronClad and Stardock for making a damn good game, one I'm still enjoying and playing many months later.

Are starbases immobile? I was under the impression they were not.

Phase Jump Inhibitors will allow Starbases to mess up any enemies attempting to just sprint through your system. I heard there were also new defenses that reduced sublight speed. Any word on those?

What I hope is that Phase Inhibitors and Planet Bombardment protection technology research will give Starbases that tech built in.  Still, speculating is really a bit pointless, we will have to wait and see what role these Starbases will play.

Like everyone else though, I'm hoping they do actually come in to play and not just when you are mopping up, otherwise what's the point...?

If they do move it should be at a snails pace, like 5 min to cross a grav well. Plus we don't know if first one is free like the caps.