Your WP defence: Mines, satellites or bases?

[Artaud]

OK, so the other day I started a new game, using the latest incarnation of the Star Trek Mod (thanks, Atrocities!).

Again, I'm drawn in to this game like no other. The problems are always the same: not enough ships where I need them, and not enough minerals. But the gameplay is so compelling, I'm still captivated. My starting position was unfavorable, with several nearby systems having just asteroids and NO planets. But I'm going to do my best.

Usually I play a defensive game. I expand until I meet an enemy, and then hunker down and let the AI empires smash each other to bits. I begin defending my systems with one or two satellites. Then I switch to mines. But I find that the AI tends to build minesweepers in large numbers, nullifying my defense in a hurry.

Now I've decided to go all-out in satellite construction. I rarely build defense bases at warp points, because the frontier eventually moves on and the base becomes a floating toll booth. Satellites, at least, can be scooped up and redeployed.

And I rarely build weapon platforms, though in my current game I have a torpedo-armed Christopher Pike-class weapon platform that is doing quite a good job.

In my next game, I think I will forgo building mines entirely.

How do YOU defend warp points? Mines? Satellites? Bases? Do you station fleets at strategic points?

As an aside, let me add that one of the things that keeps SE4 so incredibly deep and fresh is the many new and cool technologies our wonderful modders have given us.

Thank you, guys!!!!