Tanks!

It might still work and just complain about version though

Nope, this is a dead project.
My playing style has shifted in such a significant manner, that this mode is no longer in use, so I don't updatet it anymore. I keep it visible so anybody playing as I previously did can find it, see the concept behind it and use it as a starting point towards their own mod.

Not update?

Not updated?

Is this compatible with 1.2.1?

@Thorman: it shouldn't really conflict with other mods (it only adds content, and I used a naming convention that makes it highly unlikely there is a name conflict). It researched my systems well enough though...
I'll try starting a few random games with no other mods to try to repro

@H4shX: I only added AI-types for discovery, so the AI will build regular battleships for its battleline, but may decide to build armed science ships when its mineral production justifies this. Haven't looked too much into AI behavior on this - just enough to know they don't switch over to building them en masse as combatants.

does the AI use this? the reason I ask is because would AI prefer the normal battlecship or this?

ok for some reason the armed science ships won't survey system at all!!! i have tried surveying the home system in a new game and it is still stuck at 0%... i even tried making a regular science ship and that made the survey!!! what is going on??? also i do have lots of other mods so maybe they are conflicting?

Actually, I have very much considered looking into sections unlocked by technologies. Haven't gotten around to doing it, though I probably will after the current game.

Actually, they are Science Ships (otherwise you couldn't assign science officers to them). What they no longer are is Civilian Ships. This is the property that makes them run at sight of the first trouble, no matter how heavily armed they are. So no, this is not going to go away unfortunately.
I hope that at some point they won't make the UI split between civilian and military ships, but rather between ship-classes (So they'd be separated into "Military / Science / Constructor / Colony", rather than "Military / Civilian"). I'd prefer that configuration even without mods.

Hmm. Have you considered making new *sections* for the existing science vessel class, that unlock with the right techs? I'm not sure if you can actually do that, but it would solve the problems with your current approach. Because they would still be science vessels, they would get science vessel context commands and you could upgrade vessels to better ones. They also would not be combinable into warfleets, which is a good thing in my book.

a stepping stone to a true uss enterprise mod, flying around exploring strange new world, seeking out new life n civs, and yadda yadda yadda....