Once again, I reiterate that the "buildup time" of scramble bombers is also part of the equation.  Unless you're willing to blow 100% of your antimatter maintaining it 24/7, it's going to take you two minutes to reach full squad power, and the longer the cooldown between scrambles the more likely they are to be blasted between intervals and you never actually reach your maximum.  This was the problem that made scramble so weak in 1.18.

I strongly believe that reduced duration is the way to go to nerf scramble bombers.  Perhaps even buff the cooldown to make this ability focus more on the "scramble" aspect (this is double-edged, since faster cooldown means higher antimatter cost in the long-term)

OK, good points.  I only bring up the old tables because I've not seen good, completely fleshed out suggestions.  It is a complex ability, and poorly understood.

I will say that people are, in fact, maintaining maximum squad numbers '24/7', by constantly activating it.  Especially befor they jump into an enemy (and blow 100AM), because those spawned squads last long after the jump, and the anti matter would have been depleted if they waited.  And they want to go in full force.

Since 1.19 spawns 2 and 3 squads instantly at levels 3 & 5, it does improves upon 1.18's situation.  I just don't want to see it nerfed radically.   Advent tier 0 rushing is still a formidable strategy, and we could easily return to that boring situation (using Halcyons, disciples & scouts).  Thus level 1 needs to remain competive.

We did some experimentation over the summer, and we were quite happy with the combination of a 24 second cooldown and a 60 second duration.  I think you could tweak antimatter costs to taste from there.

Completely in agreement; this is in fact one of the root causes of the problem with the current ability.  Right now, it's almost like there are two abilities to balance:  the "always active" scramble and the "build-up" scramble, and both have vastly different strengths and weaknesses. 

What we want to do, IMO, is make the "always active" approach impractical for antimatter reasons, and then balance the ability around the "build-up" approach.  Hence, my recommendations of 60 second duration, 24 second cooldown.  This allows the ability to build up and replace bombers faster, but reduces the maximum number of squads and also increases the antimatter cost of maintaining it in the long-run.  This better fits its concept as a "scramble" ability while also bringing its shock power into line.

More to the point, Advent doesn't really have any other opening options right now.  Especially on fastest speed, it's not like the rock-solid T2 fleets TEC and Vasari can pull off are inaccessible...

Personally, I'm still in favour of reverting the scout damage nerf, then giving a proper durability nerf to the seeker (50% reduction to its armor, 33% reduction to its shields).  I always held the seeker was the only scout with a problem and it was a durability problem, not a damage problem.

The problem with a fast build up is that 2 or 3 of them can build so many bombers in a short time that they can snipe caps before they have a chance to retreat.The longer build times mean that they will need sufficient ant fighter in their fleet instead of spammin kanracks.

Darvin is often sound, he seemed to have a blind spot on carrier capitals, I'm happy that he appears more persuaded.  Scramble Bombers needs to be reverted to 1.18.  If you halve the duration instead as he suggests, that would be good enough and bring it more into line with the Halcyon ultimate.

JJ's suggestion seems an excellent idea to me, there should never be anything free in RTS gaming it just leads to abuse, and carrier capital abuse has stifled the game for more than a year.  A 50% or 33% antimatter requirement for carrier capital strikecraft creation would help skill and stop spam.  I wouldn't have a special rate for the Halcyon though, that seems off.  Revert the Halcyon to extra strikecraft rather than extra squadrons instead.  This will 'backload' the Halcyon so that it is less effective in the early game.  Good, that is what is required, as any 1.18 Vasari would tell you.

On the subject of antimatter the hangars could use a huge upgrade on antimatter supply.  When the game was at its best hangars had a real role in defence.  Phasic Trap is fine even with hangars having more antimatter.  I cannot understand players who complain about Phasic Trap, unlike Scramble Bombers or mines/Subverters.  Vasari hangars are not hard to destroy.

What JJ wants seems to be a set map with some randomness, rather than a fully random map.  They are not hard to make, if we can get Ironclad to add some player created maps to the map pool.  While new in-game custom download options might take developer work, just adding maps is as easy for them as for us.  Finally listen to the players, and have a map competition during beta, so we can have at least a few maps we've chosen? 

