I think starbases should have some means to have better survivability in late game. They are too much of a sitting duck (except for Vasari), and now that the AI is smart enough to spam Ogrovs and starfishes, it should have means to at least delay the steamroll a bit until you can get a fleet in the gravwell.
Problem 1: all slots in the upgrade/skill panel are occupied.
Proposed solution: Move the trade ports upgrade to a technology which automatically grants it, at levels 6-8. This gives one extra slot for another skill. Each race would get an additional thing in their starbases.
Problem 2: Vasari jumping starbase is OP
Proposed solution: make Vasari jump tech not be automatic, but take up a starbase upgrade slot. The first level could be cheaper, like the first trade port level, and the second more expensive, but reduce jump AM cost and increase SB move/turn/jump speed.
Problem 3: TEC/Advent starbase is helpless against a massive fleet of extreme range doom. Red Button is a tough pill to swallow if you have invested in other upgrades in the starbase. Meteor shower can do awesome damage, but is also range-limited.
Proposed solution TEC: There is no way to make that hulking thing move, that's a given. But you can add an uber-tractor-beam-of-doom SB upgrade. First level would have 1-2 beams and target frigates, second level would add more 1-2 beams and target capital ships too. The beam would have a range higher than Ogrov (perhaps teh whole gravwell), each beam would pull one ship at a time into SB range. Tractor beam would disable ship skills and increase weapon cooldown by 50%. Optionally the tractor beam could just be a tech upgrade without SB slot cost, but then it could be considered too powerful. (maybe not?)
Proposed solution Advent #1: Give the advent SB a teleport skill. First level would have ridiculously high AM requirement and very very long cooldown, further levels reduce AM cost and cooldown. That would enable them to reposition SB in times of need. First level would cause a 'confusion' effect on the original starbase position, second level would also cause a 'confusion' effect on the destination (making it more suitable for an offensive move).
Proposed solution Advent #2: Also add a level 7 defensive tech (not a sb upgrade option) where it would have synergistic shields with other planetary structures. It would also cause damage to be spread out to other structures' shields, making every structure more resistant to obliteration, in line with Advent's synergies. A level 8 additional upgrade would add 100-200 shield for each structure in the group.
Strike craft: late-game should have it possible to add more strike craft to SB. Levels 7-8 tech should grant additional 2-3 strike craft per level to starbases (no sb upgrade needed).
Ant YES, 'embetterment' is a perfectly cromulent word.
