The movement lets it chase down ships that might attempt to slip away from it which is a big boon. I'm also quite happy with the ability to make it a phase ring.

Oh yeah, Vasari Starbase is the most powerful by a longshot.  Only the big red button and meteor control make the TEC/Advent starbases worth mentioning, but the Vasari one is a nightmare.

The thing is, the TEC and Advent starbases are really just glorified turrets.  Because they can't move, you just need to sit outside their attack range and bombard them with long-range attackers, such as the new Ogrov or Adjudicator cruisers.  This makes them nothing short of helpless sitting ducks in many cases, and it's not uncommon to see them scrapped before they can even fire a single shot.  The Vasari Starbase can move and advance on such enemies, allowing it to retaliate and making it nearly impossible to take one down without sustaining losses. 

MS and The big red button are not the only abilities their respective starbases have, but I swear it seems most people forget that fact. TEC starbases can make ships, and faster than frigate factories can. Ever thought of putting a point in that ability and then pumping out ogrovs, or carriers against a Vas Sb? Evens the playing field a bit huh? Or how about the ludacris amount of strikecraft a Transcensia can field (try bombers against vas sb), and the synergies of advent defenses. Keep in mind also that Assault cruisers are incredibly weak to strikecraft. So no I think they're more than just glorified turrets.

Think beyond just health and weapons. I think they did a great job balancing the units they added in entrenchment. Each Starbase has anti fleet abilties and anti assault abilities.

Yes Vasari Starbases are nothing to scoff at, but if you actually prepare your own starbase for one, it does stand a good chance of surviving.

And to take one down with a fleet, you just need some bombers (the Vas sb does not move faster than carriers), or a big group of assault cruisers.

I believe frontal shielding is mostly for taking down enemy starbases, reducing all damage taken to the front to 0 for a period of time.

Vasari Starbases have to accompanied by a fleet to be effective against enemy starbases (just like other assault cruisers). If you let your starbase be destroyed by a lone Orkulus (or unaccompanied assault cruisers), you aren't trying.

And all starbases you can simply bypass, that is if you don't mind your fleet being robbed of all its AM and taking 20+% damage to their hulls. Throw some well placed mines in and it becomes much more costly.

So if you want a glorified turret, go ahead and place all the points in weapons and Hp, but if you want the starbase to be a REAL threat, research and upgrade their other abilities and use them.

I was more speaking towards their military roles.  Their economic and support role is another matter.  But anyways:

It still costs less to put up a few frigate factories (especially if you have their cost reduction researched) in a nearby planet.  Yes, one frigate factory is slower than TEC starbase producing units, but how about two or three?  The real savings here is logistics slots, but frankly in most cases you don't put anything valuable like trade ports or labs on a front-line planet.

I find the TEC's internal factory to be most useful when you put up a starbase in an enemy planet as a staging point.  However, this is rather rare, and usually the enemy is going to rush it before you get established with lots of SB upgrades.

Unless you've already spent all your tactical points, hangers cost you a lot less to field strike craft than a starbase upgrade will, and let's not forget the passive bonuses they provide as of entrenchment.  The real benefit this offers is, again, a tactical slot savings and the fact that you don't have to worry about running out of AM for reconstructing those SC (not a huge deal, since the 50% build speed penalty for a contested well is the dominant factor currently).  Beyond the fact, a relatively small carrier force can easily field more strike craft and back them up with flaks.

Until very late in the game, money is your biggest asset.  The usefulness of a starbase is in its ability to damage enemies retreating or attempting to bypass the well, to delay enemies from steamrolling static defenses or your fleet.  The Vasari starbase has the additional function that you can move it forward to push enemies out of a gravity well, while the TEC and Advent starbases can do no such things.

I'm pretty sure its only 30% damage to the hull; not the shields.

The reason Vasari starbases are "more powerful" is because their ability to move is "free". You dont have to do any research to get it. Thats a BIG plus for them. For TEC/Advent, you have to spent time/ressources to make them "more" useful.

That is what I recommended during the Entrenchment Beta.

Remember though, the Vasari SB is their assault ship. It can't jump between wells and moves much slower than the other assault ships, the trade off is thats its a starbase, and a nasty one. But that aside think about it this way-

Vasari vs Vasari- When a Vasari player attacks anothers well with an Orkulus already there, he must lure the starbase far enough away to begin construction of his own. When its complete he has to keep it away from the other until its upgraded and can handle its opponent. Having to 'upgrade to move' would take away valuable time that starbase needs to both upgrade and keep away from its much more powerful enemy.

Vasari, with out an Assault ship like the others, are weakest against themselves.

If you're playing against a Vasari opponent, you should be spending your SB upgrades on things that can counter other starbases, as the vasari fleet is not the largest threat to your SBs survival.

True, except when they are fully upgraded, especially with frontal shield. Gotta get bombers then, or another starbase, or both.

From a defensive standpoint though, Tec and Advent have an easier time (because of their much more mobile assault cruisers) destroying an entrenched vasari starbase. So I don't quite agree with making it harder for other Vasari to do so.

People have suggested giving Vasari their own assault cruiser like the others, and nerfing the Orkulus, but I enjoy the different dynamic of it, and I think the only advantage of it is that its easy to use (much like MB is for TEC, the counters are there, it just requires more thought and cunning to overcome, or really just knowing what to do and providing yourself the means to do it)

okay, the question was answered long ago... if you wish to continue discussing the details of the SB's, go elsewhere...