I'm really not sure about what's to be done with Missile Barrage. It's so easily countered now, but dealing 3000 damage is enormous. Though I did some tests a while ago, and a Missile Barrage loses its power around when HCs become common; all three HCs survive against the ability (Though with serious damage). In addition, it takes what- thirty seconds to deal all Missile Barrage damage? I've found that even early fleets can survive just by flying a fair distance away, and taking only a few casualties. The Marza's real purpose now is for Raze Planet and Radiation Bomb. Missile Barrage is just one of those abilities that even a slight change could wreck balance.

Pretty much. Actually though, the Rapture isn't too bad now with the amount of Halcyons currently, but its other abilities are highly underutilized. The only time I've seen a Rapture is when there are at least three Halcyons around. Revelation is similar; its only real purpose is to disable enemy ships. Out of all the caps though, its the Kol and Dunov that need serious improvements. The Kol is just about worthless; Flak Burst is its only real use, and Flak frigates and a Sova already deal with Fighters/Bombers impressively, and the Dunov Battlecruiser needs buffs on all its abilities to be useful.

With the Antorak Marauder, that really does need its own topic, as you said. It's such an entirely unique capital ship that it cannot be compared with any other cap in the game. I've found that it's a very good ship in some circumstances, but it's something that really needs its own discussion.

EDIT: For balancing Scramble Bombers, I'd like it to deploy 1/3/5 Bombers and have a cooldown of 20/25/30 seconds. It'd make the antimatter cost a lot better. Microphasing Aura could have an increased chance of phasing SC. Repair Cloud and Replicate Forces are just fine, currently.

If you are talking buff, I don't think anything should be done with missle barrage.  You say it's easily countered now, but really very little changed except adding capabilities to counter it that weren't there before (disruptive strikes, etc).  This was desperately needed.

This isn't a change, the same was true before.  HC survivability to MB is the same.

Do you think MB should be able to DESTROY (not severely damage) all HC within a given area?  So, if I am reading you correctly, instead of the very slight "nerf" the devs gave MB (if you can even call it a nerf), you think the ability should have been buffed?  MB wasn't good enough before?

Wow.  Even among MB lovers and defenders, you seem to be pretty hardcore.  I saw plenty of MB'ers argue for not nerfing their beloved MB, but I NEVER saw any of them argue that it wasn't good enough, and that it needed to be buffed further!

So 30 seconds or whatever is too long to deal this massive amount of damage?  So what would you like to see the time frame be?  10 seconds?  5 seconds?  What's the "sweet spot" for you?

Second question:  I'm just curious, why on earth do you think MB should be so powerful, when none of the other abilities (volatile nanites, cleansing brilliance) comes even close?  I guess you must have a reason.  Is it that you think TEC sucks, and needs such an ability to make them even with the other races?

To a degree tec needs mb to compete sometimes.If you cant get an eco you better have mb coming online soon.

I wasn't asking for a buff, but I don't want a simple nerf. Missile Barrage is just so extremely difficult to further balance that I feel that any change could either make Missile Barrage either ridiculously powerful or useless.

Of course, the issue of MB is far less important than balancing other ships. Volotile Nanites is indeed a fairly bad ability, and the issue of buffing the Kol Battleship is far more important than MB.

TEC is currently pretty balanced right now, IMO. The only real pressing matter with TEC is that the Kol is atrocious and the Dunov only slightly better.

Among "pros" with this game, you are the only guy I've run across who thinks that TEC is underpowered compared to vasari.