I dont hate starbases, but I dont like them.
They are responsible for increasing the length of games (and I thought games were already long).
But on the other hand, all the other upgrades in Entrenchment are a welcome addition (Mines, Synergy, Shield Bestowal, Meson Bolt, Burst Rockets, etc...).
I know IC wanted to create something fun and exciting for entrenchment (IC concentrated a lot of energy into starbases), but it just doesn't work for me.
Imagine entrenchment without starbases, that would be a lot more fun and people would have to actually deploy mines and all the other defensive structures to protect a planet instead of going directly for starbases (with weapons/armor/squadrons upgrades).
I would really like having THE OPTION of turning starbases on/off at the star of the game, just like you can with Pirates. I dont know if it would be difficult for the devs to do that?