[Tomgs]

The major drawbacks to Satellites are no manuverability, pd weapons kill them easily, and the biggest drawback is that they can't be upgraded. They definately are useful as a quick defence for border planets and they are great for letting you know what is happening in a remote system if you drop a few at the warp points. So I do use them but to me ships will still rule. However a few satellites with missles early in the game will make your planets almost impregnable till your opponents research point defence. I usually have backwater planets turning out mines troops and/or satellites and then when they are full I build transports to bring them close to the action.