what I do is mass all my structures in to one solid defense near the planet with a star base in the center, and face my defenceve "array" toward the most likely point of entry to the grav well then use mines to cover areas not covered by my defence, makeing a funnel of sorts.  with tec I use about 9 or 10 guass platforms, build two rows offset with interlocking fields of fire.  In between the guass rows, i have a row of 4 fighter bays, and between each bay, I build a repair platform, 3 in all, so that they are protected by the fighter bays, with the center one derectly behind the star base.  I make sure that the star base is covered by all 3 repair platforms and all the other structures are covered by at least 2.  as for possible entry behind my defence, I found that the amount of fighters from the bays and the starbase (22 squads in all) are fine for taking on pirates or rebels, even large unfair AI fleets. You might have to personaly control your fighers and bombers to kill the units capable of assulting your planet first, but after that, the rest of that fleet is toast.

This is for regular planets, with astroids you'll have to scale it down with the fewer amount of tac points in those systems.

The other starbases have other cool stuff as well. If you like to turtle, Advent can push culture really hard and slowly but surely send enemy planets into oblivion. Send a shitload of martyr scouts to bust enemy culture sctructs. The increased allegiance does wonders for extra income.

You can't shoehorn any race' s playstyle on another. learn their strengths and you'll be good.

TEC and Advent SB's also have mass killing abilities that the Vasari SB just doesn't have.  Personally, I find the Advent SB to be the most versatile of the lot.

oh man, i love that red button, when im playing against a few unfair AI's and they decide to gang up on me, I pulled my fleets back a few worlds, and let the enemy fleet engage my SB, when they all go within range and the SB was nearly out of health, i pressed the big red button. oh man, about 2000 fleet supply went poof then the next world the same, oh man, it was glorious

also, i fortified a chokepoint planet with full mines, turrets, hangars and a SB, the unfair advent opposite me put his entire 2500 fleet supply fleet at the planet opposite. i was attacking another AI on the other side of the map so i had a small 350-ish fleet supply fleet with a Kol defending that planet.

anyway, needless to say the enemy fleet blew through my defenses, started attacking the SB, when most of my defending fleet was dead, and the SB was nearly dead, and he still had maybe 1800 fleet supply left, i withdrew my fleet, and blew the SB

oh, man, that was the only thing that saved that planet... it was such an epic battle... alot like the battle for Cascade Falls in "World In Conflict"

TEC and Advent starbases can phase jump??

Anyways, here's why I like Vasari starbases.

It only takes 2 military research centers to build it

They are built much faster (in the early game) than TEC (I dont know about Advent)

In the early game, you can get starbases early, and build them in a gravity well to secure that planet, because it can move around and defend it. They can also move to assist your fledgeling fleet which is good and prevent colony ships or bombarding shift from accessing the planet before you can afford to fortify it. You only need upgrade the starbase.

When assaulting a well fortified TEC or Advent gravity well, they can be built safely away from their starbase, then move and assist in the battle against their starbase.

It can be upgraded to have the highest hull, armour, attack; and its shield and shield mitigation are much higher than TEC.

When your playing against 3 hard and 2 unfair AI's in a medium-large galaxy and prefer not making allies and dominating yourself, every planet/asteroid you secure early is the difference between life and death.

Anyways, I am playing TEC now and I have the big red button.. It's on "autocast" but it never seems to actually autocast. I had 5 enemy hard AI's assault my maximum fortified planet at the same time with my entire fleet defending, I got wiped out and the big red button doesnt go off. Needless to say I lost that game