strikecraft tend to about even out.  Advent gets 3 for 2 squadrons, but they are weaker.  Vasari have less ships in their squadrons, but those are much better armored and armed.  TEC is an average of the two.

Thats what I thought but for example vasari fighters have armor of 3 and advent 1. So that is another. I was dissapointed lookin over these that they are basically the same.

I agree AOE is incredibly balanced for having 14 civs out right now. Original had 8. 2 expansions each added 3. Lets take for example the british vs germans. British have musketeers and longbowmen. Both good units. Germans get Doppelsonders (melee) and skirmishers. In effect they both have the same unit except in differant concepts. Skirmishers have a good range and do more damage than longbowmen. Musketeers have range and doppelsonders have health and area damage. The point is that longbowmen where cheaper than skirmishers and worse. Doppelsonders where better than musks and cost more. Even though that the balance was there. Damage reduction and population per unit made the game extremely even and it becomes more effective with the more support there is available. (more accuracy 5 support to 7 support is totally differant than 2 to 3)

The main point i'm trying to make is that AOE is a good game if you haven't played it play it and that sins needs more of a game like that. The vasari for example could have a super ship with 35 population while TEC could have a swarm unit that costs 2 support (other than scout) and actually serve as a fighting unit. 200 hull and 200 shields with like 6 damage. Something that fits each units specialties. Advent could get a shield bubble ship that actually projects it's shield to surrouding ships. Hull could be 300 and have no shields. New script may need to be writen shield would act as the planetary TEC shield. Execpt with the effect on ships. Maybe 1500 sheilds and then it would go out. Thing is it would be 15 support and would be a sacrifice of damage or abilities. They need more personallized ships depending on race.

Onto the strike craft topic. I agree with EadTaes. I've won carrier battles with 5 or so less fighters mostly because restoring those fighters is better even though the advent would have an inicially better squadron the vasari would be able to restore just as fast and still have the ability to do damge. Sins counters this by giving drone hosts HUUUUUGEEELY unfair amounts of hull and shields expecailly for a advent ship. They should be even with all 3 races or costs and hull and shields should be adjusted accordingly.

There is no advantage.  I've tested it before (in a LAN game).  One costs 1.5 times as much as the other, for 1.5 times more units.  If you pit 3 Vasari carriers against 2 Advent carriers, after a long battle, they will both kill each other's carrier, and the remaining squadrons will eventually die off without a host!

[PS. InfiniteVoid, thats a good observation.]

The advent has the best hanger defense. They get extra strikecraft per squadron with research.

but the number of squadrons even it out in the end. 6 tp foe 3 squads when the others have 4 tp for 2 squads... do the maths.

I like hangar defense because the ennemy cannot just 'avoid' them, the fighters hunt them down.

it's effective against seige frigs, which is the main reason for them.  that and to support a defending fleet

but its the light raids they are designed in mind for.  the ones with 5-10 seiges.

besides, we know that normal sins is very defense-weak.  that's what Entrenchment is for.

Dude, hangers are way better than turrets.  They are fine as is, don't complain. 1 or 2 flak will do nothing to a hanger, and you dont build just 1 hanger, I can build 5 advent hangers on an Asteroid complete with 2 repair and a nice 1 turret to take up last slot.

Youa re confused as to why static defense exists. It by no means is supposed to sotp any sizable fleet.

static is meant to stop raiding parties.  that's all.  and the max tactical slots is 35 - one more and you would be able to put 2 superweapons in a grav well.

Astax I agree and the repair platform is great. My only beef is hanger bays. Everything else is useful. Like you said without a fleet they dont do much but entrenchment will change that. However imo the hanger bays are not worth 6 tac slots in any situation. However this is just my opnion. I have came across some in mp and they have NEVER been a worry or issue for me. I have also came across a heavily turreted system and those are much more time consuming and trickier to defeat so they serve their purpose great. 6 tac slots is 6 turrets. With 6 turrets you can surround your planet.

and placing turret all around the planet make your defenses weak everywhere if the ennemy concentrate his attack, i prefer to put them all at the same spot where i think the ennemy will show up... so if he does, its gotta hurt.

after a while, i found that having only fighter in a hangar is better than a mix of F/B; turrets fight ships while your fighters kills ennemy bombers so your turrets live a bit longer.