If each ship type's built-in supply capacity could increase with your tech level that would be ideal. There ought to be some inherent damage rating for the hull, too, so the ship has "structure" just like in MOO. This is the innate abilities for ships idea again. I hope MM can do something like this in the future when the AI is working decently.
Edit:
But this works well enough for the colony ship problem. I can add the 'extra fuel tanks' to the colony ship hull type and the stupid AI can't cram a colony ship into a battleship because it has 'supply storage'...
[This message has been edited by Baron Munchausen (edited 08 February 2001).]