I get where people think that military starbases should be able to defend themselves, but they aren't meant to fight, they are meant to boost the attack and defense power of nearby ships, it's up to you to defend your starbases.

So why have an enormous bunch of modules specifically designed to make starbases defend themselves?

I get what you're saying, and I agree - you shouldn't expect a starbase sitting there alone to survive long (although given you can potentially spend as much as several dreadnoughts, I do think they should be able to stand up to more than one assault!), but having to use fleets to defend means rendering all those *starbase* attack and defence modules completely useless. That's not right either.

As I said several times already, make starbases fleetable and this issue disappears.

I like the idea of making them stronger, but more expensive.

Here's an idea for starbases: Allow players to design them in the same way as ships. Then when you build one with a constructor you can pick one from your list, and it will already be kitted out with all the weapons and upgrades you wanted. (Even if you have to pay 3~4,000BC all at once when you build it). You can then pay to upgrade starbases, so those influence bases that are now deep in your territory can be refitted to provide economic bonuses, or military support.

I like the idea of designing starbases like ships. This could also open up a whole line of research on Starbase construction improvments.

For example, the first type of Starbase available to you may only have X hit points, and room enough for X number of installed modules. Of course, if you went this route, it would probably involve getting rid of the whole idea of using multiple constructors to build a Starbase. You'd just use one, and then when the Starbase was built, and you wanted to upgrade it later, you would simply upgrade it the same way a ship is upgraded.

However, I'd be against the idea of paying the cost of the Starbase all at once. It would be better to have the Constructor take multiple turns to build the starbase in question, based on how much BCs the Starbase cost. Say you designed a Starbase worth 1000 BC, and your Constructor would perform 100BC worth of production a turn. Thus, it would take 10 turns to build your Starbase.

Of course, this would make claiming resources more difficult, since an enemy fleet could come by and destroy your Starbase in mid-construction.

Me too. Making starbases almost as customizable as ships sounds like a logical step to me, given the huge success of the ship designer.

it would probably involve getting rid of the whole idea of using multiple constructors to build a Starbase

That would be nice. I would actually start building starbase types other than resource mines again. I sometimes build econ starbases in middle-size or smaller games; but the larger maps need so much micromanagement already, influence bases take too long to work, and military starbases so quickly become useless, that I have just about given up on starbases altogether.

yeah, i don't usually bother with them that much either. its tedious sending lots of constructors out. i'd rather just get extra war ships.

Starbases ARE way too PUNY -YES - but...
The Resource bases should be grabbed, even if just to deny them to the AI.

The Econ type with or without a resource should be built around your manufact capital, homeworld and any major shipbuild planets. Add the trade+ and prod+ modules. Don't bother with weapons/defense.
Keep constructors in your Fleet Battle Groups to grab free resource bases and to extend ship range if needed.

I have built full-decked out starbases in games, just for FUN !!!!
But for utility they have only a small nich place in the game.

Stardock considered having a module that allows ships to dock with starbases, like they can with planets. Someone might be able to mod this in, like the range module has been modded in. But if not, I highly recommend stardock revive this module.

Hi,

Another possible way to handle starbases is to consider them so vast as to be effectively indestructible, sort of the way DS9 sometimes gets damaged, but changes hands instead of being obliterated. Once a starbase is built, it persists, providing benefits to its owner, as long as no one else sends a fleet to take possession of the starbase and its benefits. Naturally, the owner might wish to park a fleet in the starbase's square to defend it. A starbase might then add its military capabilities as though it were a ship belonging to any fleet that defends it.


Anyway,

Ken

Aye, that could work also. The base doesn't disappear, but if you can get constructors there, you can "repair" one module at a time (still saves 1 for the initial build). But, if the enemy gets a transport there, they can attempt to board it.