So as you all know, the 1.04 patch for sins is out, I'm sure most of you have played it. Please note: I'm not bashing the game, I just see these as important balance concerns.
First concern: Illuminators, clearly right now they are overpowered. It shouldn't have to be explained, but on the off chance it does. Even at t3 and a higher cost. For the same cost and fleet supply as lrms, if the TEC player has twice as much of these two resources invested, the advent player with Illuminators will win.
Fix: Either remove the secondary weapon banks, reduce damage all around, reduce survivability, or increase cost/fleet supply. Alternately, look into creating their own damage/armor type to keep them as effective as desired against certain things without dominating what used to counter them (Flak, massively outnumbered by lrms/assailants)
Second concern: Flaks do not counter illuminators effectively anymore. Nothing to explain at all this time, just not a cost effective counter.
Fix: See above, custom damage/armor for illums would fix this. That's my prefered solution.
Third concern: Addressed non-publicly.
Fourth concern: Brill/malice, I realize they're level 6. I realize it requires two capitals. But please realize this synergy is just too powerful.
Fix: Make cleansing brilliance not work with malice, problem solved. They're both still incredible abilities, but no longer a two press I win combo.
Fifth concern: Random number of resource asteroids per planetoid. This isn't really important, but as I stressed last time, I feel some sort of way to edit this without modding the game (Like the speed settings) Should be added. 1-1 or 1-2 per asteroid 1-2 or 2-2 per terran/desert 0-3 or 0-4 for volc opposite for ice would also be fine. Neutral planetoids should contain 1-2 for the ones without pirates, 2-3 for those with, maybe 2-4.
Fix: Explained in concern.
Sixth (Edited in): Embargo.
Fix+Explanation: With the way your starting economy works, 2-3 jumps away from the enemy means his sova will be embargoing long before you have any substantial form of income other than your homeworld. As it is, embargo is a shitty shitty ability - unless it's used early game on a homeworld. Where it ends up taking a large percentage of your entire economy instead of some backwater planet that is generating almost no revenue to begin with.
I recommend adjusting the value stolen for home planets or changing the ability. Maybe get rid of the stealing, keep "embargoing" the trade ships and forcing them to stay in, but add instead of increased build time. You can't build with embargo active. Make it less of a cooldown, less duration, same AM/minute. Possibly make it half the duration of the cooldown level 1 75% level 2 100% level 3? Beatable by simply building a factory on the asteroid you can get before a sova gets to your base in all cases.
Embargo becomes a tactical ability rather than an economic ability that in and of itself is a tactic because of how powerful it is. Or just adjust the percentage stolen - whatever floats your boat, but it really should be nerfed. I love using it, it's funny, and amusing to see reactions like "Why is my planet getting 0 taxes". But it's broken, it's not beatable on all but the largest maps where it's simply too many jumps to get there so you can have a fleet before it does arrive.
Last, and I hope this is addressed with 1.10... True dev tools that allow for scripting in galaxy forge.
Fix: Self explanatory.
I really love the game, but I hope 1.1 is soon or this is changed. We all want every race to be viable, not a cycle or "flavor of the month" nerf/buff scenario. I realize you guys are trying, just want to give some viable changes. If it's not possible, whatever, I'll deal with it, I do enjoy the game. I just think these things would make it better.
If anyone has any questions, or wishes to debate any of these concerns, bring a reasonable argument. And I'll be happy to discuss it. If I see "Well advent sucked before" as justification, for example however. Heads will roll.