I would also like to second JJ's disappointment on the lack of balance patches, which are sorely needed and often until the game is right.  When we were 'sold' Impulse we were told that it was a method to quickly deliver new patches, and not just advertising for new games.  This has not happened.  The only credit I allow Stardock for Impulse is that it is painless to uninstall.  I might even keep it on, if there was any point.....

I would like random maps still.  But I would like them to symmetrical among the teams. Not advocating for set maps.

They are not easy to destroy when there is usually a SB and/or fleet parked next to them along with repairs or overseers.  You basically have to go directly against the SB and fleet.  You will end up losing more than not having the SC that way.  So you don't think that something that can completely disable any amount of SC indefinitely is overpowered?  Interesting.  Add in subverters to disable any fleet attempting to do so and you have yourself quite a mess.

[_]-Greyfox

Nah.  You can keep a Vasari SB next to one, but it makes it static.  You could build more but that is expensive.  Also, there are some mad skillz you can use against them.  Or just go by another route.  Other factions have problems with a Halcyon parked next to an Advent SB.  Halcyons disable any amount of SC 'indefinitely' as well, no?

What Advent need is a revision of their useless late-game economy tech and miserable superweapon.  I'd revert their Illuminators to anti-capital damage as well for the beta, see how that goes.. then you'd have Illuminators that were better against Subverters- as they were originally intended to be.   If you deprive Vasari of their stupidly boosted Skirantras the Phasic Trap won't be as much of an issue. 

A 24 sec CD, within a 60 sec duration means 2.5 activations (60/24) during the duration.  Therefore you'd have a maximum of 2.5 extra squads at level 1, and 5 extra at level 3, and 7.5 extra at level 5.  If the antimatter use per activation stayed at 50 AM, it would use 125 AM for 60sec (250AM for 120sec). 

Just to flesh this out, and compare it others, I am providing an updated table:
(assumes AM use remains at 50/)

Avg # of SQUADS..............1.19..........1.18......... (40 cd)........(60cd).......(60/24cd)
............TEC.....Advent.......Vasari........Vasari........Vasari........Vasari..........Vasari
...........Sova...Halcyon....Skirantra.....Skirantra.....Skirantra.....Skirantra.....Skirantra
AM use....0.......0&150........171.5...........varies...........150............100...........125=250
Level 1....3.........4.............6.43............6/150...............6................5................5.5
Level 3....4.........6............10.86...........8/160..............10................8................9
Level 5....5.........8............15.29..........11/180.............14...............11..............12.5
Level 6....6........12.125.....16.29..........12/180.............15...............12..............13.5
Level 8....7........13.125.....17.29..........13/180.............16...............13..............14.5
Level10...8........14.125.....18.29..........14/180.............17...............14..............15.5

Or to simplify things, and just showing EXTRA squads created, the following:

EXTRA# of SQUADS............1.19..........1.18......... (40 cd)........(60cd).......(60/24cd)
............TEC.....Advent.......Vasari........Vasari........Vasari........Vasari..........Vasari
...........Sova...Halcyon....Skirantra.....Skirantra.....Skirantra.....Skirantra.....Skirantra
AM use....0.........0..........171.5...........varies..............150............100...........125=250
Level 1....0.........1.............3.43............3/150...............3................2................2.5
Level 3....1.........2.............6.86............4/160...............6................4................5
Level 5....2.........3............10.29............6/180..............9................6................7.5

Your suggestion's maximum number of extra squad created falls exactly halfway between mine (but greater AM use over similar durations).  I believe that the maximum number of squads is currently a bigger problem than the "build up" time.  A halving of the 120 sec duration to 60 does seem to be fairly radical, and may cause other issues?  A 90duration/48cooldown would spawn the same amount of extra squads (=167AM/120sec).  I don't know what exactly is best, and I trust the Devs will make an appropriate nerf.

I will add that: besides the huge number of squads that the current Skirantra can create, the use of the ability just prior to jumping can be almost an exploit, in that you can avoid the 100 antimatter jumping penalty.

