I have done some testing with carriers. They seem effective. I used them on a large hull (7 logistics) and I got 5 fighters (I think 10 logistics worth). I still had enough room to add other stuff such as weapons and defenses. Maybe I should have added another carrier module. I did lose some in later fights, but I got replacements a few turns later. Unfortunately, the game does not tell you anything about your fighter capabilities. I had to figure things out as I played.

Anyways, from what I understand, the fighters are supposed to be freebies. The devs didn't want players building large ships and then the small fighters to be stored on those ships. It would create logistical problems where the player had to remember to add fighters to their carriers. Instead, they made it so that your carrier modules are supposed to spawn the best tiny hulls you can get whenever you get into a fight.

I plan on testing carrier modules some more later. I only used them enough to get my feet wet. I'm no expert on them yet.

P.S. Your starbases can also install carrier modules, much like you can install defenses on them. I haven't got to test those yet.

Please delete.

I assume this is still being worked on with the AI development, as right now they still have relatively basic AI in the game.  I would imagine that the next Beta or a patch shortly before release would have the full AI as expected.  With that being said I'm sure there will be kinks that still need to be ironed out and, that's why I say we'll see it prior to release but, I would expect it to be similar to Galactic Civilizations II where they wouldn't sell their survey ship or at least nor for minimal value.

Those benefits don't sound so hot to a terran/iridium/etc pov, but for yor/dremgin/Maybe krynn, they are massive.  I've put in ~150 turns on 3 different immense maps so far playing yor and had the +5/turn merciless structure first each time. 

While there is plenty of stuff in benevolent /pragmatic  that are pretty nice in the long run, the merciless is loaded that's critical early on for survival of the evilish races against  the wrong neighbors at the wrong times while benevolence /pragmatic grant some nice stuff and a lot of things that help offset the good/goodish race weaknesses when set beside the wrong neighbors at the wrong times

I'd absolutely love to see more varied upr's too

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