Missiles are good early in the game. My first research project is usually DUC up to LvlV and use them (sparsely) on my early warships. As soon as my APBs surpass DUCks, (hahaha very funny Narf
) I use them. I don't usually build much warships in the Early Times, but I usually start building them with APBs Lvl IV and later, in the End Times I use APBs as my main weapon. I rarely use HEDs, specially because WMGs have such a slow reload time. Missiles? Mostly in the Early Times, but also in the Middle Times. (Took these from Homeworld2 (Demo)) Missiles are useful for glassing planets early on and in the Middle Times, when forward colonies have no WeapPlats and I have no troops. I rarely capture planets btw
I usually just glass them and then recolonize them. Especially if I can't colonize them I just glass them.