I agree with jackme; 24k build rates are pretty ugly, but with the update, it was at least tolerable. Something could be done with 24k. Though now 4 of the Collective ships have less than that, since Sloop and Pinnace are so popular. Not really saying that I highly value these ships over the others, I`m just saying that If you played Collective pre-update, you were always using the only ships you had available (unless you spammed Sloop/Galleon, which I think can be more of a menace than Sloop/Pinnace in ranged situations, especially now when it`s got all that and a bag of chips.)
I personally do use all of the Collective ships available, unless I don`t need another stack for defense or if I already have something that would outperform something like Snow or Pinnace, such as a few Nirvanas. I`ve always used Schooners, and Snow is another decent addition to the fleet.
If people have really been complaining to the edge of infinity over Collectives being "overpowered," then I`d gladly direct them to the nearest time machine so they can play Collective pre-update for a year and see what they have to say about the race. If they can play that long without going insane and changing race, that is.
This is just something that`s been needed for longer than I`ve been here, and I`m really glad that it`s finally come through. I know that changes have to be made for balance, and it`s not like I can just protest a minor thing like a nerfed build rate, despite how painful that can ultimately be in the long run. I appreciate the work that`s been put forth, though I guess you can`t really make everyone happy. :S
I guess in summation, I have to say that I disapprove of the nerf in that it neuters the will for some variation and promotes the "oh-so-dreaded Galleon spam," A.K.A. anti-newbie.
The added % for capture is nice, but I don`t think it will promote the usage of those ships, to be honest. The best Collective knows how to use each ship and will stack them as seen fit.