Phasic traps is the problem, not the hanger itself.  In fact, the hangar itself is quite underpowered, people currently don't build strike craft in order to conserve AM.  The antimatter of the hangars should be rebalanced balanced according to their needs as hangars, and then phasic trap's cost should be adjusted to compensate for this buff.

An automated download system would be preferable, and then the fans could regulate it themselves.

Telekinetic Push is a capital ship ability that will swat away strike craft for ten seconds tops.  Phasic traps is a hangar ability that will make strike craft disappear for nearly a full minute.  Totally incomparable.

Furthermore, Vasari is extraordinarily dangerous to approach this late in the game.  One wrong move with phasic traps and subverters both on the field, and your fleet will become mine fodder.  There is no such thing as a safe approach against a well-prepared late-game Vasari. 

Advent can trade-spam like everyone else, their late-game economy isn't really that bad, and allure is definitely a worthy 8-lab tech.  The problem is that their 4-7 lab level is largely barren.  A proper buff to resource focus would work quite nicely.  As I've recommended before, starting at 35% production bonus and increases to 45% and 55% with its upgrades would be the way to go.  A viable resource focus could go a long way to bolstering a civic-minded Advent.

Their superweapon is a little bit tougher, though...

I'm sorry, I just don't see the attraction here.  The LF is supposed to fill the role of anti-support cruiser, while the illuminator is needed for the role of anti-LF.  A small buff to the illuminator's performance to make it more competitive is what is needed, not any over-reaching changes.

Currently, yes.  The problem I see is that as we begin to nerf it, the "build up" time starts to become the limiting factor again since perpetual scrambling is no longer viable.  As I said, we need to get this ability so both of these are within a certain "sweet spot".  Not too many and not too few bomber squads active at once, not too fast and not too slow a deployment rate.  The exceptionally long turn-over rate of the current scramble is part of the problem, in my opinion, which is why I advocate the duration reduction to increase that turn-over.

While there are a few abilities that can use this "exploit", it is only a real problem with the current version of scramble bombers.  I honestly wouldn't shed tears if the ability was changed so that scrambled squads are lost on jump.  In fact, that sounds like a very good change if it's feasible.

The Halcyon is not comparable as Darvin said.  SC are still active and able to damage against telekinetic push.  Even if you have 2 or 3 you are not going to totally prevent damage.  With phasic trap however, they cannot move or fire and are basically sitting ducks to any fighter presence around.  Once it is active, you cannot even dock the SC without jumping out of the well completely.  If they have phasic trap set up then you can be damn sure there will be a SB too and while it may make it immobile it is only going to be immobile or limitedly mobile until it has your SC locked up.  The major use at present for phasic is to prevent bombers from getting at a SB.  At that point it has free reign and less a significant portion of its opposition.  There is no reason they can't build more hangars either because unless you engage the hangars directly and face the SB wrath then you wont be able to snipe builders with SC.  There are no "mad skillz" to counter it at all with subverters around short a couple of level 6 marzas.  If you have some idea or "mad skillz" that you have not shared of how to counter this, then please do illuminate us as it would be balance related lest these potentially game skillz come to light when there is no fixing of it.  Sorry for the sarcasm(sorta). 

[_]-Greyfox

Thats the trick, to get the traps to work appropriately.

Reducing its duration does go a long way toward curing this "exploit".  If the cooldown remained the same, at 35, then durations of 70, 105, & 87.5  would spawn the same amount of squads as the table's 40, 60, & 24 cooldowns.  And AM use would be almost identical as 1.19.
ie: 105/35=3, 70/35=2, 87.5/35=2.5.... AM use over 120sec=171.43

If the antimatter use per activation remains at 50, your suggestion would consume 250AM over 120sec, compared to the current use of 171.5AM. (60dur/24cd=2.5 x50AM=125AM for 60, thus x2=250AM for 120).  I would prefer to see the total antimatter use remain similar to the current situation (1.19), or only "slightly" nerfed.  Like you said: "you could tweak antimatter costs to taste from there."  But it does sound like reducing duration is a good first step.

Have the Advent Superweapon convert enemy media structures into yours.