Some of your points I agree on and some I don't.  I actually appreciate the automatic repair ability of the vasari SB.  Combined with the deflector shield and a rather high armor rating, that thing simply refuses to go down sometimes.  Not to mention it could pass by local regeneration bays for another 15 hp per second.  I can't say much for the advent culture broadcast because I don't use it either, although I know someone on these forums love them...just can't remember who.  As for the TEC last resort ability, I agree it does seem a bit situational and expensive.  However the damn thing does 8000 damage in a very wide radius.  I do agree it is predictable as I know I don't like the idea of getting close to it if I get even a hint it's been upgraded.  However, I can't recommend using a "minimum" amount of ships to attack it though.  Using a minimum amount will mean a few dozen ships atleast because the less you send in the more are going to die.  Also rushing it isn't an option either as someone just blow it up.  Probably the best thing to do is just bombard it from range if possible, but if you're vasari, that might not be an option. 

I think vasari starbases should have a upgrade+research to begin moving or the move speed should be extremely sluggish and allow it a large increase in speed via upgrades.

Now that I've actually tried out all the starbases, I'm going to have to say my least favorite is the TEC one.  It turns into more of a staging point/base of operations, which actually makes sense, but in terms of military might it's actually the weakest.  For planetary defense I like the vasari the best due to the movement.  However in a star, I find I prefer the advent starbases.  If I can afford it I like putting one or two or even three to block a phase lane.  Disorienting a fleet while it's caught in a crossfire between starbases seems almost unfair.

You say the vasari starbase should have some nerfs to its movement, but you have to understand that the vasari get no anti-structure torpedo cruisers to attack from long range - their assault solution is their moving starbase.  It is quite difficult to get this vasari starbase built into an enemy grav well if that enemy is built up - I lose so many starbases its ridiculous.  If you DO manage to get one built, then you have to sit there and upgrade it quite a bit for it to be useful against an upgraded enemy starbase.  Ever tried upgrading you starbase in a hostile well?  Try it and see how many you lose.

To this day I have never understood all the jealously about the moving vasari starbase.

QFT.  And as Elrosh said, the Vasari SB has no mass killing ability that the Advent (Meteor Storm) and TEC (Last Resort) have.  The ability to move,  its debris vortex and shield helps to balance this.  All in all, I'm rather content with the balance.

I agree on most of what you say Valkya,

Bottom line is, Starbase abilities a far from being balance, IC needs to look at this a little bit more before moving on to the next expansion.

Starbase upgrades are not meant to be the jacks of all trades. They are designed to allow you to specialize your starbase how you see fit and to maintain racial diversity. Not every single one is there to make you "win", and you cannot compare their super-abilities with the more mundane upgrades and say it's imbalanced.

Well, its not a bad idea, but to have tax revenue, you need population... Vasari already have this with the Colony Pods, so it's not gonna work. Maybe the answer to the Auxiliary Government should be different for all races;

TEC: bombardment damage reduced by 50%. This would "forced" players to actually assault the starbase before attacking the planet, otherwise it would take forever vs. a 6000 points planet.

Advent: bombardment impossible, must destroy the starbase in the gravity well before attacking the planet (Advent could be using the combine might of their PsiTech to "force" players to attack the starbase first).

Vasari: because their starbase can move, they should not have access to this ability.

Zee gogglezz, they do nothing

Very well said!

Thank You! Valkya

Ran into a fully upgraded tec base earlier today in a game and I was in a panic as I realized that thing could blow in my face.  Then I remembered that I had 2 radiance battleships which could alternate fire their detonate anti-matter.  Can anyone confirm if this ability will stop Last Resort on the TEC starbase?  If it does, Last resort just got a whole lot less useful in my eyes.

I am still trying to figure out the balance ....overall, I would stay Ironclad has done a pretty good job of making unique starbases that all have their strengths and weaknesses.  Heck, when you see so many people disagree as to which starbase is the best or worst, that is a good indication that the balance isn't too bad.

The main thing I have noticed is that it is difficult to assault Vasari SB held worlds in multiplayer.  It isn't because the starbases are overpowered in themselves, they are in fact very killable if you have enough time to kite them with strikecraft, or a very big fleet to just beat them down.  The problem is that they are often guarded by mines, have repair bays with them, and a small fleet.  Because they constantly chase stuff around the gravwell, the burden of micromanagement is VERY heavily on the player attacking.

I have noticed a strategy where the Vasari players just build a SB everywhere and slowly colonize the whole map with them.  This strategy has not beaten me yet, because starbases are so expensive, but I can see how attractive it would be, because it is so simple to implement.  When you are fighting in multiple systems against an enemy trying to build starbases all over your empire while you are trying to whittle down a big starbase at your main offensive, it is very taxing.  The starbase builder just has to plant and water each base and watch it slowly eat everything in the system unless a fleet counters it.

BTW, Override Protocol is tremendously powerful.  I find it to be the main thing that makes the TEC starbase worth it.  Once you blow up the entire enemy fleet, it is hard to look back.  Yes, they can kill your SB from range, but that is just more work for them, so it is still indirectly benefiting you.  Actually, just the fear of it is beneficial.

Hmm, the starbase did say abilities disabled... so I'm going to just assume it does actually stop Last Resort.  I typically play single player so I can't ask if the SB  had the upgrade.

Sounds like that 5h game we played against Scott and Hack, eh?  

Anyway, I agree with your observation that the balance is good, despite or especially because people are constantly arguing about the advantages/disadvantages of their favourite race. Each and every tactic has its weaknesses and its counters, making it vulnerable when facin a smart opponent and overall making the game more interesting. Personally I haven't encountered a strategy that was imbalanced though I often got overwhelmed. But lets be honest, if one strategy beats another that's solely due to the fact that you do not adapt fast enough and don't have the proper counter against his forces.

Bottom line is: there's very little to be balanced, if any, in this game. Though I do agree that the ability to deny colonization should somehow protect the present colony as well. Otherwise especially TEC starbases are pretty useless in case the enemy simply passes them by and attacks from the other side.

The TEC could have their energy shield. The Advent a Psi Shield. The Vasari a nano shield.