Starbases on ICO

from Sins Forums

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.

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Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top

The jump destabilizer is useful but only if you have a big fleet nearby to attack the weakened enemy fleet.

I feel the same way. You either have to have a fleet waiting for them or your next planet has to have fully upgraded defense for it to deter them. I dont understand why they used this method because in some of the threads about this problem we had some really good ideas like just blocking the jump altogether. I think the damage should take shields away and do more like 75% but thats still ify cause unless you have a bunch of fighters or fleet it wont do any good.

Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top

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.

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.

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.

 

These are some of the advantages the vasari have over the other races. One big one is they protect the planet from being bombed. I have had my sb eaten by the egg its just like a cap ship. I have tested this out against the ai. Fully upgraded advent sb vs level 10 egg ,25 kanrack,5 sent killed the base with the loss of cap and 1 sent which I only lost the cap cause i didnt micro it.

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Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top

Concerning the Egg with Nano Disassembler, I don't think one overpowered cap ability is a good solution for the lack of Torpedo Cruisers for Vasari.

And yeah, the Vasari base is ten times more valuable than the other two since it can't be ignored. That alone balances the fact that they don't have a Torpedo Cruiser.

How does the Phase Destabilizer damage the ships by the way? Is it 30% hull damage from total or current hull points? Should be total so it would destroy retreating ships that are almost dead.

Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top

I haven't found the starbases useful at all for holding key systems against human players.

It's ability really does nothing to help the base achieve it's purpose. It would be great help if i could persuade an enemy armada to jump past several bases on their way to meet by own battle fleet, but it does nothing to create the kind of defensive chokepoint that forces the enemy to deal with the investment you made to protect your flank before they can actually attack your flank. It's like buying a $500 set of locks and deadbolts and sticking them on your back door, while neglecting to block the 3 foot wide dog door. I'm sure it must be quite annoying for a person to have to watch that 30% of their health slowly regenerate while they are annihilating my helpless rear systems which i had hoped to protect by cleverly placing a massive starbase between them and the enemy....

 

Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top

Pretty sure its 30% of remaining hull points and I agree it should be total. I also agree this does nothing to solve the problem like crazie said. If they stick with this it should remove shields and do more like 75% so at least if you placed some hanger bays they could maybe kill a few ships.Im more in favor of an upgrade for the PJI that makes it impossible to jump to your undefended worlds.